An unexpected owl

On a dark drizzly day it was a surprise to see the male Little Owl looking out of the tree by the Queen's Temple. He soon went back in to avoid getting wet. Later, when I was on the other side of the lake, I heard him calling.

A Coal Tit in the corkscrew hazel in the Flower Walk perched in front of a Great Tit. The perspective slightly exaggerates the size of the tiny Coal Tit.

Both the Coal Tits in the Rose Garden arrved in the hawthorn tree and collected several pine nuts.

A flock of Long-Tailed Tits passed through the treetops at the Triangle.

The Robin at the southwest corner at the bridge was in a belligerent mood and chasing Great Tits out of its tree, but it came out on a bramble to be fed.

A Jay perched in a winged elm by the Italian Garden.

Several Jackdaws were waiting by the Henry Moore sculpture. You never know where they are going to turn up.

The female Pied Wagtail was hunting all round the edge of the Serpentine.

A Herring Gull on the Rose Garden lawn did the worm dance to the distant music of the Wasteland.

Pigeon Eater was back at his usual perch on the Dell restaurant roof. I wonder where he goes during his absences. I saw him in Kensington Gardens once. There have been occasional reports of a pigeon-eating gull on the Regent's Canal only a few minutes' flight away, but without a photograph  or an observer who knows him well it would be impossible to know if it was the same gull.

The dominant Black-Headed Gull was literally at his post on the landing stage.

The pair of Grey Herons in the nest at the east end of the Serpentine island displayed to each other and poked around in the nest. It looks as if the female already has some eggs but hasn't finished laying. If so, she will start sitting soon. The unwarmed eggs will stay viable for several days in the meantime.

The heron in the new Mute Swans' nesting basket was still there waiting for a fish to come into sight. The basket has a little ramp made of wicker for cygnets to get in and out, a thoughtful touch but it remains to be seen how this rather frail structure will stand up to swans lumbering about in it.

The Black Swan was following 4GIQ ...

... but when he saw me he abandoned his hopeless pursuit and came over for some sunflower hearts.

The teenagers on the Long Water were flapping about. I still haven't seen one flying properly. No doubt they can, but with their parents still looing after them they have no need to go anywhere.

The Egyptian Geese from the Henry Moore lawn were wandering around Buck Hill. It's a relief to see both of them, as it means that the female is not having yet another unsuccessful attempt at nesting in a tree.

There was a pair of Great Crested Grebes at the west end of the Serpentine island, probably returned from an expedition up the river. You almost never see them travelling from place to place, as they fly by night.