The elusive Mandarin

The elusive Mandarin drake turned up at the Triangle, looking very fine.

Even when a Great Crested Grebe has been away from its mate for ten minutes, when the two are reunited they have a little greeting ceremony.

A Coot's life: build a nest, go out and have a fight, come back and carry on building.

The nest on the post at Peter Pan is growing at a tremendous rate.

Every year a pair builds against the net surrounding the patchy reed east of the Lido. Holes have been cut in the net so that the Coots can go in and build a well protected nest in the reeds, but they persist in making it on the outside of the netting, exposed to predators and passing boats.

Ahmet Amerikali got a good picture of a Moorhen in flight over the Long Water. They are not graceful but they get where they want to.

Yesterday I thought there were only two young Grey Herons left in the upper nest on the island. But today, looking from the shore side, I could see all three.

However, looking from the other side later, I could see only two. Herons do have a tendency to vanish inside their large nests when they sit down.

The young heron from last year was in the Dell stream as usual. The natural-looking rocks were brought in when the Dell was landscaped in the 1880s, transforming the back of an earth dam into a picturesque scene.

The female Little Owl was out in her favourite horse chestnut tree.

I heard a Great Spotted Woodpecker in the leaf yard, but it was right inside and there was no chance of a picture. However, Ahmet found it in a better position.

He also got a fine picture of a Long-Tailed Tit in the Rose Garden carrying a bit of fluff to add to the lining of its nest in a bush.

One of the Blue Tits perched on a verbena stem ...

and a Coal Tit stayed for a brief moment on a teasel.

Another could be seen in the Dell on the corkscrew hazel bush.

A Starling shone in the sunlight on an umbrella at the Lido restaurant.

Robins starting to nest

The Robins at Mount Gate have started making their nest, and one was carrying some little strands to make a lining.

The Long-Tailed Tits started a while ago, as it takes a long time to build their large complex nests. I've seen two at work here, and Ahmet Amerikali photographed this one nesting in Southwark Park.

The Robin pair by the Henry Moore sculpture haven't started yet.

Many trees are now blossoming, and Ahmet got a fine picture of a Goldcrest in a myrobabalan.

This Great Tit was in the red-leafed cherry in the Rose Garden.

Also here were the male Chaffinch ...

... and one of the Coal Tits.

The Coal Tit pair in the Dell were chasing each other around a dogwood tree. They are too small and quick to film doing this. I tried and failed, so you'll have to make do with a still.

A Coal Tit followed me from Mount Gate to the Albert Memorial.

A Blackbird looked for worms behind the Cavalry Memorial.

The marble fountain in the Italian Garden is working again, though the flow is fitful. Carrion Crows find it a convenient place to drink, dunk food, and bathe.

Magpies searched for insects in the fallen leaves under the big ash tree at the corner of the Dell.

Sunshine brought out the female Little Owl at the Round Pond.

The three young Grey Herons in the nest at the east end of the island have started wandering around in their nest. Soon they will climb out on to the branches.

One of the young ones in the upper nest was already out. It looks as if only two of the original three survive.

A heron was fishing at the boathouse ...

... and another circled in a thermal and headed off in the direction of Regent's Park. I've several times seen them passing high over Oxford Street as they shift from one park to another.

The Coot nest on the post at Peter Pan gets bigger every day. This nest, built every year, has only succeeded once when the Coots managed to raise two chicks despite the attentions of the big gulls. But they stubbornly persevere and show no sign of wanting to move to a better place under a bush.

Mistle Thrushes

Mistle Thrushes are now quite scarce in the park, so it was good to see that this one hunting near the Diana memorial car park is one of a pair. They have nested successfully in this area in recent years.

It found a worm.

A Blue Tit perched in a small olive tree behind the Cavalry Memorial ...

... and a Long-Tailed Tit paused briefly on a twig.

The Robin pair in the Rose Garden have now relaxed enough to stay on the same twig, but they are still uneasy with each other.

There are Robins every few yards along the east side of the Long Water. This one was near the Buck Hill shelter.

A spell of weak sunshine in the afternoon was not enough to tempt the Little Owl at the Round Pond out of her hole.

When the Peregrines are away from the barracks Carrion Crows like to perch on the aerials on the top. The bizarre shape of Sir Basil Spence's pompous brutalist building generates strong updraughts when there is the slightest wind, and the crows enjoy playing in it.

Pigeon Eater hasn't been spending much time on his home turf of the Dell restaurant, but today he ...

... and his mate were on the roof, both looking splendid in their new summer plumage.

The three young Grey Herons in the nest at the east end of the island preened their scruffy feathers.

One of the older chicks in the upper nest was on the edge, a prelude to climbing around in the tree.

A Cormorant was reflected in the Long Water under the Italian Garden. The water is calm because the marble fountain has gone wrong for the umpteenth time since the new electric pump was installed in 2011.

A pair of Great Crested Grebes admired each other on the edge of the Serpentine.

A Moorhen on a post called to its mate on the next post. Perhaps this is as near as Moorhens get to singing.

The killer Mute Swan and his mate had chased off their teenagers and were swaggering around near Peter Pan.

Someone gave a swan the stem of a lettuce which it pecked at, didn't like, and abandoned.

Two male Egyptian Geese fought beside and on the Serpentine, egged on by their mates' loud quacking.

Little Owl pair together

The Little Owls at the Round Pond were perched together in a horse chestnut tree.

The Fieldfare was still on the Parade Ground.

It was unexpectedly joined by three Redwings, which have been unusually scarce here this year. One pulled up a worm.

Both Coal Tits showed up in the Rose Garden, one in the wattle blossom ...

... and the other on a twig with a pine nut.

There's also a pair of Coal Tits in the Dell, though I only saw one today.

This Long-Tailed Tit seen east of the bridge was apparently looking for lichen to add to a nest.

There was a pair in the Rose Garden. One perched on a rose stem below the place in the pergola where they nested last year.

Feral Pigeons clustered in border plants, clearly finding something to eat but I couldn't see what -- perhaps small aphids though it seems a bit early for those. The plant is a Big Blue Liily-Turf, Liriope muscari.

One of the Robins in the Flower Walk near Queen's Gate was busy in dead leaves.

A Carrion Crow disputed ownership of a dead frog with a Moorhen. The crow won, of course.

This was on the edge of the Serpentine just below the Ranger's Lodge garden. I've seen dead frogs here before, and think they have been accidentally dropped by a Grey Heron carrying them from the garden to the island.

Two of the heron chicks in the upper nest stared hungrily at a parent.

Two could also be seen in the east nest.

I only saw two in either nest, but that's no reason to think the third ones have been lost. They simply disappear into the nest when they sit down.

Great Crested Grebes on the Serpentine were displaying during a territorial dispute with another pair.

There are also two pairs on the Long Water now.

A Coot in the Italian Garden prodded her mate into work building their nest, while she preened.

The dominant male Mute Swan from the island, 4FYG, looked large and dangerous on the shore.

He is the only one who can stand up to the killer swan. Those were on the Long Water, not far from their nesting island though they haven't occupied it yet.

A Buff-Tailed Bumblebee gathered pollen from myrobablan blossom at the Triangle.

Crocuses are coming out in the hillocks near Mount Gate which are the remnants of the 18th century prospect mount.