Wildlife and beautiful Autumn scenery in Battersea Park on 28th October 2025

I began my walk in the Herb Garden where I came across some strange dangling flowers

The gardener was taking a well-earned rest!

I then went across to the Old English Garden where a lovely red rose was still flowering

This waterlily bud looked very "alien"

There were some beautiful Autumn leaves near the edge of the lake

Pair of Gadwall on the lake

I loved these Larch seeds and feathery leaves

Lots of red berries near the path round the lake

There is only one pair of Mute Swans that live in the park and I found them at the edge of the lake

Male Northern Shoveler cruising across the lake

Dark red berries on this shrub with leaves overhanging the lake

Lovely Autumn views across the lake

Male Tufted duck on a bad hair day!

Juvenile and adult Moorhens - the juvenile was stretching its wing and seems to be larger than the adult!

Grey Heron enjoying a coffee on a table outside the cafe

Time for the Grey Heron to move on

There were barriers all round the interior of the park in readiness for this weekend's fireworks disply

and, finally, I came across a Rose-ringed Parakeet feasting on Yew berries

 

Parakeets, Magpie, Egyptian Goose and Blackbird in Hyde Park

Just before Christmas I went for a long walk in Hyde Park and Kensington Gardens.  Not long afterwards I wrote posts about the Tufted Ducks and Gadwalls I had seen there.  Now I am adding photographs of some other birds that were around at the time.

Not far from the Peter Pan statue in Kensington Gardens people are always feeding the green Rose-ringed Parakeets.  In the below photograph, one of them is watching out for the next feed and can be seen perching in a bare-branched tree.

In this photograph there are 5 Parakeets, all looking out for the next tourist offering some food to them.

In the same tree there was a Magpie also, no doubt, waiting for some dinner to be offered to it.

On the other side of the lake, near the large Henry Moore statue, there were a pair of Egyptian Geese.  One of them was sleeping, with its back to me - so I didn't bother to take a photo of it.  This one is posing on one leg and has a nice array of feathers showing.

Towards the end of my walk round the park, I went through the rose garden.  There I came across a female blackbird.  Normally I can't manage to get very close to birds, but this one was very obliging and did not immediately fly away.  Perhaps it was hoping I would feed it?  I gather that other photographers go round the park with seeds, biscuits, etc. in order to entice the birds and water fowl near to them for close-up photos.  I will have to try that myself one day!

This is another photograph of the same female blackbird in a slightly different pose.  She was definitely not shy with me!

It was December in the rose garden and there were just a few roses in bloom.  I was actually quite surprised that any of them were flowering at that time of the year, but it had been very mild weather.

 In the rose garden there is a bird feeder that is supposed to be for the use of small birds.  Two naughty green Rose-ringer Parakeets were rocking around on it instead!  Poor tiny birds - the Parakeets probably eat all their food!