The Hobbies were flying all over the park, and I was lucky to catch one of the young ones on their usual perch in the plane tree south of the Physical Energy statue.

The female Little Owl was sheltering from the midday rain in the chestnut tree next to their nest tree. She is becoming more tolerant of being photographed, though I am sure she was glad when I went away.

The rain had also brought out many birds on to the grass to hunt for worms. This Green Woodpecker ...

... and Mistle Thrush ...

were within a few yards of each other near Physical Energy, accompanied by a Jay and some Starlings. There were at least a dozen Blackbirds, two Song Thrushes and two Magpies in the Flower Walk, prospecting in the grass verge and bathing in the puddles.

The Pied Wagtails were out in force on the Parade Ground. This is a female, dark grey rather than the black of the male.

There was also a Treecreeper in one of the small trees at the south end of the Parade Ground, a rather exposed position for such a shy bird. As usual, it ran round the back of the tree before I could get near it.

Two Mute Swans passed over on their way from the end of the Serpentine to the Round Pond, having finally given up the struggle after being bullied by the dominant swans on the lake. Yesterday there were 45 swans on the pond, and these will add to the number. Normally it is about 60.

Two Great Crested Grebes fishing along the edge of the Serpentine got too close to a pair of Moorhens and one of them was chased away. Moorhens look harmless but can be quite sharp if annoyed.