The Great Crested Grebe family at the west end of the island were near their former nest, which fell to pieces some time ago. A large orange plastic buoy drifted there and caught on a chain.
The Black Swan gave me a serious stare, Sadly, I don't carry any food it likes.
In the stream in the Dell, a Moorhen went one way and a carp the other way.
A Carrion Crow tried to wade across the little waterfall, something a Moorhen can do easily. It only got a short distance before it started to lose its footing and took off hastily.
The shy Blackcaps in the bushes are hard to see.
Two Yellow-Bellied Sliders were sunbathing on the fallen tree in the Long Water.
Although it was a poor day for birds it was a good one for insects.
A Speckled Wood butterfly perched on a leaf. They have been scarce here this year.
There were lots of Willow Emerald damselflies, which only arrived in the park a couple of years ago. One perched on a twig and was ruffled by the light breeze ...
... another clung to a spike on the iron railings ...
... and there was a crowd of them flying around the Dell, where there was also a pair of Common Darter dragonflies mating on a withered leaf of Chilean rhubarb. The male is the red one facing the camera.
A Migrant Hawker dragonfly hovered over one of the Italian Garden fountains.
Sunday morning is the time for the model yacht race on the Round Pond. The tradition dates back many years, long before the sleek radio-controlled boats you see today.
I always liked watching model boats, but these ones are too modern, too sleek, for my nostalgic tastes.
ReplyDeleteYou see a Heron strike such a heroic pose and all it's doing is just catching a bit of sun...
There is a man -- not here today -- who has a four-masted model ship, also radio controlled, a very beautiful thing.
DeleteGood to hear you now have a thriving colony of Willow Emeralds.
ReplyDeleteI wouldn't be surprised if they became the commonest damselfly in the park soon. And all in a few years.
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