Another heron nest

A third pair of Grey Herons has now started nesting at the west end of the Serpentine island. In the past breeding here has been sporadic over a period of several months, but it's now tending towards the regular pattern seen for example in Battersea Park, where the whole colony starts nesting in mid-December.

In the nest at the east end the heron was standing up and poking around in the bottom of the nest. It's still too early to know whether there are any eggs.

A young Herring Gull picked up a bit of rubble covered in algae from the floor of the lake, and amused itself by pecking at it till it fell apart.

Pigeon Eater was enjoying the sunshine in his favourite place on the Dell restaurant roof. The ground was so crowded with Sunday visitors to the Wasteland that he couldn't go down and hunt.

The single teenage Mute Swan was by the reed bed at the outflow, with its mother hanging around a few yards away. As an only child it has had a pampered but isolated upbringing and still isn't associating with the other swans. It will get a rude shock in a few months when the adults start nesting and throw it out.

The Grey Wagtail was hunting along the edge by the boathouse, backlit by the low sun.

When I came back along the other side of the lake it had crossed too. It's always the same Greey Wagtail as we have only one at the moment. With luck more will arrive later to nest.

A small flock of Jackdaws descended in the Diana fountain enclosure to ask politely for peanuts.

This Jay near Mount Gate is now swooping down to take one from my hand.

A single Long-Tailed Tit jumped around in the corkscrew hazel in the Flower Walk. it's unusual to see one of these gregarious birds on its own.

The usual flock was going through the bushes by the bridge.

Both the Coal Tits in the Dell were in the corkscrew hazel, a bush that is always liked by small birds.

Another at Mount Gate looked out from behind one of the fierce spikes of the cockspur thorn tree.

The faithful Robin appeared in the flower bed below.

Several Blue Tits ...

... and the male Chaffinch were waiting in the Rose Garden.

You would hardly know that the fountain on the edge of the Italian Garden was made of snow white Carrara marble,  as it's thickly crusted with algae. But it makes a fine sight on a breezy day.