Mobbed in the Rose Garden

All the small birds were very hungry. A crowd of Great Tits ...

... and Blue Tits poured out of the wattle tree by the Rose Garden gate. I could only photograph them one at a time because most of them were hidden by leaves and blossom ...

... but then they transferred to a small hawthorn tree, where I filmed some of them bouncing around impatiently.

It feels slightly unkind to make them wait, but they know they will be fed in a few seconds.

The Coal Tits were in a nearby flower bed.

The Robin at the southwest corner of the bridge was also looking most impatient ...

... and so was the one by the Buck Hill shelter.

The two at Mount Gate were in the same bush and being surprisingly civil to each other, long before the time when they are supposed to cease hostilities and pair up.

A single Long-Tailed Tit passed through the trees at the Vista. The main flock was moving round the other side of the lake, and it probably found them later.

The Grey Heron pair in the nest at the west end of the island were together again, with one arranging twigs inside the nest. It really does look as if they're serious about nesting.

The heron fishing by the Dell waterfall is always alone, mainly because any other heron that comes near gets chased away.

Pigeon Eater came ashore to look for his next victim.

The dominant Black-Headed Gull from the landing stage was on the north side of the Serpentine, as he has been several times recently. He seems to be extending his territory to both sides of the lake. Other Black-Headed Gulls that perch on the posts at the bridge soon get chased off, though he can't budge the large gulls.

The boss swan's mate was still waiting sadly at the Vista.

There was another swan on the Long Water, but it was a female with ring 4FUF. I've seen her on the Serpentine, so she must have flown over the bridge, unlike the silly boss swan who is still stuck on the Serpentine. She passed by the nesting island, but only to pick some snails off the posts.

A male cruised around the nesting basket east of the Lido while a female rearranged the straw in it. It's still too early to say whether they're committed to nesting here. The male is 4GIS, the female 4HDA.

Another pair displayed at the Lido swimming area.

The Black Swan was under the bridge, but hurried out as soon as he saw me because he wanted some sunflower hearts.

Several pairs of Shovellers were feeding in the Long Water under the Italian Garden.