Friday 10 September 2021

You wait months for a Little Owl and then three turn up at once. I heard her in a tall horse chestnut tree next to the northern end of the Serpentine Gallery, and there she was ...

... calling away in the shadows.

This is not far from the tree north of the Albert Memorial where a pair bred for several years. Probably this owl is one of their offspring.

A Jay preened in a chestnut tree near the Speke obelisk. I went there to look for the first Little Owl, but knew it wasn't in the tree because otherwise the Jay would have been yelling and screaming.

It was an uncertain day of showers and brief bright intervals. A Feral Pigeon lay in the wet grass and tried to make the most of what sunshine there was.

There was a family of Blackbirds in the rowan trees on Buck Hill. This is one of the young ones.

A flock of Long-Tailed Tits passed through a hawthorn tree beside the Long Water.

Starlings beside the Serpentine bickered as they picked up grit to provide grinding action in their gizzard.

The young Grey Wagtail was back on the rock at the bottom of the Dell waterfall.

A Grey Heron at the edge of the Dell restaurant terrace waited to be given a bit of pizza.

A Cormorant raised its wings to jump on to a post at the island.

One of the Great Crested Grebe chicks on the Long Water was following a Mallard.

Two Red-Crested Pochard drakes in eclipse and one female -- on the left -- browsed on algae.

The Black Swan examined a mask thrown into the Serpentine. Swans like to check floating objects in case snails have settled on them. Discarded masks full of people's nasal bacteria are probably spreading more disease than they prevent (if they prevent any, which is doubtful).

A Honeybee worked its way over the florets of a Verbena bonariensis in the Rose Garden.

A Small White butterfly perched on a slightly withered pink rose.

The Mute Swans' nest at the boathouse now has another sunflower and a tomato plant growing on it.

A magnolia near the bridge is seriously confused about what season it is.

4 comments:

  1. Glad to see the little owls have returned

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    Replies
    1. Very glad myself, but it's not a return. It's a new generation.

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  2. It looks like those Swans have green fingers! (or maybe wingtips).

    The Small White butterfly picture is so lovely, the colours so delicate and harmonious.

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    Replies
    1. Small Whites are under-appreciated because they are so common, and also have a bad effect on cabbages.

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