Monday, 19 August 2024

Peaceful Robins (for now)

A Hobby, by the looks of it a young one, perched in the same plane tree as in yesterday's photograph but was more visible.


Later the others flew in and I got a very distant view of an adult -- you can just see its red 'underpants'.


One of the young Peregrines perched on the barracks tower.


It was quite windy at the Round Pond, and the Little Owls didn't feel like coming out of their hole. The male took a quick look around and went back in.


Two Robins were in a cleared flower bed in the Flower Walk, only a few feet away from each other, but surprisingly there was no conflict. The pair must be very late in splitting up and claiming separate territories. Neither was singing.



Mark Williams photographed the young Robin at the southwest corner of the bridge carefully selecting offerings from his hand.


Today the same Robin came to my hand and took three pine nuts. They don't have to learn to stay and take several, it comes naturally, while tits take just one at a visit.

The Grey Heron on the latest nest on the Serpentine island could be seen with one of the chicks, which would not look out of place among the demons tempting St Anthony in Grünewald's Isenheim Altarpiece.


Pigeon Eater was looking very annoyed. He had returned to an earlier kill to have a bit more when some people in a pedalo ran into the shore and stuck right next to it. No sooner had they got away than a park cleaner arrived, picked up the carcass, and put it in his sack.


In the middle of the lake his mate shooed off a young one, probably hers, which had been pestering her.


As the Great Crested Grebe chicks on the Serpentine get larger and hungrier their parents are working separately to feed them. One of the three chased its father, squeaking loudly. The other two were with their mother, who had caught a perch too large for them to swallow so she ate it herself.


The four chicks on the Long Water were milling around with their father, watched by a Pochard.


A young Moorhen was incautiously mooching around under the bridge looking for insects ...


... when it found itself under attack from an adult. There is usually a Moorhen nest well hidden in the collapsed willow on the Long Water side of the bridge, and the attacker is likely to be a parent of the young one now thrown out to fend for itself.


The Coot families in the Italian Garden have now dispersed, so there are only a few here -- including the pair on the very late nest. An abandoned nest is now a tuft of Great Willowherb, which seeds itself everywhere.


The six Mute cygnets have now grown into hulking teenagers and their wings are fully developed.


One of them, at the Vista, tried a bit of flapping. It will be a while before it can get airborne.


Six Red-Crested Pochard drakes were together at the Serpentine island.

8 comments:

  1. But it's an adult moorhen that attacks the young one. And always a pleasure to tune in. Jim

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    1. Yes indeed, I was so sure it was one of the resident -- and very belligerent -- Coots that I didn't even bother to look closely at the motion-blurred image. Thank you.

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  2. As a rule, the tits certainly do take one piece of food at a time. However, there are occasions when a blue or great tit will happily stick around and eat as they would on a bird table. Have had this experience both in The Gardens and SJP - highly-recommended it is, too. :)

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    1. Yes, this has happened to me several times. Having slowly enjoyed tiny bites of the pine nut, the bird takes another and flies away with it.

      Great Crested Grebe chicks are irresistible, the prettiest of babies.

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    2. Yes they are. I'm ready to send my sponsors to whomever disagrees.
      Tinúviel

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  3. Ps got my first sighting of the GCG youngsters today - such cuties. :)

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  4. It must be so exciting to see the young Swans get airborne for the first time. I imagine it must be a mighty flapping, a mad head-on rush, and then we have lift off. I'd give a lot to be able to see a swan's maiden flight.
    Tinúviel

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    1. They sometimes get airborne briefly, lose their balance and tumble into the water with a mighty splash. It's an undignified spectacle.

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