Friday 10 August 2018

It was a day of heavy thundery showers and sunny intervals. The Kestrels on Buck Hill continued to hunt in the rain and I got some rather grey shots, but Virginia was there during a brighter spell and took four splendid photographs.

One of the Kestrels was harassed by a Carrion Crow.


Two were sparring together. We think that the smaller one, on the left here, is a juvenile male, and the one on the right is his mother.


The juvenile male retired to a branch and fluffed up his feathers.


The female perched on another branch.


Otherwise it was an ordinary English late summer day. A young Wren was calling in the shade of the shrubbery near the bridge.


A young Blackbird ate a blackberry.


Another, foraging among the dead leaves, uttered the high-pitched call that means 'predator overhead'. Most small birds make and understand this call. A thunderstorm was approaching.


A late brood of three young Carrion Crows were still pestering their parent to be fed. It took no notice. They are old enough to find their own food.


The young Grey Herons in the nest on the island are fully grown and must be ready to leave.


Below the nest a parent lunged for what looked like a fish, but disappointingly it turned out to be a bit of twig.


A Cormorant stood on a post and flapped vigorously to dry its wings.


There was a single juvenile Lesser Black-Backed Gull at the east end of the Serpentine. It's possible, though far from certain, that the pigeon-killed Lesser Black-Back and his mate nest on the roof of the Dell restaurant, and this bird might be theirs. The turned-up edge of the roof makes it impossible to see what's on it.


One of the young Great Crested Grebes from the nest near the bridge was under the willow tree.


The Coots' second nest at the reed bed, made as a resting place for their chicks, was beaten down by heavy rain and the parents were bringing twigs to strengthen it.


A family of half-grown Mallards dabbled for food at the edge of the Serpentine.


The Tufted Duck with thirteen ducklings hurried her family along the edge of the Bluebird Boats platform.


A torrential shower didn't bother another family in the slightest.

2 comments:

  1. So many fine pictures of the Kestrels! Here's hoping they'll choose to stick around for many, many more days.

    Little Owls chose not to be benevolent with us today. Tomorrow's another day.

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    Replies
    1. The Little Owl has enjoyed getting soaked for one day as a change, but once is enough and now it's back to normal and he will be waiting for sunshine again.

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