Just a day after I wrote that we hadn't seen the adult Great Black-Backed Gull for some time, there it was opposite Peter Pan, huge, dark and fierce. They are much blacker than Lesser Black-Backs, which seldom go below charcoal grey.

The water just offshore was a mass of ducks, although no one was feeding them. Most were Pochards ...

... and Tufted Ducks ...

with a few Mallards and a separate group of Shovellers revolving at the far end. The Red Crested Pochards were absent, as they have taken to living around the Serpentine island.

But that was all. A few years ago we had regular visits from Teal, Wigeon, Garganey, Pintail and Goldeneye, which were probably strays from the London Wetland Centre, but I haven't seen any of these for a long time. Still, it is good that there is no sad captive wildfowl collection on the lake, and any bird is there because it wants to be.

The seven young Mute Swans from the Long Water can't go near their father any more because he will chase them off. They were circling on the other side of the bridge in a foul mood with their wings raised to threaten everything in sight.

But at least he hasn't driven them right off the lake yet. When he and his mate nest in the spring, last year's young will probably be banished to the Round Pond, home of low-status swans.

A Great Crested Grebe fishing nearby gave me a severe stare.

This Grey Heron at the edge of the Lido reed bed looked quite decorative in a Japanese print sort of way..

On the path near the bridge, a couple of Magpies had made quite sure that a sandwich bag was empty, and were amusing themselves by ripping it to shreds.

The male Tawny Owl didn't come out to his usual place till after 3 pm, but at least there is a little more light at that time now.