Blackbird singing

Blackbirds are the last thrushes to start singing in spring, but they have finally made the effort. This one at the leaf yard was answered by a Robin, and then flew away. Its flight call sounds indignant, but is quite normal for a Blackbird.

Theodore got a pleasing shot of the Fieldfare on the Parade Ground standing beside a Redwing.

The pair of Coal Tits in the Dell are now regularly coming down to the railings to take pine nuts.

A Wood Pigeon ate buds in a small tree at Mount Gate under a waxing moon.

Below, the Robin pair came out together to collect pine nuts.

Three Goldfinches were twittering in a tree near the Buck Hill shelter.

The male Little Owl at the Round Pond was out in a horse chestnut tree. We don't see him as often as his mate, as male Little Owls range around widely and may spend the day quite far from the nest hole.

A Grey Heron preened in blossom at the Triangle.

The heron in the top nest looked down at a pair in another nest. It has been sitting for quite a while but over the last two days I've seen it standing. This can mean that the eggs ahve hatched -- or that they've failed. We shall have to wait and see.

One of the young herons in the first nest had climbed up into the branches above.

A pair of Great Crested Grebes dozing on the Serpentine ...

... woke up. Before they could go fishing it was necessary to have a little ceremony, as much a part of a grebe's life as it was for Louis XIV at Versailles.

Coots fought on the Serpentine and one held its rival under water, forcing the loser to give up.

The pair in the Italian Garden seem well settled on their nest, but there are no eggs yet.

A Cormorant was fishing under the Italian Garden. It didn't catch anything while I was there.

The remaining carp in the fountain pools are too large for Cormorants.

The number of Shovellers on the Long Water is slowly increasing, and today I saw thirteen.

The Mallard pair in the Dell have ousted the Moorhens from the rock in the stream. There's only one rock and both of them want it, but Mallards are bigger and always win.