Redwings, but few and far off

The first Redwings have arrived at the Parade Ground for their annual feast on the worms in the bare ground left by the Winter Wasteland. There are only a few so far, but with luck there should be more later. On first arrival they are very shy indeed and you can't get within 50 yards of them. After a few days they become more approachable and you can get better shots.

Another stood stock still under a tree, not moving in 15 minutes. Evidently it had eaten enough worms, but normally they fly up into a tree to digest their meal in safety.

 

A mild day encouraged the Song Thrush in the leaf yard to start up. He was hard to see through the twigs and I couldn't get a completely clear view.

Otherwise it was just the usual small birds, but just because Great Tits and Blue Tits are very common it doesn't mean that they aren't beautiful. A Great Tit waited to be fed on a dogwood bush in the Flower Walk ...

... and another emerged from a Mexican Orange bush in the Rose Garden. The tits here are now coming to my hand quite confidently.

A Blue Tit was on a branch overhead ...

and two more were jumping around around in a treetop beside the Serpentine Road looking for larvae on the twigs.

The pigeon-eating Lesser Black-Backed Gull had come and gone, and a young Herring Gull was finishing the scraps left on the carcass of his latest victim.

The Black-Headed Gull who claims the landing stage was looking uncomfortable on the edge, as a Herring Gull had taken his usual place.

There was still no sign of activity in the Grey Herons' nest on the island, but as usual one of the pair was waiting in the next tree.

This is the unattached heron on a post by the island. It only has the faintest trace of the pink flush of breeding colour.

A Cormorant on the favourite tree on the island was already in breeding plumage, with a white patch on its side and white bristly feathers on his head.

With only two pairs of Great Crested Grebes in the park, the pair from the west end of the island are free to go right down to the east end of the lake without conflict. This is the female fishing at the outflow.

The male of the Long Water pair cruised past the remains of the fallen horse chestnut tree.

The Egyptian Geese from the Italian Garden were on the Mute Swans' nesting island. If the killer swan decides to nest here they won't be able to go near the place.

It was warm enough for a few insects to venture out, and I hoped there might be a hardy bumblebee feeding on the mahonia bush in the Rose Garden. However, there was nothing but a glossy blue-black fly.