... with one eye open.

By Chamaeleo

Juvenile black-headed gull...

... and a herring gull.
The flying juvenile gull's unusual plumage is much better in large ("L").

I visited Long Pond (the boating pond) to see whether any of the fledglings juvenile geese were there; four of them were milling around looking very much like teenagers hanging out during break. They were with the adult Egyptian geese, and were acting rather submissively; I'm sure they'll find their place in the goose world soon enough. I wonder where the other four have gone!

I actually went to the pond specifically to photograph this juvenile gull: I took photos of it on Monday but wanted to blip Neal's Yard for a change of material; it is losing its juvenile brown feathers to develop its full adult plumage, but has reached a rather beautiful hybrid phase with highlights of brown in its otherwise adult plumage. I mentioned it yesterday, so was pleased to find that it was still there this morning. It was early, so the light wasn't fantastic, but I think the greyness of the light and water just accentuates how fine its mottled wings look.
The gull on the water is an adult herring gull, but out of the breeding season they develop these mossy brown flecks on their head rather than having just purely white head plumage.

I had a good afternoon too: I met a friend in Soho and we visited "Milk Bar" on Bateman Street which is the sister cafe to the fantastic "Flat White" on Berwick Street. Milk Bar is the newer cafe, and is slightly larger and more spacious; I had a flat white (my friend ordered it for me; it isn't my usual drink) which was very delicious with creamy-smooth milk strongly flavoured by the dark, but slightly sweet espresso. Pleasing fern-ish latte art too! We then went to Maison Bertaux which is a French patisserie established in 1871... A fun afternoon!

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