One of the teenage Little Owls at the Round Pond looked out from the hole in the nest tree.
I missed the owls by the Speke obelisk, but Richard Oxborough got a fine picture of the male on a branch of the old chestnut tree where there hole is.
%201a.jpg)
The tree is almost leafless after the drought, though younger chestnut trees in the park remain in reasonable shape. The horse chestnuts have suffered worse, hit by both drought and the Leaf Miner moth. The one in the background of this Jay in the Flower Walk is one of the less affected trees; some are completely bare. You can see the extensive damage done to the leaves by caterpillars.
A Robin in the Flower Walk perched on a dead stem.
There are several Goldcrests in the bushes.
A flock of Long-Tailed Tits were busy in a laurel in the leaf yard.
A Greenfinch could be seen on a bramble beside the Long Water ...
... and a Blackcap near the Henry Moore sculpture.
Starlings bathed at the Dell restaurant while waiting to raid the tables.
The lawn around the Round Pond is cropped very short by geese and fertilised with their droppings, which also attract insects. It's a perfect hunting ground for insect-eating birds such as Pied Wagtails and Jackdaws, whose movements are impeded by longer grass. The white objects on the grass are goose and swan feathers detached by preening. You could stuff a mattress with the quantity lying around here.
Another little ecosystem: the Grey Heron on the roof of the snack bar near the bridge ...
... has been joined by another on a lamp post on the opposite side of the road.
I wondered what the attraction was, and then realised: it's rats hanging around the back of the snack bar. There used to be a great many in the shrubbery here before the snack bar closed for rebuilding. Now they're back.
The pigeon-eating Lesser Black-Backed Gull was on the restaurant roof. He is now going into winter plumage and getting back streaks on his head.
%20going%20into%20winter%20plumage%202022%201a.jpg)
A Cormorant descended on to the Long Water, looking strangely vulture-like when seen from the front.
A Coot on the Serpentine played with a plane leaf.
The Moorhens that nested in the reeds near the Italian Garden have just one surviving youngster, seen here doing a bit of maintenance with a parent.
The Mute Swan in the Italian Garden takes absolutely no notice of visitors unless he thinks they might have food. He knows he's the boss and doesn't have to get out of anyone's way.
Love that goldcrest. Which bush she was in ??
ReplyDeleteGosh, I admire that Swan so much. He is perfectly aware of what is due to him and will give way to none. Amazing creature.
ReplyDeleteI didn't think Coots were so playful. Perhaps it liked the colour of the leaf.
Tinúviel
The Coot wasn't building a nest. It just played with the leaf for a bit and dropped it. As you say, the colour may have been the reason, since its's fairly red and that's their exciting colour.
DeleteCracking shots of the Little Owl again. Good to see a Blackcap too-wonder if it's a local breeding bird or a new-in wintering bird?
ReplyDeleteHerons do seem partial to Rats. I've seen quite a few images of them eating them!
There are several permanently resident and breeding Blackcaps around the Long Water, so you can see them at any time.
DeleteHi Ralph, great to have you back. Just wondred if you had any idea where the additional cygnets on the Long Water have come from and why they are being tolerated by the dominant swan and his own cygnets? Seem to remember that last year an orphaned cygnet was fiven a hard time when it tried to join the dominant swan family.
ReplyDeleteAt the moment the three teenage cygnets of the intruding pair are spending most of their time on the Serpentine, but they make occasional forays on to the Long Water. I haven't seen any conflicts recently. The dominant swan often lets things slide for a few days before he has a purge.
Delete