Skittish Little Owl

The male Little Owl at the Round Pond, usually quite a calm bird, has been in a bit of a mood for the past two days. As soon as he saw me 50 yards from his tree he dashed into the hole and I was lucky to get even this distant shot.

Maybe it's due to the onset of the breeding season. Last year when the owlets had just hatched he used to fly over my head shouting abuse.

On the fallen trunk below the nest tree a Jackdaw was expecting the customary peanut.

A Magpie bathed in the Serpentine.

A female Greenfinch perched on a twig near the Speke obelisk.

A Wren bounced around in a bush near Peter Pan.

A male Starling kept an eye on the nest in the eaves of the Buck Hill shelter where his mate had just gone in.

The Grey Heron chicks were making a noise on the Serpentine island but as usual were impossible to see. An adult looked down into the nest.

The Mute Swan nesting on the Long Water was not pleased by the arrival of one of the young Grey Herons from the first nest.

The swan nesting by the Lido restaurant terrace now has five eggs. After turning them to keep them evenly warm she settled down.

All was calm at the other end of the Lido. The male swan patrolled the water in front of the nest.

The willow trees by the Serpentine are getting an evenly cropped fringe caused by swans eating the leaves.

Blondie, whom I haven't seen for a while, was back in her usual place near the Dell restaurant preening her ash-grey wings.

A Great Crested Grebe fished in the shadows under the bridge.

Near the Round Pond a Painted Nomad Bee was busy on a dandelion, covered in pollen.

In the Rose Garden the usual Mining Bee landed on a tulip before climbing inside the flower.

Their scientific name Andrena flavipes ('yellow-footed') comes from the orange-yellow hairs on the back legs of the female, but this is a male and much less bright.

A black female Hairy-Footed Flower Bee worked over an ajuga.

A Dark-Edged Bee Fly took nectar from a primula.