First outing of the new year

So today starts my year list of birds and beasties. It started in the garden as dawn broke this morning.
Goldfinch
Jay
Great Tit
Blue Tit
Greenfinch
Chaffinch
Dunnock
Blackbird
Blackcap (male)
Great Spotted Woodpecker (female)
Starling
Wood Pigeon
Crow (from the garden)
Ring-necked Parakeet
Feral Pigeon
(also had a Fox visit the garden)
and for the first time ever, in all the time I've had RN Parakeets in the garden, I saw one down on the grass - it was with three starlings. So that's an all-time first!!

then later (and additionally) at Kew Gardens
Goldcrest (saw one three times in completely different places)
Grey Heron
Coot
Mute Swan
Mallard
Moorhen
Jackdaw
Song Thrush

23 on the bird year list in total so far..... not a bad start.

Jackie had given the heads up that Kew Gardens, to mark it's 250th anniversary was letting visitors in for free today. Given they now charge £13 per visit I thought this a good opportunity. Grey, grey skies again and not much light for pictures, but I wanted to experience the tree top walk. Equally, as Jackie and her husband Phil with a couple of friends were also going to visit, it provided a great opportunity for us to meet up - in the flesh as it were! It was lovely to meet you and many thanks for the coffee Jackie :D

I'd planned to park in the road but needless to say, there weren't any spaces so I headed off for the car park. I was expecting to pay £3.50 but this had now increased to £5.00 OK, thought I, it's still cheaper than the entrance price. It became even cheaper as, just as I was getting into my car, I offered my parking ticket to a new arrival - the driver insisted we went halves so I ended up paying £2.50 - sorted!

A few pictures -
The 118 stairs up to the top. About half way around the walk, I (and others) were aware that the whole structure was swaying. This became even more noticeable as I lined up the camera to take the picture of the Temperate House! Not a pleasant sensation, so I didn't linger, which rather spoilt the occasion!




A view of the Temperate house - not seen it from this angle before!

Near the main entrance



Another visitor

Around the lake





Song Thrush (wrong lens!)
(I've cropped this from a very much larger picture)

Around the Rock Gardens on my way out



And a very colourful resident having a dust bath (but I can't claim this one for my year list - BR please note :D)



The gardens were packed with people by the time I left, which was hardly surprising, and I was glad I'd arrived in the morning. Not sure, given that I know the gardens so well, that I'd want to spend £13 visiting them again in the near future though. But I'm glad to have met Jackie and Phil, experienced the tree walk - and, the highlight of the day, - the Goldcrest(s)!