A young Grey Wagtail appeared in the Dell. We knew there was a nest but this is the first time I've seen a young one this year.
Above it the resident male Blackbird was preening on a branch ...
... while young Blue Tits ...
... and young Coal Tits chased their parents through the tree.
There were several young Great Tits in the bushes near the Italian Garden.
A few yards away a Song Thrush chattered angrily ...
... at a Jay which was trying to discover where its nest was.
A Chaffinch sang his single-note 'rain song' in a nearby horse chestnut tree.
The male Little Owl at the Round Pond was out in the horse chestnut next to the nest tree. It was a slightly chilly morning and he was fluffed up to keep warm.
Someone is dropping strawberries along the edge of the Serpentine -- I keep seeing them. Most bird are initially attracted by the colour but don't like the watery fruit, but this young Herring Gull enjoyed it.
The pigeon-eating Lesser Black-Backed Gull was looking for a more substantial meal.
%20stalking%2020213%201a.jpg)
I was wrong about the Coots in the Italian Garden having lost one of their seven chicks. All were visible with their parents in various parts of the fountain pool.
The Egyptian Geese with seven goslings near the boat hire platform crossed the road to graze ...
... only to have to hurry back to the water when a dog appeared in the distance.
A female Pochard reclined carelessly in the middle of the pavement. She had to take off in a hurry when the dog arrived.
This is not the one that had ducklings. I saw her at the island, where she dived under a wire basket and surfaced out of sight on the other side. Possibly there are still some ducklings.
Buff-Tailed Bumblebees and a Honeybee browsed on the little mauve flowers of a clump of Lamb's Ears (Stachys byzantina) in the Rose Garden.
I finally saw the Little Owl for the first time! It was very exciting and I have totally underestimated how large it was. It is miniature and so camoflaged. I must have missed it quite a few times.
ReplyDeleteTheodore
They give you quite the stare!
DeleteSean
Photographs of Little Owls make them look bigger than they are. It's that imposing look they give you.
DeleteTiny, but ferocious! And ferociously pretty.
DeleteOf course a Herring Gull would give strawberries a go. They'll eat anything.
Tinúviel
Even Herring Gulls draw the line at salad. People do dump salad vegetables at the side of the lake and no creature will touch any of them except tomatoes, whose red colour creates a very transient interest.
DeleteJays are just ruthless!
ReplyDeleteSean
There was also a squirrel eating a strawberry, it seemed almost picking off the little seeds one by one and ignoring the flesh just west of the tunnel on the north side of the Serpentine towards the Italian Gardens
ReplyDeleteQuite sensible behaviour from the squirrel, looking for the most nutritious bits. But it must have taken a lot of time and effort.
ReplyDelete