Royal Parks at London - St. James Park and Hyde Park

St James Park and Hyde Park are two of the royal parks in London that made great impression on us.

St. James Park is a relative small park, about half mile long from Buckingham Palace to Horse Gard parade, and quarter mile wide from birdcage walk to The Mall. The center piece of the park is the St. James park lake, tall trees line the lake shore, bushes, flowering plants fill the space. The lake is a paradise for many water fowls  - ducks, gulls, herons, pelican, Egyptian goose, Canadian goose, bar-headed goose,  and birds - wood pigeons, black-billed magpies, European robins (much smaller than American robin), rose-ringed parakeets … I went there twice during our London trip, once by myself, and once with Lily.

St. James Park  Northeast end - Horse Guard Parade, White Wall, London Eye in the back ground

St. James Park Southwest end - Buckingham Palace

Pelicans, Herons rest on the rocks in the lake

Duck island Cottage

Egyptian Geese

Common Moorhen

Black Necked Grebe

Bar Headed Goose (standing)

Heron

Male Wood Duck

AEuropean Robin was singing in front of Buckingham Palace - the night of Queen Elizabeth's funeral  

A lighted royal blue sculpture

Rose Ringed Parakeet - watching a woman breast feeding her baby 

Hyde Park is large, 1 and half miles (2.4km) long and three quarters of a mile (1.2 km) wide, about 16 times larger than St. James park! It has one large lake - The Serpentine - the name tells it - it is a long narrow snake-shaped lake. The park has many expansive open spaces for sport or children activities, and wooded areas, with quite a few sculptures, some small gardens - rose garden near Queen Elizabeth Gate, and the elegant Italian Garden at northern end of the lake. Kensington  Palace is on premise, at west end of the Hyde Park, with its own garden, pond and statues. There are many water fowls there, almost the same type as those at St James Park.  I went there twice as well during our London trip, once by myself, and once with Lily.

Statue of Achilles near Elizabeth Gate

Memorial of Prince Albert  - Queen Victoria's Husband

Princess Diana Memorial Fountain

The Arch - a live heron happened to stand on it 

July 7, 2005 London Bombing memorial

Egyptian Geese

Canadian Geese

Swan at the side of the lake

A heron on a wood steward in front of the Arch

An European Robin chirping out loud

Common Starlings at a café by the lake  

Japanese Tit  

A sawn at the pond in front of Kensington Palace

The Italian Garden at the back

Sculptures at Italian Garden

The Italian Garden at Hyde Park

Police on Horse