Another pair of Coots is building a nest on the Long Water. They just can't help building nests at the slightest opportunity, however unsuitable the conditions. This one is on a fallen poplar tree to the north of Peter Pan. The nest is on the submerged trunk, from which you can see branches sticking up. It already includes a red ornament -- Coots find this colour particularly exciting.

 

The Scaup is still on the Round Pond. This is a dreadful picture taken at a great distance in bad light, but it does shown the steady progress of his development of adult plumage.

The peculiar black-faced Mute Swan was on the Serpentine, in the same place as I have seen him before, the corner called Fisherman's Keep.

The extra black pigment has no effect on his white plumage. Birds have different genes for skin colour and feather colour.

A Blackbird was bathing energetically in the little pool at the top of the waterfall in the Dell.

The familiar Wren was running around on the tarmac where the Flower Walk crosses the path up from Queen's Gate.

The male Tawny Owl spent the day outside in his usual place on the horse chestnut tree. Although it was a very dim day, it was not particularly cold and he would have been quite comfortable.

Someone has put a tray of seeds encased in fat on a bush in the leaf yard -- for some reason it is hung from a pair of derelict earphones. No doubt the idea was to feed tits, and indeed they were using it, but then a Ring-Necked Parakeet decided to take over. It had some difficulty finding a way to hang on and eat the seeds.

As a change from today's dull grey pictures, here is a fine photograph taken a few days ago by Andy Sunters of a Great Tit landing on my hand.