When: April 2017 Weather: Cool 14C
Nikon P900 Leica Q
Birding in Hyde Park London
In London for a few days and took a stroll through Hyde Park, starting near Marble Arch and cutting across the southeast corner of the park, we arrived at the north east corner of the Serpentine lake. Most of the following shots were taken at and around this area, near the holocaust garden and the cafe on the lake and then along the north shore of the lake to Exhibition Road.
Most of the birds were seen at the east end of the serpentine lake and along the north bank of the lake
the day started off gloomily at 730am
with only the royal cavalry for company
by the time we got to the cafe, this ever welcome red breasted robin had appeared
There is a charming enclosed garden behind the cafe and next to the Holocaust memorial….we saw most of the birds here…
Hello! The wonderfully comical face of the Blue tit
Blue tit feeding
Beautiful blue plumage of blue tit
magpie robin
and then this little brown thing appeared and started singing….a wren
the wren sang merrily
the pretty garden with a stream
After birding for an hour or so at the garden, we had breakfast at the cafetaria there which afforded a splendid view of the Serpentine….this beautiful starling came and joined us
The waterbirds were plentiful at this end of the lake….quite a few common moorhens were around
a rather smart grey heron
Noisy Canadian Geese
Egyptian Goose
Close up of Egyptian Goose
mother egyptian goose with her brood
Greylag geese
Greylag goose
Coot
Tufted duck
The Herring Gull with the typical red spot on the beak
He took exception to this baby bird…
and sadly started attacking the baby, ultimately killing it….perhaps the baby of these coots?
Walking along the north shore of the Serpentine, a great crested grebe appeared….
and then another one, presumably the female showed up….they faced one another
and started flaring their facial feathers and raising their crests in courtship
Hello, said one to the other
Hello yourself!
and they then dived together and preened together in mutual admiration
As if caught up in this courtship ritual, even the swans started preening
amongst the pretty shrubbery, this long tailed tit shyly showed itself
Long tailed tit
near the bridge crossing the middle of the Serpentine the cherry blossoms were in full bloom!
A blue tit played merrily with the cherry blossoms
and an interesting bird peered out of the bushes…
A European Jay
Beautiful coloration with a blue checkered wing
Two hours of birding in Hyde Park gave a surprisingly good yield of new and interesting species, several lifers. We then by heading down exhibition road to the Natural History Museum where there was a wildlife photographer of the year exhibition and a wonderful bird section…a great way to end the morning.
The Natural Traveller 
‘Love the bird images. Very nice indeed!
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