Saturday 23 May 2020

There is a new family of Great Tits in the shrubbery at the southwest corner of the bridge. Here are two of the young ones.



A Grey Wagtail looking for insects on the edge of the Serpentine forgot I was there and came very close.


It was a windy day. A Wren bringing insects to its young spotted danger and waited on a tossing twig before flying to its nest and so revealing its position. (I don't think the danger was me, I was 30 ft away and standing still.)


A Carrion Crow gave the camera a level stare from a blossoming tree in the Dell.


On the grass below a pair of Feral Pigeons wandered among the buttercups.


A single Black-Headed Gull flew over the Long Water out of season.


A pair of Great Crested Grebes displayed near the Italian Garden.


Another pair have taken over an abandoned Coot nest under the willow near the bridge, and adapted it to their taste by covering the twigs with soggy weed. They had stolen this nest from the Coots before but the Coots got it back. This time the Coots really seem to have lost interest in it, and probably the grebes will be able to hold on to it.


One of the Coot nests under the restaurant balcony seemed in imminent danger of collapse in the choppy waves. The other one, a fine construction founded on large waterlogged branches, was holding firm.


The dominant male Mute Swan on the Long Water was continuing the work of removing intruding swans from his territory. He is to the right of centre in this picture, wings raised, forcing them back by his menacing presence. Two swans on the right have broken out of the corral and will have to be herded back in.


The two Canada goslings were on the edge of the swimming area at the Lido, where the humans are also herded now and have to go in at one end and out at the other. The gates are closed and only members of the Serpentine Swimming Club can use the place for their early morning sessions. This picture was taken with some difficulty through the hole in the gate where the padlock is fitted.


In contrast, there are plenty of Canada goslings in Battersea Park. Here is a picture by Joan Chatterley of two broods cruising together.


Luca Melchiori took this picture of Greylags flying up the Serpentine on an iPhone -- a remarkable feat to get them both in the frame while looking at the little screen.


The six young Egyptians on the Serpentine are now half grown. They start growing quite slowly and then suddenly put on a tremendous spurt.


Another picture from Battersea Park by Joan: the blonde Egyptian gosling, now in the colours it will be when fully grown.


A Mandarin drake stood on a post at Peter Pan.


There were only four of the gang of five Red-Crested Pochards on the Serpentine. The fifth had wandered off by himself and was at the Vista displaying his remarkable bouffant hairstyle.

4 comments:

  1. It looks like you had a interesting day.

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    1. Actually rather a slow day, and it took quite a time to get the stills and video I used here. The blog was improved by pictures from contributors.

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  2. Red-Crested Pochards could audition for the part of fifth Beatle, with its perfectly coiffed bouffant.

    The dominant Swan may be in charge of a brutish dictatorship, but he does so in so much style.

    Gosh, aren't the two young Tits pretty!

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    1. Young Great Tits are absurdly sweet, fluffy and new and noisy and demanding. Hope to see more of them over the following days, but they are quite hard to photograph as they rush around in the bushes.

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