A Carrion Crow looked very smart against the yellow leaves of a willow tree.

Another ate a mango that someone had put out for the Rose-Ringed Parakeets, which had ignored it. Even the crows, never having seen a mango before, left it alone for a whole day before touching it and finding it sweet and delicious.

Bernd Heinrich, author of Mind of the Raven, observed that ravens were afraid of new foods -- a rational approach to carrion, as you have to be sure that it isn't still alive and ready to bite you.

Birds generally dislike watery salad vegetables, so it was a surprise to see a crow eating a bit of cucumber and clearly enjoying it.

The male Peregrine paid a short visit to the barracks tower. I didn't see his mate.

A Grey Heron on a post at the island stretched a wing.

Now that the Diana fountain is running again, all the usual birds are returning. A heron eyed a young Herring Gull suspiciously across the channel.

Another young Herring Gull amused itself by unravelling the end of a mooring rope at Bluebird Boats. Gulls love pulling strings.

This Black-Headed Gull with ring number EZ73301 is another one ringed by Bill Haines, who is also ringing Coots and Moorhens to track their movements. He has put the ring on the wrong leg, but it's difficult to get the right one with an angry gull in your hand.

Cormorants have arrived in force on the Long Water.

A Great Crested Grebe was fishing under the willow near the bridge, a place where only they can fish because the tangle of submerged branches excludes large Cormorants.

A pair of Greylag Geese chewed the bark off a fallen branch. Geese seem to be particularly fond of bark when they can get it.

A pair of Egyptian Geese were at their usual game of standing on top of a dead tree and making a racket. For these hole-nesting birds it's a claim of territory.

The Red-Crested Pochard drake in the Italian Garden preened his bouffant hairdo with his foot.

The solitary Common Pochard drake at the Vista has become very tame and comes to the edge expecting people to feed him.