On a hot day black birds get uncomfortably warm. A Carrion Crow was panting in a hawthorn.
Two Cormorants fidgeted on the fallen poplar in the Long Water.
The Black Swan was sitting inertly on the Serpentine shore. Usually he utters a melodious hoot and comes over for some sunflower seeds, but today he couldn't be bothered to move.
One of the six newest Coot chicks in the Italian Garden fountains preened its downy feathers. We've had five broods of Coots in the four pools but the older family in this pool has grown up and dispersed, so this lot have it to themselves.
A Coot in another pond objected to a Grey Heron.
The Coot nesting on the chain at the island ignored a Cormorant, a heron and a Herring Gull. It's not going to be shifted by anything.
A Mallard at the island has three ducklings, probably the remains of a larger brood as it's a very dangerous place. She had to run the gauntlet past some hungry Herring Gulls.
The dominant Mute Swan and his family have set up a beachhead on the Serpentine side of the bridge from where they can bully the local geese.
The songbirds were lurking in the shade of the bushes and there was little to see, but the Robin in the corkscrew hazel in the Flower Walk was scolding a Magpie.
Ahmet Amerikali found some better birds at Rainham Marshes: a Cetti's Warbler ...
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... a Reed Warbler ...
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... a young Bearded Tit ...
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... and a Little Grebe.
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If it was a poor day for small birds it was a good one for insects. There are now a lot of Emperor dragonflies on both lakes. This one was hunting at the Italian Garden ...
... and another flew past Peter Pan.
A Buff-Tailed Bumblebee browsed on a cosmos flower.
The urns in the Italian Garden have been planted with agave and yucca plants, conveniently drought resistant and not in need of watering. Two of the yuccas have put out odd-looking spikes of red flower buds.
Run and Hyde ...
... That's the Epstein sculpture of Pan causing panic beside the South Carriage Drive. The hut is something to do with the summer music festival which ends on Sunday, thank goodness.
Mallard mum at the Serpentine island had 7 ducklings when I first spotted her (8 days ago - 03/07)
ReplyDeleteSo it goes, sadly.
DeleteWhat a strange statue. Why would anyone dedicate a statue to panic?
ReplyDeletePoor Black Swan looks frazzled. One would think he'd be used to the heat, being Australian.
At the risk of repeating myself: there is lots to admire in an animal that refuses to conform to anyone's expectations (except ours - we know Coots are unstoppable).
Tinúviel
Perhaps it represents Londoners, inspired by a spirit of nature, rushing towards the natural surroundings of the park. But you never know with Epstein. He was a bit of a Coot.
DeleteBlack Swans are native to Western Australia and were first seen by Europeans on the Perth river. I just looked up the weather forecast for Perth: 'Breezy, with broken intervals; showers this morning followed by a couple of soaking showers this afternoon. High 19°. Tonight: partly cloudy and chilly. Low 6°.' Of course it is midwinter there. Might be a bit cosy in January.
Ralph I think your "yucca" is Hesperaloe parviflora which has red flowers. I've seen it a few times at Kew. An attractive drought-tolerant plant that given the flower colour must be pollinated by hummingbirds.
ReplyDelete