Bushy Park in Springtime!

I wasn't intending to go very far today - had domestic stuff to do.  But as I left the house, I was thinking of a conversation I'd had with Pete last weekend when in Hyde Park, about missing the springtime colour of Richmond and Bushy Parks.  The car picked up on this and before I knew it I was on the road to Bushy Park.

So a very spur of the moment visit in glorious sunshine and it was so warm... I wished I'd had a t-shirt on rather than a jumper.

In the Boating Pond there were hardly any birds apart from the usual suspects.,  A pair of mute swans were nesting on the usual island.

A couple of mallards having a chat as they swan past..

and the usual chase by the males of the female!!

A jackdaw gazed out at the world from its lofty perch..

Red-crested Pochard

A hybrid mallard

This Canada Goose had a cosy nest..

A male Mandarin Duck

with an almost perfect reflection!!

Loads of Parakeets around.. I believe this is a youngster given the shortness of the tail and lack of beak colour.

and finally, a female Mandarin Duck

great impromptu day and very unexpected... :)