Having lived in London without a vehicle for a few months now, our stamina for walking around has really improved, and rather than take the train, we decided to walk to St James's Park, which is only a half hour walk. Seriously, back in Edmonton, I would never have considered walking somewhere that was half an hour away, but here it's fine. It's also because the weather is more conducive for this. At this time of year, one could see temperatures that are warm (like at the time of writing this, we have the same temperature here in London as back home), but it wouldn't be uncommon to see temperatures of -15ºC or colder. So that would also make me less interested in walking that far--but I wouldn't do it in the summer back home either. After all, I have a car there! But the great thing about walking, aside from the obvious health benefits, is getting to see different perspectives of the streets and neighbourhoods, and sometimes you take a different route and meander a bit and see interesting things. London is under heavy pandemic restrictions right now due to a new and more virulent mutation of the virus spreading right now, so the streets are relatively clear, and you can take fun photos in the middle of them--now would be a good time for the classic Abbey Road photo, now that I think about it! But it's also a good time to be out birding.
I can't say it's really like enjoying nature when so many of the St James's Park birds were gifted to the royals or to the country, but it's like living in a high quality sanctuary for them. Pelicans in the park have a long history, and they have always been cared for by park staff. Their population never seems to grow either. I read somewhere that pelicans do lay eggs but that the shells are not strong enough or the eggs or somehow or other not viable enough unless there are at least 10 birds in a scooping (that's the name for a group of pelicans--it's it great?), so as a result, these birds just live out their lives at the park and then die. More get gifted to the country, and then they have more pelicans there. It's an odd arrangement, but at the same time, I think it's for the best that they not reproduce given that they aren't native. Who knows if they might compete with local species and take over?
The pelican in the photos is a great white pelican, despite the fact that he or she is pink. I think it looks like a cross between a flamingo and a pelican, myself! Great whites are also known as rosy pelicans, and they do have pink legs and can have pink on their faces, but I'm not sure why this one is pink all over. Nonetheless, I was able to get really close for photos, so it looks like I have a real professional camera and everything. And the sun came out at the right time for some excellent lighting. You'll also notice some of the shots being photobombed by other birds, including a black swan, black-headed gull in winter plumage, and a Eurasian coot. I should also mention that I'm not clear on naming systems, but this pelican appeared to be quite a bit smaller than the American white pelicans we have at home. Maybe whoever named it thought it was the largest one until the American ones were found, but the name was already taken? Or maybe this one is a bit younger? I wish I knew!
Comments