Male Little Owl at Ranger's Cottage

The male Little Owl at Ranger's Cottage was out in the same lime tree as I had seen the female in a few days ago. It's likely that they will nest in this tree, which has several suitable-looking holes.

A Chiffchaff sang in the top of a tree near the Henry Moore sculpture.

There are now quite a few in the park in addition to the one that has overwintered on the east side of the Long Water, and it seems that there has been a migration. Ahmet Amerikali found one in Southwark Park ...

... and another in the Russia Dock Woodland.

The Blackbird in the Rose Garden was singing strongly over the din of the weekend crowds, but stayed in a place where it was impossible to get a good picture ...

... though it wasn't as awkward as this Great Spotted Woodpecker near the leaf yard, which absolutely refused to come round to the front of the branch. One they see you looking at them they become most evasive.

Someone had thrown a foolishly large piece of baguette to a Lesser Black-Backed Gull on the Serpentine. If the gull can't deal with a morsel immediately there is always a fight and a chase. I'm not in favour of people giving bread to any bird, but at least they might distribute it in bite-sized pieces.

The three young Grey Herons from the nest at the east end of the island were all down and exploring the shore. They are still returning to the nest to be fed. The earlier two young birds are now completely independent.

A heron was standing in the new nest and showed no tendency to sit down. Probably there are no eggs here, and when it was seen sitting a couple of times recently it was just keeping out of the wind which has been quite strong over the past few days.

The small willow tree at the corner of the Trangle is a favourite vantage point.

The two families of Egyptian Geese on the Round Pond, one with eight goslings, the other with five, are very casual about humans and loll around on the path expecting people to walk round them.

The pair on the Serpentine still have their last gosling.

A Mute Swan touched down after a short flight.

The dominant male swan was guarding the nesting island on the Long Water while his mate was off feeding. It seems she already has eggs, which she carefully covers up when she leaves.

A female Mandarin has turned up on the Serpentine to accompany the drake who has been visible recently. Possibly she has been here all along, skulking in the bushes on the Long Water.

A pair of Shovellers crossed the lake at the Vista.

Most of the spring border plants in the Rose Garden are now wilted and due for replacement but the grape hyacinths are still going strong, and attracted a Honeybee ...

... and a Dark-Edged Bee Fly, the first I've seen this year.