People who want to see the Tawny Owls should hurry. They are on the point of vanishing into the leaves, not to be seen again till next winter. The four owlets were in a neat row, the first time I have found this year's brood so well lined up, but there were too many leaves in front of them for a good picture.

An early visitor to the park saw one of the Little Owls at 6 am, on the ground looking for worms.

It seems that the Little Grebes are nesting on the west side of the Long Water between the fallen horse chestnut tree and the Italian Garden. Their mating call -- slower and lower pitched than the normal giggle -- is often heard from here. There is little hope of seeing the nest from the other side of the water, since these birds make their nests out of floating rubbish, and it looks as if it had drifted there rather than having been deliberately assembled.

One of the terrapins on the Long Water had climbed unusually high up a branch to warm itself in the occasional sunny intervals. There are three, two European and one American, all dumped in the lake by pet owners who had got tired of them. They are not entirely welcome visitors, since they eat ducklings.

As I was returning from the owls' tree, the bold male Chaffinch plonked himself on the ground in front of me, chirping loudly for service, and would not shift until he had been given a peanut.

Coming home through Hyde Park, I saw a female Blackbird running across a path -- actually running, putting one foot in front of the other, instead of the usual rapid two-footed hop. I don't think I have seen this before.