The statue group of Africa on the Albert Memorial had a most un-African background of the gentle tones of an English autumn.
The number of Common Gulls increases slowly, and today there were two side by side on the posts at Peter Pan, evidently mates.
A third gull appeared and knocked one off its post.
A fight ensued.
The Czech Black-Headed Gull on its post at Fisherman's Keep doesn't need to fight. The others know it's the boss and keep away.
The teenage Great Crested Grebe at the east end of the Serpentine spends a lot of time fishing but probably isn't catching much yet. Its parents are still feeding it.
A Coot stepped through the floating leaves at the edge of the lake ...
... and an adult Moorhen and a teenager preened.
Pochards dived in the Long Water under the parapet of the Italian Garden.
A Blue Tit in the Rose Garden waited on a hawthorn twig ...
... and one of the pair of Coal Tits allowed itself to be photographed in a rose bush.
The Robins are fairly tolerant of the camera because they know they'll get fed afterwards.
I hadn't seen the one by the Henry Moore sculpture for several days.
The weathervane on the Lido restaurant had a full house of Starlings.
A warmer day restored the Buff-Tailed Bumblebees to full activity.
I don't think the inert one I filmed yesterday had anything wrong with it, it was just sluggish with cold.
Common Wasps were busy on the fatsia bush at the northwest corner of the bridge.
The Poplar Fieldcap fungus that destroyed the Lombardy poplar at Peter Pan celebrated its victory by putting out a second crop of mushrooms.
The new reed bed by the bridge is now being planted.
Apart from reeds there is a variety of plants including mint. The frame of the cage is made of PVC plumbing pipe which will only last about ten years in the open, but by the time it falls to bits the plants should be well enough established to resist the Mute Swans and Coots. There are also plans to replant or replace the ugly wire baskets around the island, and to add some floating rafts of plants in the lake which should please the birds.
It always makes me nervous to see birds fight. They strike one another with their wings - it's just so easy for one of those fragile bones to snap.
ReplyDeleteThe Africa group looks unaccountably miserable to be in such lovely weather and gentle climate.
Tinúviel
I think wing strikes are relatively harmless, thanks to the padding of feathers on both sides. But Coots seem to break their legs quite often, evidently because they fight with their feet.
DeleteYou're not allowed to smile when you're in a statue group. Statuary is a serious business.
Yes, the autumnal colours are rather fascinating and beautiful. The science behind leaf colour is interesting, with the suns photon wavelength of light travelling through space, hitting a leaf and absorbing the spectrum of light, but reflecting the colour green. When the suns rays are fewer at this time of year, the pigments of the green leaf diminish and reflect the warming colours of autumn.
ReplyDeleteIsn't nature miraculous.
Sean