Song Thrush at the bridge

A Song Thrush made himself heard above the noise of the traffic on the bridge, children, a passing airliner and an angle grinder.

A Chiffchaff was singing and flitting around the area near the Speke obelisk, quite hard to catch up with even for a still shot.

Glad to say that the pair of Coal Tits between Mount Gate and the Albert Memorial have reappeared after I couldn't find them for some days. Both will come to my hand for pine nuts ...

... but the local Robin is still nervous and will only take them from the ground.

A Magpie worked along the edge of the Triangle shrubbery looking for insects and worms till it was surprised by a squirrel.

The female Little Owl at the Round Pond could be dimly glimpsed looking out of her hole.

One of the young Grey Herons on the island gave the camera an intent stare.

The Great Crested Grebes on the lake were on territorial manoeuvres, patrolling ...

... and sometimes fleeing when confronted.

The nest in the reeds opposite Peter Pan is still going strong.

This Mute Swan seems to be established on a rather open nest site next to the outflow of the Serpentine. She has her wings raised in threat because there are other swans nearby. It isn't a good place, but there are very few places for swans to nest.

The site at the east end of the Lido is only slightly better, but the very fierce male has succeeded in keeping off the foxes over the past two seasons. He was guarding his mate as she sat on the nest.

However, the dominant swans on the ideal site on the Long Water still haven't got going. The male (who, as you will remember, is new here this year) seems keener on the nesting island than his mate ...

... who had swanned off to Peter Pan to tout for food.

There was a Mandarin drake alone in the Italian Garden. Is he one of the pair seen here earlier, and is she now nesting in a nearby tree?

While I was photographing berberis, forsythia and currant bushes in a row at Mount Gate ...

... a Buff-Tailed Bumblebee arrived and posed nicely for her portrait.