Wakehurst Place

By Paul Cecil | Published August 29, 2007

Our Sussex travels took us to Wakehurst Place today. Connected with the Royal Botanic Gardens at Kew, Wakehurst is the home of the Millennium Seed Bank. It is also a haven for wildlife among the extensive gardens, wetlands and woodland areas.

Today was really an excuse to check it out for future visits. I've been once before (to the Seed Bank), but had not had a chance to explore. I'll certainly be returning (I purchased a season ticket on the way out). The highlight today were the moorhens with their young (which were much taken with walking over the lily pads!).

The lake

Young moorhen with huge feet

Whoops! No lily pad here.

What size shoe?

Another young one

<IMG="http://www.permuted.org.uk/photography/wp-content/uploads/2007/08/wakehurst_moorhen_2908076257.jpg" width="600" height="450">Adult with young

A very young one indeed!

More photos in the Wakehurst Place album

This entry was posted in Landscape, water birds and tagged , .

9 Comments

  1. Words August 29, 2007 at 9:08 pm #

    Apparently they're excellent climbers! You'd never guess though by looking at them.

  2. Dudley August 29, 2007 at 9:08 pm #

    An awkward looking bird.

    Great set of photos.

  3. Mickeyjoe-Irl August 30, 2007 at 12:08 am #

    :eyes: Those feet are huge.

  4. Flying Red Fox Blog August 30, 2007 at 3:08 am #

    Lovelly pics :heart: I have been to Kew Gardens before, a beautiful place to explore when you next go again:D

  5. gdare August 30, 2007 at 6:08 am #

    🙂

  6. SittingFox August 30, 2007 at 5:08 pm #

    Young moorhens get my vote as the strangest creature this side of Australia!

    Great pictures! :up:

  7. Words August 31, 2007 at 12:08 am #

    The moorhens were great. Definitely on my 'must go again' list. The grounds are beautiful, and there's a waterside hide (kingfishers!), plus a nature reserve which has very limited access to prevent damage to the ecology (50 people per day). Once again though some late summer sun would be welcome!

  8. ALLY_G August 31, 2007 at 4:08 am #

    I think, you had a lot of fun to take these nice and interesting photos. :up: That feet really are very big. :eyes:

  9. SittingFox August 31, 2007 at 5:08 am #

    Sounds great. I've never been there, but I really enjoyed going to Kew a while back. About the only place in England with tame and approachable green woodpeckers 😆