Evening wildlife walk in Hyde Park and Kensington Gardens

At the beginning of May I went for a walk with friends in Hyde Park and Kensington Gardens.  We met at a gate near Marble Arch at around 6.00 p.m. and I did not think that I would see much wildlife as it was getting late and the sky was very overcast.  I was pleasantly surprised.

On the landing stage by the pedalo boats there was a Grey Heron and a Greylag Goose contemplating how to spend their evening.

In the very green-looking water (reflection from the trees) a Great Crested Grebe was swimming quite close to land.

Another Grey Heron and two gulls were standing on the boatyard roof, which was covered in bird poo.

Mr and Mrs Mallard and four young ducklings were swimming around in the shallow water near the bridge that divides the Serpentine from the Long Water.

We crossed the bridge and, on the other side of the lake, passed some lovely red Horse-chestnut trees.  I loved the colour of their blossom.

On the bank by the Long Water, near to the Peter Pan statue, there was a Mandarin drake taking in the evening air.

Swimming in the lake nearby was a Gadwall drake.

He was accompanied by a female Gadwall.

Not far away, in the branches of a tree, two green Ring-necked Parakeets were canoodling.

Not us!  I've never seen him before!

By the lido, a female Mute swan was just getting ready to sit back down on her nest after having had a wash-and-brush up in the water of the Serpentine.  There were several eggs in her nest and, unfortunately, some stupid person had thrown slices of white bread around the edge.  I don't think she was interested in this revolting food.

From the other side of the nest it could be seen that there were five eggs.

Another Mute swan was trying to sleep in her nest, which was also surrounded by slices of white bread.

Further along the edge of the Serpentine, I came across a couple of Egyptian geese with their five teenage goslings.

The goslings were trying to sleep, but some were trying to peer at me at the same time.

Their mother is very pretty with a very light-coloured head.

Their father was preening his feathers whilst cooling down at the water's edge.

I was pleasantly surprised that I was able to take photographs of wildlife during the couple of hours I spent walking round the park with my friends.  I thought that by then the birds would all be sleeping.

Parakeets in the park

Whenever I visit Hyde Park, there are always people feeding the green Ringed-Neck Parakeets in a tree-covered area near the Long Water.  The Parakeets fly around in the branches, looking down on the silly people with seeds in their hands and hoping that the birds will fly down and take it from them.  What a surprise to hear lots of screeches - from the people, that is, not the birds - when they get pecked on the finger or hand!

Here, a Parakeet is standing on a branch and checking out the offerings on the ground.

I don't know if someone is giving or selling seed to the public, but I doubt that they are bringing it with them.  They usually carry unsuitable food for the wildlife, such as bread for the ducks and swans.  The Parakeet in the photo below has taken a huge piece of biscuit.  Unfortunately, I did not have the camera in Landscape mode, so the leaves are in focus and the bird is not, but it shows you how greedy they are.

This Parakeet is looking very majestic as it sits on the top of the branch surveying the mad scene below.