Two small creatures at Two Tree Island nature reserve, near Leigh-on-Sea, Essex

On Tuesday this week my camera and I decided to go on a trip to Two Tree Island nature reserve, near Leigh-on-Sea, Essex.  

It was a hot and sunny day and, as I walked through the woodland, I came across this beautiful Peacock butterfly sunning it's wings on the path.

Further round the island, on a footpath overlooking the estuary, I came across this not-so-beautiful creature - a large green caterpillar - that was making its way to the other side of the path.  It was very large - I would say over 3" long!  Later I discovered that it was a Privet Hawk-Moth Caterpillar.

Wildlife in St. James's Park, London

On Monday my camera and I went for a very pleasant walk in London's St. James's Park where I was looking out for wildlife.

A Wood Pigeon was busy eating purple berries in a shrub by the lake until it was disturbed by noisy tourists.  I believe that the plant is Callicarpa. 

One of the younger Great White Pelicans was showing off its almost complete set of wings to two of the older Pelicans.  They were standing on Pelican Rock at the far end of the lake.

Nearby, a young Grey Heron began to unfold a wing.

A female Smew was relaxing on the lake.

Another Smew flapped its wings in front of a friend.

I managed to find and photograph a small Blue Tit amongst some diseased leaves on a tree behind one of the flowerbeds.

Easier to see was this giant Grey Squirrel in a nearby tree!

A Great Tit was also flying around in this area and landed on a branch just long enough for me to find it and photograph it. 

One of the park's older Great White Pelicans, Gargi, can actually fly.  On Monday, she flew around the lake on three occasions while I was walking around the park.  I missed her during her first two flights and only just caught her during her third!!

No visit to the lake recently has been without a sighting of some sort of Grebe.  On Monday it was again the turn of a beautiful Great Crested Grebe.

Five Black Swans in St. James's Park

Today my camera took me for another walk round the lake in St. James's Park where I saw all five of the park's Black Swans.

Black Swan 1 was standing at the edge of the lake with its back to me when it stretched out its one-and-a-half wings and a large webbed foot.

Black Swan 2 was standing on one leg and had some lovely ruffled rear feathers.  It actually lives with a pair of Mute Swans that now have two very large juvenile cygnets.  Often the family of five can be seen swimming together on the lake.  This is very strange as the male Mute Swan is very dominant and chases off any other swan that comes anywhere near him and often flies across the lake to do the same to any other swans that are nowhere near him.  So I don't quite understand his tolerance for this obvious interloper!

Black Swan 3 is a young swan that was born last year and has a long thin neck, so I would recognise it anywhere.  I photographed it when it was a tiny cygnet, watched it grow up against all odds and have often gone to the park just to check on it.  It has been chased off by its parents and by the dominant Mute Swan.  At one time I saw it being chased by Black Swan 1, which tried to fly after it using its one-and-a-half wings, eventually caught up with it and bit its backside!  Today it was having a peaceful time.

Black Swans 4 and 5 are the parents of Black Swan 3.  They had seven cygnets earlier in the year, which were having a hard time as the dominant Mute Swan kept chasing the family and nearly drowned the tiny cygnets in the process.  I gather that four of them eventually were rescued and taken to a Swan Sanctuary.  Anyway, since then, the pair have attempted nesting four times and the female has laid several eggs - but to no avail.  They are obviously very fond of one another and I hope there will be some more baby Black Swan cygnets next year.

Three beautiful Little Egrets at Walthamstow Wetlands

 Yesterday afternoon my camera and I visited Walthamstow Wetlands.  I firstly walked round the main area of reservoirs near the Engine House visitor centre.  It was a dull overcast day and there was not really that much wildlife around apart from a few ducks and some impossible to photograph fast flying Swallows or House Martins.

I then went across the road to the other section of reservoirs and was happy to see three lovely white Little Egrets standing in an area that was fairly close to the path.  This was the nearest that I have ever managed to get to an Egret, let alone three of them!

One Little Egret was standing on a wall - I just love it's big yellow feet!

Another Little Egret was standing in the water

The third Little Egret was standing on a pipe

Actually, seeing these three Little Egrets just made my day!