Looking for worms

A Blackbird in the shrubbery near the bridge turned over dead leaves until it found a worm.

One of the well hidden family in the Dell came out into the open for a moment.

A Goldcrest in the North Flower Walk. There is a pair in a yew tree here and possibly some young ones, and I don't know whether or not this is the adult I photographed a couple of days ago.

A Long-Tailed Tit on Buck Hill perched on a bramble stem.

As usual other birds went along with the flock, including a Coal Tit.

We've seen this Coal Tit near Mound Gate before. I'm not sure whether it's one that used to come to my hand last year, but I think not. Maybe I can win its confidence. It certainly stares confidently enough.

There's no problem with this Blue Tit in the Flower Walk which flies out as soon as it sees me and perches on my hand ...

... or with this Robin, which takes its time to pick up four or five pine nuts ...

... nor with the local Jays, which will chatter at you if they think you haven't noticed them.

I don't feed the Grey Herons, but other people do and this has brought a small group hanging around on Buck Hill.

A Cormorant on the line of posts at the island decided that it was time to assert its dominance, and pushed another one off its perch.

A pair of Moorhens nesting under a bush at the edge of the Vista have at least two chicks. One wandered around while a parent fetched food for another on the nest.

A pair also nested in the reeds under the balustrade of the Italian Garden, where this one is picking up algae. But I don't think the chicks survived.

However, the two teenagers at the island are alive and well.

This blond Egyptian Goose seen near the Dell restaurant is not our friend Blondie. Its wings are even paler, almost white while Blondie's are ash grey. But its head is darker than Blondie's.

The dominant Long Water Mute Swan demanded food from the visitors at Peter Pan. He seems to survive on the awful stuff they give him, but no doubt his diet includes a lot of healthy algae to dilute the rubbish.

A Pochard cruised past the Vista. Fortunately for them, their natural shyness keeps them from being being stuffed with bread and crisps.

An odd picture: the underside of a Jersey Tiger Moth which settled on the far side of a twig in the Flower Walk.