The crowd of Mute Swans on the reed raft at the east end of the Serpentine has thinned down to a single couple, and today the female had laid an egg. They had better get going and make a proper nest and be ready to defend it.  But possession is nine-tenths of the law, and they have a good chance of succeeding.

The next reed raft has a Moorhens' nest in an attractive patch of flowers. Here one of the birds is just about to jump down into it.

The Moorhens on the post near the bridge are holding on to their strangely sited nest and the eggs are still intact, although the female didn't stand up for long enough to let me count them. Here mate was bringing her leaves and twigs, which she tried to arrange in the cramped space but mostly dropped them so that he had to fetch them again. They were still at it when I went past them two hours later.

The strong wind added to the discomfort of the Coot nesting on the fountain. Not only was she getting constantly soaked but her feathers were being blown all over the place.

The pair trying to build a nest on the post near Peter Pan cooperated in fetching a large twig that had been blown off a tree. Although the Long Water, surrounded by trees, is always much calmer than the Serpentine, their nest later disintegrated. When I passed them later they were rebuilding it. You have to admire their persistence.

On the wave-lashed shore of the Round Pond, a drenched Starling was running around collecting bugs for its nestlings.

In spite of the wind, the male Little Owl came out on a branch of his chestnut tree.

The male Tawny Owl has a much more sheltered position, but even so he seemed restless and was shifting about.