Wagtails

A pair of Pied Wagtails streaked up the Lido calling loudly to each other and landed on the restaurant terrace, which was deserted on a grey drizzly day. One looked for insects in the remains of food spills on the terrace ...

... and the other checked the leaves on the edge of the Serpentine.

The usual young Grey Wagtail was hunting up and down the edge at the Triangle car park.

A Wren chittered and hopped around in a bush in the Dell.

Two Wood Pigeons stuffed themselves with ivy berries on a tree beside the Long Water.

A Carrion Crow stared hungrily from an urn in the Italian Garden.

Understandably, the Little Owl at the Round Pond stayed in her hole all day.

The Peregrines were on the barracks tower, looking soggy and miserable in the drizzle.

On my way home I went to the Cromwell Road to try to find the Peregrines there, which would show that there are two pairs of birds. But they weren't visible, so it's still uncertain.

Black-Headed Gulls clustered thickly on the fallen poplar in the Long Water, with a single Common Gull on the highest twig.

Many people think that Black-Headed Gulls are dull. But they are the most ringed of species and their movements are often wide and interesting -- though probably not in the case of Yellow 2F12, which was ringed by the North Thames Gull Group and may have been no farther afield than the Pitsea landfill site in Basildon. I'll report it anyway, as I've not seen it before.

Gulls also play with toys, especially when young like this one having fun throwing a banana skin about.

And they are highly territorial. This is the dominant gull who owns the landing stage at the Diana fountain, alone on the platform as usual because he had chased all the other birds away.

This Grey Heron is often seen on the raft in the Long Water, and seems to live in peace with the Cormorants there. Even they are wary of its sharp beak.

A dramatic picture from Ahmet Amerikali taken in yesterday's sunshine: a Cormorant catching a perch at the bridge.

A Coot found an apple in the water and hung on to it fiercely, resisting a Black-Headed Gull and a Canada Goose. Finally another Coot sneaked in and carried it off.

A Moorhen searched for insects in the bird droppings on a blue plastic pedalo.

Kingfisher

A Kingfisher visited the Long Water. It could only be seen from the other side of the lake so it was impossible to get much of a picture.

A frosty morning made the Great Tits and Blue Tits in the Flower Walk extra hungry.

This tatty Great Tit near the Speke obelisk has become a familiar customer.

A Blue Tit near the Triangle car park was busy probing a twig for larvae.

A Goldcrest hunted in a redwood tree near the Italian Garden.

A Starling looked for insects in the fallen leaves that had drifted up to the edge of the Round Pond.

A short way along the edge a Pied Wagtail had found some long thin creature in a puddle.

A pair of Jackdaws conferred in a horse chestnut tree.

The female Little Owl wasn't visible the first two times I checked her tree, but she eventually came out for a while as the light was fading.

A Grey Heron flew down the Long Water.

It's difficult for Black-Headed Gulls to deal with anything too large to swallow whole. They have to fly off with it to a secluded spot away from the other gulls trying to grab it and then peck at it on the ground, which makes it jump about as they can't hold it down with their weak little feet.

One of the two young Great Crested Grebes could be seen at Peter Pan. They might fly out to the river with their parents if the Long Water freezes tonight, but I don't think its quite cold enough and milder wetter weather is expected on Sunday evening.

There was a motley crew on the Henry Moore sculpture. Three Egyptians is a crowd and always causes a good deal of yelling and displaying.

Shovellers revolved in the water below. Although we have a good number here now, it's not quite enough to make them go into one of their large feeding circles. I think there have to be about fifty before they'll start.

The killer Mute Swan and his family were near their old nest site east of the Lido, and hurried over to the edge when they saw someone who might be ready to feed them.

An odd sight, a double-decker bus going over the bridge. It's a wedding bus, probably going to pick up guests at St James's church in Sussex Gardens which is much sought after for weddings. There are no signs about a weight limit on the old but very solidly built bridge. This bus is one of the longer Routemasters and weighs 7¾ tons empty, far less than a modern bus.

A cold wind

A chilly day with a keen wind kept the Little Owl at the Round Pond from even showing her face in the hole till well into the afternoon. By this time the sun is shining directly into your face when you look at the tree, so it's hard to get much of a picture.

The area is now absolutely packed with Jackdaws. Here are two on a horse chestnut ...

... and three on the sawn-off top of the dead tree. The whole population that used to live next to the leaf yard seem to have moved up to the pond.

They're even beginning to crowd out the ubiquitous Magpies. This one was farther down the Vista.

The bold Robin on the sign at the corner of the leaf yard has become a regular customer just two days after I first saw it.

A Pied Wagtail picked its way through fallen leaves washed up on the edge at the Lido.

One of the Feral Pigeons in the crowd at the Triangle car park has very delicate grey and white markings.

A Rose-Ringed Parakeet was eating the 'strawberries' on an arbutus tree in the Dell.

Two good pictures from Ahmet Amerikali: a Long-Tailed Tit going round the Long Water ...

... and a Cormorant catching a carp at the bridge.

With no humans braving the wind at the Lido restaurant terrace, the young Grey Heron that hangs around there was fishing in the reed bed. I've never seen it catch anything here, but a heron's life consists mostly of waiting punctuated by an occasional quick grab.

The youngest Great Crested Grebe from the island is now spending much of its time alone and trying to fish, though I'm sure its parents are still feeding it.

A small dog quickly regretted going into the water after the killer Mute Swan and his family.

Even without any rivals in sight, the Egyptian Geese at the Round Pond find it necessary to make a racket.

A female Tufted Duck at Peter Pan shone finely in the sunlight.

There were lots of Pochards in groups all over the Long Water. It looks as if more have arrived to swell the already healthy number.

I went to photograph the statues of the late Queen and Prince Philip on the Albert Hall. I should have gone earlier. because in the afternoon one is in partial sunlight and the other in shadow. Possibly the one of the Queen looks more like her when evenly lit.

Prince Philip looks as if he's bored with standing in a niche and is off for a walk.

More Peregrines

A Goldcrest dashed around in a silver birch near the Italian Garden.

A Magpie shone finely on the railings.

A Jay looked out of an English oak ...

... and two Jackdaws at the leaf yard had the red leaves of an American oak as a background.

Pied Wagtails ran around in the grass beside the Round Pond ...

... and the female Little Owl glared angrily at a squirrel on her tree.

A Starling took a chip from a plate at the Lido restaurant.

This is one of a newly found pair of Peregrines, soaring over the Cromwell Road in the light of the setting sun.

The dominant Black-Headed Gull who owns the landing stage at the Diana fountain patrolled his patch of shore, calling to warn off any other gulls who might dare to approach. He has got the dark head of his breeding plumage long in advance of the other gulls, which may be a sign of his superior status.

Two Grey Herons were fighting over the Long Water, and the loser was forced to splash down. It had no trouble about taking off again: one sweep of its huge wings got it airborne.

A young Cormorant preened on a post.

Reflections of autumn trees made a background for a band of Shovellers.

A Pochard drake stared seriously at the Vista ...

,,, and a single Gadwall rested at Peter Pan.

The dominant Mute Swan family were back on the Serpentine. They swaggered ashore, causing alarm among waterfowl and humans alike.

A family left the Winter Wasteland burdened with a giant stuffed dog.