Flora and fauna, including White Storks and other captive birds, at Barnes Wetland Centre on 23th September 2025

I started my visit to the Barnes Wetland Centre by heading to the southern part of the reserve

On the way I passed some lovely fluffy Cardoon seed heads

A male Common Darter dragonfly was perching on a leaf

I saw a male Wigeon from one of the bird hides on the south side

and a pair of Gadwalls

I then went to the other side of the wetlands where I saw a pair of American Wood ducks - part of the wildfowl collection

A free-flying Grey Heron was trying to eat a frog

The following photos are of some of the other exotic birds kept at Barnes:

Group of Chiloe Wigeon

White-faced Whistling ducks - don't know the name of the other ducks

Three Cape Teal

Beautiful White Storks

After leaving the wildfowl collection, I saw a dainty Willow Emerald damselfly resting on a leaf

A Magpie joined me for lunch on a nearby bench

Then, on the way out of that side of the wetlands, I saw a Cape Barren goose

On the way back to the south side of the wetlands, I passed some lovely Autumn berries

First time I have photographed green Rose-ringed Parakeets from above

I was on the top floor of the Peacock hide

Snipe standing at the edge of the lagoon

The light was fading by now - Three Northern Shovelers in the water and two Snipe in the background

Two more Northern Shovelers swimming across the lagoon

An orderly row of juvenile Cygnets - even without their parents there to guide them!

The highlight of the day was a Bittern in the far away reeds

Unfortunately my bridge camera could not do it justice!

 

Another wildlife walk in St James's Park on 19th December 2024

I began my walk near the shrubbery at the St. James's entrance to the park where I again saw the dark-coloured melanistic Great Tit

Also there was a normal-coloured Great Tit

and a Blue Tit

and another Great Tit

Someone came along with nuts for the small birds, which began queueing up for a snack

Here there are three Great Tits and one Blue Tit

Also in the area was a very shy Coal Tit

A bold fox (sadly with mange) walked across the bridge from the island in the centre of the lake

A Grey Heron and a Cormorant were posing together in front of the island

I caught up with the Red Fox, which was sitting down under a willow tree

Then a flotilla of Great White Pelicans sailed past

Further round the lake, a Chiloe Wigeon (member of the park's waterfowl collection with pinioned wings) was preening its feathers

The Black Swan was swimming along with her Mute Swan companion

The Black Swan sailed at speed past her companion Mute Swan's large cygnet

Another member of the waterfowl collection, a Red-breasted goose, was lit by a short period of sunlight

A Grey Squirrel was trying to keep warm while sitting on a tree branch

Another Grey Squirrel was doing the same in another tree further along the path

One male and two female Northern Shovelers were taking part in a head-bobbing competition

A very light-coloured Egyptian goose was wandering along the footpath

followed by her normal-coloured companion

Just before I left the park, I took a photograph of a white Ross's goose as it stopped feeding on the grass