WINTER VISITORS ARRIVING AT SLIMBRIDGE

 

It was a beautiful autumn morning for my visit to Slimbridge today. A number of wildfowl have started arriving  for their winter stay at Slimbridge, including the first two Bewick swans of the autumn, white fronted geese, pintails and wigeon so I looked forward to seeing these. The Bewick swans were on the Rushy Pen together with a number of pintail as well as the usual shelducks, lapwings and gulls. 

After enjoying watching these for a while, I walked along the walkway to the Estuary Tower, stopping at the hides along the route. Of particular note were three spotted redshanks, a black tailed godwit, some snipe and a handful of white fronts. From one of the hides I watched a kingfisher which was diving into the water regularly from a perch behind some reeds. 

I ascended the steps to the Estuary Tower, stopping at the viewing area below the open topped area. I noticed some people with their lenses pointing at the little copse just below and realised there were a few redwings feeding on the berries.  They were giving some clear views from time to time, and I spent some time here, as I've always wanted to photograph redwings and berries, but have never been in a close enough position. I was quite pleased with some of my results. 

Other birds were also  enjoying the berries, including a song thrush and robin. Beyond the copse were the usual range of geese (Canada, greylag and barnacle), and some cranes. 

From the comfort of the Discovery Hide, I watched a Painted lady butterfly which fed from some flowers along the causeway; here three cattle egrets could be seen as well as a bittern at the rear of the pond. 

I walked as far as the Kingfisher hide, stopping to eat my lunch on one of the benches by the dragonfly pond where I noticed some common darters and a migrant hawker. From the hide itself I saw a Brimstone butterfly flutter past in the sunshine. 

The light made photography enjoyable and I have put some of my best efforts below. 

 

YELLOW BROWED WARBLER AT COATE WATER

 Last week a yellow browed warbler spent several days at Farmoor Reservoir, in some bushes behind the toilet block; sadly, I couldn't make it but yesterday I read that another had been reported in a rather more picturesque location at Coate Water, in some bushes near to a pond. I have only seen one of these birds before, which stayed around for several weeks in an area of the Cotswold Water parks.

I drove the short journey over to the Country Park yesterday afternoon and was told where the bird had been seen, in an area only a few hundred yards from the car park, but despite a good look by several birders for an hour or thereabouts, nothing appeared, although, there were several chiffchaffs, goldcrests, bluetits and a wren, and  my first redwings of this autumn. 

Having a day off today in  rather better weather - cold but sunny after yesterday's drizzle and cloud-  I headed over there this morning. The sun was bright and I decided to experiment with some photography with the light behind some swans that were preening in the shallows of the lake.

I then walked over to the area of yesterday's search, but then noticed a couple of people looking at bushes on the opposite side of the pond. Upon asking, they told me that they had seen the warbler,  but I might get a better view for photos if I went round the back of the bushes as the sun would be on it. 

I did so,and came across a couple more photographers looking up at some saplings. They soon pointed it out for me; a tiny warbler with yellowish 'eyebrow' and wing bars. Typically, it was moving in out of the leaves as it hunted for insects, only occasionally coming into full view. It flew into another row of trees behind us before returning to the original area. It was visible here and there for about twenty minutes I suppose, before it disappeared and I decided to take a walk further round the lake before returning the car. 

 

spot the warbler!

FORAY ACROSS THE BRIDGE

I was reading another birder's blog yesterday and noticed they'd been over to Goldcliff Lagoons near Newport this week to see a grey phalarope which has been there a couple of days. I've not seen one of those birds for a long time, so with a day off work today, I decided to make a trip over the Severn Bridge and visit both Goldcliff lagoons and the neighbouring RSPB reserve known as Newport Wetlands. 

After checking the weather, I decided to leave a bit later than usual as it was forecast rain followed later in the day by cloud and sunshine. I therefore arrived at just gone 10 o'clock having passed through several spells of rain on the way but it was now drying up and I was hopeful it would stay dry.

There were quite a few other cars parked along the edge of the road near the entrance to the Goldcliff reserve, so I felt fairly optimistic the phalarope was still around. The grass was still wet underfoot as I made my way along the path stopping to look in a couple of (empty) hides on the way. Then I reached a viewing platform which held a number of people with telescopes and binoculars etc. and after joining them I scanned the lagoon in front of us. It didn't take me long to locate the tiny winter plumaged phalarope swimming amongst a flock of godwit. It was doing its usual swimming habit of turning in circles regularly poking its bill into the water. Sadly, it was a little too distant for some decent photos, but nevertheless I enjoyed watching it through my binoculars. The last time I saw one of these little birds was at Farmoor Reservoir where it was so confiding, you could get within only a few metres of it. From the hide I could also see several grey plovers on the mud and a total of eleven little egrets and a grey heron. 

The sun was beginning to come out as I left the platform and continued around the reserve; from the next view point I could make out some redshanks at the far end of the flock of black tailed godwits and noticed that the little egrets had been joined by a spoonbill.  Further on I stopped to enquire from a photographer what he had seen amongst the reeds, as he had his camera pointed at something, and he showed me a female kingfisher perched low down at the front of the reeds; I would never have seen it myself. It left the perch and dived into the water, returning with a small fish which it soon devoured though was partly hidden behind some reeds this time before flying off to another section of the reedbed out of sight. 

After spending a couple of hours at Goldcliff, I made the short journey round to the RSPB reserve. I ate my lunch in the car before passing through visitor centre and out on to the reserve. I have never seen large numbers of birds on any of my previous visits and today was no exception. Perhaps it is better in spring, but I am usually birding nearer home at that time of year. I listened for the 'pinging' of bearded tits but couldn't hear any, neither saw any which was a bit disappointing. At the only hide, there was a good number of ducks, mostly mallard and teal, but I did also spot a pintail there too. On the mudflats there were several curlew.

After a quick cup of tea in the cafe and a browse in the shop, I made my way home, very pleased that I have now reached a total of 170 bird species this year! 25 more than last year with still a couple of months to go. 

Kingfisher F

mute swans flypast

grey phalarope

spoon bill

grey phalarope

grey plover