Birds and nature in Grange-over-Sands, Cumbria - 5th November 2025

I decided to visit Grange-over-Sands on the second day of my short trip to Cumbria

There was a beautiful autumnal-looking Hornbeam in the area not far away from the railway station

I walked along the prom in the opposite direction to the town

I could not go far in that direction and so turned round and headed back to the town where a Little Egret was searching for snacks in the shallow water in front of the prom

Little Egret with Holme Island on the left and Arnside Knott in the distance

Beautiful multi-colour Hydrangea in the long flowerbed at the back of the prom

House Sparrow perching on a thin twig

Several Shelduck feeding in shallow water at low tide

Curlew walking across the wet sand

I went into Ornamental Gardens next to the railway station where a group of Bar-headed geese were feeding in the area round the War Memorial

Bar-headed goose feeding on the lush grass

A white Snow goose was with the Bar-headed flock

I have only ever seen Bar-headed geese in the UK with clipped wings as part of a Waterfowl Collection - these had obviously flown into the gardens as they showed off their huge complete wings!

The huge group of Bar-heads, plus one Snow goose, continued feeding round the War Memorial for some time against a background of Autumn-coloured trees and shrubs

 

Amongst the group was a Bar-headed goose with an almost completely white head

I was surprised to see a solitary American Wigeon on the lake - I believe that there used to be a Waterfowl Collection kept in the gardens in Victorian times, but there isn't one kept there now

Mid-June wildlife in St. James's Park, London

In the middle of June I went for another walk around the lake in London's St. James's park.  Firstly I headed off to the end of the lake that is nearest to Trafalgar Square to see the park's 3 Pelicans.  I had just missed their feeding time at 14.30, so they were in preening mode on their rock in the lake.

I came across a Heron and a young Herring gull standing on the wooden bridge at the back of the little gingerbread-style house near the lake.

Nearby, sitting on the ground, was a light-coloured leucistic Mallard duck and a Fulvous-whistling duck.

The leucistic Mallard stared inquisitively at me and my camera.

A black swan was sitting nearby.

 So was a male Hooded Merganser.

This is a view of the wild flowers growing on the bank of the lake at the back of the little gingerbread-style house.

Round the corner there were some light-coloured Hollyhocks.

A bee was collecting pollen from the inside of the Hollyhock flowers.

Further round the other side of the lake I came across a Red-crested Pochard who was going into eclipse.

The cygnets had grown rather a lot since I last saw them and were now rather large and looking more swan-like.

An adult Mute swan was keeping an eye on the family of four juvenile cygnets.

A Bahama Teal was standing on one leg at the side of the lake.

It tried to doze off, but was still keeping a beady eye on what I was up to with my camera.

A black swan stood up and stretched it's wings.

The Bahama Teal gave up trying to sleep and joined it's pal in the water.

There were a couple of Mallards nearby - now in eclipse plumage so that they look more like the females.

A Bahama Pintail had a chat with a Mallard.  All seemed to end amicably!

A white Snow goose was looking very attractive as it posed under a tree near the lake.

At the other end of the lake, on a grassy area, a young Greylag gosling had a rest between eating.

The adult Greylag geese were giving me strange looks as I took photographs of their five big goslings.

There were several Greylag goose families in the area.  This juvenile gosling belongs to an earlier brood and was much larger than the goslings in the other family.  I like it's fluffy Mohican head-dress!

The geese moved onto the grass on the other side of the path.  They were joined by a hybrid Greylag goose with his Bar-headed goose partner and their one large gosling.

The hybrid Greylag was staring at me and had a blade of grass sticking out from it's beak.

Dad, mum and juvenile gosling hardly stopped eating.

Back on the lake there was a large juvenile Egyptian goose swimming around and enjoying the late afternoon sunshine.

A Snow goose had also gone for a swim in the shade under the trees.

A family of Starlings flew out from the undergrowth and landed near me at the edge of the lake.  All, except this bold youngster, immediately flew back under cover when I moved.

It had a drink.

Then it had a bath before flying back into the bushes to join the rest of it's family.

