The female Little Owl was in her nest tree, though I had to visit twice to find her in a photographable spot.
It's now impossible to go there without being intercepted by at least one hungry Jay. This one is very tatty from rearing young, but will regrow its feathers later in the year.
I went to try to find the young Sparrowhawks and heard one, but when a raptor flew out of a tree near the Old Police House it turned out to be the female Kestrel.
Jonathan Harrison sent me some pictures. His wife had found one of the young Hobbies slightly injured and had taken it to the Ranger's Lodge -- a brave thing to pick it up -- so that it could get attention.
A Blackbird perched in a yew near Peter Pan. Not only are the berries beginning to ripen, but there are also blackberries on brambles that have grown up inside the tree.
A Coal Tit came down to be fed in the Flower Walk.
A Rose-Ringed Parakeet was ripping unripe fruits off a hornbeam, chewing them briefly and dropping them.
This is the mess under the tree caused by these destructive birds.
Neil sent this picture of what he thinks is one of the young Cetti's Warblers bear the bridge. The shape is right, with the short bill and raised tail, but the dark marks below the neck are odd. Update: Tom thinks they're just gaps left by disarranged feathers, maybe from preening.
He also saw a young fox near the pond dipping pool ...
... and took this interesting top view of the now disused Great Crested Grebes' nest near the bridge, which is littered with bits of crayfish shell. Grebes don't pull things to pieces, so this must be the work of a gull or a crow, though I haven't seen either in the nest.
Tom was at Richmond Park, where he got a fine picture of a Tawny Owl. I hope to visit next week and see this lovely bird.
Beside the Serpentine a young Herring Gull and a Canada Goose fought over a bagel. A young Lesser Black-Backed Gull took advantage of the confusion and grabbed a bit, but the goose kept most of it.
A pair of Herring Gulls and their young one made a good deal of noise. The young Herring Gull at the end was not theirs, and got shooed off.
A close-up of the Coot chick in the Italian Garden. Its parents think it's gorgeous.
Red-Crested Pochard drakes still look smart in eclipse.
A Hornet Fly climbed over a snowberry flower. Its mimicry of a hornet extends to having what looks like four wings, though of course flies have only two.
The first sunflower at the boathouse has come out. It's a bit stunted from growing in two inches of debris from a Mute Swans' nest, but it puts on a brave show.
As always interesting. I really would like to see the hobbies one day.
ReplyDeleteAccording to Wikipedia (and I think that this is true).
That hoverfly was only known from two specimens prior to 1940, so it is surprising how common it is now.
One person can see easily more specimens in a summer than everyone did pre 1940.
I see these hoverflies often, but real hornets only occasionally.
DeleteThe brave and hardy sunflower is like a bit of sunshine coming through the clouds.
ReplyDeleteVery brave of Jonathan Harrison's wife to pick up the grounded Hobby. It looks very scared but ready to defend itself.
Looking very forward to your visit to Richmond Park, and crossing my fingers for the Tawny.
Love is blind. Coot parents prove it.
I wouldn't pick up a raptor, not even a small one, without a stout pair of leather gloves -- not something one has in one's pocket even in this chilly August.
DeleteHope the Hobby makes a full recovery!
ReplyDeleteNice shot of the Volucella!
I hope the Hobby will recover from being quickly patched up and put back. When last seen the young ones were still far from independent. After the sad outcome of the recent two attempted rescues of Great Crested Grebes -- admittedly birds that quickly pine in captivity -- I'm not feeling confident about the value of human intervention. But we do what we can.
Delete