Egyptian Geese and their babies - at last!

After a long birthday walk in the sunshine round the Long Water and Serpentine in Hyde Park last week, I trudged wearily back to the Round Pond in Kensington Gardens to see if I could spot the Egyptian Geese and their 4 youngsters that were supposed to be living there.  I had looked for them when I first entered the park at lunch-time and they were nowhere to be seen.  By now it was latish and by then, the sun had disappeared and there was the threat of a shower - but I was in luck.

Egyptian Goose with 3 babies

Egyptian Gosling eating at the water's edge

Mum was surrounded by three of her youngsters, while the fourth was more interested in looking for food in the water near dad.

Male Egyptian Goose - dad

After it had tired of eating, the youngster swam around in the water for a while.

Egyptian gosling having a little swim

Then it decided to join its siblings and mum on the bank.

Mum Egyptian Goose with four goslings

They all had a jolly time preening themselves, with mum having a well-earned sit-down.

4 Egyptian goslings

Don't the babies look gorgeous?

Robin singing in the secret garden - London Wildlife

There is a secret garden that belongs to one of the houses along the inner circle road inside London's Regent's Park.  It is often open to the public and, when wandering in there one day in March, I heard the sound of lovely birdsong.

The garden was full of sticks waiting to transform themselves into beautiful plants in the summer and, in the middle of a thorny bush, sat a robin who was singing his heart out.

He let me get quite close without ever stopping the singing.

Then he turned his back on me and flew away.

It was great to be treated to the robin's lovely song in the middle of London's concrete jungle.