Monday 20 April 2020

The Little Owl at the Henry Moore sculpture looked down from the aspen tree as the leaves rustled in the wind.


On the next tree, a Long-Tailed Tit preened on a twig.


In the Rose Garden, both the Long-Tailed Tits were bringing food to their nestlings.


As one arrived at the nest, the other came out -- but at such speed that I didn't get a usable shot.


A Blue Tit near the bridge preened on a twig.


A Pied Wagtail beside the Serpentine had gathered a good haul of food for its young. They are remarkably good at catching flying insects while holding a beakful of them.


Mark Williams got a picture of the Reed Bunting in the reeds at the Diana fountain ...


... and a Goldfinch in St James's Park collecting cobwebs from a lamp post to add to its nest.


Three Rose-Ringed Parakeets shared an apple at the leaf yard.


Both the pigeon-eating Lesser Black-Backed Gull and his mate are very particular about their appearance, and always wash the blood off their faces after a meal of freshly killed pigeon.


The Egyptian Geese on the Serpentine have lost a gosling and are down to eight. They shooed a Carrion Crow away.


Otherwise no change. The pair on the Long Water are holding on to their single survivor, which looks well camouflaged on the gravel bank but would be easily spotted by the sharp eyes of a predator.


The pair at the Round Pond stood guard either side of their four.


The Black Swan lounged in the sunshine.


On the Long Water the male Mute Swan guarded the nest and glared at a Lesser Black-Backed Gull.


The swan nesting near the Lido had acquired a strange companion, a large stuffed rabbit which had fallen out of a pushchair and someone had put behind the fence for safe keeping.

4 comments:

  1. Is the swan angry at the rabbit? Her wings are raised.

    Look how charmingly severe the Little Owl look!

    Love all the pictures of the small birds. Small birds are life.

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    1. The swan had just spotted a dog and was winding himself up for an angry hiss from behind the relative safely of a low fence. Nothing to do with the sadly lost stuffed rabbit, but it made a more dramatic picture. I don't suppose swans recognise stuffed toys as anything more than obstacles or potential nesting material.

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  2. Hello, I want to say I enjoy reading your blog so much! I run in the park regularly for quite a long time, but I have never noticed there are so many exciting stories until I spotted your website a few days ago. It made me view the park differently every time I run now, thank you :)

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    Replies
    1. Thank you for your kind words. Once you start noticing things you see more and more.

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