Wednesday 23 May 2018

A Long-Tailed Tit preened in a tree near the bridge. This is the only time when they stay in the same place for more than a couple of seconds, and can be filmed.


The male Little Owl near the leaf yard was in his usual tree, but again in a new place. He's quite hard to find now.


A Mistle Thrush near the Physical Energy statue pulled up a worm to take to its nestlings.


A Grey Heron preened on the edge of a patch of long grass, waiting for the rustle of a passing rat. The herons in the park spend almost as much time on land looking for rats as they do in the water hunting fish.


The Moorhen nesting in the hawthorn tree on the Dell restaurant terrace could just be seen climbing about in the branches.


The Coots on the nest under the restaurant balcony have their first chick. There are still twelve eggs to hatch.


The pair nesting on the buoys at the Lido lost their nest, perhaps hit by a passing pedalo, but have rebuilt it larger and stronger.


The two Great Crested Grebe chicks could be seen at the island.


A new family of Mute Swans with five cygnets has appeared on the Serpentine. The nest was in the middle of the island, and it was impossible to see what was going on.


But I could only see four cygnets with their mother at Peter Pan. The other one might have been behind a tree or with its father, so it's too early to give it up.


There is a third family of Canada Geese, with four goslings. The gander is very protective, chasing off other Canadas (which are no threat) and even making a Mute Swan back off.


The largest Canada brood of fifteen is still intact.


Their mother was startled by a Great Crested Grebe yelling at her, and turned back for a moment.


The three Greylag families, with nine, six and four goslings, grazed under the trees on the south bank of the Serpentine.


The Egyptian Geese near the bridge still have five young. There doesn't seem to be much to eat in this place next to a car park, with the nearest patch of grass 50 yards away.

2 comments:

  1. Why would the Canada mother be afraid of the yelling Grebe? They can take on Swans, if they put their minds to it!

    That picture of the goslings following their parent ought to be in a children's book. It looks like something out of a fairytale,or a fable.

    Would Gulls dare to predate on Cygnets being their ferocious parents in the scene?

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    1. I think an angry grebe is quite daunting. They run at intruders at high speed with their sharp beaks just above water level. It's like being rammed by a tiny galley.

      I think a Herring Gull would have a go at an isolated small cygnet. They attack goslings that are only slightly smaller.

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