It’s been an odd spring weather wise with bursts of scorching hot weekends intermingled with temperatures plummeting down to single figures.
If us humans were confused about whether to pack away our winter clothes or not, spare a thought for our wildlife who must be having their internal clocks disrupted too…
Despite the meteorological rollercoaster there were still plenty of birds to see this spring, so as summer makes its appearance on the calendar, I thought it would be a great time to look back over the last few months out and about in the greenery of London.
Spring is all about bringing forth new life for the wild birds. From making their nests to rearing and caring for their new chicks, the wildlife is always busy this time of year and nowhere more so than at Walthamstow Wetlands.
The small birds were starting to make an appearance out on the hunt for suitable nesting spots. In April at the Wetlands it was a pleasure to watch the Chiff Chaffs, Blue Tits and Great Tits flit about the bank side trees. I even caught a glimpse of the elusive Green Woodpecker as it flew across towards the Lee Valley!
Slideshow: Small Birds
Walthamstow Wetlands has an abundance of Geese, and the most prolific breeders this year seemed to be the Greylags. Large families of chicks seemed to spring up in all corners of the reservoirs this year, and these yellow balls of fluff brought forth some wonderful sights.
Slideshow: Greylag Chicks
The Starlings in the woodland areas of Walthamstow Wetlands were also busy foraging for food for their youngsters
In April, over in Bushy Park near Hampton Court, I spotted this coot making its nest on an open lake, and met the cutest of the cutest Egyptian goose gosling.
Hampstead Heath has a regular residency of birds that frequent its woodland habitat throughout the Spring, however I was very excited on a wonderful sunny weekend in April to see this beautiful Blackcap sitting in a tree munching on an abundance of berries. It’s the first time I’d seen a Blackcap – what a treat!
In May, another trip to Hampstead Heath brought an encounter with one of my favourite birds of the area, the Mistle Thrush. This one was out digging for worms after a short rain shower.
So with Spring over and the chicks starting to grow, the circle of seasons moves on, I can’t wait to see what the Summer months bring forth!
