Robin turning red

A young Robin in the Flower Walk was getting its first red feathers.

A younger one lurked in the shade near the bridge.

A Wren sang deep in the bushes by the Henry Moore sculpture.

A Song Thrush at Peter Pan sang a couple of phrases, but wasn't really in the mood.

The female Little Owl at the Serpentine Gallery was in the other chestnut tree again. She chooses a tree within sight of the nest tree so that she can keep an eye and an ear on the owlet, but not be bothered by constant begging.

A Carrion Crow at the Italian Garden trotted up looking expectant.

A young Herring Gull at the island surfaced after a dive.

A Grey Heron was fishing from the collapsed willow by the bridge.

The Canada Geese recently expelled from the Long Water by the dominant Mute Swan had come back through the bridge. There's a crowd on the Serpentine and they don't see why they shouldn't go on to the other lake.

The swan sees it differently. He and his family were advancing in a lesisurely way to chase them off. This is how cygnets learn correct swan behaviour.

The Mandarin and her three ducklings were preening on the Round Pond. The undersized one is now visibly catching up with the other two but it has a way to go.

The Mallard family was in good order but not doing anything worth photographing.

A Honeybee, Buff-Tailed Bumblebees and a Meadow Brown butterfly visited a buddleia bush near the bridge.

A Red Admiral perched on a nearby bush.

The purple loosestrife in the Italian Garden ponds was full of bumblebees.

An Emperor dragonfly was hunting by the reeds under the parapet.

Mating Black-Tailed Skimmers alighted in the long grass by the Round Pond.

Yesterday the Lancaster, probably returning from an air show on the south coast to its Lincolnshire base. paused to circle Kensington Gardens five times. I was at the far end of the park but Tom was on the spot and this is his photograph, remarkably good in spite of the heat haze.