Stock Doves fought in an old chestnut tree by the leaf yard.
A Little owlet at the Serpentine Gallery was calling, making it easy to find in a small lime tree.
The male adult at the Round Pond was in his usual place. I wonder how long he'll keep up the habit: they have a tendency to get bored suddenly and move elsewhere so that you have to rush around desperately to find them again.
It was time to turn the eggs in the Great Crested Grebes' nest opposite Peter Pan.
Grebes have commandeered the empty Coot nest in deep water at the Serpentine outflow. They'll have to be lucky to get away with it, contending with both the Coots and the weather, as a strong west wind will raise waves large enough to wash it away.
The nest at the Dell restaurant has gone. I think some oaf in a pedalo must have rammed it.
The larger Coot chicks at the bridge are now almost adult size ...
... and the smaller ones are coming along well.
The four small chicks in the Italian Garden were in the water lilies.
The older brood of seven is still intact.
The ten Egyptian goslings at the Round Pond are now healthy teenagers.
The Mandarin duckling at the Triangle car park is hanging on bravely.
A pair of Black-Tailed Skimmer dragonflies mated in the long grass by the Round Pond.
A Honeybee worked over the many florets of the strange spiky flower of an eryngium at the back of the Lido.
Other flowers attracting their attention were cornflowers ...
... and bindweed.
A Small White butterfly preferred lavender. It's a male, as you can see because the inner of the two dark spots on its wing are very faint, almost invisible.
I've been having very bad luck photographing Comma butterflies. The warm weather is making them hyperactive and they won't perch long enough to capture. But Joan Chatterley, who was at Titchwell Marsh in Norfolk, took a pleasing picture of one with a Honeybee.
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Ahmet Amerikali was at Rainham Marshes where he got good flight shots of an Oystercatcher ...
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... and a Little Egret.
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Still never seen the owls, did get a good view of one of the peregrines though. Great Crested Grebe was swimming right at the edge of the Serpentine too, never been so close to one.
ReplyDeleteGrebes ignore you; You're on the land, in a different world from theirs.
ReplyDeleteOur Grebes are very suspicious of humans. They'll just swim away if you get a bit near. Unfortunately centuries of hunting wild birds have made all our birds uncommonly skittish and wary of human presence. I am always so envious of how tame and trusting they are in the park.
ReplyDeleteTinúviel
If you stand on the edge the grebes fishing in the shallows will pass within inches of your toes.
DeleteWhat a warm welcoming look the owlet is giving you.
ReplyDeleteSean
Surprised you didn't recognise the bee with the Comma Ralph- it's the ubiquitous Honey Bee!
ReplyDeleteNice shot of the Small White- so often constantly on the move.
It didn't look quite right. Yes, the brown top to the abdomen. But after that the stripes seemed too heavily black and white. Well. they're variable.
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