The very affectionate pair of Herring Gulls have been together on the south side of the Serpentine for years. Sometimes they moan gently side by side, but today they were waving leaves at each other.
A different Grey Heron was fishing on the wire baskets at the bridge, this time a young one. It peered intently into the mesh looking for a small perch to grab ...
... but it was the same story as yesterday. A Cormorant turned up and started splashing about, scaring the fish into cover.
The solitary Mute Swan in the Italian Garden has made friends with the resident Egyptian Geese. They are often seen together.
There's also a single Gadwall drake who hangs around with the Mallards.
None of them take any notice of the four teenage Moorhens.
This is the Egyptian family near the boathouses whose five goslings I often photographed as they grew up. Now they're almost full size. The family is staying together. Shortly after I took this picture they all took off in a bunch and headed to the other side of the lake.
A Mallard drake dozed peacefully in the shade of the willow by the bridge.
Two of the three young Great Crested Grebes from the nest at the bridge pursued their father clamouring to be fed.
The mother of the other Long Water family cruised up the lake with yet another fish for her four.
But the young grebes from the first nest on the island now seem to be supporting themselves. It's the most dangerous time for them, as they have to catch enough to stay alive while building up their skills.
Coots are very buoyant and have difficulty staying submerged. As soon as they stop paddling energetically head down they bob up to the surface like corks.
A Carrion Crow played with a conker at the Lido.
The female Little Owl at the Round Pond was in her usual horse chestnut tree.
The Blue Tit with one foot in the Flower Walk doesn't seem held back by its injury. Tits have very strong feet and can easily perch with one. It flew out to take a pine nut from my hand.
A rat strolled across the path below, ignoring the passers by.
I photographed this clump of Poplar Fieldcap mushrooms at Peter Pan yesterday. Today they had been chewed to bits, and a broad band of glittering slime on the trunk above showed where a gang of snails had descended on them.
What a great game conkers is! Not sure I can play against a Crow though!
ReplyDeleteSean 😃
Lovely to watch the pair-bonding behaviour of the Herring Gulls.
ReplyDeleteThey've been displaying to each other in one way or another for years. You wouldn't think gulls could be sweet, but these two are positively soppy about each other.
DeleteHave never known a year like it for leg and foot damage to birds in London parks: am seeing it everywhere :(
ReplyDeleteDo you think it's worse this year? I see it all the time.
DeleteI haven't seen much more of it than usual in my neck of woods, at least during last winter and spring. Make of that what you will.
DeleteIt is strange to think of gulls as being in love. And yet this pair clearly is.
Tinúviel
I think this pair of gulls are unusually demonstrative. I've seen pairs moaning at each other but never as often as these.
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