Another Little owlet

One of the two Little owlets at the Serpentine Gallery looked down from a branch.

Their mother was on the far side of the tree, as far as she could get, which meant that she was so close to me I could almost have reached up and touched her.

There's still no sign of her mate, who must be spending his days in another tree we haven't found. But both the parents near the Round Pond could be seen. The male called out a mild warning when I went to close to the tree where I could hear, but not see, the owlets. He was hard to find in the leaves and could only be seen from some distance away. He had fluffed himself up and looked almost like a female ...

... but his mate was much more clearly visible in the opposite tree.

There is good news about this family: yesterday Neil found three owlets, and here are his pictures. One of them was by itself.

The other two were together. The one on the right must be the biggest and most developed. It's already beginning to get white streaks on its head.

I was taking some routine pictures of a group of Long-Tailed Tits flying through the trees near the bridge ...

... when a Chiffchaff appeared, following the flock as small warblers often do. It had found a larva.

A Carrion Crow fed a young one ...

... and another had a wash in the Serpentine.

For once it was possible to get a reasonable view of both Grey Heron chicks in the nest at the west end of the island.

One of the herons at the Henry Moore was sitting down, an odd sight.

The five young Coots at the bridge are sticking stubbornly to their nest although it is hardly large enough to fit them all in, and still calling on their parents to feed them although they are quite old enough to find their own food.

A Mute Swan tried to eat an apple. It didn't succeed.

The female swan that nested beside one of the small boathouses, had one cygnet and lost it was back on the nest. Not sure whether the pair are having another try.

One of the cygnets on the Long Water dozed in a nonchalant attitude.

Two teenage Egyptian Geese with their family beside the Serpentine had a mild disagreement.

A Brimstone butterfly perched on a bramble on the west side of the Long Water.

On the other side Neil found more Six-Spot Burnet Moths and took a fine picture of one on a clump of ragwort.