Cold and wet

It was a nasty cold day of intermittent rain and drizzle, though at least it didn't snow in London. The Little Owl at the Round Pond came out briefly to check the weather, decided it wasn't for her, and went back in.

Song Thrushes actually welcome rain, as it brings up worms.

A Feral Pigeon looked damp and depressed on top of the Buck Hill shelter.

For a Carrion Crow in the Italian Garden ...

... and a Jay by the Queen's Temple it was business as usual, demanding peanuts.

The usual Chaffinch found me at the Vista.

A Grey Heron preened at the island. Rain encourages birds to preen, as damp feathers make it easier.

A Cormorant on the boathouse roof felt uncomfortably close to the sharp beak of a heron and edged away.

A Cormorant charged across the water to take off.

The row of Cormorants on the posts at Peter Pan was interspersed with a Common Gull, a Lesser Black-Back, and a Black-Headed Gull. But Cormorants rule these perches and can knock off a gull of any size (except possibly a huge and ferocious Great Black-Back, a rare visitor to the park).

Others were fishing cooperatively under the Italian Garden.

Pigeon Eater chased away a young Herring Gull. He doesn't like other large gulls on his territory, though he ignores the smaller Black-Headed Gulls which present no threat to his dominance.

The dominant Black-Headed Gull on the Diana fountain landing stage is now almost completely into spring breeding plumage, months early.

Moorhens skittered around on the wet pavement of the Italian Garden.

A pair of Gadwalls rested on a fallen branch at the Vista.

A reminder from Tom that the sun does come out occasionally: a Starling at the Round Pond. It's unusual to see one with a ring, and more or less impossible to read it.

He also got a picture of a remarkably bright Goldcrest in the Flower Walk.