Together they make an irresistible begging duo, and they were getting a lot of attention and food from the people on the terrace.
The oldest of this year's young Greylag Geese now look almost like adults. They are not yet quite full size, and their feather pattern looks slightly scalloped, where an adult's is more barred. An adult also has a distinct white line along the lower edge of its folded wings.
This teenage Moorhen at the east end of the Serpentine won't look adult for several months. It takes time to develop the adult's gaudy red and yellow bill and yellow legs.
The young Pied Wagtails will also have to wait for another moult until they have the strong 'half-timbered' pattern of adults. This one was on the edge of the Round Pond.
Young Robins grow their red breast feathers gradually. This one in the Dell hasn't started yet, but there is another one here that is far more advanced -- I photographed it on Saturday.
A young Wren near the Italian Garden already looks adult apart from the yellow edges to its bill.
One of the adult Reed Warblers near the bridge paused for a moment before darting off into a tree to collect more insects for its demanding youngsters.
In late summer a holly tree on the west side of the Long Water suddenly becomes filled with Starlings chattering noisily. It's always the same tree, near the path and a little north of the horse chestnut that fell into the water.
It's not clear why they choose this tree to congregate. The berries won't be ripe for months.
One of the Little owlets near the Albert Memorial looked quizzically at me from an oak tree.
The male Little Owl near the leaf yard was restless because there was a noisy children's outing next to his two chestnut trees. He flew from the nest tree to the upper tree, where I took this picture.
There was a Small Red-Eyed damselfly on the algae in the Round Pond. The patches of algae are covered in small insects which attract four kinds of damselfly -- Common Blue, Blue-Tailed, and Large and Small Red-Eyed -- as well as Emperor dragonflies.
A honeybee was browsing on a patch of ragwort next to the bridge.
You're right - what a touching swan scene - take my money! :-)
ReplyDeleteIt had crossed my mind that the Black Swan might have borrowed the cygnet actually as a begging aid, but I dismissed the idea as anthropomorphic and cynical.
DeleteAlcman said he had learned his melodies from birds. Perhaps we also got that from them!
DeleteWhat a wonderful development. When the black swan was pursuing the youngster a few days ago the cygnet was really frightened by its attentions, at one point scurrying out of the water on to the lido concrete and several times ducking under the diving platform, where the larger adult couldn’t follow, and crying out continually. What was noticeable however was that the black swan didn’t peck at the youngster as it does at competitors, and I wonder if this is part of the reason the cygnet eventually realised its intentions were honourable? Whatever the reason this seems to have been a year for unusual adoptions. Have you ever observed this many?
DeleteNo, I haven't. This has been a strange and interesting year in many ways. It partly makes up for the retreat of the Tawny Owls and the presumed failure of the Hobbies to nest.
DeleteTake my money, and all of my bread, and whatever amount of digestive biscuits I can manage to carry!
ReplyDeleteNow seriously, I am about to implode from the cuteness (there isn't any derogatory nuance in "cuteness" in British English as opposed to American English, right?).
Was discussing the usage with my American girlfriend. We think that the reason for looking down on the word 'cute' is anti-Americanism rather than any meaning of the word itself.
Deletei've also wondered why the starlings choose that tree. i've always rationalised that it must be the nearby blackberry bushes though they rarely seem to come out of the tree & surely the blackberries are mostly unripe?
ReplyDeleteMark W2
Yes, the blackberries are quite inedible at the moment. It can't be food that is drawing them in. And they don't usually see a need to sit in a tree with spiky leaves that offer protection against predators. I think the only reason is tradition, passed down to new generations of Starlings.
DeleteDid you see the water fight yesterday? Or did you miss the problems?
ReplyDelete
DeleteLuckily I had gone home before it started.
There was another minor fracas in the park to the north of the Italian Garden, with police vans and a helicopter and stripy tape and all the trimmings. Didn't see what it was.
Would that have been the suspicious package that was reported > http://www.getwestlondon.co.uk/news/west-london-news/bomb-scare-kensington-gardens-leads-11641410
DeleteMust have been. Thanks.
DeleteI think it must have been this actually !
ReplyDeletehttp://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-london-36841826
That was last night. The incident in Kensington Gardens was this morning, Wednesday.
Delete