A few wild moments..

I haven't had much time for getting out in the wild over the last week but I did manage a very brief trip to Bushy Park last Saturday and then again for about half-an-hour today.

Last week was warm but pleasantly so and although quiet in terms of birds, the deer were about and evident.

This Red Deer stag was looking very elegant albeit a little haughty!

But the attraction of water was too much to resist..

The Fallow Deer are getting a bit too tame now. They are going up to people with bread and literally taking it out of their hands!

But, when it's warm and you need a drink - just get in the water!



I was surprised to see this little one who was one of three Egyptian Geese Goslings - very young ones

In the warmth the insects were having a field day, but this Red Crested Pochard was seeminly unfazed by them all..



And jumping forward - last night we had a major thunder storm at 2.30 a.m. - very dramatic and noisy with torrential rain for some minutes.

I awoke this morning to very grey and dull skies and the humidity level almost unbearable. However, this one of three young Robins was working out how to use one of the feeders


After a very domestic day (groan!!) I had a quick trip to Bushy Park late in the afternoon. Last week when I visited I was saddened to see one of the eight Mute Swan cygnets in some distress. It had been in the same place for about half-an-hour and although it was having the occasional preen of the same wing, there was very little movement.

One of the fishermen was going to notify the Park Warden and ask for assistance for the Cygnet. The wee thing didn't look at all good and despite taking a picture, I couldn't post it!

So today I was keen to see the others - and yes, sadly only seven were there. But they were "doing very nicely thank you" and losing their "cute" very young look - now looking more like young teenagers!

As usual, bread was being thrown into the water and they weren't hesitating to eat it


Dad had a neck stretch..

A few Black-headed gulls were around - very little else (apart from Coots and Mallards) was!


The three young Egyptian Geese were dozing with a parent in the late afternoon sun.

As I was leaving, this young Jackdaw started begging and crying for food..

despite moving very much closer, it's parent was not going to feed it. Perhaps now is the time to learn how to find your own meal....


And the sun is now shining in the early evening, the air is fresher and the temperature - thank goodness and all deities - is much lower - life goes on as normal.

(And I'm starving so must get some dinner!)

(Oh - and Britain's hope for getting to the semi-final (let alone the final) of Wimbledon - has now been dashed. Never mind - there's always next year!)