Sunday 24 June 2018

The two Little Owls near the leaf yard were together in the upper chestnut tree, but absolutely refused to get into a good position for a picture.


Later the male owl flew into the lower tree and posed obligingly.


A young Long-Tailed Tit begged for food. It was in a big family group, in which adults cooperate to feed the young.


This young male Blackbird has grown almost all his black plumage. But he won't get a smart yellow bill and eye ring till next year.


Beside the little pool at the top of the Dell waterfall, a male Wood Pigeon tried to court a female by bowing and cooing. But she wasn't interested and flew away.


A young Grey Heron lost its balance while walking along the rige of the boathouse roof.


The Mute Swan family on the Long Water were touting for food at the Vista.


The Egyptian Goose family first seen on the gravel bank came across the Long Water. There are still five goslings, and it's possible that this pair will manage to raise their young for the first time ever, after several years of failure. That would be largely due to the small number of Herring Gulls on the Long Water.


A lot of Herring Gulls stood on the posts just the other side of the bridge. They prefer the open Serpentine, where there is more opportunity for scavenging along the edge but, even allowing for this, they are going to the Long Water less often than they used to.


The female Mallard who hangs around the shallow water at Peter Pan lets her ducklings wander all over the place. She also has the lack of gulls on the Long Water to thank for their survival.


The Mallard mother at the island has been much more attentive, and has managed to keep three in difficult conditions.


A Common Blue Damselfly managed to perch on an iron railing by clinging to a bit of leaf stuck to a cobweb.


A Greenbottle fly stood on a leaf. The sunlight makes an odd pattern in the multiple lenses of its compound eye, with the brightest part around the edge of the reflecting area.

2 comments:

  1. What extraordinary iridiscent blues and greens on those insects! It's so great that you have your lens back.

    The male Little Owl looks mischievously victorious.

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    Replies
    1. In isolated pictures, Little Owls look so grand and imposing that you forget how small they are.

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