Yesterday I was complaining about the lack of unusual ducks on the lake. Today, to prove me wrong, there was a male Wigeon under the bushes on the east side of the Long Water.

I didn't see a female with him. Sorry about the very distant shot -- the picture was taken diagonally across the lake. There were also a couple of Gadwalls at the Serpentine island, but those are not rare here, just irregular and unpredictable visitors.

There was a Great Black-Backed Gull on the Serpentine again, this time on the posts near the bridge.

The bird behind is a Lesser Black-Backed Gull, and you can see its yellow legs, in contrast to the pinkish-grey ones of the Great.

Hurrying through the rain along the side of the Serpentine, I saw a pair of Great Crested Grebes doing a rather casual display, and took my camera out of its case only to find that the lens was misted up. As I was hastily wiping it with a tissue, I noticed that both of them had dived, and hastily switched the camera on and pointed it in their direction. And I was rewarded by a proper dance with a pretty red plane leaf.

It is completely the wrong time of year, of course. But if you are a grebe there is always time for a dance.

The Tawny Owls were sitting together on the balcony of their nest tree, a sheltered spot on a rainy day.