Today it was the turn of the male Little Owl at the Round Pond to appear on a branch. He is much more mobile than his mate, and was in a horse chestnut while she remains firmly in the lime.
The Song Thrush that sings at the back of the Lido is generally out of sight in the trees, but today it came out to the front and allowed itself to be filmed.
A Carrion Crow drank from the Huntress fountain in the Rose Garden.
A Great Tit in the hawthorn tree was impatient to be fed.
The Robin came to collect pine nuts three times and took them to his mate on the nest. You can't see what's happening on the nest, but any chicks would have been audible when food was around.
The Long-Tailed Tit chicks here are definitely hatched but still in the nest, and I heard them a couple of days ago. Ahmet Amerikali got a picture of one of the parents hard at work fetching a caterpillar.
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He also got a good shot of a Chiffchaff near the Italian Garden.
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A Starling waited on the big hawthorn tree at the Dell restaurant for a table to be free to raid.
The Robins nesting near the Henry Moore sculpture have both been collecting insects for some days and the young ones should be out soon. Usually it's possible to see them here, as they follow their parents out on to the path.
A young Herring Gull played with an empty crayfish shell.
The Moorhen family below the Italian Garden were in the reeds. When a parent started washing, one of the chicks copied it.
The Coot nest on the corner of the reed bed by the Serpentine outflow has so far avoided being smashed by a passing pedalo.
A new Mallard family with nine ducklings has appeared at Fisherman's Keep. One of the ducklings is blond. Sad to say, it's a very dangerous place with hordes of Herring Gulls.
A Red-Crested Pochard was diving by the bridge, the first one seen here for a while.
The male Mute Swan by his nesting mate on the grassy bank at the Lido eyed an intruder with hostility.
Tom was at Abberton Reservoir in Essex, where a Spoonbill is nesting and has four chicks, and got some fine pictures.
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He also got a good shot of a Painted Lady butterfly.
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Nice fresh looking Painted Lady. Have yet to see one, but apparently quite a few have turned up on the south coast. Portland have had several mature Red-veined Darters too, so hopefully a better year for those, after a couple of very lean seasons for this species. They also had a Vagrant Emperor which is yet to be recorded in London.
ReplyDeletePerhaps I'm just being impatient, but it does seem to be a slow start for many insect spcies while the trees are ahead of schedule. I've seen here a couple of Emperor dragonflies, and Brimstone, Peacock, Speckled Wood and Red Admiral butterlies, but nothing else so far, Lots of hoverflies though, all Common Drone Fly and Common Banded.
DeletePretty early for Emperors. I don't normally see them until late May/June, though I have seen at least one image of one emerging on the dragonfly FB page. Any chance they could have been Hairy Dragonflies?
DeleteI've seen reasonable numbers of butterflies when it's been warm enough. Next week looks warm & sunny, though I'd love to see one wet day (not likely!).
I saw one again today. It did look just like an Emperor, but when they are whizzing around it's hard to be sure. Also, I don't think anyone has ever seen a Hairy Dragonfly in or below the Italian Garden.
DeleteFair enough. I know you see plenty of Emperors there. Certainly seem on the early side. Certainly worth keeping an eye out for Hairy Dragonflies which are smaller than Emperors & similar in size to Migrant Hawkers. Very much an early season species.
DeleteI've seen plenty of adult spoonbills, but never chicks or young. They look absurdly funny.
ReplyDeleteI wonder why almost across the species males tend to me more mobile, or more restless, than females, even in bonded pairs.
Tinúviel
In many species, including owls, the males hunt and bring food to their nesting mates, so they need to move around.
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