Spring in the UK

May 2025

There was no better way to celebrate finishing my Master's than riding through the UK by rail, looking for birds (and sheep) with my mom.

In London, we walked from St. James Park to Kensington Palace. The waterfowl were out in full force, with mute swans patrolling the waterways and a variety of ducks and geese posing against the spring colours.

Our next stop was Windsor Castle, where swifts flitted overhead as we weaved in and around the gardens and stonework.

We watched the sun set against the Bath Abbey before heading out the next morning along the Bath Skyline Trail. The cooing of common wood-pigeons set the soundtrack for a gorgeous walk with incredible views of the city.

We travelled to Stonehenge to see the mysterious structure, but were captivated by the even more mysterious rooks hopping around at our feet and perching atop the megaliths.

A long train ride through the countryside brought us to Keswick in the Lake District. While the hikes were beautiful, the mandarin duck (who is unfortunately a non-native species) quickly became the top highlight.

Our last stop involved crossing the border into Scotland, staying in Edinburgh, and enjoying the castles and bagpipes before hopping on another train and then a boat for our final excursion to Bass Rock.