The Tawny Owl was annoyed by a squirrel running around in his tree ...
... and had a preening session to calm himself down.
Virginia took this surprising photograph of a Jackdaw carrying a tissue into the owl's hole to use as the lining for a nest.
%202022%201a.jpg)
No doubt the oak tree is hollow from top to bottom, and there is plenty of room for several occupants. There is already an Egyptian Goose nesting lower down. But there seem to be only two holes of any size, one used by the goose and the other by the owl, so the Jackdaws can't have a private entrance. You'd think they'd choose an easier place.
While we're on the subject of owls, here are two pictures from Finland sent by Petteri Hautamaa: a stunning head-on view of the Great Grey Owl that is now a celebrity in Helsinki ...
%202022%201a.jpg)
... and a Eurasian Pygmy Owl that just happens to live in a woodpecker hole at the bottom of his garden.
%202022%201a.jpg)
Back in the park, a Jackdaw plonked itself down at my feet on Buck Hill, expecting to be given a peanut, and was annoyed when I photographed it before handing over the food.
A Great Spotted Woodpecker climbed a lime tree.
The male Chaffinch behind the Albert Memorial now comes out to be fed and is almost confident enough to hand feed.
Three Greenfinches were singing at the bridge.
It looks as if a pair of Grey Herons are planning to make a nest in a Chinese Privet tree at the northwest corner of the bridge. If so, it will be the first time to my knowledge that they will have nested anywhere but the Serpentine Island. Here they are inspecting branches and mating.
The Great Crested Grebe chick was with a parent under the willow on the west side of the Long Water. You can see the second nest that the grebes have made. Coots and Moorhens often make extra nests but I've never seen a grebe doing it before.
The Coots nesting on a post at Peter Pan now have chicks. I could see two, but there may well be more.
A Moorhen on the edge of the Serpentine turned downwind and had a Marilyn Monroe moment.
A Cormorant had a ferocious wash on the Long Water ...
... where the Mute Swans nesting on the island now have to put up with four of them. The male swan guarding the nest didn't look at all pleased.
The swan nesting east of the Lido now has at least three eggs.
A Small Tortoiseshell butterfly perched on a nettle on Buck Hill.
Duncan Campbell got a good picture of a male Hairy-Footed Flower Bee buzzing around a female.
%202022%201a.jpg)
The Finnish owls are a joy to see. Spectacular creatures.
ReplyDeleteI don't think I have ever seen Corvids picking up tissues to line their nests. The closest thing I remember is Black Kites picking up strips of white plastic as decoration - the larger the plastic, the more high-ranking the bird. I haven't read a convincing explanation for that behaviour.
When in doubt, preen!
I have seen Carrion Crows picking up tissues -- also large amounts of dog hair from where someone was combing a big woolly dog in the park, which must make a far better nest lining.
DeleteI didn't know that Red Kites decorated their nests. But it seems to be a habit of a wide variety of birds.
Good to see the Great Crested Grebe chick-hope it does well.
ReplyDeleteWonderful to see the photo of the Pygmy Owl- a species I've yet to see.
You did well to get the Hairy-footed Flower Bee- they don't stay still for long.
It's been a bit surprising that the grebe chick has survived. Usually at this time of year there aren't enough small fish in the lake. Probably only one chick could have been kept going.
Delete