The pair of Egyptian Geese nesting in a tree north of the Round Pond have hatched six young. Virginia Grey alerted me to this, and sent me this lovely picture taken yesterday, when they were just out of the nest.

Today the family were feeding on the grass by the pond, within running distance of the lake for when some idiot came with a dog off the leash, as happens all too often. They wanted to be surrounded by the flock for protection, but they didn't want the other Egyptians too close, and if one strayed into their comfort zone the father would give it the bum's rush.

There was a Green Woodpecker in a nearby tree.

And a Nuthatch came down to be fed at the railings of the leaf yard.

On the south shore of the Serpentine a young Herring Gull and a Carrion Crow were facing each other down over the ownership of a pigeon carcase left by one of the notorious Lesser Black-Backs.

Surprisingly, the crow won the battle of wills, and took it prize away to a grassy spot where it could pick at it undisturbed.

The Paddington mob of first-year Herring Gulls was on the lake en masse, rushing at everything edible. Here one of them carries off half a biscuit after winning a four-way fight.

Only one of the Little Owls could be seen in the hole in the chestnut tree. It was the male, as you can tell by his bushy white eyebrows. (They are not the sign of a male Little Owl, he just happens to have them.)

I haven't seen the male Tawny Owl since the 17th -- has anyone else? I'm hoping that his absence means that this year's owlets have come out and have been taken to a safe place. Since there are still no leaves on the trees near the nest tree, they would very likely be taken to one of several big evergreens in the Flower Walk. Inconveniently, the walk is shut off while a new path is being built. I went along the north edge of the surrounding shrubbery, which gives a view of the places that the owls used in 2013, but couldn't see anything. With luck, someone will find them soon -- and it might be you, so keep looking.