Wednesday 8 July 2015

A Grey Heron had caught a large perch in one of the Italian Garden ponds, and was having trouble swallowing it. So it went and stood in one of the planters and dipped the fish in water several times, and finally managed to get it down.


Moorhens are good at keeping their chicks hidden, and often you don't see them till they are half grown. This one is from the nest on the reed raft at the edge of the Serpentine. It was running across the terrace of the Dell restaurant after being chased onshore by a Coot.


The Mute Swan with one cygnet on the Long Water wanted to land on the little island, but was kept off by a pair of Canada Geese -- their three goslings are behind them in the reeds.


So she let her cygnet climb on her back and sailed away to Peter Pan to beg for bread.


This pleasing close-up of a young Reed Warbler was taken by Marie Sanders in the oak tree above the reed bed near the bridge.


Two Black-Headed Gulls were squabbling over a place on a buoy on the Round Pond.


The male Little Owl was perched in a dark corner of the nest tree, taking no notice of the people below.


As I passed this Black-Tailed Skimmer dragonfly I saw that it was eating something. The photograph shows that it was a fly.


This tiny Common Red Soldier beetle (Rhagonycha fulva) was on a grass stem near the Italian Garden.


Of course I didn't know what it was, but the net allows you to find out in five minutes.

4 comments:

  1. The photo of the swan is gorgeous, with that cygnet perched a-top! I saw a lovely swan family sail serenely past Uri Geller's house at Sonning on Thames today. Their course did not deviate!

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    1. Had forgotten about Uri Geller. Just read the Wikipedia article on him. Still giggling.

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    2. Woe betide any spoonbill that should go past! :-) Jim n.L.

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  2. Nice captures! So the heron really managed to gulp down that big/spiky perch okay? Does the fish put up a good fight, if eaten, does the bird swallow it wriggling all the way down its long/skinny neck as well?!

    -Kyle

    Reply: Mexicankyle35@gmail.com

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