Wednesday 7 June 2017

The young Starlings in the plane trees by the boathouses were being fed by their parents. The exchange is remarkably quick.


The parents were bringing small white larvae which they found in the surrounding trees.


The two young Carrion Crows near the Henry Moore sculpture were also being fed, in this case with a peanut that I had given their mother.


There was a moment of peace as a Great Tit and a Blue Tit ate pine nuts they had taken from my hand.


The wind had brought down twigs from a willow tree beside the Serpentine, and a Greylag Goose was eating the leaves, which are considered a delicacy by geese and swans.


The combined broods of Canada Geese were grazing a few yards away.


There has been no further drama with the Mute Swans' cygnets.


However, one of the goslings of the Egyptian Geese at the Dell was taken by the notorious pigeon-eating Lesser Black-Backed Gull. A pair of crows tried to steal the victim, without success.


The Great Crested Grebe chick on the island was safe under the bushes, dozing beside its parent on the nest.


The female Little Owl at the leaf yard came out of her hole, in spite of the blustery wind.


Later the wind died down, and the male emerged too. Paul got this pleasing sunlit picture of him.


There is a newly arrived Black Swan on the lake St James's Park, in addition to the two permanent residents. Naturally we are wondering whether it's our old friend from last year. Fran went to see, and reports that he came straight over to her and took a digestive biscuit. Here are two pictures she took. He does look very like our swan.


The dark marks on his bill weren't there last year, but could easily be the result of wear and tear.


I will go over and take a look when I have a moment.

3 comments:

  1. OOOOOOOOH he's back!!!!!
    Excuse my giddiness: I so hope it's our so very sorely missed guy.

    Lovely picture of the female owl with its tidy little claws and its pretty feathered feet.It looks like a fashion model.

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    1. I bet the black swan would swim over to Ralph even before he gets a biscuit out, if he knows him, he'll perhaps anticipate the biscuit!

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    2. Our Black Swan is friends with Fran too. The question is whether this one came over to her because he recognised her, or whether he simply makes a beeline for anyone standing still with a plastic bag.

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