The sunshine had brought out insects, even on a chilly midwinter day, and the birds were busy hoovering them up. A Long-Tailed Tit was clinging to a vertical branch ...

... and a Nuthatch had gone completely over the top ...

... but, as usual, the prize for defying gravity went to a Treecreeper, running along the underside of a branch. It has an insect on its pointed tongue.

A Blue Tit was in a more conventional position, probing a leaf bud for possible insects.

This is one of the pair of Song Thrushes whose male often sings in winter in the leaf yard.

A Carrion Crow in a tree near the Serpentine island was rattling menacingly at some passing gulls.

A Jackdaw beside the Henry Moore statue was peacefully enjoying a peanut when a Magpie darted in and tried to seze it.

A pair of Great Crested Grebes were starting to build a nest under the willow tree near the bridge.

This is the second time they have begun a nest this winter. They are not serious about it, and don't have a chance of breeding until summer when the supply of small fish is adequate for feeding their chicks.

Incidentally, the number of Cormorants on the lake is way down, a sign that they have pretty much fished the place out.

A Mandarin drake came across the lake to Peter Pan.

The Black Swan was at the landing stage by the Diana fountain, alone.

His girlfriend -- or perhaps ex-girlfriend, I haven't seen them together for days now -- was at the far end of the Serpentine.