It was a grey windy day. The male Little Owl looked out of his hole for a few seconds, didn't like what he saw, and went back inside.
The female of the prolific pair of Egyptian Geese at the Round Pond was also inside again, sitting on her nest in the usual oak tree.
A pair of Wood Pigeons in the leaf yard seemed fond of each other.
A Grey Wagtail added a splash of colour to a dull day, looking for insects on a bit of floating wood near the small boathouses.
The pigeon-eating Lesser Black-Backed Gull was preening on the edge of the Serpentine before stalking his next victim.
A Black-Headed Gull was playing with a tatty bit of aluminium foil, which made an interesting rustling noise when shaken.
A Rose-Ringed Parakeet was climbing down to reach a fat ball hung in one of the catalpa trees between Peter Pan and the Italian Garden.
On the other side of the path two Robins were singing loudly at each other.
This fungus growing on a plane tree at the Lido has been identified by Mario as a Shaggy Scalycap (Pholiota squarrosa).
Update: Mike Meilack got a good picture of a Kingfisher on the dead willow tree next to the Italian Gardens.
Is the Egyptian goose in the tree properly or is there an opening at the top?
ReplyDeleteIf no opening how does she get out?
Its a big V-shaped split in the tree. The Egyptian climbs up to where it's wide enough to get out. They are surprisingly good at climbing.
DeleteDo any other birds similar to the Geese do that/are able to do that?
DeleteMandarins and Wood Ducks both nest in holes and are better climbers than Egyptians. Look at their feet -- they have proper claws, not flat toenails like most other ducks.
DeleteAn especially great lot of photos today. The Egyptian is rather disturbing..
ReplyDeleteShe is, poor bird, stuck up a tree by repeated pregnancies.
DeleteI don't remember saying that now it is too late for Honey Fungus. Indeed Honey Fungus has a very long season, and you can find its fruiting bodies from Summer to Winter. In any case this is not Honey Fungus (Armillaria mellea), but Shaggy Scalycat (Pholiota squarrosa).
ReplyDeleteMario
that is ScalyCAP
DeleteMany thanks for the identification. And sorry I misinterpreted your remark about the season for Honey Fungus -- we were talking about the patch of wood chips near Physical Energy and I got things wrong, not for the first or the last time.
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