Saturday 19 August 2017

The teenage Mute Swans on the Long Water got too close to a Grey Heron on a post, and it displayed its dislike of them.


I hadn't seen the Black Swan for two days, and was beginning to worry that he had left. But no, there he was, as elegant as ever.


He had just been keeping his head down.


The pale Canada--Greylag hybrid was with his Canada mate.


There have been at least four broods or singles of these hybrids on the lake in recent years. These two, although very unlike in appearance, are siblings. There was originally a brood of four, the other two of which looked like the paler speckled one on the right.


A Moorhen and five small chicks rushed around among the waterfowl at the Vista.


The Great Crested Grebe pair who nested unsuccessfully twice in the fallen poplar tree on the Long Water were displaying to each other, and made a half-hearted attempt at a dance. But only one bird came up with the necessary weed, and the attempt lapsed. I don't think they are really serious about nesting again.


The three young grebes on the Serpentine were cruising around all over the lake. I haven't seen one catch a fish yet, but that is very easy to miss in the wide expanse of water.


The racing pigeon was still under the feeder in the Rose Garden. He clearly has no intention of going home.


One of the young Robins was with him.


A Rose-Ringed Parakeet picked a plum from a tree in the Rose Garden and perched on the pergola to eat it.


The Little Owl at the leaf yard looked down from her usual chestnut tree.


There is a patch of long grass on Buck Hill near the Magazine where various wild flowers can be found, all naturally occurring and more interesting than the ones in the cultivated wild flower patches at the Lido and the Rose Garden. This is Toadflax.

4 comments:

  1. I think that the plant with yellow flowers (spurred like snapdragons) is a Common Toadflax (Linaria vulgaris).

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    1. Thanks. I'm sure you're right, though none of the flowers had an upright stance like the pictures of this plant on the web. Have changed the blog, anyway.

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  2. What a magnificent view of the Black Swan's ruffles!

    That Heron looks pretty grumpy. Why would it single out the poor cygnets for attack, though? They don't have the same diet, so they are no competition,

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    Replies
    1. Herons don't like anyone, especially other herons. Swans are only slightly more affable. Put them near each other and there is a good deal of squawking and hissing.

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