First birding walk of the New Year - St. James's Park - 3rd January 2025

My walk began at the shrubbery near the entrance to the park where I saw a normal-coloured Great Tit

...and the dark melanistic version

I wouldn't want to cycle in the lake anyway!  Idiot vandals!!!!

Bright yellow eye on this Tufted drake

Millennium wheel viewed from the bridge across the lake

...also the buildings behind Horseguards Parade

Black Swan with her Mute Swan companion, plus a Greylag goose, on a sunny day

Black Swan near her companion's juvenile cygnet as he sails off to confront another swan

White Ross's goose approaching the railings

Grey Squirrel with a snack

Grey Heron enjoying the sunshine

All six Great White Pelicans standing (and shivering) at the edge of the lake

The Pelicans then moved over towards the bridge at Duck Island where two men were throwing fish to them

Red-headed Pochard at the other side of the lake - a member of the waterfowl collection

...also a Eurasian Teal

...and a Hooded Merganser

...and a Shelduck

...and two Barnacle geese

...and a Hawaiin goose

Green Rose-ringed Parakeet on a twiggy branch in front of a tree trunk

Pair of Egyptian geese near the exit to the park - the female is very light-coloured

Blue Tit perching on the edge of a coconut shell

 

Wildlife seen during a walk in St. James's Park, London, on 6th December 2024

Great Tit with strange dark feathers in shrubbery near an entrance to the park

Coal Tit in the same shrubbery

Mute Swan following a Black Swan - they are friends, with the Black Swan helping the Mute Swan couple to look after their cygnets every year

Bar-headed goose lifting leaves

Another Bar-headed goose preening feathers while standing on one leg

Ross's goose lingering at the edge of the lake

Two Cormorants standing at the edge of the lake

Beautiful Autumn colours in the park

Two Great White Pelicans were standing on the path near the lake

Two more Pelicans were squatting near the benches at the back of the path

The remaining two Pelicans were standing in the water

Hawaiin goose walking across a patch of mud

Grey Heron standing at the top of a tree

Two Barnacle geese stopped feeding for a few seconds

Two Grey Herons had a slight altercation and were staring at one another

The Herons parted company without the need for a fight!

Green Rose-ringed Parakeet sitting on a branch above a group of people that were feeding the birds

Male Goldenye putting on some speed in the water

Two Grey Squirrels were sitting on logs at the water's edge

One had a look around and then started to wash its paws and tail

Then it turned its back on me!

The other was busy eating

Red-crested Pochard viewed from the bridge across the lake