The leaves were beginning to turn at WWT Slimbridge when I visited this morning on a day off. Reports are also coming in of some early winter arrivals, namely a few white fronted geese, pintails and wigeon. However, my main reason for visiting was because there has been a curlew sandpiper easily viewable from the Rushy Hide, also a couple of juvenile spotted redshank.
I made for the Rushy Hide first of all, as I usually do, but there were already the maximum number of people inside. I decided to wait, hoping that someone would decide they'd seen and photographed enough and leave before too long. I didn't have to wait too long, before a space became available, and putting on my face coveriing, went inside to look out onto the shallow pool to the left of the hide. Someone quickly pointed out the curlew sandpiper to me, feeding from the edges of a small island, occupied by a good number of teal. I don't think I've had such good views of this bird before, so enjoyed watching it through my binoculars. I found a couple of redshanks, but sadly not their spotted cousins today. Next I 'did the rounds' of the other hides on the reserve, a little egret was on the pool viewable from the Estuary walkway, and the whistling of a large flock of wigeon was heard before I'd even entered one of the other hides overlooking a pool in front of the Tack Piece. These were a definite new arrival since my last visit.
There was nothing notable that I observed from the other hides, although I'm sure, had I had a 'scope' there would have been more to see.
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