Monday 13 May 2024

Black Swan reunited with his girlfriend

The best news of today is that the Black Swan is back with his Mute girlfriend. They were together at the reed bed east of the Lido, where a barrier had already been put up to shield the nest site they didn't use, and this picture was taken over the top of it.


You can see the same fence in this shot from the other side of the lake as one of the bullying male swans was pointlessly persecuting another.


The female nesting at the outflow was turning over her eggs.


All was well with the Greylags on the south side of the lake. Two goslings sprawled casually on the edge.


A pair of Canadas at the Lido kept watch while their five goslings fed on the grassy bank. A distant view of a dog would send them hurrying to the safety of the water.


A pair at the edge had three goslings, but the one farthest from the camera is a Greylag adopted by accident. This happens quite often.


It was a much colder day and the four different-sized Egyptian goslings had gone into a huddle.


The pair of Gadwalls are firmly established on the fenced-off path by the bridge. They've been in this peaceful spot for several days. I don't think Gadwalls have ever tried to nest in the park, the only ducks commonly seen here that haven't had at least one try.


The Great Crested Grebe chick on the Long Water is still all right, but still being kept close to the far side. We may get a better view when the chick is older and following its parents to the fishing ground.


The Coots at the Dell restaurant aren't building the nests in deep water they have made in previous years. This is probably just as well, because the new people at the boat hire place are zooming around irresponsibly at high speed in their powerboats and creating a huge wash which would destroy a nest in that place. One pair of Coots has built a nest right up against the balcony, and it remains uncertain whether this will hold together for long enough.


A Wren hopped around in a tree near the bridge.


Another ticked in a hawthorn bush in the Rose Garden. It was mildly agitated by something, probably a Magpie, but if the intruder had been nearer its nest it would have been chattering furiously.


A Blackbird in the shrubbery heard the voluble singing of a Blackcap and was stirred into song himself.


Another male was looking for food on the lawn and found a larva.


The Robins at Mount Gate came out for their daily issue of pine nuts, which they promptly took back to their nest. Let's hope we'll be seeing young ones soon.


Tom was at Rainham Marshes, where he saw the female Kingfisher again. She is bringing increasingly large fish at half-hourly intervals to her nest hole. But there has been no sign of her mate for some time, and no one knows what's happened with him.


He also got a pleasing picture of a male House Sparrow bringing a feather to his nest.


Someone in the comments here reported seeing House Sparrows in Bayswater just north of the park but disappointingly couldn't remember where, so I can't go looking for them.

14 comments:

  1. Hi Ralph, what good news about the swan lovebirds........also, great that ALL goslings are safe today..hope the male kingfisher is ok...I hope the humans at the boat hire place start behaving a bit more responsibly !!. Highlight of my birding day was the sighting of TWO goosanders together..regards,Stephen...

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    1. Good about the Goosanders. Hope they're a couple and will raise some ferocious ducklings.

      A bit much to hope that the boat people will behave. The only sensible person in the new operation left quickly, and I can imagine why. The park management underpay their unfortunate employees to carry out orders without question, and there is no room for thought.

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  2. I will find where the House Sparrows were because I also saw some in Parsons Green and once I find the street name, I can tell you.
    Theodore

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    1. Thank you. If you can it would be tremendous.

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    2. Hoping Theodore can find them!

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    3. Thand you very much. -- And indeed he did give the the street name, Dulford Street, a very small street in North Kensington at the northern tip of Clarendon Street. I went there yesterday evening hoping to get some sunset chirps but must have arrived too late. Will try again.

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  3. So glad the Black Swan has reunited with his girlfriend. Lovely photo of the little Wren. I love the subtle plumage of the handsome Gadwalls.
    Suzanne.

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    1. I hope they stay together. He was following her again today but she looked a bit neutral.

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    2. I think there may be a few more twists in this tale, e.g. that she is now pregnant by another Mute. Jim

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  4. They look like they're having the "where is this going" conversation. AKA as The Conversation.

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    1. Yes, don't they? And there was a distinct chill between them today.

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  5. Hi Ralph, Regarding the male kingfisher, I went to Rainham Marshes last Friday and saw a male kingfisher hunting around the shooting butts hide. Not sure if he is the partner of the female you’re talking about but quite likely.

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    1. Oh good. People were worried and thought he might have been taken by a Sparrowhawk. I'll tell Tom.

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