... Swifts ...
... and House Martins hunting insects over the Serpentine.
Other birds were also catching insects. A Robin brought some to its nest at the foot of Buck Hill.
A Long-Tailed Tit was hunting in a tree near the bridge.
A Pied Wagtail was doing well on the platform of Bluebird Boats, where small creatures lurk in the grooved planking.
The white-faced Blackbird found a larva, though she also accepted her daily treat of sultanas.
A pair of Mistle Thrushes searched for worms on the lawn in the Rose Garden.
This palm tree in the Rose Garden ...
... has a Wren nesting in it.
It doesn't take a Rose-Ringed Parakeet long ...
... to wrench the lid off the nut feeder.
A Reed Warbler has been singing at the east end of the Serpentine for several days, but I haven't got a picture.
A Blackcap sang from a holly tree beside the Long Water.
The Great Crested Grebe at the island turned over the eggs. They should hatch in the next few days.
The Greylag Goose which seems to be nesting on one of the wire baskets jumped up on to it.
A Mandarin drake preened his elaborate feathers beside the Serpentine.
The Mute Swan nesting at the Lido restaurant terrace kept an eye on a Moorhen which was looking for bugs in the nest, but was not worried. Swans don't mind Moorhens, though they hate Coots.
The've arrived over there! I love the sounds of Swifts on the wing.
ReplyDeleteHow can Coots and Moorhens be so different in temper being so similar in appearance?
A few years ago one of the Mute Swan's eggs on the artificial island was broken, and we think this was done by a Coot pecking it. If so, Swans have some reason for their antipathy.
DeleteInteresting a short while ago when you reported on the swan leaving its eggs and the moorhen roaming near them. Are swans' eggs too tough for a moorhen, or did it just not want to lose its privilege? Jim
DeleteI've noticed that Coots find Mute Swan eggs fascinating -- some kind of hyperstimulation, maybe -- and Moorhens are completely uninterested in them.
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