A pair of Greenfinches twittered in a treetop beside the Long Water.
One of this year's young Robins perched in the holly tree in the Flower Walk it has claimed since it became independent. It's now completely adult in appearance.
A Great Tit at the edge of the Rose Garden clung easily to an overhanging branch with its strong feet ...
... then leapt off on to another, not bothering to spread its wings.
Two Broad-Leaved Buckthorn trees (Crataegus persimilis) behind the Albert Memorial were full of fruit, attracting a family of Wood Pigeons. This young one was just about to fall out of the tree after reaching too far.
The beans on the catalpa trees by the Italian Garden are now ripe, a fortnight after those on the tree in the sheltered Rose Garden. Rose-Ringed Parakeets were enjoying them.
The Little Owl at the Round Pond was in her usual tree, fluffed up against the first chilly day of autumn.
A Black-Headed Gull on the Serpentine dunked a stale bread crust to make it easier to swallow.
One of the four teenage Great Crested Grebes on the Long Water caught a fish at Peter Pan.
Two of the others rested in sunshine and shadow.
Cormorants don't have the low-speed flying skills to be able to land on one of the posts, so they have to jump. This one just managed to scramble up on the second try.
The five Mute cygnets were at the waterfront with their mother, waiting for someone to start feeding them. They never have to wait long. They passed the time by preening, a long job if you have 20,000 feathers.
A small flock of Tufted Ducks cruised around at the Vista.
This veteran fire engine is maintained by the students at Imperial College and is in fine working order. From time to time they drive it up to the Serpentine and have fun spraying. A pedalo just managed to avoid the deluge.
That’s some high maintenance right there! With 20k feathers, no wonder they can be so aggressive. But then have an appearance of such delight.
ReplyDeleteSean 😃
Hi! May I know where is the usual tree where the little owl perches? I went to the round pond and found the dead tree but didn’t see the owl around😭 thank you!
ReplyDeletePlease write to me at the address given in the right-hand column of the blog.
DeleteThe contraption, and the whole idea of it, is so charming, one can forgive being on the receiving end of the spraying.
ReplyDelete20,000 feathers. I would go mad.
Tinúviel
It would be splendid to see it spraying a flaming Tesla made 107 years later and far less practical. (Incidentally, it has now been established despite official lies that it was a Tesla that started the enormous car park fire at Luton airport.)
Delete