Mandarin duckling eats a dragonfly

All the Little owlets were silent on a hot afternoon, but I found one in the top of the sweet chestnut tree at the Serpentine Gallery.

The adult male at the Round Pond was on his usual branch in the small lime tree, which gives both him and me a good view.

The Peregrines were on the barracks tower. While I was photographing them the female took off.

A view of a male Blackcap directly overhead.

The Wren whose mate is nesting in the chestnut at the southeast corner of the leaf yard was dashing around outside the hole.

Bathing in Feral Pigeons would not be my choice of activity. I wonder whether the fleas transfer to humans.

The old Grey Heron at the Henry Moore sculpture was staying cool in the shade ...

... and so were the Egyptian Geese with five goslings at the boathouses.

The single Mandarin duckling on the Serpentine was with its mother, who was having a flap.

It wandered off, found a downed Black-Tailed Skimmer dragonfly. and ate it. I don't think it could catch one in the air, though I've seen a Little Grebe do this.

A cygnet led the Mute Swan procession.

A closer view of the single cygnet from the nest in the reed bed under the Diana fountain.

The fountains in the Italian Garden have broken down, giving the four Coot chicks in the northwest pool a new playground.

The seven on the southwest pool were milling around with their parents.

The Great Crested Grebe opposite Peter Pan was comfortably installed on the nest.

The Moorhen pair in the Dell still have possession of their favourite rock, as the Mallards are away.

 

A Meadow Brown butterfly drank from a Creeping Thistle flower.

Duncan Campbell found this caterpillar eating an oxeye daisy. It's a rather striking creature but he can't identify it, and neither can I.

Update: Haddock has identified it as a Chamomile Shark, Cucullia chamomillae. The caterpillar is very variable and sometimes also has pink marks.