Sunday 7 August 2016

There are now four pairs of Great Crested Grebes with chicks. One of the brood of three near the bridge was being fed.


The family from the nest near Peter Pan are down to two chicks, which were being kept safe under an overhanging bush at the Vista.


The three chicks from the nest on the island were following their parents around the Serpentine.


And finally, the nest in the Long Water reed bed has hatched. It's too far away for a good view, and the chicks weren't visible, but here is one of the parents bringing a fish for them.


This roundup doesn't include the teenager hatched earlier in the island nest, as it is now independent.

The Black Swan was with his adopted cygnet at the Diana fountain landing stage. The cygnet stood up and flapped its tiny wings.


Swans' wings remain undeveloped for a very long time. This is a prudent adaptation, as these heavy birds are desperately unmanoeuvrable, and even adults crash into obstacles. If young swans started flying too soon they would quickly meet with disaster.

The female Mute Swan at the Vista shows how much growing has to be done.


It looks as if she is making an impassioned plea to the visitors, 'Feed my starving babies.' But actually she is just having a routine stretch and flap.

Another peculiar hybrid goose on the Serpentine: presumably this is a Canada-Greylag cross, but instead of the usual grey of both these species it is brown, almost chocolate coloured.


The juvenile Lesser Black-Backed Gull on the Serpentine was pursuing both its parents, which are the pigeon-eating pair. No pigeon was provided for it.


One of the Little owlets in the lime tree near the Henry Moore sculpture peered down from a branch.


The male Little Owl near the Albert Memorial was also on view.


A Common Darter dragonfly was resting on the sun-warmed stone edge of one of the Italian Garden ponds.


A Greenbottle fly was looking splendidly lustrous on a daisy in the wildflower patch behind the Lido.

2 comments:

  1. The picture of the trio of Grebelets all together is super, thank you.

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    1. They have a knack of posing prettily -- see Monday's picture.

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