Every year a Blue Tit nests in gas lamp post number 76 at the back of the Lido. There's just room between the gas pipe and the hole in top of the cast iron post for a Blue Tit to squeeze in, but nothing larger.
A Long-Tailed Tit paused in a tree near the Henry Moore sculpture ...
... and a Blackcap collected insects for its nest in the yew tree next to it.
A Song Thrush sang in a wind-swayed treetop beside the Long Water.
Two days ago I mentioned the odd liking of Carrion Crows for tomatoes. Today at the Lido restaurant another crow ...
... and a Magpie were enjoying them, ignoring the greasy chips which you would have expected to be the major attraction among the leftovers.
A pair of Great Crested Grebes built a typically sloppy nest on the edge of the island.
A grebe dived among the wire baskets of twigs under the bridge, which are full of young Perch, and also checked a Coot's nest for lurking fish.
The Coot turned over her nine eggs.
The Coot chicks in the Italian Garden can now climb out of the pool, thanks to a paving stone placed on the edge by Wildlife Officer Drew Love-Jones.
The two families of Canada Geese, originally hostile, are now friends. They have three and two goslings respectively, but today one of the two had strayed into the other family and was left in peace.
It's not just preening that's an infectious habit, it's also washing. An Egyptian Goose splashed about and her goslings followed suit.
Orange Tip butterflies hardly ever seem to rest, but this one perched obligingly on a cowparsley flower and unfolded its beautiful wings.
A pink Rugosa rose in the Rose Garden sent a Honeybee into ecstasy.
An interesting picture by Duncan Campbell. This bumblebee-mimicking hoverfly is a Narcissus Bulb Fly, Merodon equestris. As its name suggests, it eats daffodil and narcissus bulbs.
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On 2 May I saw this yellow fungus growing on a dead oak tree beside the bicycle path in Kensington Gardens, and wondered whether it was a Chicken of the Woods in an early stage of growth.
I revisited it today, and it is.
always a delight to hear a Song Thrush singing its little heart out.
ReplyDeleteThat cannot be the same Blue Tit from past years, can it? Are small birds' nests inherited? Stork nests are.
(logging in with yandex again. This is getting weird).
I'm pretty sure small birds' nests are inherited. The descendants remember where they were hatched.
DeleteGood to see corvids with exemplary dietary tastes. They must know lycopene has many health benefits! I am surprised they ignored the chips!
ReplyDeleteLovely to see the Orange Tip. Sadly I'm seeing only the odd one or two. As a single brooded species I'm not too surprised as most of last spring was positively awful with a cold, dry April followed by a cool, wet May.
There may be some mayonnaise on the tomatoes to make them more attractive to the crows.
DeleteThis has been a good year for Orange Tips in the park.