The Black Swan only has to cruise towards a group of Mute Swans, without even raising his wings in threat, and they move away.

Pleased with this demonstration of power, he went in search of his girlfriend and they greeted each other affectionately. But will he still love her when she turns white?

I met Wendy, who runs the excellent blog Wino Wendy's Wildlife World. She had come to see the Black Swan. I mentioned that he was clearly a park bird, as he comes to take food from your hand, and she pointed out that in that case it was odd that he didn't have a ring.

On the way to his usual place we were greeted by the two Jackdaws who hang around near the bridge and come to demand peanuts.

Another peanut intended for a Carrion Crow was seized by a Mallard from under the crow's beak. The Mallard carried it off triumphantly and then found that it couldn't swallow it.

This young Great Crested Grebe at the east end of the Serpentine is not the one I photographed yesterday. It is slightly younger and retains more of the juvenile stripes on its head. I think it must be from the nest in the reeds on the Long Water, now completely independent and ranging all over the lake.

One of the Black-Headed Gulls on the Serpentine is developing the black head of its breeding plumage at the wrong time of year. This ought not to be happening till early spring.

Today's Herring Gull toy was an empty sweet packet of an attractive orange colour. But the gull soon got bored with it and played with a feather, and then with a dead leaf.

A holly tree near the bridge is constantly full of Wood Pigeons eating the berries. As the carol says, these are 'as bitter as any gall', but Wood Pigeons don't seem to mind.

The male Little Owl's favourite perch is losing its covering of leaves. When it becomes bare, the owl may retreat to the privacy of the leaf yard and become much harder to find. The female owl seems to have deserted her place in the other chestnut tree already.