Kingfisher on the Long Water

A Kingfisher streaked down the Long Water and landed in a bush. As usual, the only view was from the far side of the lake so it was a bit distant.

The two Robins on either side of the Flower Walk near the Queen's Gate crossing are now tolerating each other though still staying a distance apart, the first step in re-establishing relations after a winter of hostility.

The Robin farther along in the yew hedge also has a mate, which was poking around in the flower bed underneath.

A Wren perched on the hedge to sing.

A male Chaffinch near the Speke obelisk sang on a branch, challenged by another in the next tree.

I was trying to get this Great Tit in the Dell to perch on the pretty flowers of a paperbush, but it insisted on staying on the railings in front.

At least half a dozen Blue Tits are now coming out in the Rose Garden among the mob of Great Tits.

A Coal Tit was pecking in a mahonia bush. There are still a few flowers on it, and Blue Tits are known to like the nectar in these. But mostly it now has berries, which Blackcaps like. I don't think Coal Tits eat fruit, so probably it was after the flowers. Anyway, it promptly flew over for a pine nut.

Both the Peregrines were on the barracks at 1pm. It's good to see that the male has not been dumped by his new mate.

By the time I got round the lake for a closer shot she had flown off, leaving him alone on the ledge.

A male Herring Gull near the Dell did the worm dance, with some success as he pulled up several worms. His mate was looking at him expectantly, hoping he was going to give her one of them. But he thought she should be doing her own dancing and pushed her away.

The dominant Black-Headed Gull who owns the landing stage saw off an intruder, twice.

The two Grey Herons on the nest at the end of the island were together again, so their on-off approach to nesting continues.

One of the adults from the upper nest was keeping out of the way of the three chicks by standing in the lower nest. Seen from the land side it looks as if it was out of their sight ...

... but when you look from the other side you can see that the nests are staggered, and a chick was looking hungrily at its parent.

The Great Crested Grebes on the Long Water which we recently saw mating on a nest in the reeds have abandoned it, probably because the sloppy structure fell apart. The grebes here don't understand reeds and never use them in their nests, while in places with extensive reeds and few trees, such as the Norfolk Broads, the grebes have learnt to make quite good reed nests. The pair were under the bridge near some trees that offer several sites where they could build.

For several days the male Egyptian Goose at Peter Pan has been alone on top of the sawn-off poplar tree. It looks as if his mate is nesting nearby.