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!

 

Captive and wild birds in the Barnes Wetland Centre

I have been to the Barnes Wetland Centre (London Wetland Centre) several times over the last few years and always have an amazing and very interesting time there.  There are several large lagoons with bird hides, but often the birds on the water are much too far away and can only be clearly seen with very strong binoculars.  They are impossible to photograph unless you are wealthy enough to own a very large camera with a strong zoom lens.  Mine is only relatively tiny, so I have to resign myself to taking photographs of the reserve's captive birds.

The photographs below were taken during one of my walks round the reserve in March 2016 - I have taken so many photographs over the last couple of years and just not had time to write about them straight away.  I just don't know where my time goes, but it definitely runs away very fast!

These are some Black-Bellied Whistling ducks in preening mode.

These are Fulvous Whistling ducks in swimming mode.

These are 2 Southern Screamers in resting mode

and standing mode

The birds in the photograph below were on the wild side of the Wetland Centre and were swimming around in separate small ponds on the site.

Here is a Tufted drake

and his partner, a Tufted duck

 This is a mummy Tufted duck with 4 Tufted ducklings

 I presume this is a Mallard duckling that appears to be looking for bugs on the reeds.

Captive or wild, the birds at the Centre are amazing and I often find it hard to drag myself out of the place in order to go back home!