Mute Swans were feasting on tender young willow leaves under the tree near the bridge.
A pair of Canada Geese have laid an egg on the little island made for the Mute Swans.
This has happened before. The swans threw the geese off the island and incubated the egg along with their own. It hatched first, and the swans tolerated the gosling until their own eggs hatched and they could see that it didn't belong. Then they killed it.
Greylags flew up the Serpentine.
Onshore at the Lido the awkward squad were close together: the giant Greylag that may be wholly or partly a domestic goose ...
... one of the Canada--Greylag hybrids ...
... and one of the Bar-Headed--Greylag hybrids.
The hopeless pair of Egyptian Geese at the Italian Garden, having just lost all their latest brood, were showing alarming signs of wanting another.
The pigeon-eating Lesser Black-Backed Gull hasn't been in his usual place near the Dell restaurant for several days -- maybe he is hunting in a place where the Feral Pigeons are less wary of him. But he was back today, making a choice for his lunch ...
... with his mate waiting just offshore for a share of the meal.
There are still some patches of bare earth on the Parade Ground that haven't been returfed yet, and the Redwings gather on them.
The Mistle Thrushes in the Dell aren't using the nest they just made. Evidently the female hasn't laid any eggs yet. There is plenty of time.
Several Long-Tailed Tits passed by below.
A Starling foraged in the grass near Queen's Gate.
A pair of Rose-Ringed Parakeets were mating nearby.
A quick visit to St James's Park to see the Tawny Owl family found one adult ...
... and both owlets facing opposite ways on a high branch.
Excellent photos of the owls. Thank you for giving me directions, I got some photos yesterday.
ReplyDeleteWell done. It seems that several people didn't find them yesterday.
DeleteYay, more Tawnies! The owlets are adorable.
ReplyDeleteOne cannot help feeling sorry for the motley crew of hybrid geese. I hope they will find mates despite any strangeness in their appearance.
I am shocked to learn that the swans killed the little gosling. Please tell me that was a particularly barbaric pair of swans, and not the norm. Please?
The male swan of that pair in particular is a notable thug. But I think that any swan would have done the same as soon as it realised that the gosling was not its own progeny.
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