Tuesday 15 November 2022

Rain in the Italian Garden

It was a very wet morning. This is the view from the loggia in the Italian Garden, with the swan pair sharing a pool with some Mallards.


The Egyptian Geese were at a safe distance on the marble fountain having a preen.


The female swan of the dominant pair was at the Vista, still holding on to her territory. But she can't do it alone, and I'm sure the Italian Garden pair will make their move soon.


The trees by the leaf yard were doing their best to provide a bit of colour on a dark grey day.


A Jackdaw at the Round Pond was getting soaked. There were an unusual number here, at least a dozen, and none in their usual place at the leaf yard.


A young Herring Gull on the edge of the pond played with a burst rubber ball.


A Black-Headed Gull on the Diana fountain landing stage already had the dark brown head of its breeding plumage. They are vary variable in the times they change colour.


Blackbirds love rain, as it brings up worms. This female near the Queen's Temple was nervous, as there was a dog running around.


A Magpie at the Dell was also turning over leaves in the hope of finding something edible.


A female Chaffinch perched in the corkscrew hazel in the Flower Walk.


On the island an adult Grey Heron and a young one waved twigs at each other, watched by a Cormorant. The young one is only a few months old, far too early to think about breeding, and although herons nest in winter it's much too early for them to be thinking about it now. So I think this was just play or rehearsal.


Some of the Pochards had moved from the Long Water to the Serpentine. Two females stood together on the edge.


A Tufted drake had finally changed into his smart breeding plumage.


The rain stopped in the afternoon. A berberis bush in the Rose Garden attracted a Honeybee drone ...


... and a female Buff-Tailed Bumblebee. She had a tiny insect on her pollen bag. Was it trying to get a free meal of pollen?

3 comments:

  1. What sort of insect must be that? It's six-legged so not an arachnid.

    What is going to become of the bereaved female Swan? Will she go away and look for another mate?
    Tinúviel

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    Replies
    1. I am baffled by that insect and can find nothing relevant on the web. Hope Conehead 54 is reading today's blog and will have an answer.

      The widowed female swan is quite young, much younger than her mate was, and I think she will try to find another mate on the Serpentine when she is thrown off the Long Water as I expect her to be. We shall know, as she has an orange plastic ring 4DBE.

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  2. Sorry Ralph I can't answer this. I don't see much detail-interesting though.

    Lovely profile of the female Pochards. There was a good flock on the Pen Ponds last week when I did my count there. The male Tufted Duck looking smart too.

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