My blog is mostly about wildlife, particularly birds, walking, days out, all growing things and anything else that comes to mind.
To view pictures in larger format, just click on any picture for the picture gallery....

Thursday 1 January 2009

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)!

8 comments:

Anonymous said...

Hi Tricia, nice to meet you today at Kew, looks like you had a good photographic day.

Phil

www.g1lkj.blogspot.com

Tricia Ryder said...

Nice to have met you too Phil and good to see you here.

The Wessex Reiver said...

Hi Tricia, well done on the 23 from your garden and at Kew - that's a great score. Thanks for the comment. Regards BR

Anonymous said...

Your tree top walk looks absolutely fascinating. It must have been a fun experience. I enjoyed seeing the beauty of the Nature that surrounds you.

Happy New Days.

FAB said...

Hi Tricia, Great start to your garden list (mine was only 4!) However a trip to the coast & a meeting with 'paghambirder' helped my life / 2009 list get off to a good start. Hope to arrange an outing for you before too long where the parking is free. Happy New Year.

Tricia Ryder said...

Hi Frank - glad you had a good day!

See you've "signed up" to blogger - so when are you starting it for "real"? Lol

Look forward to Pagham as and when!

Tricia Ryder said...

Bernie - thank you. I've popped into "Natural Moments" - you have some great pictures, especially the "angelic osprey".

Shirley said...

Hi again Tricia and a very Happy New Year to you :-D

What a lovely selection of photos from your visit to Kew. It has been about seven years since my last visit - a too hot summer’s day! I especially loved seeing the photos of the rock garden which was one of my favourite parts.

Mm… don’t have the legs for wobbles so I wouldn’t have even considered going up the tree top walk. Well done you! I would have been walking weird for the rest of the day ;-)

All the best for 2009 :-D

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