Hyde Park & Kensington Gardens

Amazing! Totally was not expecting what i got. A great day for two reasons. One of my Daughters was performing in Joseph at Her Majesties Theatre, in the West End. A sold out performance and it was a perfect ending to a great day.

 

She was brilliant! and i am obviously going to say she was the best on the stage but believe me she was!

 

Dropping her off at Stage Door at 10.30am, i headed off down Piccadilly for Hyde Park. The sun was out and the park as you would excpect was bang full of tourists and locals fully enjoying this Royal Park.

 

Borris Bikes in use, Skateboarders showing off, inline Roller Blading lessons taking place and all along the walk way round the edge of the Serpentine. The coffee kiosks were buzzing, the lake restauarnt was rammed and the Japs had more DSLR's than needed per family.

 

Song Thrush i thought as i saw it hop around under the trees away from the lake, i headed over, first suprise of the day, Redwing (initial count about 20 but as i left a recount hit 28). The expected Ring Necked Parakeet seemed to be everyhwere and Egyptian Geese (c40) in fine form undertaking low fly pasts without a care for anyone in there way.

 

On the lake Mandarin Duck (pair) Red Crested Pochard (male). Moving under the bridge into Kensington Gardens, Shoveler (pair) and my second suprise Stock Dove x3.

 

I cut round the lake and headed up the other side as i got to Peter Pan i looked, a Treecreeper made its way up a trunk (now that was the biggest suprise of the day and not just one 3 in total).

 

It was here i met Des McKensie, and after a brief chat we were off looking for the Owls, both Little & Tawney. He showed me the tree for the Little Owl which was presently out if sight so we moved onto the Tawney Nest. I've never seen Tawney Owl before (just heard) up in the tree one adult and one fluff ball chick in the tree next to the adult.

 

Des wanted to go see if the Wheatear was over the other side of the park so joining him i picked it up on the grass repair works, (amended) parade grounds, a nice looking bird and day 5 for it.

 

I parted ways with Des and headed back to the Little Owl tree for a stake out; didnt have to as one had its head sticking out.

 

43 Species in total: Black Headed Gull, Blue Tit, Canada Goose, Carrion Crow, Chiffchaff, Coot, Dunnock, Egyptian Goose, Goldfinch, Great Crested Grebe, Great Spotted Woodpecker, Great Tit, Green Woodpecker, Greenfinch, Grey Heron, Greylag Goose, Herring Gull, Jay, Lesser Black Backed Gull, Little Owl, Long Tailed Tit, Magpie, Mallard, Mandarin Duck, Moorhen, Nuthatch, Pied Wagtail, Pochard, Red Crested Pochard, Redwing, Feral Pigeon, Shoveler, Starling, Stock Dove, Tawny Owl, Treecreeper, Tufted Duck, Wheatear, Woodpigeon, Wren