Slimbridge WWT

Bewick's Swan Cygnus columbianus

Thursday 6 March

Another lovely sunny start to the day and, on this occasion, much warmer than of late with a temperature of 5C as I left Sand Bay on my home with a call in at Slimbridge WWT on the way back to Warsash.  Arriving at Slimbridge at 9.30 having noted the Blackbird as I approached the car park and before entering the site also recording Woodpigeon, Carrion Crow and the first of many local Rooks and Jackdaws. Working my way through the Visitors Centre and out to the first pool there were obviously many Mute Swans and Greylag Geese to be seen but, fortunately for me, still a couple of both Bewick's and Whooper Swans on the water behind the building.  Also present very many Shelduck along with Mallard, Tufted Duck, a pair of Pintail, Coot and a small number of Canada Geese.  Ere long I also noted a few Moorhen before continuing on towards the back of the site and the grassy fields bordering the Bristol Channel.

Whooper Swan Cygnus cygnus

The small hide of the left of the path revealed a number of teal and the bird feeder was attracting Goldfinch and Chaffinch along with Blue and Great Tits.  Both Robin and Dunnock came to mop up the spillage.  Then at the next hide on the right giving a better view of the next water I was able to find the first of the Cranes plus a sleeping Spoonbill, a single Great Back-backed Gull and more Canada Geese, Greylags and Mute Swans.  here also the first decent sized flocks of Wigeon and Teal and once on the top floor of the Estuary Tower Hide a view of the large number of Barnacle and a single Bar-headed Goose.  To their right and a little further out towards the main channel, a flock of about fifty White-fronted Geese.  Also a chance to get a little closer to the Cranes and also note the few Shoveler and a couple of Avocet on the adjacent water.  Immediately in front of the hide a lone Magpie and a foraging Chiffchaff in the hedges below.

Distant Cranes Grus grus

Making my way back to the centre of he site and onward the twin pools, one deep and the other shallow, time to really appreciate the number of both Mute Swans, Greylag Geese and Shelduck taking advantage of the site a a whole.  Once at the twin pools the deeper water to my left held a single Great Crested Grebe and a Pochard whereas the shallower pool next door held mainly Mallards, Shoveler and Greylags plus a single Lapwing and Cormorant plus about a score of Avocet towards the back of the water.

Lapwing Vanellus vanellus

The long walk took me on to the Leica Hide with views over the meadow towards the Bristol Channel.  Here I found a few of the resident Rooks foraging in the field and further back at least fifty Golden Plover.  below me a calling Cetti's Warbler and a quartet of Snipe resting in one of the cuttings made across the small reedbed.  In the large pool with two small islands further back I found a small flock of Black-tailed Godwits with a number of Dunlin resting and feeding on the islands.  A pair of Oystercatchers were also present along with a handful of Herring Gulls.

Rook Corvus frugilegus

Once at the Kingfisher Hide a chance to see one of the resident pair of Kingfishers along with a Long-tailed Tit above their nesting bank and a Little Grebe further upstream.  The two hanging feeders had attracted a good number of Goldfinch, Greenfinch and Chaffinches plus both Blue and Great Tits.  Even a cock Pheasant wandered in to see if any food might find its way towards him. back on the nearby water a Gadwall and the the appearance of a Wren on the fence below the hide.  Way out at the back of the meadow almost at the sea's edge a couple of Little Egret were finally seen before it was time to make my way back to the car park and prepare for the journey home.

Cock Pheasant Phasianus colchicus

The good thing about the two hour journey home was that t provided a Buzzard over the M5 and once well on along the M4 and A34 a chance to note five Red Kites.

Interestingly, on my way to the final (Kingfisher) Hide I came across a sleeping Brown Hare atop the bank at the side of the path.  Just about everyone stopped to take a closer look, photographs, etc but the hare paid no attention at all.

Brown Hare Lepus europaeus

NOTE: Within the captured British ducks were Eider, Goldeneye and Smew, so a good opportunity to get some close photos for the record as when seen in the "wild" they are always either/both so far away or in poor light.

Male Goldeneye Bucephala clangula

Smew Mergus albellus

Birds seen:

White-fronted Goose, Greylag Goose, Canada Goose, Barnacle Goose, Bar-headed Goose, Mute Swan, Bewick's Swan, Whooper Swan, Shelduck, Gadwall, Wigeon, Mallard, Shoveler, Teal, Pochard, Pintail, Tufted Duck, Pheasant, Little Grebe, Great Crested Grebe, Cormorant, Little Egret, Spoonbill, Red Kite, Buzzard, Moorhen, Coot, Crane, Oystercatcher, Avocet, Golden Plover, Lapwing, Dunlin, Snipe, Black-tailed Godwit, Black-headed Gull, Great Black-backed Gull, Herring Gull, Rock Dove, Woodpigeon, Kingfisher, Wren, Dunnock, Robin, Blackbird, Cetti's Warbler, Chiffchaff, Long-tailed Tit, Blue tit, Great Tit, Magpie, Jackdaw, Rook, Carrion Crow, Starling, Chaffinch, Greenfinch, Goldfinch.

Avocet Recurvirostra avosetta

Bar-headed Goose Branta indicus

Barnacle Geese Branta leucopsis

White-fronted Geese Anser albifrons

Chaffinch Fringilla coelebs

Chiffchaff Phylloscopus collybita

Dunnock Prunella modularis

Distant Golden Plover Pluvialis apricaria

Goldfinch Carduelis carduelis

Greenfinch Carduelis chloris

Snipe Gallinago gallinago

Pintail Anas acuta

Teal Anas crecca

Tufted Duck Aythya fuligula

Bewick's Swan Cygnus columbianus

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