Water Rail, Kensington Gardens

The patch of reeds where the Water Rail was sighted

The reeds along the banks of The Longwater in Kensington Gardens have always promised Water Rail sightings but, for over seventy years, they have gone unreported. That is until today when, with the help of a flushing fox, I was lucky enough to record the first modern day sighting of this species at the site. It showed in the patch of reeds on the south bank, just north of the Serpentine bridge, for a generous twenty minutes.

I also recorded my first trilling Little Grebe here and Des McKenzie and Nick Tanner reported a Red Kite heading north over the Round Pond earlier in the day. A really good day for the park.