Gull with a big fish

A Lesser Black-Backed Gull on the Long Water caught a large fish and struggled unsuccessfully to swallow it. After some time it flew away with the fish, probably to put it on the ground and peck it to pieces.

One of the eight Coot chicks in the Italian Garden fountain pool washed and preened its downy feathers.

Coots' nest building methods look haphazard but are remarkably effective. Twigs are pushed around until they more or less fit into the growing structure. Unfortunately these Coots at Peter Pan are less efficient at choosing a good location. They've already lost one lot of chicks to the gulls, and any they have now will go the same way.

There is just one Great Crested Grebe on the Round Pond. It had a faceoff with a Coot.

The Mute Swan pair nesting on the grassy bank at the back of the Lido are staying put in this exposed place. They don't have any eggs yet ...

... but the pair at the boathouse have one. They won't start sitting until they have more; the eggs will stay viable but won't develop until they are warmed by the sitting bird. This ensures that they all hatch around the same time.

An Egyptian Goose beside the Serpentine balanced on one leg while preening a hard-to-reach place.

There are now a lot of Reed Warblers. Three males were singing in the reeds below the Diana fountain. Ahmet Amerikali got a picture of one of them out in the open on the low railings at the water's edge ...

... and another in the small reed bed below the parapet of the Italian Garden.

I saw one in the reeds east of the Lido.

The Blue Tits in the Rose Garden were as demanding as ever.

Long-Tailed Tits are everywhere. This one was by the Henry Moore sculpture ...

... and there was another near the Buck Hill shelter. You can see some small red grubs and a Harlequin Ladybird within easy reach -- though maybe ladybirds taste too bitter for them to eat.

Ahmet got a fine picture of one in the Rose Garden bringing caterpillars to its nest.

The Robins near the Henry Moore sculpture were also both busy collecting caterpillars ...

... and the pair at Mount Gate came out to pick up pine nuts.

The female Little Owl could be seen in the lime tree at the Round Pond.

There are thousands of hoverflies, mostly Common Drone and Common Banded. This is one of the latter behind the Queen's Temple.