The female Little Owl at the Round Pond hadn't moved far. She was gazing down sadly ...
... at the charred and shattered remains of her home.
I had a look around the neighbouring trees. When the pair have recovered from the shock they shouldn't find it hard to choose a suitable hole.
The Blue Tits nesting in a hole by the Buck Hill shelter were out on a twig together.
Great Tits at Mount Gate looked expectant in pink cherry blossom ...
... and forsythia.
At the moment the Long-Tailed Tits are sitting on their eggs and things are quiet, but soon they'll be feeding their young and we shall see more of them. Ahmet Amerikali got a good picture of one in Southwark Park.
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A Wren perched on a twig by the bridge.
Behind the Queen's Temple a Blackbird rummaged frantically in fallen leaves ...
... a Song Thrush melted into the brown leaves of a small oak ...
... and a Jackdaw came out for a peanut.
The water pump of the Huntress fountain in the Rose Garden has just been mended for the umpteenth time and a pair of Feral Pigeons were enjoying a bathe.
These very brightly coloured Lesser Black-Backed Gulls in the Serpentine could be mistaken for Pigeon Eater and his mate, but it's a different pair.
The new Egyptian goslings on the Serpentine have all gone now, leaving the stubborn survivor which was safe with its mother.
The eight on the Round Pond were called by their mother and crossed the path to graze.
There were several Speckled Wood butterflies. This one was on a hellebore flower by the bridge.
A Buff-Tailed Bumblebee browsed in white cherry blossom at Mount Gate.
Two Common Carder Bees were at work in the Flower Walk, one going to all the yellow wallflowers ...
... and the other to the pink ones.
Ralph,at what time did the tree burn down? Jenna
ReplyDeleteBetween 2 and 3 pm.
DeleteOh wow. So probably just people smoking spliff not caring about nature. The usual. Jenna
ReplyDeleteWe'll never know. The dry fragments of dead wood around the base of the tree were perfect firelighters.
DeleteHave you seen the male though? Jenna
ReplyDeleteNot recently. He wanders around much more than she does. Of course any sighting will be photographed and put on the blog. I always report on there owls.
DeleteI just hope he wasn't inside the tree
ReplyDeleteShe was actually seen leaving when the flames took hold. He would have left with her if he's been there.
DeleteWhat a horrendous unpleasant sight to see the Little Owls home tree completely destroyed like that! Very sad indeed.
ReplyDeleteThe park should replace it somehow, with something similar/artificial for the beloved creatures. Not fair really is it
Sean
Strange I was just thinking the same. But then would they really take it up? Sometimes you can make a replica and it doesn't somehow succeed even though it should. But problem is if they make a replica in the same spot lots of people would now know about them and I feel they are quite vulnerable. Same as some other birds in the park. Jenna
DeleteThere are lots of trees with holes in the vicinity. Owls use boxes only when there's nothing else. There are 15 Tawny Owl boxes in the park and no owl has ever used one, though the squirrels like them.
DeleteIn fact there are three artificial trees in the park at the moment, at the Serpentine Gallery. They're made of bronze. Only a tempoary exhibit.
It' too sad for words. But they're resilient little creatures and there are kind people looking out for them.
ReplyDeleteIt's almost a frivolity considering the Little Owls' plight, but I can't help noticing how very like a postcard the Great Tits look.
Tinúviel
There's nothing we can do to help the owls, but I think they'll find a way. Luckily they hadn't started nesting, which is signalled by quite a lot of calling.
Delete