The male Little Owl at the Round Pond was on the horse chestnut branch where the female usually perches. I haven't seen her there for some time.
The male at the Serpentine Gallery was in an awkward spot in a treetop where you couldn't get an unobstructed view.
A young Song Thrush had been digging in the mud on the west side of the Long Water ...
... and the adult we've seen before was on the east side.
A young Long-Tailed Tit paused for a moment in a myrtle tree.
A pair of Feral Pigeons stared at each other with orange eyes under the Henry Moore sculpture.
A Grey Heron enjoyed a scratch on a post at the Serpentine island ...
... and a Cormorant had a furious wash.
Coots seem never to stop building nests.
The Black Swan was drinking from the Serpentine. A flash of white shows that his flight feathers are growing back.
The dark Mallard drakes look much the same when in eclipse, but closer inspection shows the female-pattern feathers on their front.
A female Tufted Duck took it easy.
The Mandarin and her duckling rested on the landing stage. The young one is getting adult-pattern feathers now.
I've been having bad luck photographing Red Admiral butterflies. They are refusing to pose prettily.
There were butterflies everywhere. Here is a Large White on a Verbena bonariensis ...
... and a Small White on a Cranesbill.
A Honeybee preferred a Helenium flower.
Backswimmers thronged in a pool in the Italian Garden. It's odd enough that these insects live upside down, but even odder that they ove in formation.
I think he's perfectly aware that he's presenting a very obstructed view. But he doesn't appear to be smirking, rather he looks mildly curious about how you'll go about photographing him.
ReplyDeleteThat Coot looks happy. I guess building recklessly makes them feel fulfilled in life.
Tinúviel
I think that owl was thinking Oh no, he's found me again. I must find a better place to hide.
DeleteCharming photo of the Feral Pigeons, Ralph. Also enjoy your occasional shots of these.
ReplyDeleteThere's certainly a lazy Sunday feel to the blog seeing all the resting ducks.
The white on the Verbena bonariensis is a Large not Small White. You can see how extensive the black is down the wing. In small White this is restricted to the wing apex as in the photo below.
Thanks for the correction. I've changed the text.
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