Hobbies

A Hobby called from the avenue leading from the Albert Memorial to the Physical Energy statue, and was answered by another some distance away to the west.

The female Little Owl at the Round Pond was in the same place as yesterday, a low branch on the horse chestnut tree which gives a wide view but is sheltered from wind and rain. The whole family used this branch last year but they've only just got back into the habit.

A young Robin at the southwest corner of the bridge, encouraged by a steady procession of Great Tits, came to my hand and ate several pine nuts.

There is a submerged semicircular wall under the big fountain on the edge of the Italian Garden, and the local Grey Heron has cleared a path in the thick mat of algae by walking to and fro along it. It's hoping that a fish will stick its head out into the clear area so it can be grabbed. This only happens occasionally, but herons are very patient birds.

The teenage heron from the second nest was prowling along the edge of the island looking for a rat. This might seem a hopeless quest, but it was exactly here that a heron caught a rat on 13 July.

The young herons were in their usual place, one on a branch and the other still lurking feebly in the nest. Tinúviel suggested that perhaps it ought to be rescued, but there is absolutely no way of reaching that nest without a floating crane, so all we can do is hope that it gets its act together in time to have a chance of survival. It has been out of the nest just once, and was able to fly back.

The Black-Headed Gull at the landing stage was guarding his territory.

Two of the Great Crested Grebe chicks at the island were practising the adult head-shaking greeting ceremony. Quite likely this behaviour is hard-wired, but they also see their parents doing it and may be imitating them.

Their father brought a perch which proved to be too large for any of them, so in the end he ate it himself ...

... but not before a passing Black-Headed Gull had tried to snatch it, causing a furious reaction.

The Coots trying to nest on the post at Peter Pan have finally given up, and the place was occupied by a Mallard and two Black-Headed Gulls.

The Coot on the new nest in the Italian Garden fountain pool stood up to preen, giving a view of the eggs.

An Egyptian Goose on the Serpentine regrowing its flight feathers had reached the stage where they start to poke out of the blue wrappings in which they first emerge. When the feathers have reached their full length the wrappings dry up and can be preened off.

One of the recently arrived teenage Greylags cruised along the edge.

A remarkable view of the Italian Garden by Barry Jones, showing the carp in the pool and the foreground and the loggia in the background both in focus. He took it on his phone, and phone cameras have a great depth of field.

Pomegranate flowers and developing fruit behind the Big Bird statue.