Five Canada goslings

The Canada Geese on the Long Water have moved their goslings down the lake to the gravel strip at the Vista. Perhaps the parents are aware of the dangerous pike hanging around the nesting island. There are five goslings. I couldn't get a picture as they were hidden in the leaves both times I passed, but luckily Duncan Campbell found them on the edge and got this excellent shot.

The Black Swan and his Mute mate 4GIQ were at their nest on the floating basket in the Serpentine. She has laid four eggs now but isn't incubating them yet, so more may be on the way. The nesting Coots on the basket, which were there first, still refuse to budge.

The Mute Swans nesting at the east end of the Serpentine fussed around their nest, watched by the Grey Heron which is usually there fishing on the edge of the reeds. She is sitting on seven eggs.

The two young Grey Herons from the first nest on the Serpentine island were exploring the Long Water. They perched in the big fallen poplar at the Vista.

Ahmet Amerikali, at Russia Dock Woodland, found a Grey Heron catching a very small young fish. That's not much of a meal for a heron, but if the young fish on the lake here are as advanced as that it's good news for the nesting Great Crested Grebes as the fish are just the right size for feeding chicks. Usually they don't reach this size so early in the year, but the premature spring seems to have had its effect.

Ahmet also found another encouraging sign, the first Long-Tailed Tit fledglings already out of the nest and begging their parents to feed them.

I don't think any are out here yet, but there are plenty of parents carrying insects to nests. This one was by the Henry Moore sculpture.

A Robin was also collecting insects near the Italian Garden.

Other than these there weren't many small birds visible, as they were getting finding plenty of bugs and didn't need to come out to be fed. But several Great Tits appeared as usual. This is the female of the pair on the south side of the Dell, calling from the big yew tree.

The female Grey Wagtail was also in the Dell, on a rock under the small waterfall. I don't know whether the pair are nesting here or at the Triangle, but I suspect the latter as I've seen them carrying insects near there several times. They are very mobile and can be found anywhere around the lake.

A male Pied Wagtail was hunting from the posts by the bridge. He called incessantly. Perhaps he doesn't have a mate and is trying to attract one.

A Jay looked out expectantly from a cherry tree near the Italian Garden.

The solitary Black-Headed Gull was at Fisherman's Keep again. It is very tatty but the primary feathers of its wings are crossing over its tail in the correct position so it doesn't seem to be injured. I haven't seen it flying, but presumably it can as it arrived here.

A Yellow-Bellied Slider terrapin sunned itself on the willow by the bridge.

A patch of ground cover with various plants on the south side of the Dell is a good place for bees, and I saw a Common Carder Bee ...

... and a Buff-Tailed Bumblebee here, a change from the Hairy-Footed Flower Bees which are still everywhere.

The patch of green alkanet by Temple Gate attracted a Dark-Edged Bee Fly.

A female Brimstone butterfly fed on a bluebell by the Vista. Their upper wings are white, unlike those of the bright yellow male, but the undersides of both sexes are the same pale green imitating a leaf.