Autumn at London Wetland Centre

Autumn started officially three weeks ago but today it still felt as if it was summer. I read on the website of London Wetland Centre that already 70+ Wigeons (Anas Penelope) had returned for the winter period. Enough reason to visit the wetland centre and see for myself how autumnal it already looked and  felt.

Eventually I did find the Wigeons although it took me a while before I spotted them; they were further away than I hoped.

They are quite social and are not unkind to the neighbours, when they want to enjoy the sun as well.

And with so many Gadwalls (Anas Strepera) around, there is no way you should not share your little island anyway. Below another pair of the many dozens that have arrived in London.

There are quite a lot of Gadwalls around. They are in England the whole year, but from now on they have to share their habitat until the migrants fly north again.

But not only the water birds are preparing for the winter. The Common Darter (Sympetrum Striolatum) wants to make sure there are enough fertilized eggs in the pond before he dies. So the next generation can do it all over again, the next year.

Some other dragonflies, like this Migrant Hawker (Aeshna Mixta), will not fly much longer, given the state of it’s wings.

It won’t be long before the dragonflies and damselflies have all died. That is inevitable. Let’s just enjoy their beauty as long as possible until the next generation shows up, next summer.

To finish this blog, just another picture of one of my favourite geese: the “Greylag” (Anser Anser). I think that my next blog will have much more mushrooms, autumnal colours and returned migrants to show. I can’ t wait for the autumn to really begin!