It was an unexpectedly beautiful day of blue sky and fluffy clouds.

Birds were basking in the warm sunshine, including a Feral Pigeon right in the middle of the path ...

... a pair of Magpies in the Dell ...

... a Gadwall drake ...

... and one of the six teenage Egyptian Geese on the Serpentine, now with fully developed wings and ready to learn to fly.

This was a fortunate family with vigilant parents. The latest brood on the lake is down to two goslings in a couple of days.

A man was also getting into the spirit of the day.

Coots often build second nests after their chicks have hatched. In this case it's a third nest, on an inactive fountain in the Italian Garden, and two chicks are resting in it.

But when Coots get it wrong they make a thorough job of it. The pair at Peter Pan lost their chicks the moment they hatched thanks to the Herring Gulls and Lesser Black-Backs. But they have not abandoned their nest and are breeding again, with predictable results. The sole Black-Headed Gull in the park sits indifferently on the post above them.

The Great Crested Grebes' nest under the willow by the bridge has survived yesterday's waves, and one of the birds was dozing serenely on it.

The two Cormorants are still at the island, a sign that the stock of fish is recovering from their attentions last winter.

I have never seen a Grey Heron fall over, or lose its footing when landing on a branch. This heron made absolutely sure of what it was doing before stepping into deep water.

The Little Owl was out in the alder tree, more visible than usual through a lucky gap in the leaves.

A Mistle Thrush near the Albert Memorial was carrying nesting material. Probably they lost an earlier nest to predators and are starting again. The Mistle Thrushes in the Dell last year only succeeded in raising a brood at their third attempt -- but unlike the foolish Coots, they had the good sense to nest in a different place each time.

A young Robin paused for a moment in a bush beside the Long Water.