Return of the Peregrines

Both the Peregrines were on the Knightsbridge Barracks tower today, with the female -- on the left -- calling loudly to her mate.

A Wren chittered on a dead tree on the lawn east of the Dell ...

... and there was another inside the Dell on a stump.

I'm now intercepted daily by a very confident female Great Tit. She perches on my finger and slowly and carefully eats a pine nut, sometimes two, before taking another and flying away with it. This takes some time but I wouldn't dream of disturbing her routine. Thanks to Sato for taking this picture.

A Jay was looking impatient at Mount Gate.

A Magpie on the island had been bathing, and vigorously shook itself dry and preened.

Ahmet Amerikali got a good shot of a Reed Warbler at the Italian Garden.

One of the young Grey Wagtails was hunting on the edge of the Lido restaurant terrace. It doesn't take them long to become independent.

On a table above, the usual Grey Heron was soliciting titbits from the diners.

Sad news about one of the park regulars, the Black-Headed Gull with ring White 2331 who had a favourite post halfway along the south side of the Serpentine and dominated that area. He was found dead in Latvia, on Lake Engure near Mersrags, apparently killed by a raptor. We had no idea he was a visitor from so far away.

It's noticeable that two of the three dominant Black-Headed Gulls on the Serpentine have migrated over a considerable distance. The other is the Czech gull ET05.589/Orange 2V57. The third, the one who owns the landing stage by the Diana fountain, has no ring and we don't know where he goes in summer.

The Great Crested Grebe on the nest at the east end of the island had a boat pressed right up against it. The boat people have been asked not to moor boats so that they endanger the nest, but they have taken no notice and have just added another boat pushing the first one across. What a loss the old firm of Bluebird Boats is. All the staff really cared about the birds.

The Coots on the nesting raft absolutely refuse to leave, despite the Black Swan's attempts to evict them. I have a feeling that their persistence will win in the end.

The Mute Swan from the east end of the Serpentine was on the edge of the Dell restaurant terrace, hoping to win snacks by showing off her cygnets. She preened, so they all did.

The Mandarin was on the Long Water with her two ducklings. They were in a cloud of midges and were catching them, a useful source of protein for the growing ducklings.

A Red-Crested Pochard drake cruised by the Lido. They visit irregularly from the other parks.

The foxgloves in the Rose Garden are popular with the Buff-Tailed Bumblebees, which can only be photographed as they emerge from each flower.

This is a White-Tailed Bumblebee feeding on a sisyrhynchium. Its stripes are bright lemon yellow and there is no trace of buff at the border of its white tail.

I'm not sure what this bee is. It seems too early in the season for the Common Carders to get bleached and worn. It has quite dark wings.

But I'm pretty sure that this hoverfly on a catnip flower is Eupeodes luniger. There are other similar species of Eupeodes but this one seems to fit exactly.