The sunshine had started a Great Tit singing near Queen's Gate and a Song Thrush near the Orangery, both of them out of sight but a welcome foretaste of spring. And one of the Coal Tits in the leaf yard came to my hand to feed for the first time.

It has taken several months for this shy little bird to pluck up courage, but it will get more food now as it doesn't have to compete for a place on the railings. The other Coal Tit is still holding out but now I think it is only a matter of time before it too comes down.

A Blackbird in front of the Rima relief was doing very well unaided.

Apart from this worm, he was clearly getting insects out of the leaves with great ease. This area is usually not excessively tidied up, which of course is very good for Blackbirds and other birds that forage in leaf litter.

A dozen Shovellers were revolving in front of Peter Pan.

There were more elsewhere on the Long Water, and some at the Serpentine island, and more on the Round Pond. There must be about 50 in all, a better total than last year when the most I ever saw was 12. But in some years there have been over 200.

There are also plenty of Pied Wagtails to be seen in various places, perhaps because the funfair has driven them off their home on the Parade Ground -- though I did see one passing overhead in this area. Here is one in its usual hunting ground on the Lido jetty.

And here is another sprinting over the lawn in front of the Orangery with that athletic long stride.

Some Starlings were washing on the edge of the Round Pond ...

... and so were the six young Egyptian Geese.

The male Tawny Owl was in his proper place on the horse chestnut tree.

No one has seen the female for a long time. Can they have started nesting early this year? They have been known to begin in late December.