A Blackbird sang by the busy path along the east side of the Long Water.
A Robin in the Flower Walk was getting impatient with being photographed and wanted a pine nut.
A Starling drank from a duckboard in the Italian Garden. No duck or water bird of any kind ever uses these boards, but they're useful for other birds that want to drink.
A Carrion Crow had won a bit of fried chicken, and was dunking it in the Serpentine to wash off the Colonel's special sauce.
The Little Owl at the Serpentine Gallery was in the lime tree, very hard to see among the leaves. When I came back later hoping for a better picture I couldn't find him at all.
Two of the three Grey Heron chicks could be seen in the third nest on the island.
A heron fished in the reed mace at the east end of the Lido ...
... and another looked down from a tree on the far side of the Vista.
Ahmet Amerikali photographed a Cormorant still able to get a large perch in the heavily fished spot under the Italian Garden.
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Another Cormorant jumped into a fountain pool. They've certainly taken all the medium-sized fish in these little pools, but Cormorants fly in from outside and don't know the local conditions.
The Coots in the reeds were washing. When one starts the other follows, and the behaviour spreads to the chicks.
A Moorhen preened on the edge of the Serpentine.
The Black Swan was at the nest basket with his Mute mate 4GIQ, still pointlessly picking up sticks and dropping them. She has six eggs now.
The female 4FUF has settled down in the reeds east of the Lido. I don't know how many eggs she has, as she is very good at covering them up when she leaves the nest.
Two of the four Egyptian goslings at the Lido had wandered a long way from their parents and were sprawling carelessly on the edge.
A Ruby Tiger Moth, Phragmatobia fuliginosa, rested on the path by Peter Pan. I had never seen one before and had to look it up.
There was a winged ant on the green alkanet by Temple Gate, just one. Update: L. Fairfax sent the picture to be identified, and it's thought to be a female Lasius brunneus. For more, see the comment below.
There was also a single Buff-Tailed Bumblebee.
Ruby Tigers are smart moths. I normally see one or two a year-often in moth traps. Smart moths which are easy to ID once you know them.
ReplyDeleteWell, I do know them now, but I was flailing about after realising that it wouldn't pass muster as a Burnet or a Cinnabar. There aren't all that many red moths.
ReplyDeleteThat's a really beautiful moth; I had never seen the like before. Isn't it a nocturnal moth? I can't understand why they called it Phragmatobia.
ReplyDeleteMethinks the Black Swan doesn't much know what to do with himself now he's succeeded. He looks like, "achievement unlocked, now what".
Tinúviel
Grokipedia (yep, that's a thing) says "The genus name Phragmatobia derives from Greek words phragma (fence or partition) and bios (life or mode of living), alluding to the fence-like arrangement of hairs on the larvae." Still not convinced about the -bia bit.
ReplyDeleteTinúviel
I had guessed that the name came from its living in hedges, which indeed it usually does. I think it had perched on the tarmac path because it was warmed by the sun. As with all Tiger Moths, its main glory is the pattern on its hind wings, which disappears when it folds them. The Jersey Tigers which are quite common in the park have bright orange hindwings which make a striking display when they fly.
DeleteCan I copy your ant photo and put it (with accreditation on the BWARS facebook page) they might know what species it is or could be?
ReplyDeleteYes, and please tell me the result if any.
DeleteOf course I will
DeletePS do you know what size it was?
DeleteI would say slightly larger than a typical black ant. But it was a queen so may have been larger than the ordinary ants of the species.
DeleteI was told very likely Lasius brunneus female. See here for more details https://bwars.com/ant/formicidae/formicinae/lasius-brunneus
Deleteand look for it on oak trees. I will from now on.
Many thanks for the identification. I'll add a note to the blog.
Delete