Saturday 30 April 2022

Robin collecting caterpillars

A Robin collected caterpillars for a nest near the bridge.


The Long-Tailed Tits nesting at the bridge were whizzing about inside the bushes, but I managed to snatch a hasty shot of one.


Usually when you see a wagtail on the stone kerb of an Italian Garden fountain it's a Grey, and when you see one on the rubber mat on the Lido jetty it's Pied. But today they swapped places.



A Carrion Crow had been bathing in the Serpentine, and was shaking itself dry.


A Magpie perched on the dead tree near the bridge.


Neil took this pretty picture of a Jay in the last of the cherry blossom.


The sunshine brought out the Tawny Owl in the afternoon.


One of the young Grey Herons was fishing in the newly planted reeds on the Long Water.


A pair of Coots are trying to build a nest on one of the fountains in the Italian Garden. It's not clear why, since two pairs have already successfully nested in the planters full of irises, a much easier place and there are plenty more planters to choose from.


The pair that nested here first have eight chicks. This is the first time I've seen them all out together.


For sheer hopelessness in choosing a nesting place, this must take the prize. The Coot was trying to start a nest on a log drifting around in the middle of the Serpentine.


A pair of Greylag Geese on the Serpentine have eight new goslings. There are only a few Herring Gulls on the lake at the moment, so they have a reasonable chance.


A Mallard on the Long Water has five ducklings. She was wisely keeping them close to the netting around the reed bed, which deters gulls from swooping on them.


A large Common Carp cruised around in an Italian Garden pool.


A Brimstone butterfly perched on a bluebell beside the Long Water.


There was also a fine male Orange Tip whizzing around, but it wouldn't stop even for a moment to have its picture taken. I had the same problem with one in the Flower Walk. They are very active butterflies.

This little hoverfly on a buttercup is so like the one that Conehead 54 identified a few days ago as Melanostoma scalare that I'll declare that it's the same.

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