Even Grey Herons have to sit down sometimes. I had never seen one in this posture before. It doesn't look comfortable.

The youngest Moorhen in the Italian Gardens had somehow climbed up to the top of a clump of soft water plants, and was standing on the summit with a certain air of achievement.

Then it decided to scratch its ear with its foot, and instantly sank into the leaves and had to fight its way out of the tangle.

The three families of Blackbirds in the Flower Walk were much in evidence, with the young ones chasing their parents around squawking for food.

The male Little Owl was calling loudly to his mate, who responded from the leaf yard. out of sight. I though there might be some emergency and hurried to the chestnut tree, but he was on his usual branch looking imperturbable. He just wanted to have a word with her.

The two Great Crested Grebe chicks at the west end of the island were riding on their father's back, protected from passing boats by the posts and chains surrounding the island.

At the east end of the island, the mother of the three chicks had arrived with a fish -- also with a strand of algae which had to be carefully detached from the fish before a chick would accept it. They don't eat vegetables.

These two families had a fierce territorial fight yesterday which was witnessed by Sandy Sorkin, the American birdwatcher who found the Wryneck in the Rose Garden last year.

The solitary chick at the east end of the Serpentine was riding backwards on its father's back. Soon afterwards it lost its grip and fell off.