There were also two Greenfinches singing on the west side of the Long Water, and I got a distant picture of one in the top of a holly tree. I haven't heard two Greenfinches in the park for years -- maybe the population is recovering at last.
A Robin searched a flower bed in the Flower Walk to find food to bring back to the nest, didn't find anything, and collected a bit of moss to line the nest just to show his mate he'd been busy.
A Dunnock perched on a post in the Rose Garden.
Three House Martins flew over the Round Pond, but vanished before I could attempt a photograph.
The Little Owl near the Albert Memorial came out late after sheltering from the early rain.
One of the young Grey Herons made a neat precision landing on a post.
A one-year-old heron at the northeast corner of the island picked a twig and flew up into a blossoming tree. I saw it do this twice. There may be a nest here under construction by an underaged bird, just as there is on the southeast corner. It's something I haven't seen before, and puzzling.
There was a second-summer Lesser Black-Backed Gull under the balcony of the Dell restaurant. The dominant pair were leaving it alone, at least for the time being. It might be their offspring from last year.
The white Mallard was also under the balcony, one of his usual haunts. Everything is getting back to normal after the scaffolding around the restaurant was taken down.
The Mallard in the Italian Garden has brought her ducklings down to the Long Water, now reduced to four. I only got a glimpse of her as she fled into cover, pursued by four Mallard drakes.
Her Red-Crested Pochard mate flew out in the opposite direction.
A pair of Egyptian Geese on the Round Pond have just brought out eight goslings.
The eldest Egyptian gosling on the Serpentine sprawled on the non-slip matting at the Lido.
The Great Crested Grebe chick on the Long Water is still under the fallen poplar across from the Vista.
Another grebe was dozing on the Round Pond. There are plenty of fish here, but no cover at all, which doesn't suit grebes and they never stay here long.
The renovation of the area around the Peter Pan statue includes laying meadow turf with wildflowers growing in it. It's pretty, but I don't see it standing up to the trampling of visitors.
As always an enjoyable read, where is the fallen poplar?
ReplyDeleteThank you. It's on the east side of the Long Water at the Vista, a Black Poplar not a tall thin Lombardy.
DeleteI miss Robins so much. Videos tide me over a bit.
ReplyDeleteEgyptian goslings really really neglect their safety. I wonder why looking about them is not hard-wired into them as it is in chicks from other species.
Perpahs the one-year-old Heron is practicing its nest-building craft? They have to learn the ropes for when they go at it for real,I guess.
I really wonder how the gull parents are able to recognize their offpsring from past years. They look like they do.
I think that gulls can recognise their offspring, but am surprised that they tolerate them when they have grown up. On the other hand it may be pure chance and the fact that the young gull was on the edge of the dominant pair's territory.
DeleteIt's good you had a couple of Greenfinches back in the park. Though I haven't seen one in my garden for months there no seem to be a reasonable number on my local patch again, so hopefully they will stage a come-back. Hope so as they are such lovely birds to watch + listen to.
ReplyDeleteThere are usually a few Greenfinches on the feeders in the Meanwhile Gardens on the edge of the Grand Union Canal near the Trellick Tower. I must go up and see how they're doing.
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