Friday 17 July 2020

The young Little Owl appeared again on Buck Hill in the same lime tree as before.


One of Great Crested Grebe chicks on the Long Water got fed twice in a minute. Small fish are now plentiful in the lake, which is why the grebes in the park breed so much later than elsewhere.


The grebe nest at the Diana fountain reed bed is in good order, though it's impossible to see how many eggs there are in it.


Just up the shore there were plenty of small carp to feed the chicks when they hatch.


The Moorhen family at Peter Pan were sensibly lurking under a bush. One of the chicks stood up as tall as it could.


We haven't had a picture of the Black Swan for a while. Here it is at the bridge.


An Egyptian Goose splashed down on the Serpentine, waterskiing to a halt. Thanks to Ahmet Amerikali for this dramatic picture.


Duncan Campbell reports that two of the seven young Egyptians at Marble Arch and their mother have disappeared. This is not necessarily bad news, as she may have flown out with them to the Serpentine and may come back to fetch the others.


A reminder of how few goslings and ducklings survive in our park: Jim Roland sent this picture of a family of Egyptians in Golders Hill Park. Eight young hatched and all of them have grown up.


A Carrion Crow waited on the dead willow near the Italian Garden for me to give it a peanut.


Another picture from today by Ahmet: a Long-Tailed Tit.


Mark Williams got this shot of a young Robin in St James's Park.


A patch of lavender in the Rose Garden is thronged with bees, mostly these Buff-Tailed Bumblebees but also some Honeybees.


You wouldn't think that these two pictures are of the same insect. A top and bottom view of a Common Blue butterfly in the Rose Garden.



A Red Admiral rested in the wildflower patch at the back of the Lido, which was planted very late this year and is still mostly leaves.

4 comments:

  1. I know so little about butterflies that I am just content with watching and oohing and awwwing about them, but that Common Blue butterfly is so beautiful I gasped.

    Glad to see the Black Swan continues to be so fine and glossy.

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    1. It's remarkable to find a butterfly that's beautiful from both sides.

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  2. I can certainly believe beauty of butterflies..shame their lifespan is short but brings us so much JOY...
    Brings back much memories of some tropical and wild ones...
    Precious pucd, Ralph and thanks.

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    1. There was a tropical Blue Morpho butterfly in Kensington Gardens a few years ago. It had escaped from the butterfly show in the garden of the Natural History Museum.

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