Tuesday, 7 April 2020

Pre Corona virus lockdown visit to Hall Place, Bexley, in early March


In early March, before the Corona Virus lockdown began in the UK, I went out every day with my camera for a week in order to photograph birds in parks while I was still able to travel by public transport.  On one of those days, I took a journey to Hall Place in Bexley, which I suspected would be my last visit for some time - and, unfortunately, it will be.

I was lucky during my time there as hardly any people were around and I had the bird hide to myself for most of my visit.  Also, quite a lot of birds were flittering about.

Viewed from the small bird hide and perching in the trees near the river Cray:

Robin with a few ruffled feathers

Beautiful female Chaffinch

Two Dunnocks playing tag

 Great Tit with seed between it's claws - taken from the nearby bird feeder

To my utmost joy, a Nuthatch graced me with it's presence

A Grey Wagtail was searching for insects in the shallow water of the small river that runs through the site

During a walk through the gardens, I saw a juvenile cygnet on the river

A Blue Tit flew onto the branch of a conifer

A Blackbird was searching for worms amongst the fallen twigs from previous strong winds

Back at the bird hide, a Collared Dove showed me some pretty feathers


and a naughty Rose-ringed Parakeet stared at me from a hole that was made last year in the tree by a pair of Green Woodpeckers

It is a very unsettling time and I am sad that I am unable to visit again during the warmer weather - but at least I have photographic memories to look at and cheer me up during the days spent at home during this horrific world-wide crisis.