The Egyptian Geese nesting in the oak tree near the Round Pond brought out their new brood yesterday, six of them. Virginia alerted me to this and I went to see them today. Sadly, they were down to one. Hungry Herring Gulls were circling over the pond.

Update: Virginia thinks this is a different pair of Egyptians. But I had a careful look around the pond, and couldn't find another pair with young ones. Will visit again tomorrow and try to find out what is happening.

Three Mute Swans were circling over the Serpentine, gaining height for a journey. They flew away westwards.

Possibly they sensed the approach of frosty weather and were going up the Thames, where the current keeps the water from freezing. But the resident swans in the park know that the ice will be broken for them by the kind people at Bluebird Boats.

The Black Swan was still with girlfriend number one. He has been very peaceful for the last few days. I arrive expecting to get a picture of him chasing or pecking another swan, and find him just cruising around making happy squeaky noises.

A Cormorant was having a particularly vigorous wash near the island.

At the bridge, a Coot was inspecting a plastic bag, probably to see if it contained anything edible.

Coots don't use plastic bags as nesting material, apart from small brightly coloured bags that they like as decorations. Great Crested Grebes use bags to reinforce their nests, which are much less strongly made than Coots' big twiggy constructions.

One of the Little Owls in the oak tree was guarding the nest hole against some nearby Stock Doves. Its appearance on a sunny day had attracted a small crowd of photographers and general admirers, whom it regarded tolerantly.

The Little Owl near the Henry Moore sculpture was also looking out of its hole, but was as shy as ever and went back inside as soon as I took a step off the path.

There was a Goldfinch -- just one -- in the top of a tree near the Queen's Temple.

A Nuthatch was climbing about on a big oak tree inside the leaf yard.

And there was a Dunnock hopping around unobtrusively on the ground underneath. In spite of several people standing nearby, it came out in front of the fence for a few seconds.

Two Coal Tits were chasing each other through the bushes, but stopped to come and be fed.

The Great Crested Grebes at the east end of the island were building up their nest. More material was badly needed. The one on the right is sitting on the nest, causing it to sink below the surface. Grebes like their nests flat and don't mind if they're a bit soggy, but the eggs have to be out of the water to avoid getting chilled.

The Black Swan had switched girlfriends again today and was back with number one.

Number two, who had been shown great attention yesterday, was with a group of other teenagers, and was perhaps looking a bit depressed at being dumped yet again.

The white Mallard was preening his shining feathers under the terrace of the Dell restaurant.

Above him, some Common Gulls were chasing another one which had won a piece of bread. The second gull from the left is a Black-Headed Gull and smaller than the others, but looks large here because it is nearer the camera. It is still less than a year old, as you can see from its black-tipped tail, which will be all white the next time it moults.

A Herring Gull was probing one of the buoys at the Lido, looking for insects.

Gulls perch on these buoys the whole time, though the larger gulls have to balance carefully or they tip over. Their droppings on the buoys attract insects. Wagtails, both Pied and Grey, also find this place a good hunting ground.

A Wren was also looking for insects near the Italian Garden.

A Carrion Crow stared at me imperiously from one of the handrails that help swimmers to get out of the water on the slippery edge of the Lido. It was expecting a peanut, and got one.

A gang of Starlings were squabbling around a feeder in the Dell.

The Dell is full of blossoming trees and bushes. A Wood Pigeon sat stolidly in a magnolia. Their interest in blossom is limited to the kinds they can eat.

The Little Owls in the oak tree are still holding their own against the Stock Doves, but the price of a nest hole is eternal vigilance.

A couple of Carrion Crows were annoying a Grey Heron near the leaf yard, creeping up behind it and trying to pull its tail. It turned angrily on its tormentors.

Strangely, there was a similar scene on the north shore of the Serpentine, with a different heron and different crows. Word must have got out among the crows that it's Heron Persecution Day.

The Black Swan was back with girlfriend number two. She was following him about in a devoted way, and he called to her from time to time.

The female Mallard is the mate of the light-coloured drake next to her, but she is constantly bothered by other drakes. Here a fight breaks out among the suitors. The Tufted Duck in the picture always follows this group around, for no clear reason.

A female Gadwall was enjoying a flap near the island.

