More cygnets

A Song Thrush sang in a lime tree near the Round Pond. Of course as soon as I pointed the video camera at him he stopped singing. Many birds don't mind the big stills camera with the long lens, because it has a very deep lens hood that shades the lens and they don't see the big glass eye pointing at them. The smaller camera I use for video has a short lens hood and they can see the glitter of glass and are disturbed by it.

Stock doves are constantly at the hole in the chestnut tree near the Speke obelisk that the Little Owls used. I'm afraid that they have taken it over and we shall have to find these owls again, which will be possible only when they start calling to each other.

Despite the sunny warm weather, neither of the owls at the Round Pond was visible.

As I thought, there are two new Coot chicks at the nest by the bridge, but no sign of any more hatching. A parent fed chicks of different ages.

The Great Crested Grebes at the island were on the water, as the gimcrack nest they built against one of the wire baskets has predictably collapsed. But they really ought to be able to find an overhanging bush on the edge of the island where they can make a better nest.

The dominant Mute Swans on the Long Water have indeed hatched two cygnets, as I thought I saw in yesterday's picture. There are still at least three eggs in the nest -- it's hard to be sure about the number as the nest has to be viewed from a distance.

Two of the six cygnets from the nest near the Lido took a little turn on the water but decided they were more comfortable back in the nest.

The nest at the end of the Lido restaurant terrace is more recent that the other two, and no hatching is to be expected for at least a week.

Eight recently hatched Greylag goslings have appeared on the Serpentine. The Greylags have been prolific this year and, despite losses, there are still twelve other goslings from various pairs.

Here are seven from three families, but  Jenna tells me that the gosling in the foreground on the left is a Canada adopted by accident. Canada goslings are yellower than Greylags, but the difference hardly shows in this picture.

Here are two from another pair ...

... and another two. All are on the south side of the Serpentine.

The twelfth has been adopted by a pair of Canada Geese, which have their own as well. I haven't got a picture of them yet, but here are the Canadas with three goslings ...

... and there is also a pair with two.

The Egyptian families with eleven goslings ...

... and with seven are in good order. These were on the water, where they had hastily retreated when a dog appeared. They don't need a warning from their mother to make them flee.

The older brood of Mallard ducklings is now reduced to one, but the survivor is quite large and has a good chance of survival.

An interesting picture from Jabir Belmehdi: a swarm of Honeybees on a post in Kensington Gardens.

A Common Blue Damselfly perched in the grass near the Round Pond.