There was a mob of Cormorants fishing over the wire baskets of twigs near the bridge. Though very busy, they didn't seem to be catching much.

Later they hopped on to the posts by the bridge, where the low sun backlit them pleasingly.

One was stretching its wings while sitting in the water, something I haven't seen before. Evidently it was making sure that they were dry enough to fly home with, because after a minute it took off and headed south to the Thames.

Eight Herring Gulls were doing the worm dance together in the Diana fountain enclosure.

Only the adult was catching any worms. There is more skill to this dance than you might think.

The second pigeon-eating Lesser Black-Backed Gull, the one with pale pinkish legs, had made another kill on the south side of the Serpentine.

A little group of Red-Crested Pochards have returned to the Long Water, the first seen here for weeks. They probably aren't migrants, and are far more likely to have flown in from Regent's Park.

The white Mallard was preening near the Dell restaurant.

One of the Grey Herons has returned to the old nest it used last summer. It is just using it as a place to stand, and won't be thinking about nesting for months.

The usual female Chaffinch was eating the pips of rowan fruit on Buck Hill.

There were also several Blackbirds.

A lone Mistle Thrush remained in the far side of the tree and couldn't be photographed.

A Wren was jumping around in the reed bed at the east end of the Serpentine.

A film crew were at work at the Lido. For this scene, two men had to swim up and down beside the jetty in the chilly water. Possibly they were real members of the Serpentine Swimming Club, who are used to the cold.

The crew told me that the film is Paddington, done in live action. Let's hope there's a real bear.

Tom arrived from St James's Park. There is a very tame Jay here, which will eat off your hand. This is his video of it, in slow motion.