Seven cygnets on the Long Water

The swans nesting in the Long Water, two of whose cygnets we glimpsed yesterday, have seven and today brought them out on to the lake for the first time. Here they are under the water spouts on the edge of the Italian Garden fountains.

The swans nesting at the Serpentine outflow have hatched at least one cygnet, and four eggs still to hatch could be seen. (They had six eggs, so not all are accounted for at present.) However, the nest was being eyed by one of the young foxes from the Dell, and the outcome is uncertain. The male swan, who ought to have been defending her, sailed off to bully other swans on the lake which offered no threat to him at all.

Four Egyptian goslings fidgeted beside their mother on the edge of the Serpentine.

The five teenage Mallards were lined up on the edge at the Triangle. There mother wasn't with them. They have reached the stage of roaming around in a gang.

The male Great Crested Grebe of the pair at the boat hire platform was looking particularly fine. They haven't claimed a nest site yet, but might manage it on the island which isn't far off. I don't think this is the pair previously seen at the east end of the island.

The single chick near the Vista was in the water beside the nest. It's still at the stage where it's guarded in a safe place while the other parent goes off to find fish.

The Coots at the boathouses were feeding two chicks ...

... and the pair in the new nest in the Italian Garden have two eggs so far.

Both Little Owls could be seen at the Round Pond, the female at the top of a horse chestnut ...

... and the male in a small lime tree.

A Blue Tit nesting in the hollow cast iron post supporting a gas lamp beside the Serpentine brought food to the chicks, which were chirping incessantly even when no parent was there.

Young Great Tits were begging noisily in an oak tree at the northwest corner of the bridge ...

... where young Long-Tailed Tits were also being fed by their parents.

This Great Tit perched on a sisyrhynchium in the Rose Garden is one of a pair that follow me around whenever I'm in the garden.

While I was there a flock of Rose-Ringed Parakeets flying overhead suddenly screeched and scattered. There was a Sparrowhawk among them.

The usual Grey Wagtail was hunting on the barred-off path near the bridge, collecting insects for its nest nearby.

A Song Thrush sang in a holly tree beside the Long Water.

A Brimstone butterfly perched on a red campion flower did a good impression of a leaf.