The male Little Owl appeared briefly in his usual tree. Here he is enjoying a good scratch.

Owls have an opposable fourth toe -- the one farthest to the right in this picture. They can grip things either with three toes (numbers 2, 3, 4) pointing forwards and one toe (1) pointing back, or they can put 2 and 3 forward and 1 and 4 back. The second arrangement gives a stronger grip, and you often see owls perched on branches in this position.

Shortly after I took this picture, the owl was mobbed by a flock of Starlings and went back into his hole.

Between the Serpentine Gallery and the bridge, I heard an angry Song Thrush rattling at an intruder. Usually when this happens there is a Crow, Magpie or Jay in the tree, but I couldn't see one. When thrushes attack them, they usually flee. A Little Owl has been seen several times in this area, and once it was picking up nesting materials, so it was clearly planning to stay. Could the thrush have protesting at that?

Speaking of second pairs, there is certainly more than one pair of Grey Wagtails. I photographed this one, the male from the nest in the Dell, hunting insects just the other side of the path.

Then I went straight up the side of the Serpentine without stopping, and there were another two Grey Wagtails on a post in the reeds near the Diana fountain. I would have heard one passing me on the way along, since they sing when flying. The original pair has bred in recent years, so it is reasonable that there should be more than one pair.

Here is the Great Crested Grebes' nest in the willow tree near the bridge; compare yesterday's picture.

As you can see, it has grown considerably in one day, and is now higher and wider, and features plenty of plastic bags, which grebes consider an excellent nesting material, a superior kind of weed.

The latest nest decoration fashion for the Coots is moulted Mute Swan feathers pushed into the twigs so that they stick out like flags.

And the male Mute Swan, who has been cruising around and fighting, has decided that he has done enough to keep the interlopers off his territory, and is enjoying a bit of peace with his mate and the four cygnets.