SLIMBRIDGE FIRST VISIT 2018

Today was my first visit to WWT centre at Slimbridge in 2018. It's been dull and damp for the past few days so when  I saw that today was expected to be sunny in the afternoon I thought I'd spend a few hours there to get my yearly count well underway. 

I learned that it had been foggy during the morning but on my arrival  at 1 pm it  had turned into a beautiful day, much milder and no wind. I decided that my best plan was to visit the hides on the Holden Walkway where most of the wildfowl had been enjoying the flooded fields. 

From the various hides, I was able to see  both white fronted and barnacle geese , and the presumed escapee,  a red breasted goose, although the latter was too distant to photograph. 

The water rail showed well from time to time, and I eventually caught up with the two little stints which have been visiting the Rushy Pen. 

barnacle and white fronted geese

the sole Bewicks swan remaining on the Rushy Pen

redshanks

greylag goose

shelducks

flight of the lapwing

little stint in front of lapwing

tufted duck

water rail

shelduck - sorry about the gull behind !

As I prepared to leave, the mist rolled in again. 

Highlights of today's visit:

buzzard, pintail, wigeon, shoveler, shelduck, teal, pochard white fronted goose, barnacle goose, (red breasted goose) Bewick swan, crane, dunlin, lapwing, little stint, snipe, curlew, redshank, ruff, water rail, black tailed godwit,