Beards in the Park

On our annual pilgrimage to the Wildlife Photographer of the Year Exhibition at the Natural History Museum today - we have been for the last 5 years - we decided to walk through Hyde Park to see if the 2 female Bearded Tits that had been present for the last few months were still there. And we were not to be disappointed. Wow. I had heard they were very obliging but I didn't expect to get so close. The reedbed is right next to the path and literally a metre or so in width. You could not miss them! The light wasn't too bad but it was a challenge to get any decent shots due to a number of factors, not least the constantly moving reeds and birds. However, I managed a few quite nice shots (below). Oh the exhibition was excellent too and highly recommended.

Great White

I used to go Birdwatching with the YOC around Coate Water, Swindon, Wiltshire in my youth, but have only been back 1-2 times in the last 20 years. Today, whilst visiting my parents I thought I'd call in to try and catch up with the Great White Egret that has been frequenting the Country Park for the last month or so, as this would be a first for me. I got lucky. Not only did I see the GWE (albeit fairly distantly), I also had my best ever views of a Water Rail (even better than the Pulborough Brooks bird). The Rail was feeding from a puddle just a few feet from the hide I was sat in (and nicely reflected too!). On the feeders, there were plenty of Tits, Great, Blue and Long-tailed (the latter in numbers I'd never seen before on a feeder). On the main lake there were a good number of Goosander too. A few photos below, including a poor record shot of the Great White Egret.

Water Rail

What you looking at?

Long-tailed Tit
 

Great White Egret



Great Tit