A dank day

It was a dismal day of drizzle and occasional heavier rain. The Robins at the southwest corner of the bridge ...

... and Mount Gate were keeping fairly dry in the bushes, and provided a splash of much needed colour.

One of the Coal Tits at the bridge came up to the parapet in the Portguese laurel tree.

Another perched on a hawthorn in the Rose Garden ...

... where the bushes were full of hungry Blue Tits.

A Jay waited in a tree by the Buck Hill shelter.

The enormous area of devastation left by the Winter Wasteland is actually a good hunting ground for birds, since worms survive and are easy to find when the grass is dead. A Lesser Black-Backed Gull, a Jackdaw, and a Carrion Crow were all at work. Later, when the last traces of the fair have been taken away, if we are lucky we shall see Redwings and other winter thrushes.

Pigeon Eater took advantage of the raindrops on his feathers to have a preen. His head is beginning to get the pure white of his summer plumage.

The dominant Black-Headed Gull on the landing stage changed into breeding plumage months in advance of the others.

The next dominant one along the south shore, Blue 2331, struck a defiant pose as another gull strayed on to his territory.

The off-on nesting behaviour of the Grey Herons on the island is confusing, but it looks as if the pair in the west nest are finally getting down to it. Sorry about the low quality of this video, which was shot in drizzle and wind blowing raindrops on to the lens.

Later, looking through the twigs from another angle, you could see that one of them had sat down, a hopeful sign.

Another heron was fishing from the new swan nesting basket by the Diana reed bed.

A pair of Mute Swans were displaying to each other by the reed bed at the east end of the Lido. Swans have nested successfully in these reeds before, but if they are serious about nesting they would be well advised to take one of the floating baskets, which is only a few yards away and is safe from foxes.

The boss swan has still not figured out that he can fly over the bridge to get to his mate. He has always gone under it, and is too stubborn to change. His mate was lingering sadly by the reed bed near the Italian Garden.

In fact there was another swan on the Long Water for a short time, probably habing flown down from the Round Pond. Finding nothing going on, it flew out again a few minutes later.

The Black Swan was on the Serpentine with 4GIQ as usual. He hurried over for some sunflower hearts.

A pair of Shovellers fed under the parapet of the Italian Garden.

The Great Crested Grebes have always been unbtroubled by the pontoon blocking the bridge, since they can swim under it in seconds. Indeed they like it, as fish lurk under it an are easy to catch in the large clear space.

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