First taste of raisins

A Blackbird was out on the lawn in the Rose Garden looking for worms ...

... to feed a young one whose chirping could be heard under a bush on the other side of the railings.

But it was also digging for its own food when he wasn't looking. I gave it some raisins to see what would happen, and it took to them at once and ate the lot, although it can never have seen a raisin before, The smell of sweet fruit is irresistible.

A family of Long-Tailed Tits moved along the edge of the Long Water. This is one of the young ones.

A Jay came out on a twig and waited to be given a peanut.

A Carrion Crow perched on the Egyptian vulture headdress of Miss Africa on the Albert Memorial. Each of the four statue groups representing the continents has a central female figure representing the spirit of the continent itself.

A Wood Pigeon picked out clover leaves from the grass.

The Little Owls near the Round Pond were climbing around in one of their usual horse chestnut trees. Here is one of the owlets.

Its mother was preening on a branch. She isn't bothered by people photographing her or her family ...

... but with the father it's a different story. When I went back to the tree in the afternoon he was watching me angrily from the next tree, and flew down over my head shrieking curses. I hate bothering him, but really he is a bit too excitable.

The female Little Owl at the Serpentine Gallery was just visible in the leaves but it was impossible to get a good picture, so here is a fine shot taken earlier by Virginia.

A Coot searched for food under one of the waterspouts on the edge of the Italian Garden while its mate looked on from their nest. There were two eggs in it today, with more surely on the way.

The Coots nesting in the middle of the Serpentine near the outflow have built up their nest to quite a large size. Maybe the extra weight will make it more resistant to the waves the next time there's a strong west wind.

There was just one Mallard duckling on the Serpentine.

Two Burnet Moths perched on a grass stem beside the Long Water.

A Brimstone butterfly was drinking nectar from a buddleia blossom behind the Lido.

A Buff-Tailed Bumblebee worked over a patch of Caucasian Stonecrop in the Rose Garden.

Mark Williams got a good picture of a perched Emperor dragonfly.