Thursday 27 April 2023

Egyptian goslings on the Serpentine

A mostly cloudy day with occasional drizzle was graced by the appearance of the male Little Owl at the Round Pond.


A Starling shone against a background of fresh leaves by the leaf yard.


A Wren ran along a twig near the Italian Garden.


A Carrion Crow was digging in a patch of wet mud beside the Dell. It brought up a larva.


Magpies wash in short flurries, flying into the bushes to dry between each dip.


A pair of Feral Pigeons beside the Serpentine preened each other and mated.


There were four Grey Herons by the Henry Moore sculpture. I think the top and bottom one are the pair that are vaguely thinking of nesting near the bridge. The other two are the young ones from the first nest on the island.


The herons in the third nest were adding twigs to it. This is an odd split-level nest and these adults were on the upper level. The two chicks were at the lower level at the back of the nest and will be almost impossible to see until they get larger and start climbing around.


A heron on the shore thought it would be best to move out of reach of a Mute Swan that arrived with wings menacingly raised.


The huge Coot nest at the Dell restaurant has been rebuilt, an annual event. The structure is a good three feet tall, resting on the bottom.


Zooming out shows that the foundations include a lot of soggy restaurant menus.


The Black Swan has flown down from the Round Pond to the Serpentine. He hasn't brought his girlfriend.


Six Egyptian goslings have been hatched. They wandered along the shore near the small boathouses.


There was quite a mob of Egyptians along the shore.


A dark vixen rushed out of the Dell and trotted off in the direction of the Cavalry Memorial. Someone told me he had seen cubs in the bushes at the top of the Dell.


Flowers and new leaves on one of the big copper beeches behind the Albert Memorial.

6 comments:

  1. The fox is very interesting.
    Theodore

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    1. The park is absolutely crammed with foxes. Every sizeable thicket has one. Several pairs are breeding. I hope to get a shot of the cubs in the Dell.

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  2. That particular Coot has a genius for building, even for Coot standards. i'm sure many a modern painter would have killed to have come up with the idea of using restaurant menus for foundation. Turner prizes have been given for less.
    Tinúviel

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    1. I'm a bit baffled by those menus. First, how did so many get into the lake? I suppose the wind has been quite strong recently and often from the east, needed to blow them off the tables into the lake. Second, what did the Coot see in them, enough to make it diligently collect them? Did it think they would add strength to the nest, like the plastic bags they also collect, but didn't realise that they would just disintegrate soggily? But who knows why these odd birds do anything?

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    2. Maybe they have graduated to making papier-mâché? Wouldn't put it past them.
      Tinúviel

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    3. Anyone who can make papier mâché under water commands my sincere respect.

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