Saturday 18 April 2015

Three Grey Herons were standing on the grass near the Henry Moore sculpture, as close together as these aggressive birds can manage without a fight breaking out. They were all trying to grab a rat. The two close to the fence would have been ready to reach through it, since rats are more plentiful in the undergrowth on the other side.


The heron at the Dell restaurant lunged for something in the water and yanked it out. Had it caught a fish? No, it was just a bit of hamburger bun thrown in by one of the lunchers.


Just offshore, A Moorhen was running along the mesh fence of one of the reed rafts carrying a twig. It disappeared into the reeds, where it must be building a nest.


A Carrion Crow had come down to the edge of the Serpentine for a drink. When it had finished I gave it a peanut but, oddly, it didn't seem hungry.


Neither did this Coot. Someone had thrown a piece of mango in the lake and the bird picked it up, tasted it, and spat it out. That odd turpentine flavour is not to everyone's taste.


This fine picture by Johanna van de Woestijne shows a young Herring Gull on the Serpentine with a new toy I haven't seen before: a pigeon's tibia.


An Egyptian Goose was peering intently into a drain. It stayed here the whole time I was watching. I have no idea what was inside.


The broods of Egyptians on the Serpentine still number seven and six.

The new Little Owl was not visible again today. The usual Little Owls had braved a chilly morning. The female was on a branch of their current chestnut tree, but fled inside when we approached. Later, the male looked out of his hole at three people who were photographing him.


The male Cetti's is still singing loudly. On a lake covered with pedalos, I couldn't find the Scaup or the Goldeneye. Both have been seen within the last two days and are probably still here.

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