When I went past later all was still well, but the hungry gulls are circling.
Sadly, they have taken two of Blondie's goslings and she only has three now.
Update: this is wrong -- passing later, Kim Fletcher found all five alive and well. Heaven knows where they were when I went by.
The families at the Lido and on the Round Pond are still all right, and here are the four goslings on the pond, huddled in the chilly breeze.
The family on the Vista were hidden in the plants and it was impossible to see how many they had.
The Canada Geese that were exploring the reeds near the Italian Garden have decided to nest there.
A Moorhen was making an exceptionally foolish attempt to build a nest on one of the fountains.
A Mallard was preening near the Lido. It's at times like this that you realise what complicated things wings are.
There were three Carrion Crows close together in a treetop beside the Serpentine. A fourth thought it would be fun to land in the middle of them.
A Jay waited in a blossoming tree for me to give it a peanut.
A Magpie was also in a floral setting on one of the rafts at the east end of the lake.
This is one of the Mistle Thrushes nesting in a plane tree beside Rotten Row.
A Blue Tit was looking very fine in the Rose Garden.
A pair of Long-Tailed Tits were bouncing around in the bushes on the east side of the Long Water.
A Pied Wagtail was hunting beside the Serpentine.
A Wren sang from a standpipe in the Dell.
It was too chilly and windy to suit Little Owls, but eventually the female near the Albert Memorial looked out of her hole for a couple of minutes.
Either Blondie was playing tricks on you or her missing goslings escaped their captor. I walked up rather sadly after reading you this afternoon (Wednesday) and was delighted to see all five. Kim Fletcher
ReplyDeleteThat's a relief, thank you. But I wonder where on earth they were when I went by.
DeleteI was going to say how sad I was about Blondie's little lost babies but Kim Fletcher's comment put a smile right back in my face.
ReplyDeleteThat picture of the Magpie side by side with the yellow and green vegetation looks almost like a Japanese print. What a great artistic eye Ralph has!
Another funny little youtube clip, again starring Swans:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EQ6EID3jhsY
Talk about an icebreaker!
Yes, I've seen that when the lake freezes here. The swan progresses in a series of lurches, bearing down on the ice and breaking it with his weight. Icebreaker boats do the same thing.
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