A Common Pochard has brought out six ducklings in the reeds under the Italian Garden. This is the first time I've seen one breeding in the park, though records show that they have in the last century. Pochards are in serious decline nationally, but numbers in the park have been increasing.
The smallest Mandarin duckling was preening on the gravel strip. After a very slow start it's now growing well and its flight feathers are appearing. It should be airworthy soon.
An Egyptian Goose has produced nine goslings, which as you can see are already a few days old but hadn't been seen before. It was moving around: this picture shows it on the Serpentine side of the bridge, but earlier it was at the Vista.
The dominant Mute Swan was driving Canada Geese under the bridge. It doesn't need to attack them: as soon as they see the fearsome bird approaching they retreat.
A Great Crested Grebe waved a bit of weed at its mate, a hopeful sign that they might finally get around to nesting. This was just on the Serpentine side of the bridge, but the pair are also often on the Long Water and there are two good nest sites just the other side.
One of this year's many young Grey Herons preened on a post at the Serpentine island.
In the brambles north of Peter Pan, a Blackcap gave a bit of blackberry to a fledgling. Really this fully grown bird should be able to pick its own blackberries by now.
One of the Coal Tits in the Flower Walk was waiting to collect a pine nut. They remain very camera shy and it was annoyed by being photgraphed, but recovered after a couple of minutes and came to my hand.
A Wood Pigeon sunbathed in a flower bed below.
Both the Robins at Mount Gate came out. After nesting and feeding young this one has lost some feathers including its tail ...
... but the other one is in a far tattier state. Luckily they will have new feathers before the cold weather sets in.
The familiar Jackdaw at the Henry Moore sculpture trotted up expectantly.
The marble fountain in the Italian Garden, broken for months, is working again. The local Carrion Crows are pleased because they like to drink and bathe there.
After several days of failure I managed to find a Small Red-Eyed Damselfly on the algae in the Italian Garden.
Here is a (large) Red-Eyed Damselfly for comparison. Not the simpler markings on the tip of the abdomen. Usually the Small species has lighter red eyes, about tomato colour, but the eyes of the one in the previous picture seemed quite dark.
A Common Blue butterfly managed to extract some nectar from a dead flower at the back of the Lido.
There are some really gaudy summer flowers for the bees to browse on. A Buff-Tailed Bumblebee was in a Peruvian lily near the Lido restaurant ...
... and this Honeybee was in a gazania in the Rose Garden.
So wonderful to see the pochard ducklings. I shall look for them tomorrow in between thunderstorms...
ReplyDeleteThey're quite rightly staying in the reeds on the shore by the swan island. I was very lucky to see them at all.
DeleteGreat news about the Pochard ducklings! When we were least expecting it.
ReplyDeleteCome to think of it, it's Herons that have had the best year by leaps and bounds.
Tinúviel
It's also been an unsusually good year for Song Thrushes, Blackcaps and Greenfinches.
DeleteYes, excellent news about the Pochard family. I guess the Italian Garden is probably the safest place for her there with plenty of cover & less likely to be visited by predatory gulls. Fingers crossed for them!
ReplyDeletePleased you finally located a Small Red-eyed Damselfly.
There is a serious problem at the north end of the Long Water: large and numerous pike. The Tufted Duck did well to move down the Long Water away from them, but then made the fatal error of going right on the Serpentine. She should have stayed under the bushes fringing the Long Water.
DeleteThat's unfortunate for them.
DeleteThere seem to be two families of Tufted Ducks and I think I've confused them. More about this on Sunday's blog post.
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