The new pair of Peregrines were on the barracks again, quite far apart so they had to be photographed separately. The new female is darker than the late one ...
... though not as dark as the male, who has hardly any white on the side of his head.
There was a brief glimpse of a Kingfisher speeding up the Long Water. I couldn't see where it perched.
The Little Owl at the Round Pond was deep in the horse chestnut tree and impossible to photograph in the morning, but later moved to a slightly better place.
A pair of Jackdaws chattered on her nest tree. I don't think they bother her, unlike Carrions Crows and Magpies which are a sore trial for owls.
A Great Spotted Woodpecker called from a dead tree behind the Queen's Temple. It flew away before I could get any closer.
The mate of the familiar Robin in the Flower Walk was occupying his tree while he was away. She came to my hand twice.
The Czech Black-Headed Gull was patrolling the shore under its favourite post on the south shore of the Serpentine. It has visited the lake every winter for several years and has become a very dominant bird.
The Grey Herons' nest was empty, but then one of the young ones flew in. They're still returning to be fed, and I haven't seen one fishing yet.
A Cormorant shone in a sunny spell as it preened on a post at Peter Pan.
Two Moorhens and a young one vied with a Coot to eat a floating apple.
Moorhens love climbing, and this one was preening on the top of a bush at the Vista.
The Black Swan was at the Triangle titivating his ruffles.
The Common Wasps' nest here is still busy.
A Willow Emerald damselfly perched in a yew near Peter Pan.
A Marmalade Fly visited the autumn crocuses at the southwest corner of the bridge.
Mario drew my attention to these curious fungi on the opposite side of the shrubbery. They are Earthstars, of which there are 15 species in Britain. He thinks it's the Crowned Earthstar, Geastrum coronatum.
Knocked out by the kingfisher shot - still waiting to see one in real life after all this time. :(
ReplyDeleteYou really haven't? There was one in St James's Park for several years and I thought you'd have seen it.
DeleteInteresting news about the Peregrines. I saw one fly over the tower in Cromwell Road but it was too fast to tell which one it was.
ReplyDeleteTheodore
Pretty much impossible to distinguish them in flight when you can't see how big they are. And now both of them are dark, which makes it harder.
DeleteIt seems the new male is as standoffish as the old, lamented one. They really are undemonstrative birds. I think of how close vultures and large eagles are to their mates, and the contrast is quite visible.
ReplyDeleteTinúviel
And Little Owls, who cuddle up side by side on branches and preen each other. Well, each to their own habit.
Delete