Birding walk round Barnes Wetlands - waterfowl collection and wild birds - 4th February 2025

Cape Barren goose near the entrance to the Birds of the World side of the London Wetland Centre

Golden Eye drakes having a splashing time

Resting American Wood Ducks at the edge of the water - two drakes and two females

Group of White-faced Whistling ducks in vegetation

White Stork standing between the reeds

Two White Storks in temporary accommodation

Male White-faced duck

Five male Red-crested Pochards and one female

Female White-faced duck

Moorhen with a yellow bill instead of the usual red

Orinoco goose

Chiloe geese

Moorhen with normal coloured bill

Yellow-billed duck

Male and female Smew

I entered the Wildside area of the Wetlands and saw two Cormorants from the bird hide

Pond in the Wildside area

Catkins - lovely sign that Spring is on the way

Reedbed and distant houses

Back in the Birds of the World area I discovered that there were three White Storks

Male Hooded Merganser showing off in front of three male Ferruginous ducks

View from the Headley hide of a reedbed and two Mute Swans in the wild area

Male Northern Shoveler

Female Northern Shoveler

Two Great Crested Grebes

View across the lake towards the Peacock hide

Later on I visited the South side of the wetlands where I saw a Greenfinch amongst dark branches

and a Goldfinch

and a very tame Robin

There were lots of Northern Shovelers on the lake - viewed from the Peacock hide

and a few Eurasian Teal

View of the lake from the Peacock hide

Close view of the Peacock hide

Green Rose-ringed Parakeet, Great Tit and Blue Tit on a bird feeder

Two Parakeets and a Great Tit on the feeder with a Blue Tit watching from the twigs!

Water Rail on the ground inside a cage round a set of bird feeders

I have always wanted to get close to a Water Rail - shame it was inside the cage!

 

Mandarin ducks, Coot fight and other birds in Battersea Park - 25th January 2025

I went for another walk in Battersea Park towards the end of January and saw lots of Mandarin ducks

Tufted ducks passed by the island in the centre of the lake

A Cormorant was viewing the lake from the top of a tree

A pair of Northern Shovelers were shovelling together

I was photographing a Magpie that was standing at the base of a tree

...when it suddenly took flight!

As I approached the bridge over the lake, I could hear a loud commotion

A pair of Coots were fighting, egged on by, presumably, a female Coot

The drowning Coot eventually managed to escape and swam away - followed by the other two birds!

I discovered a little Wren in a quiet corner of the park

Grey Squirrel walking along the fence outside the Old English Garden

The first Snowdrops had appeared

Rose-ringed Parakeet on a branch on the path outside the Old English Garden

The chimneys of Battersea Power Station in the distance

Little Grebe on the lake

....with a pair of Gadwalls and two Moorhens

Close-up views of a male Northern Shoveler with blue reflections in the water

...his partner - female Northern Shoveler

The only pair of Mute Swans in Battersea Park with lots of Black-headed gulls and ducks