Birding in London - Species List!

Well, I finally got the species list posted! Amazingly, considering we were sightseeing the entire time, we saw 47 species!

We were quite fortunate to be across the street from Kensington Gardens, enabling us to spot birds even from our hotel rooms.

Here's the list (North American names are in parentheses)!

Tufted Duck - Aythya fuligula
Pochard - Aythya ferina
Mallard - Anas platyrhynchos
White-headed Duck - Oxyura leucocephala
Eider - Somateria mollissima (Common Eider)
Scaup - Aythya marila (Greater Scaup)
Red-crested Pochard - Netta rufina
Egyptian Goose - Alapochen aegyptiacus
Bar-headed Goose - Anser indicus
Canada Goose - Branta canadensis
Mute Swan - Cygnus olor

Phaesant - Phasianus colchicus (Ring-necked Phaesant)

Great Crested Grebe - Podiceps cristatus

White Pelican - Pelicanus onocrotulus

Cormorant - Phalacrocorax carbo (Great Cormorant)
Shag - Phalacrocorax aristotelis

Grey Heron - Ardea cineria

Montagu's Harrier - Circus pygargus
Kestrel- Falco tinnunculus (Eurasian Kestrel)

Coot - Fulica atra (Eurasian Coot)
Moorhen - Gallinula chloropus (Common Moorhen)

Herring Gull - Larus argentatus
Lesser Black-backed Gull - Larus fuscus
Great Black-backed Gull - Larus marinus
Black-headed Gull - Larus ridibundus

Rock Pigeon - Columba livla
Woodpigeon - Columba palumbus
Eurasian Collared Dove - Streptopelia decaocto
Stock Pigeon - Columba oenas

Swift - Apus apus

Kingfisher - Alcedo atthis

Ringed-necked Parakeet - Psittacula krameri (Rose-ringed Parakeet)

Woodpecker - species

Magpie - Pica pica
Carrion Crow - Corvus corone
Raven - Corvus corax
Jay - Garrulus glandarius

Swallow - Hirudo rustica (Barn Swallow)
Sand Martin - Riparia riparia (Bank Swallow)
House Martin - Delichon urbia

White/Pied Wagtail - Motacilla alba
Grey Wagtail - Motacilla cinera

Blackbird - Turdus marula
Robin - Erithacus rubecula
Starling - Stunus vulgaris (European Starling)
Great Tit - Parus major
House Sparrow - Passer domesticus

Riding on Top of London's Double Decker Buses - June 23, 2010

Do check the index in the lower right column of this blog to visit individual posts, many of which have just been added! You also may need to click on the arrow to the left of "June" in that column to get last months posts to show up.

A bird list is coming soon (hint, about 45 species)!

The first video below is of our rides on London's double decker buses. These were taken on June 23rd as we traveled from the British Library to Harrod's. Every time we rode a double decker bus we somehow managed to get front row seats on top!

The second video is a compilation of our boat cruise to Hampton Court Palace.

Tower Bridge and the Roman Wall - June 24, 2010

I can't believe we actually did as much as we did. All Hallows by the Tower. The Tower of London. Climbing to the top of Tower Bridge. And the Roman Wall.

We did have afternoon tea at the Tower Vault for a pick-me-up before heading over to the Tower Bridge.

Built in 1892, Tower Bridge makes quite a backdrop to the Tower of London and all the other riverside settings in London.

Still red faced from our day on the boat to Hampton Court Palace.

On the bridge heading to the North Tower of the bridge (the tower in the background isn't the main tower).

The cane is mainly a prop to receive priority seating on public transit. It also came in handy at the Globe Theatre where we were in a standing section (great viewing!) for a 3 1/2 hour performance of Henry VIII.

We reached the top! 

Here you can see the Flag of the City of London (left) and the Union Flag (right). 

You can tell the flag on the left is the Flag of the City of London by the sword in the upper left quadrant. That sword symbolizes the sword used to behead St. Paul, and St. Paul is the patron saint of the City of London (the 1 square mile of central London, not the entire city).

This is a view from the top of the tower looking out over the Tower of London. By the end of the day we had done 2 loops of walking around the Tower of London.

Center left is the HMS Belfast. Center background is the dome of St. Paul's Cathedral.

The river is always very busy with boat traffic!

