Wednesday 24 June 2020

The Reed Warbler family at the Diana fountain were dashing around in the stems. These are two of the young ones.


There is just one Black-Headed Gull on the Long Water, returned early and probably unsuccessfully from its breeding ground. It scratched itself on a post.


The Little Owl could be seen in the alder tree on Buck Hill.


The dominant Mute Swans took their three goslings out on the lake.


The family at the Lido were reclining in the squalor they and the geese have made for themselves. A Grey Heron surveyed them disapprovingly.


A Great Crested Grebe on the Long Water carried the chicks on its back. Only two were visible, but they often huddle down out of sight.


The grebe on the nest by the bridge sat with wings raised as if there were some new chicks underneath, but I couldn't see any.


A Moorhen teenager appeared near the Lido. I hadn't seen it as a chick. But Moorhens are very good at lurking unnoticeably.


The Canada Geese with the younger brood on the Serpentine are now down to their last gosling thanks to the ruthless Herring Gulls. However, they are improving its chances of survival by staying with the other pair, who have two half grown goslings. Four parents on the watch are better than two.


An interesting picture by Duncan Campbell of a Canada Goose regrowing its primary feathers. They are unusually exposed, since the goose seems to be regrowing its coverts (the next layer of feathers that cover the roots of the flight feathers) at the same time.


The two Bar-Headed x Greylag Goose hybrids have barely started regrowing their feathers.


The six Egyptian goslings on the Long Water followed their mother obediently, the secret of survival.


But there was a lone gosling wandering on the edge of the Serpentine.


A Mallard with two ducklings ate algae from a post at the Vista.


A Buff-Tailed Bumblebee spun round and round as it gathered pollen from a rose in the Rose Garden.


The wildflower patch in the Rose Garden, planted very late this year, is beginning to come into bloom.

6 comments:

  1. Sometimes I think bumblebees are the happiest of creatures. Spinning round and round picking up pollen from roses without a care in the world.

    I have been so busy lately bellyaching I neglected to say in former entries how happy I am to see so many babies of so many different species. The two Warbler youngsters are especially delightful. Stripey heads will lessen the sourness of any given day.

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    1. I shall be keeping a watch on the second grebe nest near the bridge, which seems to be hatching. You can get a much closer view of this one.

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  2. Gorgeous shot of the Reed Warbler family-let's hope they prosper!

    Noticed a few Black-headed Gulls over the last few days returning in local parks. The nearest breeding ones to me (1-2 pair) are at Ruislip Lido about 5 miles away, but suspect the park birds are from further afield.

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    1. Most of the ringed gulls we see come from the Pitsea landfill site in Essex.

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  3. Amazing video of the buff tailed bumblebee in action ..
    Love wildflowers ... so delicate and pretty..

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