Naturalist Notebook

A Walk at the Eastern end of San Elijo Lagoon

On Saturday afternoon I went for a walk on a trail at the Eastern end of San Elijo Lagoon. There are woods and grasslands and reed beds. A calm, warm day with bright blue skies. Sounds of birds everywhere but not many visible. However the sounds of a woodpecker tapping revealed a Nuttall's just above my head in thick willow trees.

Song Sparrows flitted through the undergrowth

The bulrushes in the reed beds were beautiful

A Black Phoebe perched on a rock at the edge of the marsh

Beautiful late Summer wildflowers were everywhere

Jays called from dead trees and sage scrub

A king bird - a Cassins, I think was also perched in the dead branches

And Prickly Pear cactus was scattered through the grassland and scrub.

Posted October 2, 2011

Monarch Butterflies

Posted September 23, 2011

Gulf Fritillary in my Yard

(download)

Posted September 18, 2011

A Walk in Holland Park

London Parks are rich in history and beauty and Holland Park is no exception. Pwehaps not as well known as Hyde Park, Regents Park and St James Park it is well worth a visit. It is also a great place to see Ring-necked Parakeets. This invasive species has been growing in numbers for years and recent mild winters seemed to have provided good conditions for these parrots.

A long time ago Holland Park was a country house surrounded by lovely grounds, and after being badly bombed in 1940 became a public park:

Holland Walk runs on one side of the Park.

At the top pf the walk you can see the playing field.

And on the right is the Orangery where outdoor opera is held in the summer.

Beautiful designs on old gates and walls:

One wing of the house still standing is now part of a Youth Hostel:

Familiar London wild life is all around:

Like this Woodpigeon:

Grey Squirrel

Juvenile Moorhen

Brhind the buildings are beautiful gardens: Bird feeders are everywhere and are caged - not just from the squirrels but from the Parrots as well!

Chaffinches at a feeder in Holland Park.

The Ring-necked Parakeets of Holland Park flying together shortly before roosting time.

These parrots are growing in numbers and although they are delightful to watch - they are beginning to cause problems for some of the native wildlife such as the woodpeckers that live in the nature reserve in the northern part of the Park.

Next time I hope to spend some time in and near the nature reserve, woods and meadows that make this Cental London Park even more special.
A few quick steps and I am back in the heart of London streets again:

Filed under // Britain London Park nature wildlife

Posted September 17, 2011

A London Garden

Last weekend I found myself in a tiny central London garden - one cherry tree, a small hedge, some potted plants and a rug sized lawn. I heard the sounds of a flock of small birds approaching through other gardens so I grabbed my camera and went outside. Within a minute or two over twenty long-tailed tits were all around me darting in and out of the tree and the hedge. A relation of the Bushtit from North America, Long-tailed tits tend to move in flocks and are small agile birds with long tails and brown and white plumage with a pink tinge. I noticed flashes of yellow and a Blue Tit was also in the tree. Then they were gone and I was about to go indoors when a European Jay landed on the wall of the garden next door. It had an acorn in its mouth. A classic pose for a Jay! I went back inside and then a Robbin flew down into the lawn just long enough for me to get a quick shot through the window. Not bad birding for a few minutes a stone's throw away from one of the busiest central London Streets - One of the reasons there are so many birds around this area may be the proximity to Holland Park - a wonderful and partly wild public park.