Tuesday 2nd August 2022 - Slimbridge

 

Our Tuesday birding trip today took us to Slimbridge a WWT reserve on the Severn Estuary. The 3 Amigos were joined by our wives not for the birds but a good chinwag.

At Slimbridge the first stop was The Peng Observatory here were Collared Dove, Tufted Duck, Jackdaw, Coot, Moorhen and Cormorant. Over the far side of the water was an area of wild flowers and in amongst it you would occasionally see the  heads of 2 adult Crane’s I knew from reports I had read that they had a well grown chick which appeared from the undergrowth out into the open. In front of us was another bank of wild flowers and contained 100+ Goldfinch. A few Black Headed Gulls were seen plus a single Herring Gull. Mallard, Gadwall and Canada Geese were also seen.

On the bottom pond were about 20 Black Tailed Godwits, Teal, Lapwing a Buzzard flew over and Mute Swan cygnets appeared as if from nowhere. Another flyover was a Carrion Crow then a Pied Wagtail was seen on one of the islands and a Greylag Goose was asleep on another. House Martins were flitting low over the water. Woodpigeons were flying around and a Grey Heron flew to the lower pond. We moved to the next hide that overlooks the lower pond here were lots of waders including Green and Common Sandpipers, Redshank and Spotted Redshank, Ruff, Avocet and 3 Grey Wagtails.

Ruff - Bath Birdwatcher


Avocet - Bath Birdwatcher

Next stop was the willow hide and here on the feeders were Blue and Great Tits, House Sparrow and a Magpie. As we walked to the Tower Hide a Robin was on the footpath. From the Tower Hide Swallows were seen over the Tack Piece. On the edge of the estuary were Curlew, Shelduck, Barnacle Geese, Canada Geese, GBB Gulls and a flock of corvids including Rooks. In amongst the Barnacle Geese was a white goose which we think is the Ross’s Goose that has been at Slimbridge for months. David spotted a flock of 17 Little Egrets that were sheltering from the quite strong wind. Our last sighting here was a flock of c100 Starling. It was now lunchtime so we headed back to the carpark here David spotted a Peregrine as it flew over. We had our lunch in the observatory and here I found a Snipe the only one of the day. After Lunch it was South Lake here the only new birds for the day was 2 Stock Doves that flew down to the waters edge and a single Ruddy Shelduck. Then last stop of the day was Zeiss Hide and here were the most birds of the day, but most of them we had already encountered in smaller numbers except for Dunlin which must have numbered 50+ and for me the best sighting of the day 3 Curlew Sandpipers one still in its summer plumage.

It was a great day during which we were able to show other less knowledgeable birders some of the rarer birds on offer.

 

Goldfinch - Bath Birdwatcher

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