Saturday 8 August 2020

An adult Hobby called from a plane tree behind the Old Police House.


The young Sparrowhawk was making quite a noise from its usual place farther up the hill.


The Little Owls on Buck Hill were also calling from their usual lime trees. The mother was preening ...


... and the young one was just hanging around till the park closed and its parents could go hunting and feed it.


There was also one very faint call from the north end of the hill, which I think was the father keeping in touch with his family. He seems to prefer being a good distance away.

A Carrion Crow bathed in the Serpentine.


There were a few Goldfinches in the treetops in the Rose Garden. They are never very numerous in the park, although in other places nearby you often see a lot of them. I saw over 200 in Brompton Cemertery a few years ago.


There was also a Wren scolding some predator I couldn't see, probably a Magpie.


Ahmet Amerikali got a fine shot of a young Goldcrest near the bridge ...


... and Mark Williams got a good view of a young Blackbird.


The pigeon-eating Lesser Black-Backed Gull stared intently at a group of pigeons on the shore, waiting for his chance.


A Grey Heron surprised some people walking across the bridge by landing right next to them.


Until now the Great Crested Grebes near the bridge have kept their chicks in sheltered places on the Long Water and have gone some distance to find fish for them. Here is one being fed yesterday next to the bridge -- thanks again to Ahmet for the photograph.


Today they considered that the young grebes are big enough to be safe in open water, and took them to where the fish are. This saved a lot of travelling, and everyone was well fed and could have a rest.


Someone was complaining yesterday about not having seen a Painted Lady butterfly in the park this year. Sure enough, today one turned up near the Lido.

8 comments:

  1. She's so lovely, looking like a perfectly spherical ball of feathers!

    I wish I could see so many Goldfinches together. It must have been the closest thing to being in a magic world.

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    1. The Goldfinches all chattering at once made so much noise that I was drawn to the spot from a long distance away.

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  2. Good to see the Hobby. There don't seem to be any breeding at Ruislip this year but have a pair closer to home at Hanwell where I've watched them seriously mobbing a Red Kite 7 this week a Kestrel.

    Glad you've caught up with Painted Lady. Not a great year for these migrants- I've only seen 3 this year.

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    1. Can't publish any more about the Hobby because it's on Schedule 1, but you will take the hint.

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  3. I adore the owls pic, both Mama and kid...
    But the painted lady butterfly video is awesome, love colours in all shapes and sizes...

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    1. Butterflies seem to be more suited to video than still pictures. You can get the flutteriness of them better.

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