There were about 50 Swifts over the Round Pond, and more over the main lakes.
A Mistle Thrush nesting near the Round Pond preened on a branch ...
... and collected a worm to take to its chicks.
A Blackbird was also picking up worms to bring to a nest near the Dell ...
... and another beside the Long Water had found a piece of fluff to line his nest.
A Blackcap in the Rose Garden sang in the rain ...
... and a Magpie flapped on a tree stump at the Rudolf Steiner bench.
A Wren sheltered under a bush in the Flower Walk.
A pair of Feral Pigeons at Peter Pan looked damp and miserable ...
... but a Wood Pigeon on the other side of the lake was please top find a puddle for a drink.
The Grey Wagtail in the Italian Garden was busy catching midges for its young.
This Pied Wagtail doesn't seem to be nesting, though two of them are visiting the fountains.
But I've seen the pair beside the Serpentine collecting insects.
The single Great Crested Grebe chick on the Long Water begged for a fish, and got one.
The eldest Coot chick was eating algae at Peter Pan.
The daffodils beside the Serpentine have finished flowering, but make a good shelter for Egyptian goslings.
There were two new Greylag goslings at the Lido.
Canada goslings huddled under their mother.
I wonder what the Grebe parent's response to the chick's piping must be. Does it sound to its ear like a baby's cries, something barely tolerable, or maybe they find it pleasant? I think it is a very compelling sound for a human ear. It makes me want to give it a fish, and I'm not even a Grebe.
ReplyDeleteTinúviel
I'm sure the sound made by baby creatures of all species has been fine-tuned by evolution to be intolerable to their parents. Sometimes you see more irritable birds like Coots chase their chicks away because they can't stand the noise any longer. But Coot chicks can find algae while grebe babies are completely dependent on their parents, who have to be utterly devoted.
DeleteIt's great to have the Swifts back. Day before yesterday had 17 down my road & I've seen them in a few other places.
ReplyDeleteIt was equally good to finally have some rain-it certainly activated the movement of Banded & Garden Snails in my garden.
Good to see you have lots of young avian families in the park!
Garden Snails were out in the park too. For some reason they like climbing up the iron railings, though there is nothing to eat at the top.
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