Kensington Park Gardens, London, 29/03/2009

Weather: cloudy but bright, chilly. From 3pm-ish.

A trip out with the new camera to get some shots of the owls (results to be posted soon).

Notables on Round Pond: Lesser Back-Backed Gull (2), Canada Goose, Mute Swan, Tufted Duck,

Near the physical energy statue: Tawny Owl (2), both adults, no sign of the youngsters. A few more people were passing through the area looking for the owls, one lady in particular helped me look for the youngsters but neither of us could find them - good views of the adults though that were completely unconcerned with the human traffic below.

Notables at a couple of points on Long Water: Ring-Necked Parakeet, Pochard (pair), Red-Crested Pochard (pair), Mallard.

Round & about: Magpie, Woodpigeon, Starling.

12 species.

Hyde Park & Kensington Park Gardens, London, 22/02/2009

Weather: cold, grey & windy. From 11:30am.

From Hyde Park Corner along Serpentine Road on the Serpentine: Coot, Mute Swan, Tufted Duck, Shoveler, Black-Headed Gull, Red-Crested Pochard (feral).

Crossing Exhibition Road into Kensington Park Gardens: Ring-Necked Parakeet noisy in the trees; Little Grebe from the Serpentine Bride on the Long Water.

In the trees around the feeder near the Physical Energy Statue: Robin, Starling, Great-Spotted Woodpecker. After a scouring the nearby trees eventually the target bird was spotted unassuming against a tree trunk, a day-roosting Tawny Owl. Unfortunately we only spotted one & not the widely reported family group, but maybe next time.

On Round Pond: Common Gull, Great-Crested Grebe, Egyptian Goose. Many of the previous species also seen again in an area where many people come to feed them, as a consequence they were extremely naturalised & easy to approach.

14 species.