Wagtails

A Grey Wagtail flew up from the Dell and hunted along the edge of the lake.

There were plenty of Pied Wagtails running around the grass by the Round Pond.

One caught an insect and flew up to the pediment of Kensington Palace.

Long-Tailed Tits milled around at the back of the Lido.

A Robin stared from the hawthorn hedge at the edge of the Flower Walk ...

... and a Carrion Crow gave me a calculating look from a post supporting a young tree.

The female Peregrine was on the tower in the morning.

Ahmet Amerikali photographed a Cormorant catching a perch under the Italian Garden.

Two bickered at a post beside the island.

Cormorants and Grey Herons took a rest from fishing on the wire baskets surrounding the island (which were meant to contain ornamental water plants but the Coots ate them). There is no conflict between the two species, since they have completely different styles of fishing. But birds of the same species have to stay a certain distance apart to avoid conflict.

The male Mute Swan from the Egyptian Garden was at the Vista, looking belligerent but keeping his distance from the dominant female. There was no sign of the dominant male anywhere. Some swans have flown away but he wouldn't have abandoned his mate.

The female in the Egyptian Garden was in one of the ponds as usual. She doesn't venture down to the lake unless she feels completely safe.

This is one of the swans we found yesterday at the Round Pond looking very ill and droopy. After it was captured it brightened up considerably, so it was returned to the pond. Today it was on the south bank of the Serpentine looking equally pathetic. But again it rallied, walked down to the edge of the lake, and swam away. I think it was putting on a brave show to avoid being grabbed again. But it had also flown a mile to get where it was. Probably it's feeling dreadful, but the fact that it can do this looks hopeful for its recovery.

Sadly the Egyptian Goose I filmed yesterday has died.

The resident Egyptians in the Italian Garden, standing on the balustrade, spotted another pair arriving on the far side and yelled a warning at them.

A pair of Gadwalls dabbled on the edge of the Serpentine.