Dawn and drizzle

A beautiful dawn, photographed by David Lacey at the Round Pond, was succeeded by a grey and soggy day.

The female Little Owl at the Serpentine Gallery had found a place on the trunk of the lime tree where she was sheltered from the drizzle.

A Robin sang in a Lilac Chastetree by the Diana fountain. Its curious name comes from an old belief that it was an anaphrodisiac.

The Robin near Peter Pan was being fed, and was taking food enthusiastically. Earlier I had wondered why it came to my hand so trustingly when it didn't know me.

A Grey Wagtail was hunting on the edge of the weir at the lake outflow. There is quite a large chamber behind this grating, probably full of midges, and the bird crept under the grating to fly around in it.

A Jackdaw perched on the ornamental crown on top of a gas lamp post by the boat hire platform.

A pair of Magpies waited beside the Henry Moore lawn.

One of the four relentless Jays was in a birch at Mount Gate.

The young Great Crested Grebe of unknown origin spends most of its time fishing among the reeds under the Italian Garden. A Moorhen passed by, but there is peace between the two species. Coots on the other hand hate grebes, persecute Moorhens, and are obnoxious to each other.

One of the adults from the island was resting with a chick. The quiet lasted for barely half a minute before the chick piped up again and started prodding its parent.

The teenage grebe from the Dell restuarant was standing on the edge at Fisherman's Keep. Still lighter than an adult, it can stand more gracefully.

With the usual curiosity of a young bird, it examined the edge of the lake and an old cast-iron water level.

Its parents were not far away, diving in the shallows by the lake outflow. Fish lurk among the fallen leaves, so it's a good hunting ground.

The two Mute cygnets cruised by.

The Black Swan and his mate were at the Triangle, and instantly rushed over for sunflower seeds.

The dominant pair on the Long Water had cleared the place of all swans except for their own teenager, and came over to Peter Pan to beg for snacks.

Red-Crested Pochard drakes dived in the Long Water by the bridge. They are now completely in their fine breeding plumage. There are still no females here at all. We used to get a few in previous years, and once a pair bred successfully and raised two young.

The small fallen poplar beside the Vista has almost completely disintegrated, but there is still enough left for some Common Pochaards to rest on.