Song rivals

Rival Robins exchanged phrases of song across the path near the Italian Garden.

Another was singing near the Henry Moore sculpture, again with a rival on the other side of the path.

The Little Owl at the Round Pond was deep in the leaves of the horse chestnut tree.

Pigeon Eater was prowling around in his head-down hunting attitude, ready to leap on any Feral Pigeon that forgot he was watching.

The usual Black-Headed Gull on the landing stage had been driven off by a Grey Heron. Even he can't evict one of these formidable creatures.

Now that the leaves are falling you can see the herons' nest from the other side, with two of the young ones in it.

The turning leaves are also exposing the Rose-Ringed Parakeets to view. In summer they are perfectly camouflaged, in winter absurdly conspicuous. Sparrowhawks, Peregrines and Tawny Owls prey on them.

A pair of Shovellers revolved endlessly at the Vista, each one raising little water creatures with its wake for the other to scoop up. In the background you can hear one of the Great Crested Grebe chicks begging.

Here it is with its father under the willow by the bridge.

Now that the two grebe teenagers that flew in a few months ago are independent you don't often see them together, but here they are on the Serpentine fishing with their mother.

A Coot stood on a chain at the bridge. Even these ungainly birds have a fine sense of balance.

Moorhens enjoyed a sunny spell on the edge at the Serpentine outflow.

Two Buff-Tailed Bumblebees browsed on fallen flowers under the arbutus tree in the Rose Garden.

Another was enjoying a baby sage flower. All the many Salvia varieties are popular with bees.

A Greenbottle fly rested in a patch of plumbago.

The ancient weeping beech in the Flower Walk which collapsed a few months ago has been replaced with a new one. It was a historic tree mentioned in J.M. Barrie's Peter Pan in Kensington Gardens as the place where Peter Pan went to weep (this is a pretty morbid book). The new tree cost £600. I am sure that Little Dave and Bernard, the principal Flower Walk gardeners, will look after it with great care.