Windy day

Although the Round Pond is not very large it's in an exposed place on a hill with no trees close to the edge, and it gets quite rough when there's a strong wind. The Black Swan was tossed around as he swam up the shore.

He went off with a friend, who seems to be male. Usually he pursues females and a male would be seen only as a rival, but the Round Pond is chock full of swans that have taken refuge from the killer swan on the lake, and the usual rivalries have broken down and things are fairly peaceful by swan standards.

The Long Water is sheltered by trees and never gets rough, but it was stirred into sharp little ripples by the west wind blasting down the gap at the Vista. Shovellers fed and a Pochard in the background did the little leap that diving ducks make to help them submerge.

The reed bed at the Diana memorial fountain thrashed around in the wind.

A Moorhen walked up the edge of the Serpentine and launched into the choppy waves.

The Grey Heron that has been occupying a nest site on the island didn't like the tree swaying in the wind, and came down on to the shore.

Three Egyptian Geese stood together head to wind to avoid getting too ruffled.

The single very pale Great Crested Grebe that arrived during the frosty weather is still here, and was fishing under the bridge.

Back at the Round Pond, the Little Owl looked out of her tree ...

... and a Jackdaw perched on one of its branches.

A Pied Wagtail was hunting on the gravel strip. The gravel is thickly coated with swan droppings and smells abominable, but this attracts plenty of insects for the bird to catch.

The Grey Wagtail was on a rock by the Dell stream.

A Magpie perched on a stump beside the Long Water, with yellow gorse flowers in the background.

In the Rose Garden a Wood Pigeon was eating the flowers of a berberis bush.

A Robin sang in the afternoon sunlight ...

... and another perched on a high twig.