Two young Blackcaps were perched in a tree, calling to be fed while their parents flew around looking for food.

There was a Blackcaps' nest in exactly this place two years ago. It is on the path leading down the east side of the Long Water from the Italian Garden, about 30 yards from the corner of the garden.

Virginia Grey was also in the Italian Garden this morning, and saw a strange sight. An Egyptian Goose flew in carrying a broken egg with a dead chick in it, uttering terrible cries of lamentation, in which she was joined by her mate.

It is not clear what had happened. Had the egg been attacked, or accidentally broken, or had it hatched and the chick had died? And why had the brought it here? This is the unfortunate pair of Egyptians, the first pair to arrive in the park about eight years ago, who are such hopeless parents that they have never managed to raise any young at all, losing them within a couple of days every time.

However, the two Mandarin ducklings were in good order near Peter Pan, attended by their two mothers (or whatever they are). Here one of them extends its little wings.

And the new cygnets were with their mother near the Dell restaurant. Here one of them examines a dead leaf, perhaps the first one it has ever seen.

The Tawny owlets were in a companionable bundle on their usual lime tree.

We couldn't find either parent. The male Little Owl was also on his usual branch, though in a position where you could only see him clearly from 50 yards away up the hill.

A bumble bee was collecting pollen from a cornflower behind the Lido.