Saturday, 9 February 2013

Massive Patch Neglect

I have not set foot on the patch since the 20th of January. Remember that I live about fifty yards from the patch - well, technically I live on the patch, as anything I see from home goes straight on the patchlist - so this is just ridiculous. But sadly it's true. I jammed that Owl about a week ago, but for over a week before that, and over a week since that, the patch has remained Jono-free. Consequently I'm a distant last in the patchlist stakes, am about ten species shy of where I was this time last year, and have yet to see an Egyptian Goose.

Today, with the whole day free, I went to the London Aquarium. The astute amongst you will immediately have realised that Wanstead doesn't have an aquarium....Yes, yet again I have forsaken the patch to go and do something else. At least it wasn't to take loads of photos of birds.....


The London aquarium is very very cool. I've been bleating on all week about what a massive rip-off it was, how on earth could a family ticket set me back in excess of £70, blah blah blah. Let me tell you that it was worth every penny. Well, they could perhaps have thrown a Clownfish in, and let me cuddle a Penguin, but nonetheless it was very very good. The kids loved it, proper family entertainment of the sort we don't do enough of. I don't really know where to begin, but it is very impressive indeed for the basement of a large grey building next to the Thames. Fabulous and huge tanks, brimming with Sharks, Rays, and all manner of other large fish that looked delicious, they even had a couple of massive turtles. The whole thing was wonderful, and somewhere up towards the end they had a real ice wall and a number of penguins with colour coded wing-bands. I just love Penguins. I'd prefer to see them somewhere where Penguins live, and I'll get there one day, but you can't knock a Penguin anywhere, especially when conveniently located on the Jubilee Line. So, a really good morning. Might try the Zoo one of these days, I've not been to that for years and years. I wonder if they've got Meerkats?
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2 comments:

  1. BT Al10 February 2013 at 10:38

    Jono saw a pair of Egyptian Geese at Hollow ponds the first day of snow. Allan

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  2. Spoonbillz10 February 2013 at 11:54

    If you like penguins, definitely go to London Zoo- they opened a new penguin exhibit last year, think they have over 100 there, with lots of good underwater photo opportunities. Look, penguins! http://www.zsl.org/zsl-london-zoo/exhibits/penguins/web-cam,1636,AR.html

    The Clore rainforest exhibit is also really good, you can walk through it with sloths, tamarins and various birds moving around. More meerkats than you can shake a stick at, but personally I think the aardvarks are where it's really at, and the hornbills.

    You might want to wait until March though- they are opening up a big new tiger exhibit which should be pretty awesome.

    (NB- I used to work at the zoo. Totally unbiased information here).

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