Morning visit -- more later

I had a quick morning visit to the park, not seeing anything very exciting, and went to Rainham Marshes in the afternoon. The Rainham pictures will be up later tonight.

There was a brisk south wind, but having a Carrion Crow on the arrow of the weathervane makes it swing about.

A Grey Heron at the island was looking a bit windswept.

But there were still people at the tables on the Lido restaurant terrace, and Starlings were waiting expectantly on the umbrellas.

A Blackbird foraged under the railings of the Rose Garden.

The Robin in the corkscrew hazel in the Flower Walk is a much more peaceful bird than the belligerent one at the Queen's Gate crossing, and allows other small birds to share the bush -- but not other Robins, of course, which must be kept out of its territory at all costs.

The male Little Owl at the Round Pond was in the horse chestnut tree ...

... and the male at the Serpentine Gallery was in the lime. I'm amazed that we have been able to see owls for such a long season.

The Peregrines were on the barracks tower. The male is on the left. You can see that there is less white on the side of his face, which is not a consequence of being male but simply because he's a dark bird.

Cormorants dried their wings on a fallen tree by Peter Pan.

The plaintive calls of the ten Great Crested Grebe chicks could be heard all over the lake.

This is one of the first family from the island, now with a noticeable black crest.

The Black Swan was resting on the edge of the Round Pond.

The Egyptians in the Italian Garden stood sentry on the urns.

The new family of foxes in the Dell, who came in to replace the ones abducted by the park management, are well settled into their new quarters and stroll confidently around, occasionally stopping for a scratch.

There are still a few Willow Emerald damselflies on the east side of the Long Water.

A Common Carder bee worked over a knapweed flower.