Sunday 18 February 2018

A Little Grebe under the willow tree by the bridge was disturbed by something, and skittered across to the other side of the lake.


The Great Crested Grebes at the island have returned to their nest site and are rebuilding the nest in the vague sloppy way of grebes. I still don't think they're serious about nesting.


But the Coots are, and well built nests are going up all round the lake. This one is attached with interlocked twigs to a branch of a fallen tree in the Long Water.


This Coot has taken advantage of a hole in the netting around a reed bed, and has made a nest mainly of reeds.


This nest is on the side of the artificial island in the Long Water made for the Mute Swans to nest in. The Coot struggled to fit a very long twig into it.


The lower of the two Grey Herons' nests on the Serpentine island is permanently occupied by a sitting bird whose head can just be seen.


Nothing can be seen in the upper nest. Until recently there was always a heron standing on it. There may now be a sitting heron in that too, invisible from the ground.

The Mandarin drakes at Peter Pan were unaccompanied by females. This may mean that both their mates are nesting in tree holes.


David Element captured this photograph of the Red Crested Pochard drake on the Long Water in a competitive display flight with Mallard drakes around a female.


It takes two Carrion Crows to harass a Grey Heron properly, one in front of it to distract it while the other creeps up behind and pulls its tail. Playing the game alone is too dangerous. This crow called to its mate for help, but the other crow was busy and didn't come.


This picture of a male Sparrowhawk on a tree by the Long Water is by Jayanta Bordoloi.


And Tom took this one of a Great Spotted Woodpecker in the leaf yard.


Between the Serpentine Gallery and the Physical Energy statue there were several Goldfinches pecking at seed heads fallen from a tree.


A Mistle Thrush searched for worms and insects in the grass.


There were still plenty of Redwings on the Parade Ground, some on the ground and others chattering loudly in the trees.


The Little Owl near the Henry Moore sculpture was in front of her hole in the lime tree, where the branch provides a convenient platform.

2 comments:

  1. Brilliant Sparrowhawk picture, looks stunning!
    How's your ankle now Ralph, any better?

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    1. I've only had two pictures by Jayanta, and both have been excellent. The other was of a Great Crested Grebe flying, on 2 September last year.

      The ankle is pretty much all right now, but I'm avoiding any really long walks for the time being.

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