Today I heard Little owlets hissing in the nest tree, though it will be some days before they emerge. Their father was on guard next to the hole.
The Kestrel was around again, but I still haven't found the perch she uses.
This is the Chaffinch that I filmed on Sunday singing the 'rain song'. Here is his normal song, a much more cheerful one.
A young Coal Tit preened in the Dell.
Young Starlings don't have the shining brocade plumage of adults, but are still very smart in their juvenile brown plumage.
A Jay waited on a bench in the Flower Walk.
A Night Heron was seen in Kensington Gardens by Rob Laughton, the first record of one here. It landed briefly just east of the Italian Garden.
The seven Coot chicks in the Italian Garden fountain wandered about in a patch of water lilies, an adventure playground for them. The Emperor dragonfly zoomed past them.
I could see four chicks in the other pool, hiding inside the netting of a planter. Here are three of them.
The Mute Swans with six cygnets roam all over the Serpentine, which they can do because their father is the dominant swan on the lake and their mother is pretty fierce too. Today they were back near their nest in the reed bed.
The two Canada Goose families were together in the shade of the willows on the south side of the Serpentine. The older goslings are beginning to get their black and white faces.
The seven Egyptian goslings are also beginning to get an adult look.
But the five have a long way to go.
A Large Red Damselfly perched on a leaf in the allotment.
A pair of Common Blues mated on a grass stem near the Round Pond.
Duncan Campbell found the Emperor dragonfly in the Italian Garden perched for a moment on an iris leaf.
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I saw him chasing a female, so he's no longer alone.
Duncan also found the Wool Carder bee he was looking for, but not as expected on the Lamb's Ears in the Rose Garden. This female was on a knapweed flower near the Lido.
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No batch of pictures from him would be complete without a mystery bee awaiting identification. This too was near the Lido
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Today you have seen some amazing stuff! Obviously, the Heron and the Little Owl chicks are excellent news and very interesting. I have never actually seen a Night-heron so if I spot it, that would be incredible! Little Owl chicks are amazing news of course and I look forward to receiving more news!
ReplyDeleteThe Large Red Damselfly is interesting since I found one there too and some Small Red Damselflies too. Finally the Emperor Dragonfly had landed! I wish I could have found it. Unfortunately I have not been to the park recently because of exams...
Theodore
Tom thinks there is a very small chance that the Night Heron might be in or near the dead willow next to the Italian Garden. Will look tomorrow, but not much hope.
DeleteThanks, But not seen, as expected.
DeleteThe Damselflies heart-shaped formation when mating is something majestic.
ReplyDeleteSean
I swear, bees are no less bewildering than beetles.
ReplyDeletehoping to see pictures of owlets very soon! I'm sure I've asked this before, but six is quite a large number of cygnets for a single pair, right? This year, for whatever reason, water birds seem to be thriving. Long may it continue.
Tinúviel
I've seen a swan with eight cygnets, and someone I talked to claimed to have seen a brood of nine. The female swan here laid eight eggs but two of them were duds.
DeleteVisited the park yesterday and came to the conclusion that there are a pair of kestrels nesting near the owls tree by the Round Pond. Hope they are not going to be a threat to the little owlets?
ReplyDeleteThe owlets won't be out till they're big enough to fly, so they should also be big enough not to be prey for the Kestrels. As for general mutual harassment, I have no idea. The local Jays and Magpies will be a problem for both.
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