Two visits to the park today, briefly quite early in the morning and later in the afternoon. It was still chilly in the morning and the female Little Owl was staying in her hole.
She ignored a pair of Egyptian Geese making a fuss on top of the dead tree.
Later it got quite warm and brought the male out in the horse chestnut ...
... and some Feral Pigeons sunbathed in the grass.
The young Robin near the bridge, which we've seen before, was hopping around in the bushes ...
... and there were several Blue Tits in the corkscrew hazel in the Flower Walk.
A Starling at the Dell restaurant took possession of a plate of scraps and wouldn't allow another one near it.
Herring Gulls breed in Paddington, so the ones on the lake are often accompanied by their young. This one unsuccessfully whined at a parent for food, who felt that it was old enough to do its own scavenging.
The three Great Crested Grebe chicks were being fed under the bridge.
A Cormorant caught a carp on the long Water by Peter Pan ...
... and a female Shoveller cruised across the waterfront.
The Black Swan was staying on the Round Pond. He has jilted girlfriends both here and on the Serpentine, but I don't think either of them was particularly attached to him.
A worker Honeybee in the Rose Garden filled her pollen bags with orange pollen from an oxeye daisy.
Tom was at Rainham Marshes, where he got fine pictures of a Kingfisher ...
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... and a Cattle Egret in flight. The Cattle Egrets at Rainham try to perch on the cows to eat their fleas, but the cows haven't realised that this is a good thing and shake them off.
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Ahmet Amerikali was at Southwark Park, where he photographed a Goldcrest ...
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... a Little Grebe making its way through a mat of duckweed ...
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... and a Coot which has nested remarkably late in the year with a young chick.
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That's remarkably unperceptive of the cows. They should take a page out of sheep, which will happily ferry cattle egrets about.
ReplyDeleteI love the young Robin with its new half-orange feathers.
Tinúviel
Cattle Egrets are quite rare here though, like other egrets, on the increase. British cows just aren't used to having birds landing on them. I suppose they'll realise eventually, but maybe not for years.
DeleteI love how its called duckweed. Good news about the Shoveler
ReplyDeleteTheodore
Ducks really do eat it. It's said to be high in protein.
DeleteHello I'm visiting the UK for a week and i really hope to find the little owls! Any tips?
ReplyDeleteForgot to introduce myself! I'm Chao Yuan from Singapore
ReplyDeletePlease email me privately at the address on the blog.
DeleteThe Shoveler Duck is such an attractive duck. What a beak. I may have to pay a visit very soon, just to see it — and of course along with the fantastic Great Crested Grebes!
ReplyDeleteSean