Robin at Rima

Robins are none too visible at the moment, so it was pleasing to find one on the kerb of the Hudson Memorial. Evidently people have been feeding it here, because it gladly came forward to collect several pine nuts.

There was also a Carrion Crow dunking a bit of bread in the murky water of the pool. The memorial is sadly neglected and Epstein's relief of Rima has become very shabby.

A Jackdaw on the gravel strip in the Round Pond was dwarfed by the white bulk of a Mute Swan. It came over to the shore for a peanut.

A male Blackcap scolded a Magpie at the southwest corner of the bridge, flitting about in the leaves. I tried to get a picture, but there was always something in the way and this was the best I could do.

The holly berries are still very unripe and rock-hard, but that didn't stop a Wood Pigeon from eating them.

The family of Long-Tailed Tits in the Flower Walk were dashing around the bushes.

The male Little Owl at the Serpentine Gallery had found a new lime branch to perch on where he was more visible than lately ...

... but when I went back later the female was lurking in the leaves as usual.

The Grey Heron that fishes by the bridge had taken over the Coots' nest, and the Coots were hanging around making irritated chippy noises. They have never succeeded in rearing a chick in this place but it's still their home.

A Cormorant on the edge of the water by the island seemed strangely inert. It didn't seem to be injured. I went right up to it, which normally would have caused it to jump into the water, but it didn't budge. I alerted the rescue group, in case it was ill, but it seems to be all right and was just in a stubborn mood.

Sad to say, the Great Crested Grebes have lost one of their chicks and are down to two. But it was business as usual, with their father bringing plenty of small fish.

They changed over, and the chicks climbed on to their father. Small grebe chicks are effectively quadrupeds, using their wings as front legs.

There was a rude interruption when another grebe surfaced next to the family. A brief but furious spat sent it packing, to surface some distance away. The moment was captured in a dramatic picture by Bob Siegel.

I don't think that this other grebe had anything to do with the loss of the chick. I've never seen them attack each others' chicks, though non-violent territorial confrontations do occur between families, always won by the pair with the most chicks.

Mandarin ducklings are not closely attached to their mother, and wander around in what seems a most dangerous way. However, all of them finally decided to come home to her on the gravel strip in the Round Pond.

A male Red-Veined Darter dragonfly rested on the path beside the pond.

A Willow Emerald damselfly perched on the railings by the bridge. They are more often seen on sun-warmed railings than anywhere else in the park.

As usual, the sea lavender in the Rose Garden was full of butterflies, with a Comma ...

... and many Painted Ladies on show.

Two Buff-Tailed Bumblebees shared a Mexican Sunflower in the Flower Walk. There was plenty of nectar for both of them.