A Green Woodpecker, one of a pair, nattered and climbed a tree near the Italian Garden.
There was a Jay a few feet away but it dodn't seem bothered, unlike the nearby Song Thrushes which were whirring at it angrily.
This is a Song Thrush from the next nest along the path, gathering insects and a worm for its young on the grass under the Henry Moore sculpture.
A Robin sang in a tree at the edge of the lawn.
Another Robin perched in a small cercis bush in the Flower Walk.
A Long-Tailed Tit paused in a tree by the Italian Garden.
The Little Owl at the Serpentine Gallery came out in the afternoon.
A Reed Warbler sang in the reeds by the Diana fountain, one of three singing males here.
Both the Grey Wagtails were hunting from the posts at the bridge, taking bundles of midges to their nest at the Triangle.
The Grey Heron in the nest at the east end of the island got up to adjust some twigs and sat down again. It seems well established, but you never know with herons.
A Coot nesting on a fallen Lombardy poplar by the Vista had decorated its nest with a bit of pink ribbon.
A Great Crested Grebe was vaguely heaping up strands of algae on the Serpentine. This would be nesting behaviour if there was anywhere to put a nest, but there isn't on the hard edge of the Serpentine. The pair would be well advised to try for a site on the Long Water, where the north end is presently without a grebe nest.
The Black Swan was at the nest basket with 4GIQ, equally pointlessly shuffling bits of stick around.
The Canada pair from the Long Water took their goslings on an expedition around the Serpentine, going beyond the Lido before returning under the bridge.
A fox dozing in the sunshine by the Henry Moore sculpture woke up, looked around, and walked away into the bushes.
A rat looked out cautiously from the reed bed east of the Lido.
A male Hairy-Footed Flower Bee climbed over a green alkanet flower by Temple Gate.
I think this hoverfly in the Rose Garden border is a Narcissus Bulb Fly, Merodon equestris.
Imagine having to come up with a scientific name for every insect species there is. At some time you'd be better served opening the dictionary at random and picking up a name.
ReplyDeleteLong Tailed Tits usually disregard human beings, but I think this one is looking at you.
Tinúviel
I'm told that iof you are in the Amazon rainforest collecting insects, every time you go out you return with several species previously unknown to taxonomy. Most of these, of course, are beetles. There is a certain comparison here with studying the fragments of minor Greek writers whose significance is so small that you wonder if it's worth the effort.
DeleteAgree with your tentative hoverfly ID, Ralph. The male Hairy-footed Flower Bees are showing their age now as they've turned grey.
ReplyDeleteYes, they do fade, don't they? Some of my clothes do that over the summer, everything ends up grubby beige.
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