A very pretty Ruddy Shelduck was nearby in the lake.

Part of the lake was covered in green algae and the Snow goose was making slow progress swimming through it and back to wherever it spends the nights.

Lots of early March wildlife in London's St. James's park

Another catch-up blog post - this time it is about early March wildlife in London's Saint James's Park.  It was a lovely sunny afternoon and I went into the park near the St. James's Park underground station.  When I reached the bridge over the lake, I started walking in a clockwise direction towards Buckingham Palace.

The first wildlife I came across was a family of Mute Swans and their teenage cygnet youngsters.  Here a juvenile swan is wondering what I am doing with my camera.  A black-headed gull (without the black head) is standing in the water behind the swan.

A parent Mute Swan and another very sleepy cygnet youngster are in this photograph.

Just behind the Mute Swan family there was a Black Swan, who was starting to become a little aggressive.

Then I met a black-headed gull with a black head - it is now wearing its breeding plumage and very smart it looks!

Further round the lake I met Mr. Mallard with his amazing iridescent green head.

There were some Red-Breasted Geese nearby - one striding along the edge of the lake and the other being chased away by a third goose (not in the photo).

When I rounded the edge of the lake near to Buckingham Palace, I came across a goose-stepping Greylag Goose in front of a carpet of purple crocuses.  I hope it was not tripped up by the twig on the ground!

Also in the area was a Barnacle Goose with its beak in the ground - no doubt it was searching for a tasty morsel in the grass.

I also saw a handsome Carrion Crow hopping around in the grass.

In the water at this section of the lake there was a Little Grebe.

In fact there were two Little Grebes.  They were a bit too far away for a decent photograph, but I tried anyway.

I then carried on walking along the Mall side of the lake back to the central bridge across the water.  I think this is a Ruddy Shelduck.  I am still in learning mode as to make and model of ducks and geese, so am looking up their pictures in Collins Bird Guide, which has been very useful.

I went past the bridge and walked on towards the cafe at the Trafalgar Square end of the lake.  Before I got there, I saw some more wildlife.  Now I do know what these two are - male and female Egyptian Geese.  They are trying, unsuccessfully to hide in the swatches of beautiful daffodils that were growing in the grass on the other side of the path that goes round the lake.

They were hiding a secret - a lone young Egyptian gosling - and the first baby bird that I had seen this year.  This was very early in March and I do hope it survived.

Here mum and baby have their heads down and are searching for something to eat.

A nearby Moorhen has succeeded in digging up a worm!

Past the cafe and round the other end of the lake, I saw a Heron modelling in front of a bed of reeds that were blowing around in the wind.

Round the corner and just before the park's gingerbread house,  I came across a second family of Mute Swans.  Here a juvenile cygnet is stretching its wings.

An adult Mute Swan has its head under its wing in a yoga pose.  The early evening sun is shining on one side of its body.

Now the swan is preening its feathers and showing off one of its black feet.

Here come an aggressive mob of Red-Crested Pochards swimming very quickly across the lake.

I think this is a female Mallard standing on one leg.

This Pochard drake is giving me the red-eye!

I believe this is a female Pochard.  She is airing her wings in the early evening sun

Here I also saw a lovely black-and-white Smew.  It was difficult to get it to pose for me and this is the best photo I could manage.

 Another Pochard was having a rest by the grating.  There are feathers sticking out of its back and it seemed to be hobbling a little, so it probably wasn't very well.

This is a photograph of the park's gingerbread house in the late afternoon sunshine.  There is a heron standing on the top of a turret at the right-hand side of the photograph.

Past the gingerbread house, I came across a sleepy juvenile Bar-Headed/Greylag Goose youngster.

Also, a sleepy Bar-Headed Goose parent (probably the mother).

A little further on were a couple of white Snow Geese.

One of them decided to go for a walk.

After these wildlife sightings, I carried on back to the central bridge across the lake and left the park by the same entrance I had come in by.  There were certainly a lot of different birds to see that day.   I took hundreds of photographs and had a very lovely walk.