Birds and flowers seen in Battersea Park during a hot sunny day - 26th February 2026

I went to Battersea Park on a sunny day at the end of February and discovered a pair of Mandarin ducks at the edge of the lake.

Mandarin drake doing his aerobics or practising his skateboarding!

The pair of Mandarins were watching me watching them!

The Mandarin drake fluffed up his feathers and made himself look very large

The pretty female relaxed at the edge of the lake

A pair of synchronised male Tufted ducks swam past

A Grey Heron stood at the edge of the lake and was being watched by a Black-headed gull

A male Norther Shoveler stopped shovelling for a few minutes near to some bubbling water

A female Northern Shoveler was in a shady part of the lake that was surrounded by trees

Long Catkins were hanging from branches at the edge of the lake

A Magpie perched on top of railings for a short while

Beautiful crocus growing in grass on a sloping mound

Carrion Crow admiring flowers in the sunshine

I was wishing that I could join this dog in one of the fountains in the park!

Brimstone butterfly feeding on tiny violets in the Old English Garden

near a Ladybird in the same flowers

Pretty mauve Scilla flowers - also in the Old English Garden

Back at the lake, I found two female Pochards

a distant Great Crested Grebe

and a pair of Northern Shovelers

It was lovely to see buds forming on a shrub at the edge of the lake

and some white Quince flowers

Finally, a pair of Great Crested Grebes at the edge of the island in the lake - one was adding bits and pieces to the nest underneath the overhanging branches

 

Walk along part of river Thames to Battersea Park for wildlife watching - 29th December 2024

View of Battersea Power Station from Chelsea Bridge on a foggy day

The only pair of Mute Swans on the lake in Battersea Park - the cob is in front of the pen

I visited the park in order to see my favourite Mandarin ducks and they did not disappoint me

a Coot had to stand in front of the Mandarins!!!

Young Grey Heron standing on a branch in the pine tree

Pair of Northern Shovelers swimming across the lake

Two male Tufted ducks put on a good show

There were a few Herons in nests, but too far away to be seen

Bursting white berries

A Magpie showed off its lovely blue feathers

Grey Squirrel sitting on the path after approaching me and trying to climb up my leg - this was definitely not allowed!

Egyptian goose at the edge of the lake

Moorhen crossing the path of a pair of Gadwalls and a Little Grebe

View of Battersea Power Station and a Thames Clipper from the opposite side of the river

Misty view of the new American Embassy and other buildings - taken on my way home

 

Wheatear, Black-necked Grebes and other birds at Walthamstow Wetlands on 9th October 2024

An adult Great Crested Grebe was lurking around the edge of a reservoir with three juveniles when I first arrived at the Wetlands

An Egyptian goose walked up the bank at the edge of a reservoir

I nearly missed this well-disguised Grey Wagtail

I had hoped to see a Northern Wheatear and, indeed, I luckily managed to see a female perching at the edge of Lockwood.  She stayed for a few minutes, allowing a few photographs, before she disappeared.

A pair of Gadwalls swam across the reservoir

Three Black-necked Grebes appeared in the distance

Little Egret at the edge of a reservoir with the railway line and tall buildings in the background

A pair of synchronised Great Crested Grebes

Three Northern Shovelers were hanging around

A group of Tufted ducks swam across the reservoir

Two Little Egrets were wading around at the edge of a reservoir

A pair of Egyptian geese were on the grassy bank

A fox was slowly limping along a grassy path

A Robin was sitting on a post near the Copper Mill stream

Views of London buildings from Lockwood reservoir

Closer views of the Black-necked Grebes on a very dull day!

The view from the far end of Lockwood reservoir

Three Black-necked Grebes in the centre of the reservoir!