Mom in front of Tower Bridge after having reached the top of both North and South Towers, and walking across both the West and East Walkways connecting the tops of the towers.

It wasn't very far to the Tower Hill Tube Station from Tower Bridge. What's amazing about that Tube Station is that it preserves a remnant of the original Roman Wall that surrounded London. This section of the wall was built around 200AD.

Statue of a prominent Roman administrator from the time when the wall was built, with the Roman Wall in the background.

You can make out segments of red tiles in the lower half of the wall. That's the original Roman section. During medieval times the wall was heightened.

Amazing to see this 2,000 year old structure still standing pretty much intact in a vibrant modern city.

Tower of London - June 24, 2010

We took the Tube to the Tower Hill station so we could visit the Tower of London, but made a short detour to nearby All Hallows by the Tower Anglican Church (London's oldest church, 675AD), a frequently missed site near the Tower of London.

After visiting All Hallows by the Tower we took the short walk to the Tower of London, where we arrived at the visitor plaza.  From here we were able to skip the line and go straight in to the Tower. The views are quite extensive, and we saw a Eurasian Kestrel perched on top of the Tower Wall (from there he flew into the bushes just a few feet from us and caught something to eat).

Once inside the tower we went to see the Crown Jewels. Conventional wisdom says you have to get to the Tower of London at opening time (9:30am in Summer) in order to avoid hours long waits to see the Crown Jewels. We arrived about noon and had no wait at all!

The Crown Jewels were stunning and we rode the moving walkway many times to get repeated close-up views of them.

After viewing the extensive Crown Jewel collection we went over to the site where Anne Boleyn (and many others) had their heads cut off.

The spot, in front of the Royal Chapel, is marked by a sculpture of a pillow, and has inscribed all the names of those who were executed at this spot.

We took quite a lot of pictures of the Grenadier Guards. They don't talk because they are active duty soldiers who are "on parade".

Mom enjoyed taking pictures of them.

We also saw the Yeoman of the Tower. These guards talk. And crack jokes. And make faces.

The Yeoman of the Tower seem to have much larger girths than the Grenadier Guards, probably due to the fact that the Yeoman of the Tower aren't also active duty soldiers.

Here I am with mom as we enter the Crown Jewel exhibit at the Tower of London.

As we exited from the Crown Jewel exhibit we had an excellent view of the White Tower. This is the original building constructed by William the Conqueror in the 1070's.

Ravens! The Tower of London's famous ravens are on display and hop around the castle keep. The Yeoman of the Ravens is by the cage to the right.

Raven, Rock Doves, and a gull (center right in flight). Please identify the gull for us.

Inside the White Tower was a fabulous exhibit on Henry VIII's suits of armor.

At the end of the exhibit one enters a display of the horses of all the Kings of England.

This was a very full day of historical exhibits. And it wasn't even over as we still had the Tower Bridge to visit! Details on the Tower Bridge visit, including mom's climb to the top of the bridge, are in a separate post.

All Hallows by the Tower - June 23, 2010

This was the day for us to visit the Tower of London. By chance we happened upon All Hallows by the Tower Anglican Church, London's oldest church (built in 675AD). Since we were there we decided to go on the self-guided tour (a very nice souvenir book is provided for free when you show your London Pass).

We expected an old church. We did not expect to see, and walk upon, the tiled floor of a Roman era house (circa late 100's AD) upon which the church was built.

Nor were we expecting to see John Quincy Adams' signature in the marriage register (he was married there in 1797).

Here's a Roman tablet found underneath the church after it was bombed in World War II.

This is a chapel in the undercroft from the 1300's.


















And below is a video taken in the sanctuary while the organist was playing.

June 22, 2010 - River Thames Cruise to Hampton Court Palace

It's July 2nd and I'm still adding updates (and re-formating pages so the paragraphs are differentiated).

Do check the index in the lower right column of this blog to visit individual posts, many of which have recently been edited with new pictures and videos!

You'll see a bird species list update when the blog has been completely updated.

In the meantime, enjoy a compilation of video clips taken on our cruise from London's Millennium Pier to Hampton Court Palace.

Prince Albert Memorial

On our last evening in London we did some birding in Kensington Gardens, across the street from our hotel.

At the opposite end of the park we came upon the Prince Albert Memorial. Quite an elaborate and imposing structure!