Two Kingfishers have been seen on the Long Water several times in the past few days. This is very timely, as Darren the apprentice gardener is building a nesting bank for them behind the gravel bank at the Vista.

Tom got a picture of one of them opposite Peter Pan ...

... and also this interesting bit of video. The bird is not fishing. It's diving into the lake to wash.

When it comes to washing, nothing makes a bigger splash than a Mute Swan.

Several flocks of Long-Tailed Tits were moving around. This one was next to the bridge.

A Goldcrest was following them, as happy to be upside down as the tits.

Nuthatches also spend much of their time the wrong way up. This one was in the leaf yard.

A Coal Tit on the same bit of rotten wood was in a more conventional posture.

Another good picture by Tom, who saw a Treecreeper near the leaf yard.

It takes quite a pull for a Blackbird to get a worm out of the ground.

Several Cormorants are still fishing around the wire baskets near the bridge, and still occasionally catching a fair-sized perch.

The pigeon-eating Lesser Black-Backed Gull doesn't like having Carrion Crows on his territory. He interrupted his hunt to shoo one off.

A Black-Headed Gull perched on a fallen branch that was floating about in the Long Water.

This is the stylish way to get about town: a skateboard and a pair of huskies.

It's not unkind to the huskies, which love pulling. The main difficulty is getting them to stop. In case you ever find yourself in command of a dog team, here are the commands used by Canadians -- note that they don't shout Mush to start the dogs.

Hike -- get going
Gee -- turn right
Haw -- turn left
On by -- don't stop (if the dogs show signs of getting distracted)
Easy -- slow down
Whoa -- stop