Wednesday 29 April 2015

Loud cries from the top of a plane tree revealed a Hobby. I only saw one. Was it calling for its mate? Has its mate arrived back safely from Africa?


A Pied Wagtail was gathering insects on the south shore of the Serpentine to feed its young. It is hard to guess where its nest is -- they like old walls with holes and cracks, but there are none near here. However, they are versatile nesters and it may have found a hole in a tree, or a twig sheltered by ivy.


On the other side of the lake a Starling was engaged in exactly the same task. This is one of the Starlings nesting in the two plane trees next to the small boat houses.


The Great Crested Grebes' nest under the willow tree by the bridge has four eggs in it. It was the female's turn to sit on them, and she was turning them over to keep them evenly warmed.


One of the Coot nests at Peter Pan has been stolen by a Grey Heron to use as a fishing station. I don't think it had any eggs in it.


The Coot nest in the small boathouse is a going concern, with two birds in attendance today.

There were two abandoned goose eggs on the reed raft at the east end of the Serpentine, in the same place as the ones which were left there a few weeks ago. I don't know what is going on here.

The male Tawny Owl was in the same place as yesterday, the horse chestnut tree next to the nest tree.


No one has yet found the female and the owlets again.

After the rain stopped the male Little Owl sunned himself outside the pair's new nest hole.


The white Mallard was made to look rather small beside a passing Mute Swan.


It seems that the Scaup that spent so long in our park has now gone to Regent's Park, where he was seen today.

6 comments:

  1. Do you know where Goldfinches nest? I have a bunch of them visiting my window feeders, but they just visit, perch and chatter in the lovely old London Planes just outside my building.

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    1. They nest in trees. But I've never spotted one of their nests in the park.

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  2. Fingers crossed for the Grebe eggs...

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    1. Don't expect too much. April is absolutely too early on this lake.

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  3. Looks like you beat me to it in your blog, I was going to ask if the Scaup reported at Regents park for the last two days is likely to be the same that spent time in Kensington gdns/Hyde park... would have been too much to expect two different ones in London at the same time I guess....

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    1. Must be. Wonder how it knows its way around central London.

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