Coots and Geese in Crystal Palace Park

While my wife and I miss living in Balham, one of the best things about living in Penge (apart from the Pawleyne Arms) is the proximity to Crystal Palace Park. It forms the core of most of my running routes and is a haven of green space and wildlife.

Regular sights that make me smile are:

• Mallards
• Moorhens
• Tufted ducks
• Great Crested Grebe
• Ring necked parakeets (noisy buggers)
• Jays - my favourite
• Sparrows
• Starlings
• Canada geese
• Great Tits and Blue Tits
• Robins
• Grey Squirrels
• Rats (don't make me smile so much but I don't begrudge them their place!)

With the arrival of Spring I have seen a couple of things that I thought worthy of a special mention. First off is Mr and Mrs Egyptian Goose (Alopochen aegyptiacus). When I first saw this pair I incorrectly identified them as Shelducks.

Egyptian Goose (beautiful until he opens his mouth)

According to the RSPB there are approximately 1000 of these in the UK. They are very striking and stand out from the Canada Geese that are more abundant in Crystal Palace. They are native to Africa and are thought to have been introduced as ornamental species in the 1700s. The most established population is in Norfolk but their range is spreading. They are a resident species. I don't know where these two have come from or if there are any more in London. As I have said they are very beautiful birds but have one of the least appealing calls of any goose I have heard!

About a month ago Inna and I were walking through the park and came across a gaggle of people staring at something in the pond. We took a look and saw a pair of Coots (Fulica atra) feeding their chicks. This pair had built their nest in the open water, as coots will do, and the female was sat on the nest with the chicks. They were only very tiny and lacked mobility. Dad was busy patrolling the pond gathering food and returning to feed the chicks, this only happens for the first 4-5 days of their lives. I checked in on them for the next couple of days and Dad was still tirelessly working the pond.

Coots lay 5-7 eggs in a go and incubation takes about 21 days. Pairs can have several clutches in a Summer so I'll be keeping my eyes peeled for more. I was running home last night and thought I would see how they are getting on. Both chicks were still alive and had grown considerably. They were both swimming around with the parents and feeding themselves. They hadn't quite got the hang of dipping yet and couldn't stay under for very long at all. London is crammed with wildlife, you just have to keep your eyes peeled and appreciate what is there.

Coot chick with Dad