Monday 9 April 2018

A new family of Egyptian Geese appeared under the Henry Moore sculpture. There were probably more goslings originally, but this place is exposed to Herring Gulls, Grey Herons and Carrion Crows, all eager for a meal.


The Mute Swans nesting beside the Lido restaurant terrace were briefly troubled by a whippet, but there was a fence between them and the dog and no harm was done. Dog owners are required to keep dogs on leads near the water, but of course they seldom do.


The Great Crested Grebes on the stolen Coot nest looked on with mild curiosity as a Canada Goose lumbered past.


The pigeon-eating Lesser Black-Backed Gull and his mate were in the middle of the Serpentine, looking almost affectionate.


Often on rainy days the Little Owl near the Albert Memorial sits in the front of her hole, but not when there's a Mallard on top of it.


A Great Spotted Woodpecker called from the top of a tree on the east side of the Long Water.


A Blackcap sang from a tree on the other side, the first I've heard this year. He was hard to see through the twigs.


The white-faced Blackbird perched on a swan-headed urn in the Italian Garden.


This charming picture of a female Blackbird carrying nesting materials is by Sergey Anpilov.


A Treecreeper carried insects to its nestlings on a birch tree in the Rose Garden, where ...


... a Goldfinch came down to the feeder ...


... a Coal Tit waited for its turn ...


... and a Robin sang from a ferociously thorny bush.


A Pied Wagtail looked for insects under the tables at the Dell restaurant.


A flock of Starlings came down on the Vista to look for wireworms.

4 comments:

  1. I hope those long and heavy thorns will pose no problems for the Robin should it have to take off quickly.

    What possesses those Mallards to plonk themselves squarely on a tree branch, I wonder.

    What a busy, diligent little mum-to-be, that Blackbird!

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  2. Isn't that a rose with the Robin? (S)he will probably feel safer among those thorns. Reminds a little of the story of The Nightingale and the Rose. Jim.

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    Replies
    1. Yes, thorns are advantageous to small birds. The birds can land neatly between them, and be safe from larger mammals (which includes us).

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    2. That story is so cruel. I read it once and have tried to forget that I did ever since.

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