I didn't see the family that I saw yesterday with seven, and this could be the same one and I missed two earlier. But I had watched them for some time while taking pictures, and there didn't seem to be any more.
The Black Swan was still on the edge of the Long Water near the bridge, looking as if he was doing tai chi.
There have been more casualties than usual among the Mute Swans this year, and one family has only one cygnet left.
I haven't seen Herring Gulls attacking cygnets, but they probably would go for a small one if it became separated from its fiercely protective parents. So would Grey Herons.
The Egyptian Geese on the Round Pond bred earlier than those on the Serpentine, and there are two families with four young. The elder ones are graceful teenagers with fully developed wings, probably already able to fly.
The younger ones are from the nest in the big split in the oak tree north of the pond. They are going through an awkward phase while they shed their downy feathers and grow adult ones.
The young Grey Heron in the nest on the Serpentine is also looking very untidy.
I couldn't see any activity in the nest shown in yesterday's picture. It is really very hard to see through the leaves.
The Great Crested Grebe chick was alone while both parents hunted for fish for it.
It is safer than it looks, since it can dive in milliseconds if danger threatens.
The was a traffic jam on a fallen branch near Peter Pan. A Moorhen wanted to walk down it, and a Mallard wouldn't get out of the way.
The male Little Owl was on his favourite branch in the chestnut tree, this time seen from the other side, so that you only see his face if he turned round. He was holding on to the branch with both feet, so it seems that his injured toe is less painful today.
Both owlets were in the neighbouring chestnut tree -- they have made their first proper flight. Only one was in a place where it could be photographed.
It took little notice of us. They have grown up surrounded by noisy humans, and even 21-gun salutes for the Queen's birthday leave them unmoved.
A Blue Tit near the bridge was looking a bit harassed as its chicks called loudly for food.
A young Magpie on the other side of the lake had the same thing on its mind.
Nice to bump into you today Ralph and thanks for pointing out the whereabouts of the little owl for me, especially since unusually I didn't have any optics with me today. I was watching the black swan too - it was swimming about with the mutes in the middle of long water later in the afternoon.
ReplyDeleteJorgen tells me that he was with his girlfriend again, but she is now almost pure white and hard to tell from the other swans.
Deletelovely painterly (and funny)shot of the blue tit family
ReplyDeleteThanks. But of course they did the painting.
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