There was now sign of owlets, but the adults' behaviour is consistent with there being some. Usually their parents put them in a tree and sleep in an adjacent one during the day to avoid being disturbed by them, so it is possible that they were in the nest tree, hidden in the thick foliage.
Both the original pair of Little Owls also appeared. The female was in the hole in the uphill tree, low down and not showing well. The male was in the top of the same tree. When I came past again, the male had moved down to the nest tree, and this picture is of him standing on a branch above last year's nest entrance.
The male Cetti's Warbler was singing loudly in his usual place, and I got a one-second glimpse of him dashing from one holly tree to the next. While I was waiting for him, a fox cub came out of the brambles and looked curiously at the passing humans.
I have seen fox cubs in this thicket before, several years ago.
In the same place, a Common Blue butterfly flew past and perched on a holly leaf. This is the first one I've seen this year.
Update: it's probably a Holly Blue, not a Common Blue. Thanks to Kish Woolmore for pointing this out.
A Chiffchaff was singing in a tree at the east end of the Serpentine.
There was a Grey Wagtail on the railings of the children's play area at the back of the Lido. It is probably last year's young one, now in adult plumage. I haven't seen its parents for months.
On the edge of the Lido bathing area, a young Egyptian was bathing in completely adult style, splashing in the water and standing up to flap its tiny wings.
There really are two broods of seven, one on either side of the Serpentine, so one of them has actually increased. This seems to have happened when someone found an isolated chick and brought it to the family with six chicks, and surprisingly it was adopted.
Under the willow tree near the Italian Garden, a pair of Coots were preening each other, an expression of affection and they get to eat any bugs they find.
Last pic is soo coot! Jim n.L.
ReplyDeleteIt's good to see that they have finer feelings, occasionally.
DeleteThe news about the gosling is wonderful - and a delightful wash 'n' brush up shot too! Any news of the swan?
ReplyDeleteSee Friday's post.
DeleteSuch wonderful updates! Do you have any idea if the fox cubs were born in the park? The swans and geese had best be careful.
ReplyDeleteI'm sure they were. This little triangle of brambles has seen fox families before. And yes, they do take their toll of ground-nesting waterfowl, and the swan on the Long Water lost his mate to a fox three years ago -- hence the construction of the island. (Now it seems that human error is to blame for this year's loss -- see Friday's post.)
DeleteLovely photo of the coots in a tender moment. I wonder if the lost Egyptian duckling is offspring of the rubbish parents. Common gull chicks that are not fed properly by their parents wander away from their nest and some get adopted by other gulls with chicks their age.
ReplyDeleteThanks. I'm pretty certain that the lost Egyptian comes from the rubbish parents. It was found near the bridge, about 100 yards from their nest, and found by a couple of girls who didn't know what to do. What they did was wrong by normal standards, but fortunately it seems to have worked, and the chick has a much better chance of survival with its new foster-parents.
DeleteI was advised last week that common blues come out later in the season and that this early it is more likely to be a Holly Blue - do you think that this is sound advice and that what you saw is probably a Holly Blue ?
ReplyDeleteThanks for the information. It was on a holly leaf, too, I ought to have been more careful.
DeleteI've never thought that the park has so many species. I guess it will be my next destination to explore. Thanks for your post, really nice pictures :)
ReplyDelete