The chestnut tree near the Tawny Owls' old tree has had further signs of occupation, with fresh pellets under it a couple of days ago -- someone has picked these up now -- and more feathers caught on the splinters around the hole. It is certain that the owls are using this hole sometimes, although it is only about 18 feet above the ground, probably too low for a nest. To repeat, this is a large old sweet chestnut with a very thick leaning trunk, 45 yards due south of the original tree.

Meanwhile, the old horse chestnut that they used before, though now badly broken and with the owls' branch completely missing, is still occupied by two species. There was always a Stock Doves' nest in it, and today a pair were basking in the sunlight outside their hole.

A small round hole lower down, only about 8 feet from the ground, is disputed by Rose-Ringed Parakeets and Starlings.

The Little Owl in the oak tree near the Albert Memorial was enjoying the sunny day.

So was the owl in the tree near the Henry Moore sculpture, which incidentally is a tall lime, with the hole at least 40 feet above the ground.

The Great Crested Grebes from the nest under the willow near the bridge were resting cosily side by side.

A sudden gust of wind on the Serpentine gave a Moorhen a Marilyn Monroe moment.

The Black Swan was again spending the day with girlfriend number one, following her closely and sometimes calling to her.

A Gadwall drake was preening, revealing his fine copper-coloured wing feathers.

It can be quite hard to tell a female Gadwall, on the left of this picture, from a female Mallard, on the right. Gadwalls are smaller and slimmer in build, with a squarer head, and the feathers on the nape of the neck lie less smoothly. Their feet are brownish-orange, while those of mallards are quite a bright orange. The most certain sign is when they raise their wings and you can see the white secondary feathers of a Gadwall or the iridescent blue ones of a Mallard.

The old willow tree on the terrace of the Dell restaurant, which had become rotten, has now been replaced with a young willow. The workmen dug out a very large hole to remove as much as possible of the old roots and prevent the young tree from being infested with honey fungus. However, a tree on the terrace only a few feet away has a fresh growth round its base.

There is really nothing you can do about this fungus, whose underground mycelium can extend over a great distance. A fungus of the same genus, Armillaria solidipes (honey fungus is A. mellea) in the Blue Mountains of Oregon has been found to have a mycelium 2.4 miles across, and may be the world's largest living organism. Possibly all the patches of honey fungus mushrooms in the park are the fruiting bodies of the same individual.

Update: Mario thinks that the fungus on the tree may be Velvet Shank (Flammulina velutipes).