This Cormorant swam most of the way up the Long Water holding itself up at a peculiar angle. There were no other Cormorants around for it to impress with this display.

A pair of Egyptian Geese were making a tremendous racket on a chestnut tree near the Speke obelisk. This drove away a third Egyptian that had been trying to court the female.

Blackbirds were singing in several places in the park. They tend to start singing later than the other songbirds, and we have already heard the Mistle Thrushes and Song Thrushes. This one was in a tree near the Flower Walk.

The Little Owl in the oak tree was in the back of its hole, guarding it from a pair of Stock Doves walking around on the branch, clearly wanting to take the nest site for themselves. They have succeeded at this in past years.

The gorse blossom beside the Serpentine near the bridge attracted a Buff-Tailed Bumblebee.

Update: Sunday's post on Africa Gómez's very interesting blog on bird behaviour, The Rattling Crow, is about play by young gulls, something I've often described and illustrated here. Recommended reading.

There haven't been many Chaffinches around recently, so it was a pleasure to see one in the leaf yard. She is in very good condition, so far unaffected by the virus that attacks these birds' feet.

A Blue Tit stared at me challengingly, waiting to be fed.

The returfing of the Parade Ground had halted for Sunday, and there were at least a dozen Pied Wagtails running around on the bare earth and in the surviving long grass -- there are few insects for them in the newly laid turf.

One of them came down to the Dell restaurant terrace and started hunting under the feet of the diners, hoping for insects attracted by dropped food.

The usual Grey Heron was on a table, not in the least alarmed by people taking close-ups of him with their mobiles.

The Black Swan climbed on to one of the floating plant beds. He has made a private place for himself where no Mute Swan can trespass. He ripped up some grass to make it more comfortable.

Just as Coots can't stop piling twigs on their nests, swan of both species can't help tearing up grass to make a nest lining.

When the reed bed to the east of the Lido was laid, a Coot immediately built a nest in it. Then workment built a net around the new reeds to protect them from Coots, and made a little hollow in the net to avoid trapping the Coot inside. This hollow has been used by Coots ever since.

It was a vain precaution. The reeds weren't properly planted and most of them died. The surviving clumps are now spreading slowly to fill the gaps.

Out on the lake, a couple of young Herring Gulls were eyeing each other  suspiciously.

One of the Little Owls on Buck Hill came out of its hole briefly.

There was no sign of the owls near the leaf yard, or near the Albert Memorial. But on the second pair's oak tree there was a Treeceeper running briskly up the trunk and flying down to begin again.

 

The Tawny Owls may or may not have been committed to the hole in the chestnut tree, but now they have definitely lost it. There was the familiar harsh noise of an Egyptian Goose, and a head appeared in the hole. It is exactly the kind of place an Egyptian would like to nest in.

The hole of the first pair of Little Owls, near the leaf yard, was being inspected by a Rose-Ringed Parakeet. Luckily it only peered in for a few moments and flew away. If it had gone in, it would have got a nasty surprise.

In spite of rain and wind, one of the second pair of Little Owls looked out of the hole in the oak tree.

A few yards away, a windswept Mistle Thrush perched in a lime tree. Most of the Mistle Thrushes in the park are winter migrants, but this one is a resident, and the pair nest in a tree between the Serpentine Gallery and the Albert Memorial. They have successfully raised several young in past years.

A Song Thrush was singing at the back of the Lido.

While I was standing on the path near the bridge feeding various tits and a Robin, a Dunnock got used to my presence and started hopping around only inches from my feet. I think this one is female: males have more grey on the head.

The largest of the Grey Herons' nests on the island was bigger, and had clearly been built up recently. Then a head appeared through the twigs. When herons sit, rather than stand, in a nest, it is generally a sign that they are incubating eggs, so maybe after a long delay this nest is a going concern.

A Canada Goose had found a floating apple and was trying to peck bits out of it, not an easy thing to do. A Black-Headed Gull swooped down and grabbed a piece.

Some Mute Swans strayed under the bridge on to the Long Water. The resident pair were hundreds of yards away by Peter Pan but saw the intruders, and at once the male steamed over and herded them back under the bridge.

The Black Swan was in the middle of the Serpentine idly harassing a big male Mute Swan, but when he saw me he came over for his daily treat of a digestive biscuit.