Friday, 6 September 2024

Wildlife in Walthamstow Wetlands nature reserve during the last week in August 2024

I had just arrived at Walthamstow Wetlands and was thinking that I had not seen a Little Egret there for a while when one flew over my head and landed in shallow water in front of me

There were lots of Tufted ducks on the reservoir - here are just three of them

A bright spot during my walk was seeing this pet Sun Conure parakeet out for a flight with it's owner.  The bird flew a very short distance to the gate, perched there for a while and then flew back for a tit-bit.

Otherwise it was business as usual - Great Crested Grebe riding the waves

Mum Tufted duck with four cute fluffy little ducklings

Banded Demoiselle damselfly on a leaf in the Copper Mill stream near the main road


I followed a Canada goose along a narrow path at the edge of a reservoir.  I have a birdwatching permit and prefer walking round the less busy parts of the wetlands.  At this point it was just me and the goose!

Then I came across a Little Grebe and some chicks




A kind young man showed me an area where a Migrant Hawker dragonfly was hanging around while sheltering from the wind.  I find it impossible to photograph dragonflies in flight, so was pleased to find this one in a relatively easy place for a photograph

I came across a Barnacle goose in the wild flowers at the edge of another reservoir in the Wetlands

Having not seen many Little Egrets at the Wetlands for some time, I then saw a distant Grey Heron accompanied by ten Little Egrets

As I walked round the edge of the reservoir, I disturbed a Mute Swan family that were resting at the edge of the water.  A large juvenile cygnet flapped its huge wings as I went past.

The parents

A parent with two of the cygnets - there were at least five, but they were spread around the reservoir

There was a "Polish" cygnet in the family - white feathers and pink beak instead of the usual colouring


 

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