First birding walk of the New Year - St. James's Park - 3rd January 2025

My walk began at the shrubbery near the entrance to the park where I saw a normal-coloured Great Tit

...and the dark melanistic version

I wouldn't want to cycle in the lake anyway!  Idiot vandals!!!!

Bright yellow eye on this Tufted drake

Millennium wheel viewed from the bridge across the lake

...also the buildings behind Horseguards Parade

Black Swan with her Mute Swan companion, plus a Greylag goose, on a sunny day

Black Swan near her companion's juvenile cygnet as he sails off to confront another swan

White Ross's goose approaching the railings

Grey Squirrel with a snack

Grey Heron enjoying the sunshine

All six Great White Pelicans standing (and shivering) at the edge of the lake

The Pelicans then moved over towards the bridge at Duck Island where two men were throwing fish to them

Red-headed Pochard at the other side of the lake - a member of the waterfowl collection

...also a Eurasian Teal

...and a Hooded Merganser

...and a Shelduck

...and two Barnacle geese

...and a Hawaiin goose

Green Rose-ringed Parakeet on a twiggy branch in front of a tree trunk

Pair of Egyptian geese near the exit to the park - the female is very light-coloured

Blue Tit perching on the edge of a coconut shell

 

Walk along part of river Thames to Battersea Park for wildlife watching - 29th December 2024

View of Battersea Power Station from Chelsea Bridge on a foggy day

The only pair of Mute Swans on the lake in Battersea Park - the cob is in front of the pen

I visited the park in order to see my favourite Mandarin ducks and they did not disappoint me

a Coot had to stand in front of the Mandarins!!!

Young Grey Heron standing on a branch in the pine tree

Pair of Northern Shovelers swimming across the lake

Two male Tufted ducks put on a good show

There were a few Herons in nests, but too far away to be seen

Bursting white berries

A Magpie showed off its lovely blue feathers

Grey Squirrel sitting on the path after approaching me and trying to climb up my leg - this was definitely not allowed!

Egyptian goose at the edge of the lake

Moorhen crossing the path of a pair of Gadwalls and a Little Grebe

View of Battersea Power Station and a Thames Clipper from the opposite side of the river

Misty view of the new American Embassy and other buildings - taken on my way home

 

Another wildlife walk in St James's Park on 19th December 2024

I began my walk near the shrubbery at the St. James's entrance to the park where I again saw the dark-coloured melanistic Great Tit

Also there was a normal-coloured Great Tit

and a Blue Tit

and another Great Tit

Someone came along with nuts for the small birds, which began queueing up for a snack

Here there are three Great Tits and one Blue Tit

Also in the area was a very shy Coal Tit

A bold fox (sadly with mange) walked across the bridge from the island in the centre of the lake

A Grey Heron and a Cormorant were posing together in front of the island

I caught up with the Red Fox, which was sitting down under a willow tree

Then a flotilla of Great White Pelicans sailed past

Further round the lake, a Chiloe Wigeon (member of the park's waterfowl collection with pinioned wings) was preening its feathers

The Black Swan was swimming along with her Mute Swan companion

The Black Swan sailed at speed past her companion Mute Swan's large cygnet

Another member of the waterfowl collection, a Red-breasted goose, was lit by a short period of sunlight

A Grey Squirrel was trying to keep warm while sitting on a tree branch

Another Grey Squirrel was doing the same in another tree further along the path

One male and two female Northern Shovelers were taking part in a head-bobbing competition

A very light-coloured Egyptian goose was wandering along the footpath

followed by her normal-coloured companion

Just before I left the park, I took a photograph of a white Ross's goose as it stopped feeding on the grass