FROSTY MORNING AT SLIMBRIDGE

I made a pre-Christmas visit to Slimbridge this morning, with high hopes of having some good views of at least one water rail which had been showing well from the Willow hide in recent days. With ice amongst the reeds, it has been forced out in the open to feed. 

I wasn't disappointed, for on entering the hide,  which is more of a shelter than a hide, the water rail was initially feeding along the edge of the reeds, but then ventured out into the open on the ice. It was visible for at least ten minutes, allowing me opportunities for plenty of photos. 

The willow hide is also a good viewpoint for the bird feeders which were busy with bluetits, great tits, dunnocks, robins, goldfinches, chaffinches and blackbirds. There were also a couple of bullfinches in the hedges nearby, and a brown rat and a short tailed vole also looking for food. 

This morning gave the largest count of Bewick swans so far this winter, with in excess of 70 I believe. These were amongst a variety of ducks and geese seen from the Rushy hide, where one could also see greylags, tufted ducks, pochard, teal, pintail, mallard, shelduck and mute swans. 

pintails

Bewick swans

The next hide along also was a good place to see teal , and a buzzard on a fence post.

 It was just a short visit this morning, and I didn't get round all the hides, but I look forward to returning in January when the Bewick swan numbers are due to peak prior to migration.