Wildlife Update

[drplokta]

An update on this post.

And the list so far is:

Great crested grebe, on Canada Water


Mute swan, on Surrey Water


Coot, on Surrey Water


Lesser black-backed gull, on a bollard in the Thames


Blue tit (I think -- a great tit would have a black band down its belly) in Russia Dock Woodland


Tufted ducks (male) on Surrey Water


Blackbird (female) in Russia Dock Woodland (terrible photo, which will be updated when I get a decent one)


Stock dove in Russia Dock Woodland


Black-headed gull by Canada Water (they don't have black heads in winter)


Canada goose on (where else) Canada Water


Pied wagtail by Canada Water


Cormorant on Canada Water

At this point, I changed my camera, having bought a shiny new Kodak Easyshare V610 with 10x optical zoom, and also a Gorillapod tripod (since you need steady hands or bright sunlight for 10x zoom). The photos get better, and more worth clicking through on.


Magpies in Stave Hill Ecology Park.


Grey squirrel in Stave Hill Ecology Park


Carrion crow on Mellish Sports Ground


Mallard on Lavender Pond


Moorhen on Lavender Pond


Black-headed gulls by the Thames


Black-headed gulls, common gulls, feral pigeons and stock dove by the Thames


Grey wagtail in Russia Dock Woodland (very blurry, but good enough to identify the species)


Woodpigeon in Russia Dock Woodland

Also seen, but not photographed: robin, great spotted woodpecker, house sparrow.

That makes 24 so far, already beating ajshepherd and armb's votes.

Comments

[i-ate-my-crusts.livejournal.com]

Whoa! you actually saw a house sparrow? I'm not going to believe that until I see photographs.

(Sydney has many, many more sparrows than London. This boggles me.)

Also, awesome new camera and awesome camerawork.

[drplokta]

[alexmc.livejournal.com]

one of these is not like the others

[sbisson.livejournal.com]

The blue tit is, I'm pretty sure, a Great Tit. Blue tits are nowhere near that green.

[akirlu.livejournal.com]

Be sure to bring your camera when next in Seattle, especially if it's for a winter-months event. We have loons (you knew that) and mergansers and buffleheads, and without being incredibly lucky, you can also get bald eagles and ospreys and certainly red tail hawks.

[pmcmurray.livejournal.com]

24 so far, is my three figured guess still so weird :)

[drplokta]

Yes, pretty much. An experienced birdwatcher clocked 55 species in Surrey Quays last year, there may be as many as 20 butterflies, but you'll have a hard time adding the remaining 25 from mammals (conceivably two bats, squirrel, fox, rabbit, hedgehog, mouse, rat), reptiles (turtle, lizard, grass snake, slow worm) and amphibians (frog, toad, newt).