Monday 22 July 2019

A Common Sandpiper perched on a twig on the far side of the Vista. Common as they may be, they only visit the park occasionally.


A Blackbird ate a blackberry in a bramble patch near the leaf yard.


The female Little Owl stared out from a bunch of oak leaves.


A Great Crested Grebe carried a twig and some weed across the lake, and vanished into a group of moored rowing boats.


She didn't come out the other side. Later I saw her bringing weed to the boats again from a different angle. There must be a nest in there, though I can't imagine what it's attached to. Anyway, it's a hopeless place.

A grebe visited the nest on the Long Water to relieve her mate, but he was too comfortable to move so she went away again.


One of the Coots nesting in the fountain brought a water lily to the nest. Coots love to decorate their nests with bright coloured things, but it doesn't matter to them whether it's a flower or a bit of plastic rubbish.


The unstoppable Coots trying to nest on the weir at the outflow of the Serpentine are building their fourth nest here this year.


The Egyptian gosling that wandered off to join another brood went out on its own again, leaving its step-parents grazing under a willow.


It sat by itself on the edge of the lake. It's lucky to be alive. Goslings that don't stick to their mother tend to get eaten by gulls.


A pair of Egyptians at the bridge have two new goslings.


The Mallard on the Long Water with five ducklings asserted her priority over the other Mallard with only two.


A Brimstone butterfly perched on a flower in the Dell, imitating a leaf.


A bold Red Admiral landed on my shoulder, then flew away and sat on the path.


A pair of Blue-Tailed Damselflies mated on the spiked railings.


I am probably responsible for this unofficial sunflower appearing next to one of the small boathouses, since I have been feeding the geese sunflower seeds here.

8 comments:

  1. I love the thought that you are responsible for the existence of that bright, cheery sunflower. It is a good metaphor.

    Perhaps the Coot would have preferred a bit of red plastic, but there is something very romantic about a Coot brinting flowers to its mate.

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    1. I once managed to get a Coot to cover an entire nest with pink horse chestnut flowers by dropping them into the water nearby.

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  2. The sunflower looks good there + I'm sure appreciated by the bees + hoverflies!

    Good to get the Common Sandpiper! One of those waders that turns up just about anywhere there is some water when on passage. A sign that summer is slowly ebbing away. I think many of my Swifts have disappeared over the last day or so!

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    1. Yup, ours too. The bad thing is that we are still two full months away from autumn temperatures, though.

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    2. Sunflowers are particularly good for photographing insects on. The composite flower keeps them busy for a long time.

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  3. More surreptitious sunflowers always welcome!

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    Replies
    1. I am tempted to do a bit of guerrilla gardening.

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    2. I'm appropriating that. Guerrilla gardening sounds like my kind of warfare.

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