Kelsey Park, Bromley 15-9-2012

Young Mallard still with down  - Canon 400D + 100-400mm

On Saturday I took my mum for a walk round Kelsey Park, near Bromley in Kent, it is a very popular public park and most of the birdlife is anything but shy vying with the plentiful Grey Squirrels for the nuts seeds and bread all the visitors seem to bring. The closeness of these birds would give some good photo opportunities if they were not forever on the move scurrying after the next bit of food thrown down by well meaning families.

Adult Moorhen - Canon 400D + 100-400mm

Tufted Duck  - Canon 400D + 100-400mm

The park consists of a central lake fed by the river beck which is really no more than a large stream. The lake has a couple of small islands, one of which contains a Heronry consisting of 21 nests, the below photos are of the last chicks this year of which there were 40.

This Years Heron (chicks?)  - Canon 400D + 100-400mm

Heron  - Canon 400D + 100-400mm

The lake has always had a good mix of waterfowl and we saw Mallards, Coots, Moorhens, Tufted Ducks, Mute Swans, Graylag Geese, Canada Geese and a single Dabchick, all of which are regulars at the park.

A Line of Greylag Geese responding to a group of children throwing food for the ducks  - Canon 400D + 100-400mm

Its location has also meant that it usually has a few escapees of which a Muscovy Duck and an Aylesbury Duck can often be seen here along with the odd Domestic Duck and an increasing number of Egyptian Geese (6 on this occasion), whether these are all free flying or not I have no idea.

Egyptian Goose  - Canon 400D + 100-400mm

Muscovy Duck  - Canon 400D + 100-400mm

My favourites at Kelsey Park are the Mandarin Ducks which happily breed here, their fantastic colours dulled by their preference for the quieter areas of the lake swimming among the many overhanging trees in the lower portion of the river Beck.

Male Mandarin Duck  - Canon 400D + 100-400mm

Female Mandarin  - Canon 400D + 100-400mm

The spot of the day had to be this Teal in mid moult – the probability is that it is a Ringed Teal (note the dark red patches on its back) which have been at the park before.

Teal (probably Ringed Teal)  - Canon 400D + 100-400mm

Over the years the popularity of the park has meant that the wooded areas have been over-visited from a nature point of view and are heavily criss-crossed with a myriad of mini footpaths and thus especially on a busy Saturday the number of passerines seen was very low, limited on this visit to single sightings of Wren, Blackbird, and Robin whilst overhead a few Great Tits called from the upper canopy as did a large number of Ring Necked Parakeets (the pictures of the latter are taken at my parents neighbours apple tree about 2 miles from Kelsey Park in the early evening when they visited, hence poorer picture quality).

Ring Necked Parakeet  - Canon 400D + 100-400mm

Other bird sightings were House Sparrow, starlings, Black Headed Gull, Magpie, Carrion Crow, Collared Dove, Wood Pigeon and Feral Pigeon. A quick word of thanks to the lady from “The Friends of Kelsey Park” who was doing a duck count and engaged me in conversation, updating me on recent goings-on.