Sunday 9 July 2023

Song Thrushes

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.

4 comments:

  1. 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.

    That Coot looks happy. I guess building recklessly makes them feel fulfilled in life.
    Tinúviel

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    1. I think that owl was thinking Oh no, he's found me again. I must find a better place to hide.

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  2. Charming photo of the Feral Pigeons, Ralph. Also enjoy your occasional shots of these.

    There'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.

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    1. Thanks for the correction. I've changed the text.

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