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!