Hyde Park is in walking distance to the city centre, which means it's a very long way from where I live. It's been a couple of years since I have been here. In that time, the ancient willow trees have been cut down, they were glorious and we're planted in the late 1800's. The view across the larger of the two ornamental lakes took some adjusting to, it looked so bare.
It looks like they are rebuilding habitat, although that's going to take some years to mature and become nesting grounds once again.
Thankfully, I was soon rewarded with a family of black swans. Given these regal birds are native, I rarely come across them. So seeing the four cygnets with their parents soon had me cooing with delight.
I watched the family for a long time, noting how doting and proud the parents are.
There was also a large Australia wood duck family feasting on the grass. This family was considerably larger, and I must say impressive to see so many chicks. Birds don't have it easy, making it to adulthood is no easy feat.
There were also two species of coots on the lake, as well as ibis and a rather cheeky rose chested cockatoo. Walking back to my car I noticed a pair of rainbow lorikeets. Although beautiful, these birds are not native to Western Australia, and they cause a lot of destruction to our native birds. Some escaped from captivity in the 1960's from a university. Which I guess is good for them, god knows what they were being used for.
But from those few birds, they have created a thriving population...
