Monday 27th.September 2010

Not being able to get out yesterday , the weather this morning was not exactly inviting , with overcast , damp and on and off drizzle . I decided to head for Kelsey Park in Beckenham . The centre of the park has a large lake , fed by The Beck , after which Beckenham was named . Having flowed through the lake , The Beck continues it's way under the town , to join up with the River Ravensbourne . It was at the point where The Beck leaves the lake , that I found a gathering of 25 Mandarin Ducks , out feeding on the grass . I couldn't get all 25 in the frame at once , this shot showing 17 of them .
Even though the breeding season is still 6 months away , there was a lot of whistling and 'breast sticking out' going on .
Sometimes this was added to by stretching the neck and showing the head feathers .

A couple of the females were small and could have been juveniles , but this male definitely was .
The usual species showed up , including several Tufted Ducks flying in - sorry Warren , forgot .

The females were already there , making sure that they looked their best - sorry Warren , again

A racket from the right , announced the arrival of yet more Canada Geese .Tucked away under the overhanging bushes on the far side of the lake , was a female Shoveller , the first that I have seen here .The heronry was empty apart from this adult that flew in and settled on an old nest , perhaps to stake it's claim for the next breeding season .

Being a public park , Grey Squirrels were everywhere , ready to mug passers by for nuts .

On my way home , I stopped at Keston Ponds . Nothing of interest on the Ponds , but a quick look around did produce some interesting fungi : Chanterelle-Cantharellus cibarius , amongst the leaf litter .Spotted Tough-shank-Collybia maculata , amongst the Scots Pine debris ,and Hare's Ear-Otidea onotica , also amongst the leaf litter .