Owl staying dry

Frequent showers kept the Little Owl in her hole at the Round Pond.

The Little Grebe (and I'm sure there's only one now) stayed obstinately in the exact centre of the pond. Since this is 230 x 180 yards it was impossible to get a good shot.

A Pied Wagtail was hunting on the grass at the Vista.

Great Tits flew out from a yew tree at the bridge to take pine nuts from my hand.

The familiar tatty Robin in the Flower Walk hasn't appeared for several days. I hope he is all right. He has sometimes disappeared for a while in the past. Meanwhile his mate has taken over the territory, and was perched on the back of a bench he often uses.

Some sad person had left a piece of chocolate cake at the Lido restaurant, and also some of a chocolate milkshake. My view is that if you're going to hit the chocolate you should do it thoroughly. Anyway, it was a bonanza for the Starlings.

Chocolate is not the only flavour.

The young Grey Herons are now out of the nest most of the time, and I think they are now having to feed themselves. I've seen one fishing on the Long Water twice. One had returned to the nest today but there was no sign of its parents.

The odd-coloured Lesser Black-Backed Gull with pale eyes really does seem to be staging a takeover bid for Pigeon Eater's territory. It was standing in his favourite spot on the Dell restaurant roof while Pigeon Eater was some way up the shore hunting. Incidentally, I haven't seen this gull's supposed brother, the one with dark eyes, for several days.

The Czech Black-Headed Gull and his new mate were walking the walk and talking the talk.

The gull on the landing stage was staring possessively from his territory.

One of the Great Crested Grebe chicks on the Long Water cruised past the Vista. They are beginning to fish for themselves but probably not getting much yet.

The Black Swan was at the Triangle by himself. He shows every sign of being lonely and restless and it would be a kind act to take him to St James's Park and introduce him to the unattached female.

Two of the six young Mute Swans on the Long Water preened and flapped their mighty wings at the Vista. There's a lot of work to do because they have 20,000 feathers.

A Willow Emerald damselfly glittered in a sunny spell near Peter Pan. They like the spikes of the cast-iron railings when these are warmed by the sunshine.

The catmint in the Rose Garden still has a few flowers, and one Common Carder bee was still browsing on them.

Small puffballs have emerged under the yew tree at the bridge. Oddly, two were joined together.