springtime in London

While people back in Canada are enduring the annual March snowstorms and cold, wet days, London is warm and sunny. (Well at least today was sunny - we seem to be getting bursts of rain at random points during every.)


Another walk in Hyde Park led to more pics of the beauty that lies right in the heart of this busy city.


This is by far my favourite picture taken of a swan since we moved here - the light was perfect and even though it took a few minutes, he posed very nicely for me:



There seemed to be hundreds of birds all over the park - the usual seagulls, swans, geese, ducks, and other small water birds, as well as an unexpected visitor:


Right at the end of the Serpentine, where there are tons of people and birds all around, a grey heron (we thought it was a whooping crane) sat at the very top of a tree. I was pretty excited, since we don't see them around very often - and got an even better surprise when he flew down to the water to get some of the treats that a little kid was throwing to the other birds.


Since herons are such solitary birds, and usually stay out in the middle of the river where it's hard to get decent pics of them, I was really happy to get such good close-ups. It will also be the only time I can expect to get a photograph of a heron eating a french fry...