My day trip to London

I went to add some extra labour for some friends who were moving flats in Hammersmith today.  I left home at 7-45am and arrived on time at 9-30am after an easy and  sunny drive. I was able to lend another pair of hands for some strategic lifting.

I left in the afternoon and decided to make to most of the opportunity to visit the Barnes Wildlife and Wetland centre which I hadn't been to since soon after it opened back in the 1990s. The original WWT location at Slimbridge is quite close to home so it was interesting to compare the differences.  There are of course far fewer birds in Central London but the management have made a wonderful job of creating habitats that mimic wild places. 

I stayed in one hide for most of my visit and was pleased to have the chance to see lapwings, common sandpipers and sand martins quite close by.  I hadn't brought my long lens so in the end I was a bit frustrated when trying to get detailed pictures.  However I have added a picture of a lapwing taking flight from the edge of a lake, where it was amusing to watch about ten grey herons ruling the roost.

On the walk back to the main building I stopped on one side of a large and deep lake surrounded by thick vegetation, which must all have been introduced quite recently. I stood behind some tall flowers whose feet were in the water's edge and spotted a grey heron in the reeds, which I had seen fly from the other lake.  The peaceful view appeals to me as a blip today.  Within minutes I was back on the road home, which was far less peaceful, and I was glad to be home by 6pm without incident.