Wednesday, 24 June 2020

SLIMBRIDGE WWT






 I booked my first trip to Slimbridge since lockdown last week, before temperatures were predicted to reach a very warm 31 degrees!  However, I considered that the site does have a good number of trees offering shade and the paths up to the hides on the Holden walkway and the South finger are lined with trees and bushes so probably the heat would be quite tolerable. 

I arrived at 145 pm, and managed to find a parking spot in the shade. Current regulations restrict the number of visitors, hence the car park was less busy than usual. There was no queue get in, so I didn't need  to make use of the 2m apart  painted blue spots on the ramp to the entrance door. There was a one way system through the building and the exit was to be the side entrance used by members coming early.  There were also restrictions as to numbers in the hides which varied from 2 - 13 depending on the size of the hide. Windows were kept open which allowed a nice breeze to come through and kept the temperature down. There was, however, no limit to how long you could spend in each hide, but I think people were expected to use their own common sense if people were waiting outside. However that didn't apply today;  probably many people had come in the morning and already left. 

There were still various broods of young birds around, including moorhens, shelducks, and mallards and good numbers of avocets seen from the Discovery Hide with chicks of different ages.   I was pleased to see the visiting female ruddy shelduck  resting at the edge of one of the scrapes and I also saw at least half a dozen green sandpipers and several little ringed plovers. 

At the Kingfisher hide the male kingfisher made a visit to its nesting hole in the bank, but sadly didn't stay long enough for a photo, a pity as the windows  which are normally barred have just been opened. 

On the dragonfly ponds I recorded an emperor, four spotted chaser and broad bodied chaser as well as common blue and blue tailed damselflies. 

ruddy shelduck

green sandpiper

avocet juvenile

oyster catcher

four spotted chaser

emperor dragonfly

redshank

shelduck family

emperor dragonfly

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