It was cold but very clear and bright and perfect for seeing animal behaviour.
First we went to the panda enclosure. It's getting near to spring and the breeding season and Tian Tian ("Sweetie") was out in her enclosure, circling restlessly.
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| Tian Tian, Giant Panda [February 2013] |
Then we wandered up past the penguin pool which is currently going through a major renovation project, and visited the Indian one-horned rhinos.
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| Indian One-horned Rhino [February 2013] |
The Barbary macaques were pretty active.
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| Barbary Macque [February 2013] |
Ellie asked to see her favourite animal, the meerkats, and they certainly didn't disappoint. They seem completely fearless of human visitors, and will happily "pose" for photos in all their characteristic positions.
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| Meerkat [February 2013] |
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| Meerkats [February 2013] |
In the tropical birds section, we got up close and personal with the rare Bali Starling.
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| Bali Starling [February 2013] |
And a real highlight of the visit was seeing the zoo's new arrivals, pink pelicans.
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| Pink Pelican [February] |
One bird we got a little too close to was the Darwin's Rhea. This specimen actually grabbed hold of the camera strap, and I was lucky it wasn't able to pull it between the bars!
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| Darwin's Rhea [February 2013] |
Finally, while we were in the zoo, I spotted this bird resting or roosting on a conifer. It wasn't one of the zoo's own birds, but it looked large and interesting. I wondered if it was a grey heron.
Really I'm not sure so I've added a record to www.ispot.org.uk to ask for some help. Hopefully I'll be able to get a firm ID soon.
All in all a fabulous day out :)
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