A Great Crested Grebe at the bridge had taken advantage of the temporary absence of Cormorants to catch a substantial fish, as large as it could swallow.

Most of the Cormorants were on the Long Water perched on the posts at Peter Pan. But despite the rich fishing to be had at the baskets by the bridge, there are never more than 8 or 10 in the park now, far less than a few years ago when numbers sometimes went into the thirties.

The young Great-Blacked Gull visited the Serpentine again.

The long awaited closure of the funfair has allowed the pigeon-eating Lesser Black-Backed Gull to return to its usual beat near the Dell restaurant, though it didn't do anything dramatic while I was there. When the enormous apparatus of this dismal entertainment has been taken away, which takes a long time, the large ruined and roped-off area where it stood will be worth watching. Nothing encourages birds like the absence of humans, and we hope to see Redwings, Fieldfares and maybe a Wheatear. But first the people have to dismantle their Tower of Power and all their other ghastly gear.

The male Tawny Owl was in his usual place on the balcony. He didn't wake up when I was there, and I didn't want to disturb him.

A male Tufted Duck was preening his white belly near Peter Pan. They turn upside down to do this, a pleasing sight.

And a female Red Crested Pochard was having a wash at the Serpentine Island.