Wasp in action

The familiar Coal Tits in the Flower Walk haven't been seen recently but one turned up today, looking tatty after nesting. It remembered me and came to my hand for a pine nut.

The Wren was there again, holding a cricket and trying to get to its nest unobserved by Magpies. This time it was Ahmet Amerikali who got a picture of it ...

... and also of a Blackcap eating a blackberry near Peter Pan.

A picture by Tom from yesterday of a Chiffchaff in the holly tree beside the Long Water where we found Long-Tailed Tits, a Chaffinch and a Song Thrush.

A Pied Wagtail skittered around the edge of the Round Pond hunting midges.

A quick check found the Mandarin family in good order.

A newly arrived flock of Black-Headed Gulls clustered on the water. There were a few young ones with them.

The Grey Heron at the Lido restaurant is getting very bold, and was standing on a table in the midst of the diners.

A heron fishing in the Italian Garden was defied by a Coot. All the pools have Coot families of various ages now and the parents are on the defensive.

The heron took no notice, and later Ahmet got a picture of it catching a carp.

This is the mate of the Great Crested Grebe nesting at the Serpentine island. He was guarding the nest and passed the time by having a wash, then struck a defensive attitude as there was a rival in sight.

The Mute Swan from the reed bed was escorting her single cygnet.

Tom found a Painted Lady butterfly near the Queen's Temple.

A remarkable picture from Ahmet Amerikali: a Bee Wolf, Philanthus triangulum, which is a species of large solitary wasp, killing a Honeybee on the eryngium patch by the Lido. 

It flew away carrying its victim, which was bigger than itself. They kill insects to feed to their grubs. The adults live entirely on liquids, and can't digest solids at all since these can't get past their wasp waist.

The teasels in the Rose Garden are coming into flower, attracting Buff-Tailed Bumblebees ...

... and I think this is a Vestal Cuckoo Bee, a parasite of Buff-Tails which lays its eggs in their nest.

There were at least two Lesser Emperor dragonflies by the bridge, chasing the Black-Tailed Skimmers. They wouldn't stop while I was there, but I got a mediocre picture of one in flight.

A Cucumber Green Orb Spider, Araniella cucurbitina, climbed down the railings by the Henry Moore sculpture, which are usually strung with webs. The Housefly wasn't caught in a web and landed on and took off from the spike several times, but it was in a dangerous spot.