- | '''Hyde Park and Kensington Gardens''' (open dawn to dusk) are located in the heart of Inner London (City of Westminster and Inner London sector) and easily accessible by the many public transport routes which take in the general area. Both sites, though technically seperate, are continuous and are divided by West Carriage Drive (the bridge). The home of the original Crystal Palace, Speakers Corner, Kensington Palace, the Serpentine Gallery, George Framptons much loved Peter Pan sculpture, the Albert, Diana and Hudson Memorials, the Speke Monument and Physical Energy plus many famous concerts. The site (as with many in Inner London) is heavily utilised by the public and consists of open, amenitised, grassy areas dotted with wooded enclosures, more formal sections, small areas of rough grassland, a lake (the Serpentine in Hyde Park and the Longwater in Kensington Gardens) and the Round Pond (also in Kensington Gardens), long known for it's model boat sailing on Sundays.
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- | Early morning is always best before any disturbance kicks in and interesting London birds to date have included '''Bewick's''' and '''Whooper Swan''', '''Garganey''', '''Long-tailed Duck''', '''Common Scoter''', '''Goldeneye''', all three '''sawbills''', '''Red-throated Diver''', '''Red-necked, Slavonian''' and '''Black-necked Grebe''', '''Storm''' and '''Leach's Petrel''', '''Gannet''', '''Shag''', '''Red Kite''', '''Osprey''', '''Merlin''', '''Peregrine''', '''Water Rail''', '''Corncrake''', '''Avocet''', '''Sanderling''', '''Little Stint''', '''Bar-tailed Godwit''', '''Whimbrel''', '''Curlew''', '''Greenshank''', '''Green Sandpiper''', '''Arctic Skua''', '''Little, Ring-billed, Yellow-legged, Iceland''' and '''Glaucous Gull''', '''Kittiwake''', '''Little''' and '''Black Tern''', '''Guillemot''', '''Razorbill''', '''Little Auk''', '''Turtle Dove''', '''Short-eared Owl''', '''Nightjar''', '''Hoopoe''', '''Shore Lark''', '''Blue-headed Wagtail''', '''Nightingale''', '''Grasshopper''' and '''Marsh Warbler''', '''Firecrest''', '''Red-backed Shrike''', '''Hooded Crow''', '''Twite''' and '''Snow Bunting'''. The vast majority of these species are unlikely to be found on any ad-hoc visit and many of the more interesting records are from past decades. However, regular watching is the key which can repay with uncommon local sightings.
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- | Residents and regulars include the most significant Inner London congregation of '''Mute Swan''' (occasionally numbering 100+), '''Mandarin''', '''Gadwall''', '''Shoveler''', '''Pochard''', '''Tufted''' and '''Ruddy Duck''', '''Little''' and '''Great Crested Grebe''', '''Sparrowhawk''', '''Kestrel''', '''Stock Dove''', '''Ring-necked Parakeet''', '''Tawny Owl''', '''Green''' and '''Great Spotted Woodpecker''', '''Song''' and '''Mistle Thrush''', '''Goldcrest''', '''Long-tailed''' and '''Coal Tit''', and '''Nuthatch''' and '''Treecreeper'''. Migrant breeders include '''House Martin''' nearby and '''Blackcap'''. A fair range of passage migrants can be expected annually such as '''Common Sandpiper''', '''Common Tern''', '''Skylark''', the three regular '''hirundines''', '''Tree''' and '''Meadow Pipit''', '''Yellow''' and '''White Wagtail''', '''Common Redstart''', '''Northern Wheatear''', '''Fieldfare''', '''Redwing''', '''warblers''' (including the occasional '''Wood'''), '''Spotted''' and '''Pied Flycatcher''' (the former no longer breeding), '''Jackdaw''', '''Brambling''', '''Siskin''', '''Lesser Redpoll''' and '''Reed Bunting'''. Furthermore, in most years there are the odd record of species such as '''Wigeon''' and '''Pintail''' which pose questions regarding origin. Some examples are undoubtedly wild, others less likely to be so. There are also the occasional records of '''Red-crested Pochard''' which are always considered to be of dubious provenance. The whole site is a typical, though well-managed, urban park.
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