Baby on board - Great Crested Grebes in Regent's Park

Last week the sun came out and I took myself off, with camera, for a wildlife-seeking walk round the lake in Regent's Park.  In the middle of the widest part of the long narrow lake in the park, and some distance away, I saw a Great Crested Grebe floating around.  It was only when I downloaded my photographs onto the computer that I saw that there was a striped little baby chick on board.  In the picture below, it's head can just be seen on the back of the bird.

The Great Crested Grebe is sleeping and the chick's head can hardly be seen on it's back.

The partner Great Crested Grebe then swam over and joined the baby boat.  A small tasty (to Grebes) morsel can be seen in it's beak.  It was feeding time for the chick.  Of course, until I looked at the photos later on, I was completely unaware that this was going on!

There is more food in the beak of the bird on the left, but now there is no sign of the chick as it is on the other side of the partner bird.

The grocery delivery bird took a drink, or washed it's beak - not sure which!

Here it is giving more food to the now invisible chick.

I took several photos of both Great Crested Grebes, but this is one of a parent bird on its own.

More feeding took place, with the striped head now being clearly seen on the back of the baby boat.

All food having been delivered for the time being, the grocery parent went swimming off along the lake.

I walked round the end of the lake to the opposite side where I was slightly nearer to the Great Crested Grebe, though I was still completely unaware of the additional passenger.  The chick's striped head can be seen below it's parent's beak.  The adult has now gone back into relaxed sleepy mode now that the baby has been fed.

I must say that I was absolutely thrilled when I looked at the photographs properly and discovered the chick.  I would have taken even more photographs had it known it was riding on the back of the adult bird.

Two black swans in the early evening sun and shade

I went for a walk last night in Regents Park, enjoying the late evening sun.

On the pond in the Inner Circle area of the park I came across this beautiful black swan who was peering at me through the greenery.

Black Swan peering through the greenery

It decided I was not really a threat and continued to swim along the edge of the pond, though it had a threatening look with its ruffled feathers.

Beautiful Black Swan with ruffled feathers

The black swan's partner was waiting patiently on the nearby bank, standing on one leg in front of a pretty yellow iris, and quietly having a snooze in the early evening sunshine.

Sleepy Black Swan with yellow iris in the background

Black swans are so beautiful!