Under a day's employ in London and with several hours to kill in the middle of the day I took a stroll in Hyde Park and Kensington Gardens. I tried to resist the urge but ended up counting the waterfowl, reaching 127 Mute Swans, 74 Greylags, 78 Egyptian Geese, 11 Gadwall, just eight Mallards, four Shovelers, 66 Tufted Ducks, 11 Cormorants, two Grey Herons, four Great Crested Grebes, 11 Moorhens, 110 Coots, 40 Common Gulls and six Lesser Black-backed Gulls. A flock of 90 Redwings afforded wonderful views in nice light. The most notable birds otherwise were a fly-over redpoll and a Nuthatch, while I casually observed the tourist antics with the tame Rose-ringed Parakeets.
I also did a little ring-reading, getting the details of an Egyptian Goose, three Mute Swans and - best of all - an adult Polish-ringed Black-headed Gull.
