Holland Park, London Borough of Kensington and Chelsea - 11 May 2013

Yet another windy Saturday! Too windy for most of our local sites, with the risk of sharp showers thrown into the mix, but we were to join WH to do a demonstration at Holland Park. The wildlife area is fairly sheltered with well marked walkways, matured trees and a small pond teeming with tadpoles for good measure.

 

Wildlife area pond

We started well with 4 Blackbirds retrieved from a single net on the first net round. The birds trickled through, albeit limited to just a few species and the visitors were thrilled so see them close up. The wildlife seemed particularly tame and we had visits from Woodpigeons, Robins and a Squirrel that appearEd curious as to exactly what was happening on their patch.

 Woodpigeon

 Drake Mallard

 Grey Squirrel

We managed to avoid catching any peacocks or joggers - or to photograph any birds in the hand as we were very much engaged with the public. There were lots of questions to answer and there was a lot of interest in the way nets are constructed and erected. There were a few showers but they made little difference under the thick canopy.

The refuge area is just a short walk away from beautiful gardens.

 Kyoto Garden

 Fukishima Garden

 

Bonsai conifers

 Tulip beds

 This stunning mural can be found under the covered walkway close to the cafe and environmental centre.

Totals - 7 (4)

Blackbird - 2 (2)

Wren - 1 (1)

Blackcap - 4 (0)

Great Tit - 0 (1)

Visitors - 34