Monday 29 March 2021

The Grey Herons in the nest at the west end of the island have two chicks. Both showed for a very brief moment.


The heron on the Long Water near the bridge was in its favourite place in the reed bed, with chances of both fish and rats.


There is a new brood of Egyptian goslings on the Serpentine near the small boathouses. This isn't at all a safe place, but there's little choice on the open edge of the lake.


The seven Egyptian goslings near the Henry Moore sculpture have survived another day, thanks to attentive parents and enough cover.


But the pair on the Serpentine near the bridge have lost two of theirs, and are down to four.


The odd trio of a Red-Crested Pochard drake, and Mallard drake and a female Mallard has been shaken up by the replacement of the Mallard drake with a new and more aggressive one. The pochard, previously the dominant male, is now the underduck and is shooed away when he tries to mate. Thanks to James Norton for this video.


The group of Red-Crested Pochards on the Long Water is constantly shadowed by a Tufted drake.


I've seen Tufted drakes following Mallards around too. Maybe they're just attracted to bright colours.

There were two pairs of Mandarins at the Vista.


The dominant Mute Swan on the Long Water was clearing out rivals from the area north of Peter Pan, but he will have his work cut out to get rid of them all. There were more swans on the Long Water than on the Serpentine. The pair are still showing no sign of wanting to nest.


The nest on the Serpentine island seems to be a going concern.


The very violent male swan on the north side of the lake opposite the island is happy to eat sweet corn from the hand.


Ko has found a Mistle Thrush nest at the northwest corner of the Round Pond, and sent this picture. He said that they and a Great Spotted Woodpecker nesting in the same tree are surrounded by predators and are constantly scolding them. 


Several Chiffchaffs were singing around the lake. They are hard to photograph as they constantly flit around in the treetops.


The Long-Tailed Tits near the Italian Garden are still hard at work finishing their nest.


The usual Blue Tit came out here to be fed.


Honeybees were kept busy by the multiple florets of grape hyacinth flowers in the North Flower Walk.

2 comments:

  1. The bereaved mother is looking at her four remaining goslins with such a desolate face. Hoping for the best, but not too sanguine.

    I would have imagined the violent brute would seize the opportunity to do some bodily harm, if only because it can, but it goes on to say, the way to anyobody's heart is through their stomach,

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    1. The Serpentine is a dreadful place to bring up goslings or ducklings. It's almost entirely surrounded by wide tarmac paths that separate grass from water, with trees equally distant. The island offers safety from dogs but doesn't have a blade of grass on it. There are never fewer than twenty Herring Gulls and sometimes over a hundred. As you know, the Greylag and Canada Geese have almost all given up the idea of trying to breed here.

      There is just one good place on the Long Water, at the Henry Moore sculpture, which is why the Egyptians there are doing well so far. But even they are in constant danger from gulls and crows.

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