Grebe chicks' first day out

The three Great Crested Grebe chicks from the nest at the Dell restaurant were being readied for their first expedition out on to the open lake. Their father was carrying two and their mother was about to collect the third.

When they arrived at the fishing place they had to be sorted on to one parent so that the other could catch fish for them.

This teenage Great Crested Grebe wasn't hatched on the lake, and must have been brought in by its parents as soon as it could fly. The geese are already choosing to breed outside, away from the danger of the Herring Gulls, but this is the first time I've seen grebes doing it.

A Moorhen chick under the Italian Garden was light enough for its enormous feet to stop it sinking into the soft mat of algae. It did need to keep moving to stay up.

The Mute Swans on the Long Water have regrown their flight feathers after moulting, and were celebrating by chasing each other about.

The Tufted Duck still had seven ducklings, now growing fast, and was leading them up the Serpentine towards the bridge.

There was one young Grey Heron in the nest at the east end of the island. Another flew in ...

... followed by the third.

A wild scene ensued.

The female Little Owl at the Serpentine Gallery was in an irritable mood and wouldn't pose for her portrait. She soon flew into an inaccessible part of the lime tree.

The female owlet is also shy, but stayed in the other lime for long enough to give me a disapproving stare.

This is the other parent of the young Jays that were by the gallery, even tattier than the one I photographed yesterday. Raising young really does take it out of some birds.

A Stock Dove came down from the trees to have a drink in the Serpentine.

A Painted Lady butterfly fed on a thistle at the Vista ...

... and there was a Meadow Brown on a water mint flower.

Bindweed has appeared in the Rose Garden to the annoyance of the gardeners, but the Buff-Tailed Bumblebees like it.

The giant earthenware pots at the Lido restaurant have been planted with dwarf pomegranate trees, now in flower.