A Magpie had had enough, and was sheltering under a table at the Lido restaurant.
But the weather didn't stop a Wren from singing on a twig near the Dell, where there is a colony of them.
At the bottom of the Dell waterfall, a pair of Blackbirds didn't feel wet enough, and decided to go bathing.
A Cormorant perversely tried to dry its wings in the rain.
When there are no people to feed the mob of Rose-Ringed Parakeets at the leaf yard, they go down on to the ground and eat dandelion leaves.
A young Black-Headed Gull scratched its chin.
The three young Great Crested Grebes have now started fishing for themselves, although their parents are still feeding them. One of them actually caught something, but I missed filming it. Between dives they practised the grebe head-shaking salute.
They were near the island, way out of their territory. One of the pair of adults from the island postured threateningly at them, but didn't go beyond that, as they are young and stripy and allowed a certain latitude.
The Black Swan sauntered over, rain-spattered but as elegant as ever.
A pair of Mallards were interested in something in a hole in the concrete edge of the Serpentine.
The white Mallard reached up for a tasty leaf on one of the rafts of water plants.
More Shovellers have arrived on the Long Water. I could see ten in all.
This is the first rabbit I've seen for months at the Henry Moore sculpture. They have had a terrible year. However, fresh droppings on the hill above show that there are still several of them.
The teenage Grebes look very sociable and almost tame. Is it my impression, or are the parents much more skittish? It's endearing how the teens greet each other, practicing for when they are adults.
ReplyDeleteI've seen sparrows take baths when it was pouring down. I don't know what it is about rain that makes some birds go crazy.
P.S. It appears that it was a miserable day. I hope you didn't get soaked.
ReplyDeleteThe grebes on the lake are pretty calm about people, whom they have seen all their lives. What happens on land is of no interest to them. They don't go there. But in a completely wild place you'd expect grebes to be shyer.
DeleteIt was quite wet. I went round the lake once and then bunked off to an exhibition at the Wellcome Collection , 'Can graphic design save your life?' Apparently it can, which is good to know.
Very glad you found shelter and didn't catch a cold. I'll be curious - how can graphic design save one's life?!
DeletePackaging of drugs to avoid confusion, public health posters etc., especially in countries where a lot of people are illiterate.
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