After a day without a sight of a Little Owl yesterday, they were visible in both places. The female looked down from her nest tree near the Speke obelisk ...
... and I think this is the male near the Serpentine Gallery, right at the top of the horse chestnut.
There was just one Mistle Thrush eating fruit in the rowan trees on Buck Hill.
A Pied Wagtail hunted insects in the grass beside the Serpentine.
Two Goldcrests called to each other in the yew at the southeast corner of the Dell.
The very confident Coal Tit in the Flower Walk came to my hand for two pine nuts, and obligingly posed for a picture before taking the second.
There was a Peregrine on the crane in Knightsbridge. I think this is the female of the pair.
A pair of Black-Headed Gulls on the edge of the Serpentine displayed to shoo away another pair. The intruders wouldn't back off, so it came to a fight.
The second pigeon-eating gull, the Lesser Black-Back with grey legs, had made a kill at the Triangle car park.
Both the lakeside restaurants now have a Grey Heron looking for scraps. The one at the Lido is now standing on the edge of the lake right next to an occupied table hoping that the occupant will throw it a morsel.
A Cormorant drying its wings on a post on the Long Water looked quite shiny in the hazy sunlight. It had a good flap to help the process.
The elder Great Crested Grebe chick on the Serpentine was fishing by itself, though I didn't see it catch anything. It paused to preen.
The Coot nest next to the bridge was occupied a pair of Moorhens. The Coots also stand here but I think they've lost interest in the nest as a bit of property, because I've never seen a fight.
An Egyptian Goose preened at the Vista.
The Grey Squirrels around the Long Water are quite vocal at the moment. I think this was a friendly conversation rather than a territorial dispute, as the one on the lower branch started cleaning its fur in a relaxed way.
I didn't see any interesting insects, but Neil sent a picture of a female Willow Emerald damselfly of a pretty gold colour.
Gull fights look like serious business. I wonder if larger gulls risk getting hurt like that or will rather concede defeat before engaging if they're not convinced they're going to win.
ReplyDeleteThe young Grebe looks good - I suppose it must be getting plenty to eat?
It is just as well that our Herons are so shy. I know I would give them all the contents of my plate just for the sake of having them so near.
Yes, I've seen larger gulls fighting quite seriously.
DeleteI hope that young grebe is really getting enough to eat. It's going through the most dangerous time of its life: learn fast or starve.
Herons can get much too close. This picture from a few years ago shows the predecessor of the current bird at the Dell restaurant.
Major props to the lady keeping her cool in the presence of the fearsomest of beaks stealing her lunch!
DeleteShe was frozen in shock, I think.
DeleteSome lovely shots of the Little Owls. The Mistle Thrush must have a good sense of balance.
ReplyDeleteNice to see the golden Willow Emerald.
Even agile Mistle Thrushes sometimes lose their grip, though not as often as Wood Pigeons which constantly fall out of trees in the most ridiculous way. But falling has no terrors if you have wings.
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