Thursday 31 July 2014

There are still a few late-hatched birds in the bushes calling to be fed, such as this Blackbird under a bush in the Flower Walk.


Sorry about the low quality of this picture: it was a dark place and the exposure time had to be too long.

The half-grown Coot chick at Peter Pan, an only child with indulgent parents, is also expecting to be fed. But when its parents are away it happily finds its own food.


This young Pied Wagtail was efficiently finding its own insects in the gaps between the planks on the landing stage near the Diana fountain.


This fine picture was taken by Mike Meilack.

A Feral Pigeon in the Flower Walk was drinking from a leaky hose.


When it had drunk enough it used the spray as a shower.

It took three visits to find the male Little Owl, who was sitting in another part of his usual chestnut tree.


The Great Crested Grebes' nest on the island still had a bird sitting in it, so it seems that they have not yet finished hatching their eggs.

This gorgeous flying jewel is a male Banded Demoiselle (Calopteryx splendens). As you can see from its folded wings, it is a large kind of damselfly. It was in the bushes at the bottom of the Triangle car park.


A pair of Black-Tailed Skimmer dragonflies were mating in the air near the outflow of the lake. When the pair had separated, the male flew low over the water and kept dipping the tip of his abdomen it it -- you can see the succession of rings of ripples.


I don't know what he was doing.

4 comments:

  1. Your wonderful blog entries have become a welcome substitute and compensation for me for actual visits to the parks, whilst I pursue other interests - and work. Thank you. And I'd like to say how much I am enjoying your excursions into entomology. Keep up the good work!

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  2. Thank you for your kind words. We are having a splendid summer for insects. I had never seen a Demoiselle before, and could hardly believe my eyes.

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  3. Marie - I saw a Banded Demoiselle fly past me on the 24 July as I walked along by the Long Water (opposite the Henry Moore Sculpture) and it was the first time I have seen one of them in the Park. A great photo, as always, Ralph.

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    1. Thanks. They look rather strange in flight, don't they? You notice the dark bands on their wings before anything else.

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