It’s a place we’ve seen so often on the television, but had never been.  It turned out to be one of the hottest days of the year (where was this weather during our fortnight in Norfolk?), and too hot to be in the glasshouses for very long.  We had a lovely afternoon, and were on our way back to the car park when I saw a largish green bird fly across the path someway ahead of us.  As we got nearer we could hear a lot of birds calling in the trees just off the path, and getting closer we saw a large flock (around 30) of green parakeets.  I remembered seeing something a few years ago about parakeets on Hampstead Heath, but never really expected to see them.  We watched them for around 20 minutes before we had to leave, and I picked up some bright green feathers to show to any non-believers!  When we got home I looked on the internet and discovered that the population of these ring necked parakeets has increased dramatically over the last 30 years, and they are quite common in several London parks, and even in peoples’ gardens.

Back home, the coots and moorhens are rearing their last broods on the canal.  The mallard bachelors cruise by from time to time, but there has been no sign of our widower swan for several weeks.  His wife, who was so ill at the start of the summer was never returned by the RSPCA, and so for the first time since we’ve lived in this house, we’ve had no cygnets to count and watch over.  I know swans mate for life, but don’t know if they marry again if they loose their partners.  We’re keeping our fingers crossed.

Till the next time, Rutland Road Bird Blogger.