The white-faced Blackbird collected her daily treat of sultanas. She only takes some of them, and will come back later for the rest if the pigeons don't get them first.
The female Little Owl was out on the chestnut tree near the leaf yard.
A Blackcap sang in the same tree. It's hard getting a video of one. They are shy and move around constantly.
There's a pair of Dunnocks in the leaf yard. One hopped around in the shadows under the bushes.
A pair of Long-Tailed Tits flew around among the new leaves.
A Feral Pigeon sunbathed in the Dell.
It was a work experience day for another lot of bankers. They raked cut grass listlessly in the hot sunshine while the shire horses and their drivers took it easy.
The Great Crested Grebes on the stolen Coots' nest displayed affectionately.
There's a Coots' nest just along the bank of the island. Probably it was built by the pair of Coots evicted by the grebes.
It was time for the Coots on the post near the bridge to change places on the nest. Both parents take turns to incubate the eggs.
We haven't seen much of the Mandarins recently, but there was a drake at the Vista.
The little group of Red-Crested Pochards is still on the Serpentine.
A pair of Tufted Ducks dived at the edge. The white sides of the drakes make them easy to see under water.
The Mute Swans nesting at the Lido restaurant terrace have been given a temporary fence to protect them from people poking camera in their faces. It also shades them from the sun.
A Grey Heron was fishing in the wire baskets near the bridge. These baskets serve as fish hatcheries, but I shouldn't think the new fish fry were large enough to interest them. They must be trying to spear adult fish through the mesh.
Very funny little clip of the Blackbird giving up on competing as soon as the Wren joins the fray. Wrens are all lungs! Such a potent loud voice in such a tiny frame.
ReplyDeleteDid the Coots build such a polished structure in the couple of weeks since they got evicted? If they did, someone should call the Guinness Book because we may have a record: first time in recorded history Coots give up on anything.
What a shapely little claw on the female Little Owl.
It doesn't take long for industrious Coots to build a nest. They could make a large nest like that in five days with good access to twigs, of which there must be a lot lying around on the wooded island.
ReplyDeleteOwls' feathery feet are charming in a lethal way.