A Blackcap sang in a chestnut tree. He was looking a bit tatty from feeding chicks.
A Song Thrush found a slug on the path near Peter Pan, and paused on a branch for a moment before flying on to its nest.
One of the Blackbirds in the Dell was also hunting for his nestlings.
Both Grey Wagtails could be seen under the Dell waterfall. One basked on a sun-warmed rock.
A young Blue Tit clung to a dogwood blossom near the bridge.
A young Great Tit stared out of the next tree.
Someone was feeding the Starlings on a table at the Lido restaurant, but a young one expected to be fed by its parents. It will soon be taking food directly.
I did the Kuwaiti embassy staff an injustice. After I spoke to one of the staff about how fine it was to have a colony of House Martins on the building, they have removed the wire mesh over the holes in the cornice, and the birds can come and go freely. There are still only a few of them, but at least one hole was being visited. Full marks to the Kuwaitis.
The Coots nesting on the old water filter below the Italian Garden have two chicks and several eggs still to hatch.
A pair of Moorhens are nesting at the Serpentine outflow. I don't think this small pile of twigs in the nest. I think they are nesting inside, at the bottom of the weir, as they have done in previous years.
A Moorhen chased his mate over the little waterfall in the Dell.
The Mute Swans nesting on the gravel bank in the Long Water were at the back of the bank, and you could only get an occasional glimpse of the heads of the cygnets.
The dominant pair were touting for food at Peter Pan as usual.
A pair of Egyptian Geese on the Serpentine have hatched nine goslings.
The Greylag Geese have started moulting their flight feathers already.
Two fine pictures from Mark Williams: a very confident fox in St James's Park ...
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... and a Marsh Fritillary butterfly at Hutchinson's Bank.
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A Buff-Tailed Bumblebee landed on a buttercup in the Dell, which sagged to the ground under its weight.
Full marks to the Kuwaitis indeed :) As for housemartins in general, I stopped by at West Hendon to see the regular flock on the Broadway, where they nest in convenient eaves: quite a lot of activity and the flying is as eccentric as ever :) Mark
ReplyDeleteI don't think the embassy colony is doing well. It's been shrinking for years despite ideal accommodation and all the midges you can eat, and presumably cleaner air as the Wrath of Khan paralyses transport.
DeleteGreat to hear that the kuwaitis have done the right thing. But why isn't the colony doing as well as it would be expected?
DeleteWasn't the Wrath of the Khan a Star Trek movie? If so, it's hilarious!
Tinúviel
I can't fully explain the decline in the House Martin colony. They've had a tough time, because they were forced off the French Embassy which originally they preferred because of its west-facing facade warmed by the setting sun so that it stayed warmer at night. The French blocked up the nest holes as part of general anti-bird measures and have never unblocked him; they are of course not interested in birds they can't eat. But there were plenty of holes on the other side. I think the decline mainly comes as part of a general decline in House Martins caused by modern buildings which are unsuitable to nest on.
DeleteAnd yes, The Wrath of Khan was a Star Wars film of 1982. I've seen it, but it has mostly faded into a generic Star Wars blur in my memory. Khan, though the evil baddie, was a more sympathetic character than our mayor.
Frogs gonna frog, unfortunately,
Deletev well done Kuwait! impressive. loving your blog as ever even if i dont comment as much. nice to see our grey wagtail population rising even though the house martins (so elegant) are declining. btw where is Hutchinson's Bank? Mark W2
DeleteIt's in Croydon. Does no one use search engines any more?
DeleteStar Trek, not Star Wars, incidentally. There is a difference..
DeleteThank you. I'm sure there is.
DeleteImpressive indeed your appeal to the Kuwaitis and their response. Enjoyed the various comments too
ReplyDeleteIt may very well not have been the consequence of anything I did. All I know is that the squares of mesh were there one day, and had gone two days later.
Delete