Thanks to a loan camera and zoom lens from Olympus, this was the week I discovered I might enjoy a bit of wildlife photography. I was thrashing around for suitable subjects to illustrate a review of the outfit when the London Wetland Centre sprang to mind. Where better to take a 300mm-equivalent zoom lens and go in search of some very civilised wildlife?
Of course I know nothing about birds and ducks and stuff, and I even accused this family duo of being Eider ducks. I’ve been put on the right track — they are likely to be moorhens given the size of their feet. The baby’s feet are almost as large as the parent’s. If you want to see more of my first efforts at wildlife photography visit the page here.
_______________
The Moorhen has a red beak, the similar Coot has a white beak with a white head.
This one has a cream beak and a black head.
From across the pond, an American Coot perhaps.
They all have the rather weird feathery toes though.
I have to take issue with you about "wildlife", that place is more like a zoo from memory, and of course there is all the usual worthy virtue signalling stuff about global warming being forced down the kiddies throats.
It is mating and nesting time here in Upstate NY the Mallards 🦆 re pairing up and feasting on whatever they find in people’s lawn, the female eats and the male follows s she scrounges for food. Fun to watch.