Wildlife and beautiful Autumn scenery in Battersea Park on 28th October 2025

I began my walk in the Herb Garden where I came across some strange dangling flowers

The gardener was taking a well-earned rest!

I then went across to the Old English Garden where a lovely red rose was still flowering

This waterlily bud looked very "alien"

There were some beautiful Autumn leaves near the edge of the lake

Pair of Gadwall on the lake

I loved these Larch seeds and feathery leaves

Lots of red berries near the path round the lake

There is only one pair of Mute Swans that live in the park and I found them at the edge of the lake

Male Northern Shoveler cruising across the lake

Dark red berries on this shrub with leaves overhanging the lake

Lovely Autumn views across the lake

Male Tufted duck on a bad hair day!

Juvenile and adult Moorhens - the juvenile was stretching its wing and seems to be larger than the adult!

Grey Heron enjoying a coffee on a table outside the cafe

Time for the Grey Heron to move on

There were barriers all round the interior of the park in readiness for this weekend's fireworks disply

and, finally, I came across a Rose-ringed Parakeet feasting on Yew berries

 

Wildlife on Brownsea Island, Dorset - 10th October 2025

I visited Ham Common at Rockley Park on my way to the bus stop and saw a Stonechat on a fir tree

This ragged Red Admiral butterfly was resting on a post near the entrance to Brownsea Island

Lots of Spoonbills were standing towards the back of the lagoon

The two Peacocks that live on Brownsea were perching on a bench in the churchyard

One told me off for taking photographs!!

A Chiffchaff flew down from a tree and was perching on a fallen branch in the waterlily pond

View of Round Island from the edge of Brownsea

Avocet with leg bracelets wading across the lagoon in front of the aptly-named Avocet hide

I was lucky enough to see the female Kingfisher again - posing on two different wooden poles in front of the Avocet hide

I was unlucky with the Red Squirrels during this second visit to Brownsea Island and just managed to photograph this one hiding behind a clump of grass before I had to catch the last ferry back to Poole

I stopped to photograph a Sika deer in the churchyard while on my way back to get the homeward ferry

 

Photos from a boat trip round Poole Harbour and an afternoon wander to Ham Common Viewpoint - 8th October 2025

On the morning of Wednesday, 8th October, I went on a Birds of Poole Harbour boat trip

Two juvenile Sandwich Terns were standing on a pink buoy

We passed Rockley Holiday Park, where I was spending a few days in a mobile home

Then we came across an adult Sandwich Tern standing on a green marker

A Sika deer stared at us as we cruised past

There was a group of six Sika deer in the distance

Tranquil scene on the river Piddle

I did not manage to photograph any birds here, but got more photos of the Sika deer when we turned round to go back to Poole Harbour

Three Mute Swans were sailing along the water along the edge of a reedbed

Behind them was a post on which a distant Marsh Harrier was perching

Also, on the other side of the water, an equally distant White-tailed Eagle was perching on an upright branch at the edge of the Arne peninsular

We passed another Sandwich Tern perching on a white buoy

There were lots of Oystercatchers standing on a small island in Brownsea lagoon

There were Black-tailed Godwits, Curlew and Spoonbills with the Oystercatchers in the lagoon

It was a misty view back to Poole as it had just begun to drizzle!

View across the lagoon to the church almost hidden in the woodland on Brownsea Island

Avocets standing on one of the little islands in the lagoon

A row of Black-tailed Godwits in the lagoon with one of the old bird hides in the distance

View of the new Lookout, which is fairly near the landing area on Brownsea Island

The Lookout, with Brownsea castle in the distance

After the boat trip, in the afternoon, I went for a wander round Ham Common

There are allegedly Dartford Warblers on Ham Common, but they were hiding and I only found this rather large version

Looking across the harbour from the Ham Common viewpoint

I then found another Dartford Warbler!

The Little Egret was still searching for fish at Rockley Park beach

I discovered an owl in a tree next to my neighbour's mobile home

The owl was in the tree on the left-hand side of the brown home and there was another one on the roof!

I was staying in the mobile home on the right-hand side