Hundreds of tons of topsoil have been spread on the Parade Ground in preparation for laying new turf. This is good news for the birds. A Carrion Crow had found a large grub.

And a Pied Wagtail had a smaller one, though it was having difficulty in running around on the surface of rough clods.

While this was happening, a large tractor was towing a harrow over the newly spread earth to break it up and smooth it. The birds were completely indifferent to this noisy machine, casually moving out of its way at the last moment before it ran over them. It was followed by a cloud of gulls hoping to see something edible in the freshly turned earth.

The Black Swan saw me from two hundred yards away and came charging over to be fed.

When I got round to the other side of the lake, he did it again.

Ever since his first girlfriend discovered that she could beat up adults, the teenage Mute Swans on the lake have been behaving most disrespectfully towards their elders, who should be superior in the social order. This is not the girlfriend, it's one of the others who has watched and copied her.

A flock of Canada Geese disturbed by a dog flew on to the Serpentine.

A Great Crested Grebe also made a short, low flight over the lake. Here it is coming down in its usual way, a barely controlled crash.

The male of the pair making a nest under the willow tree by the bridge was guarding his construction carefully. They have removed some of the large twigs a Coot put there when trying to take over the site.

There were three Gadwalls near the Serpentine island. There are never very many on the lake.

But you would expect more Shovellers at this time. There were just four on the Long Water.

The Kingfisher was in the reed bed again, and I got the best shot I could manage from across the lake.