Chiffchaffs everywhere

A Chiffchaff sang in a tree near the Rose Garden, one of many singing all over Kensington Gardens.

There was a female Chaffinch in the same tree. For some reason females seem less affected by the highly infectious foot virus than males. Maybe it's something to do with different habits.

This Robin is often heard singing in the Rose Garden. So far there hasn't ben any sign that it's found a mate, though a pair did breed here last year.

The newly recruited Coal Tit was waiting at Mount Gate and came to my hand several times.

Pigeon Eater, in his usual spot by the Dell restaurant, saw a group of Feral Pigeons bathing, which gave him a chance to sneak up on them and try to catch one that had closed its eyes. This time they all saw him coming, so the attempt failed. For them, the price of freedom is eternal vigilance. For him, it's the price of lunch.

There were two Grey Herons together in a nest on the island that hasn't been used before this year. Could we be looking at a fourth nest?

The heron at the west end of the island was standing in the nest again. It's still not clear whether the pair here are really breeding. In contrast, the nest at the other end always has a heron sitting patiently on the eggs, and the only time you see movement is when the pair change over.

Three Great Crested Grebes were peacefully together near the Serpentine island. This is a sure sign that they've only just arrived, and have not had a chance to start claiming territory. They'll be up against the two resident pairs.

The Black Swan and his girlfriend were hanging around their possible nest site east of the Lido, but still showing no desire to actually use it.

When you see two pairs of Egyptian Geese close to each other, it's a dispute. When you see three pairs it's an outright squabble.

The gosling at the Lido is still clinging to life.

Also at the Lido, yesterday's flock of Tufted Ducks had moved on and been replaced by a group of Pochards. The drake is subtly different from the hybrid we saw yesterday: his back is the same colour all over, his head is a brighter ginger, and he has red eyes.

The female has brown eyes and her brown plumage is speckled with grey. I've never seen a female Pochard x Tufted hybrid, so don't know how they differ. But we've had three hybrid drakes in recent years.

A pair of Mallards were looking for a nest site near the bridge -- not a safe place at all, with foxes in the nearby bushes.

The shire horses were out on Buck Hill with a gaggle of bankers getting experience of real work.

These are the first Hairy-Footed Flower Bees I've seen this year, on a clump of pulmonaria in the Rose Garden. Males are ginger ...

... and females black.