A sunny day brought out the beautiful iridescence of a Magpie's wings and tail as it collected a peanut at the Triangle.
A Carrion Crow enjoyed a quick dip in the Serpentine.
The Little Owl at the Round Pond liked the warmth, but sought a bit of shade to avoid dazzling her sensitive eyes.
The Robin on the north side of the Flower Walk was impatient at being photographed and not fed at once.
So was the usual Chaffinch on the other side of the path.
One of the three youngest Grey Herons flew into the Dell, the first time I've seen one of them here.
It's already fishing very well.
Pigeon Eater was on the restaurant roof, lying down as he digested his latest victim.
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There were Cormorants on every available perch in the Long Water.
A Shoveller drake cruised past Peter Pan.
Canada Geese collected to drink from a puddle at the Triangle ...
... where a squirrel had found the remains of a fruit salad and was savouring a bit of mango.
The sunshine brought out late insects in the Rose Garden, and these three videos and the still picture were all taken in the same spot on the edge of the shrubbery.
A Buff-Tailed Bumblebee browsed on the flowers in an arbutus tree.
A Red Admiral butterfly on the ground below drank from flowers that had fallen off the tree but still contained nectar.
A rather battered Small White butterfly flitted about in a patch of lavender.
Plumbago flowers attracted a hoverfly, Eupeodes luniger. It has the clumsy English name of Common Spotted Field Sylph, which no one uses. 'Luniger' refers to the crescent moon shaped markings on its abdomen.
Migrant Hawker dragonflies are still whizzing about but I didn't get a picture.
Poplar Fieldcap mushrooms on the leaning Lombardy poplar at Peter Pan have now spread from the roots up the trunk, with the mycelium rotting the wood inside.
It's incredibly how butterflies and bumblebees will thrive with the slightest hint of warmth.I think I remember reading that bumblebees are able to insulate their nests, and themselves, against the cold, but by the same token their nest can become too warm in spring and summer and they will lower the temperature inside by flapping their tiny wings, ventilator-like. Amazing creatures.
ReplyDeleteTinúviel
In sheltered places with year-round flowers, such as the Rose Garden, some of the Buff-Tailed Bumblebees can live through the winter. Normally only young queens survive, but here I've seen bees that were too small to be queens in every month of the year, just scraping enough nectar in January from hellebore and mahonia.
DeleteA nice mix of stuff.
ReplyDeleteLove the Magpie looking resplendent in the pleasant sunshine.
I only saw Red Admirals yesterday, though I was only out in the morning but doing stuff in the garden later.
Delightful photo of the Eupeodes. Apart from a small number of species I don't bother with the new English names as most entomologists don't use them.
I also saw a couple of Speckled Woods. But every day now feels like the last butterfly day.
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