News from the swan battlefront

There have been grave developments on the Long Water. When I came past in the late morning the resident pair of Mute Swans had been forced ashore by the invading bully from the Serpentine, and were at the edge of the Italian Garden. Fortunately this area is behind railings so that at least they were safe from being attacked by dogs.

The invading male was preening complacently at Peter Pan ...

... while his family remained on the Serpentine touting for food. But they can now come on to the Long Water whenever they like.

The two cygnets of the defeated pair were not on the Long Water. Later I found one on the Serpentine, where they have never been before.

So it looks as if the triumph of the violent male is complete, and he will dominate the whole lake from now on.

What precipitated this sad event was the death of the dominant male on the Long Water late last year -- we have no idea what happened to him. He had been strong enough to keep the invader off his patch. But the new mate whom the female took was weak, and he has been steadily driven back.

The last I heard from the lake was soon after 6 pm. The defeated pair had returned to the water, but the bully had seen them and was heading in their direction. I haven't had any word about the fate of the other cygnet. Things are not looking good.

What a relief to turn to the peaceful Great Crested Grebes, whose territorial disputes are light affairs in comparison. The three chicks at the bridge were with their father while their mother was away fishing.

The four chicks were in their usual place on the east side of the Long Water.

The young Coots in the Italian Garden fountain and at the bridge are now fully grown, and only a slight hint of fluffiness shows that they're just months old. The families will probably stick together till the next breeding season.

The old Grey Heron at the Henry Moore sculpture was sitting down, as he increasingly does now to take the weight off his legs.

It was windy, and the Little Owls at the Round Pond were staying indoors. At the more sheltered Serpentine Gallery the female was in the usual lime tree.

I think both pairs have kicked out their fully grown young to fend for themselves.

Both Peregrines had been on the tower in the morning, but when I got round to it the male had flown off.

A particoloured Feral Pigeon sunbathed in the middle of the path, ignoring the Saturday crowds.

There wasn't much to see in the way of small birds, but there was a flock of Blue Tits in the trees at the bottom of Buck Hill.

Ahmet Amerikali got a good shot of a Long-Tailed Tit near the Italian Garden.

The parakeet feeders on the east side of the Long Water are getting more numerous again and so, unfortunately, are the parakeets.

A squirrel drank from the pool at the top of the Dell waterfall, now completely stagnant as the pump the circulates the water has been broken for months.

The bandstand in Hyde Park is seldom used as summer music is generally at the one in Kensington Gardens, but this is being renovated. Today's salsa performance was by the Orquesta Mambarito with Victor Marchangioli, which got quite a few people dancing.