Tuesday 21 July 2020

The young Little Owl was out again in its usual tree.


There was no sign of its mother. The intrusive Magpies had retreated to the top of Buck Hill, where they were nattering at each other in an oak tree.


At the bottom of the hill there was another view of the young Great Spotted Woodpecker.


Another family of Blackcaps beside the Long Water, younger than those photographed several times recently.


The usual Wren, seen here many times, stretched a wing on a dead branch.


A pair of Feral Pigeons eyed each other on a post at Peter Pan.


At the edge one of the Moorhen chicks came out from under the bush where they lurk. You can just see the red beaks of the other chicks in the background.


A Moorhen carrying a bit of reed in one of the Italian Garden fountains revealed ...


... that the pair are nesting again, after their first family was attacked by Coots. They have now chosen a site farther away from the aggressive Coots ...


... one of which was trying to tear down a plant to add to its nest. Their obsessive nest building, destroying all the plants around, leaves it dangerously exposed.


The lake is alive with young carp. Thousands were swimming along the edge of the Serpentine.


This is good news for the Great Crested Grebes, which have an abundance of small fish to feed to their chicks.


The dominant Mute Swan family were touting for food at Peter Pan, accompanied by the Mallard with two half-grown ducklings.


The Mallard at the bridge has also managed to keep two ducklings, which are now growing well.


Mark Williams sent a view of one of the Little Grebe chicks in St James's Park.

4 comments:

  1. Does the cob get angry or violent if not fed? I bet it is a very temperamental bird.

    I wonder if there is such a thing as Coot Obsessive Disorder.

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    Replies
    1. He sees people feeding and comes over, so he always gets fed. I've never seen him attack a human. Dogs are another matter. He has survived a dog attack that injured him severely, and now takes preemptive action against any dog in the water.

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  2. The wee woodpecker and owl are my best birds on this blog...not being biased...

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    Replies
    1. Occasional sightings of a Lesser Spotted Woodpecker have been reported recently. Same colour scheme but the size of a Starling. Somewhere around the greenhouses and the Ranger's Lodge. Keep an eye out for it.

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