Red-Veined Darter dragonfly

Although the weather was cooler today the small birds were still saying in the bushes, but a family of Great Tits were clamouring at the southwest corner of the bridge and one of the young ones came out on a twig.

The Little Owl at the Serpentine Gallery looked down from the lime tree.

Pigeon Eater flew past ...

... having again been chased away from the Coot nest under the Dell restaurant balcony, still with two chicks.

There is no progress with the Black Swan and his Mute mate 4GIQ. He was idly throwing sticks around ...

... and she was preening.

 

The Canada Geese and their three goslings found some tasty fresh grass and weeds on the pleasantly neglected edge of the Peter Pan waterfront.

A pair of Egyptians at the bridge have brought out fourteen goslings.

The Mandarin and her two ducklings were at the Vista ...

... when the Pochard, still with four out of her orginal eight, came past and there were a brief clash. The Pochard won on the strength of having twice as many ducklings.

What the day lacked in birds it made up for in insects. There was a male Red-Veined Darter dragonfly on the watefront at the Vista ...

... along with a male Black-Tailed Skimmer ...

... and a female Common Blue Damselfly.

A Painted Lady butterfly drank nectar from thrift flowers in the Flower Walk.

A Holly Blue was laying eggs in a clump of Caspian sage.

A Small White fed on catmint flowers.

Buff-Tailed Bumblebees browsed on the red pompom flowers of a bottlebrush plant in the Rose Garden.

They were being bullied by Wool Carders, which never paused in their persecution but I got a hasty shot of one in flight in a clump of stachys.