Blackburn Pavilion

I hadn't been to a zoo since I was knee-high to a Pallas's Grasshopper Warbler*. A couple of months ago when the new Blackburn Pavillion opened at ZSL London Zoo I was really interested in finally going back. The birds here in the walk-in aviary are worth the entrance fee itself... Sunbitterns and Pittas at your feet and Red Crested Turaco and Montserrat Orioles at eye level! What I really wanted to see were the hummers. They have some Amazilia Hummingbirds from the coast of Peru and Ecuador though understandably these are not flying free around visitors' heads as the advertising on the tube seems to suggest. More details here:
www.zsl.org/zsl-london-zoo/exhibits/blackburn-pavilion/
One of the highlights of the day was a wild Grey Heron stealing fish from the Penguins! The African Bird Safari, another walk-in exhibit, is another must see. In fact its difficult to find the time to observe the other animals if birds are your thing. Here are a few shots... and no, there are no dangerous animals in the African Bird Safari.

* Actually I remembered I visited Lima Zoo in 2004 where the Amazilia Hummingbirds were obviously flying free outsite the cages...