Sunday 18 April 2021

There is another Chiffchaff nest in the brambles at the foot of Buck Hill, a short way north of the Henry Moore sculpture.

A Greenfinch in a tree by the Long Water sang its peculiar wheezing song and was answered far more melodiously by a Robin.

A Goldcrest in the yew at the southeast corner of the Dell was singing very loudly for such a tiny bird.

A Robin collected insects under the Caucasian elm in the Rose Garden. The nest is probably in the adjacent hedge. 

Another Robin was having difficulty picking up both a pine nut I gave it and a larva.

Neil got a very pretty picture of his favourite Coal Tit against a mixed background of flowers ...

... and another of a Jackdaw in a blossoming crabapple tree in the leaf yard.

A Wood Pigeon ate the new red leaves of an ornamental cherry tree.

The second pair of Great Crested Grebes on the Long Water seem to be starting to nest. They could be heard chasing a Coot away from a tree near the bridge.

It's getting hard to keep track of the broods of Egyptian goslings. Here are eight brand new ones on the Serpentine.

The four goslings on the Long Water are growing fast. The family came over to the Vista in the hope of getting fed, but were elbowed out by the Mute Swans.

The pair at the Dell restaurant terrace still have seven. They have lost their safe shelter under the tables, because the terrace is now open.

There are still five Mallard ducklings left on the Serpentine. The family were staying close to the reed bed to avoid hungry gulls.

The Red-Crested Pochard trio from the Italian Garden had moved to the Serpentine, and it looked like the original three. Perhaps the aggressive pale-fronted Mallard intruder is too violent for the female to bear.

A Gadwall drake showed off the intricate patterning on his front.

I thought all the terrapins on the Long Water were Yellow-Bellied Sliders, but this one is definitely a Red-Eared Slider. The two species are closely related and can interbreed.

A tiny orange-brown fungus was growing in open grass near the Queen's Temple. I gave it a gentle prod to make sure it really was attached to the ground, but didn't want to break it to look at the underside. I have no ideas what it is.

2 comments:

  1. Great picture of the Chiffchaff carrying nest material!
    It seems to me that the survival rate for goslings and ducklings this year is higher than in previous ones?

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    1. It certainly seems better for Egyptians, which get their breeding off to a flying start by nesting in safe tree holes. There are fewer gulls than usual, though still a fair number. But there have been only two attempts by Mallards, and the current one may well fail. And just one pair of Greylags and one of Canadas seen so far, both in early stages.

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