Willow Warbler

Willow Warblers have been reported in Hyde Park between the Old Police House and the Lookout. I have been looking for them for the past two days, and finally one appeared though I only got a distant view.

There is also a report from yesterday of a Common Redstart on Buck Hill. No luck with that today.

A female Blackbird by the Speke obelisk tossed fallen leaves around looking for insects and worms underneath.

A Song Thrush in the Flower Walk found a worm ...

... and flew up to a branch, looking looking a bit soggy in the rain.

There was a Goldcrest on the path below.

It bathed in a puddle.

A Great Tit clung to the trunk of a plane tree, waiting for me to produce a pine nut.

A Great Spotted Woodpecker climbed a tree between the obelisk and the leaf yard.

Usually in the park Stock Doves stick to the trees and you seldom see one on the ground. But here is one photographed by Geoffrey Hunt.

Both Peregrines were on the barracks tower. The female is on the left.

The Grey Herons are still occupying the nest at the west end of the Serpentine island. More often than not I see the bird in the nest standing rather than sitting, so I am far from sure that there are eggs, but at least they are staying there consistently.

The heron from the lower nest in the middle of the island, where I have heard a chick recently, was standing in the upper nest, which is now vacant after the first pair's young have left. This would be normal behaviour to avoid being bothered by a chick. As I was about to photograph it, someone appeared on the shore with a bag of herrings and it took off.

Several herons arrived and grabbed fish enthusiastically. But you really shouldn't feed herons while some are nesting, as it exposes chicks to predators.

Great Crested Grebes were having a territorial confrontation near the island.

A pair of Mute Swans on the south shore ate young willow leaves, a delicacy of which swans are particularly fond.

The nest at the east end of the Lido is in good order so far.

However, the dominant female on the Long Water is still showing no sign of wanting to nest. She came over to Peter Pan hoping someone would feed her.

Her mate is much keener on nesting than she is, and was on the little island again. 

I think she wears the trousers in this relationship. She is the survivor of the previous dominant pair and is used to being the boss. She has now taken on a younger mate but will continue to do as she likes.