Wednesday 17 August 2016

There is a Kingfisher on the Long Water again -- if indeed it ever left. I saw it very briefly on the Long Water last week, and today I was there with Tom when it sped down the lake, and he managed to snatch a distant shot of it.


Another day, and the Tufted duckling is still on the Serpentine. It spends a remarkably long time submerged, more than a Great Crested Grebe could at this age. But, unlike a grebe, it isn't being fed, and has to find its own food.


The grebe family from the island were at the east end of the lake again, unchallenged by the pair who normally regard this as their territory. Having chicks gives them an advantage in a territorial dispute.


The Black Swan was not having things his own way. The dominant Mute Swans from the Long Water had come out under the bridge as far as the landing stage, and the male chased him and his cygnet some distance beyond there.


I say 'him' and 'his', but there is now serious doubt as to whether the Black Swan is male, despite typically aggressive behaviour. A reader has seen this swan being mounted by a Mute Swan, but I have seen exactly the opposite. We shall have to wait for certain proof.

A shamefully irresponsible dog owner allowed  her greyhound to chase the Long Water swans for some distance. (She is out of shot in this picture.)


This behaviour is typical of a sadly large number of dog owners, who live in the delusion that everything their pet does is amusing, and that the park regulations don't apply to them. They can turn quite nasty, even violent, if confronted. However, this goes beyond mere regulations. Allowing a dog to harass wildlife is a criminal offence under the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981, and if the owner is apprehended she will face arrest, prosecution in court and a fine of several hundred pounds. The male swan of this pair was attacked and seriously injured by a dog earlier this year, and has only just completely recovered.

Our notorious Lesser Black-Backed Gull has not read the Act, and continues to kill pigeons daily. Recently he has left his usual corner near the Dell restaurant and has been hunting all round the Serpentine, maybe looking for places where the pigeons are less wary.


The Moorhens nesting in the drain near the bridge have had another brood, their third this year and there is still one survivor of each of the earlier ones. They were on the far side of the reed bed, but there were indistinct glimpses of three chicks.


The Mistle Thrushes on Buck Hill were hunting in the grass and eating rowan berries from the trees nest to the West Carriage Drive.


Both the Little owlets near the Albert Memorial were visible in different trees.



The Little Owls near the leaf yard couldn't be found. Plaintive cries from the top of their tree turned out to be from a young Stock Dove begging and flapping its wings.


A Speckled Wood butterfly perched on a leaf near Peter Pan.


Two days ago I saw a black and white moth in a tree near the Physical Energy statue. It was in deep shade and I only got a very bad picture of it. As usual, I didn't know what it was. But I was talking to Tom and one of his friends, and they identified it as a Jersey Tiger Moth. Tom supplied a much better picture of one.

17 comments:

  1. Ralph, have you taken the photo of the tufted duckling today ? I could not see them this morning

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  2. Good stuff then, I am trying to feed the herring gulls so they can leave him alone but got concerned for a moment.
    The photo of the dog vs swan is rather distressing. I wonder whether the male swan got injured at the lido early this year as there were signs on the gates. Shame on the owner, but the dog lobby in the park is probably strong and give them money as most get away with it.

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    1. It's not a good idea to feed herring gulls or lesser black-backs, in view of their high pest potential. If you feed them here, more will be attracted. We just have to let nature take its course sometimes, but a part-grown duckling that can dive away from trouble has good prospects. Jim n.L.

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    2. You should see this one dive. It's as fast as a Little Grebe.

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    3. I don't normally feed the herring gulls, but if I see one swarming around the duckling I will rather throw him a piece of something than let himmtry and snatch the little one. I saw it happen and it is not a very nice thing to witness. I know it is nature but if you can help it a little? To my knowledge he would be the first tufted duckling to survive on the lake, hardly any ducklings survive on the Serpentine. I am sure she had more till the last one left.

      The dog situation has improved a little compared to what I recall back in 2010 or 2011. But earlier this year there was a family of Egyptian geese breeding early March and it was such a cold Sunday morning...there was a dog running around loose and they went onto grass but were too slow to get back to the lake and the dog grabbed one of the goslings. We were trying to catch him but by the time we did it was too late. He died of shock and injuries. Then the dog went onto getting another one but my partner gently interfered with his foot. The dog got svared and ran off. We could not even see the owner. Often times it is two ladies carrying cups of coffee, chatting not paying any attention to what their dog does and boy if you say something to them....

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  3. There's an interesting article here https://www.researchgate.net/publication/263814370_Black_Swans_Cygnus_atratus_adopt_related_cygnets about Black Swans adopting related cygnets. Obviously it isn't the case here but you have to wonder if he thinks the adopted cygnet is one of his own kind.

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    1. Thanks. Will have a look. I think the Black Swan does believe the cygnet to be another Black Swan, and this was also the case with the 'girlfriend' earlier.

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  4. Ralph, could you think about sending a copy of your photo of the dog attacking the Mute Swan to the relevant authorities re the notices in the park stating that it is an offence? It would be good evidence which they might be able to use.

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    1. After years of sending the park management polite and constructive suggestions I've given up. It's like banging your head against a brick wall.

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    2. Well if the authorities won't enforce the law how about some vigilante-style 'WANTED!' posters to shame the guilty parties?

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    3. What about sending the picture to the popular press? Dog lovers are plenty, but so are those who are heartily sick of dog lovers.

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    4. Maybe, if I can get more and better pictures. It needs to look like a plague, which it is, rather than an isolated incident.

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  5. Do all dogs have to be on a lead at all times or are there places dogs are allowed off the lead? If the former it is easier to deal with, if the latter slightly more difficult. I appreciate the problem as we have the same attitude locally from dog owners and some of them can be quite aggressive if you speak to them at all.

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    1. Dog owners are supposed to put their dogs on leads when near the edge of the lake or the Round Pond, and there are large clear notices saying so around the Serpentine and Round Pond. These notices also mention the Wildlife and Countryside Act. The signage on the Long Water is less good. But dog owners are wilfully blind to these things. I have occasionally forced one to read one of these notices, but they are wilfully blind and utterly uncaring. Dog walkers are forbidden to go near the water at all, and behave much better, for fear of losing their licences.

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  6. I once told a dog owner off when her dog went for a swan and she was most apologetic

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    1. I think you were lucky! That is not the norm in Hyde Park and without sounding biased it is usually two middle aged ladies walking together with a cup of coffee who can't be bothered controlling their dogs.

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