There was a noticeable drop in temperature today for my visit to Slimbridge. After the mild temperatures during the week, l needed a couple of extra layers and even considered whether I needed a woolly hat!
I hadn't any particular focus for my visit, although during the week, a pectoral sandpiper and a barred warbler had been regularly seen but they had not been recorded during yesterday's inclement weather. On arrival at the WWT Centre, I checked the twitter feed and I saw that both were apparenty still present but sadly today I dipped on both of them, Although seen first thing, the barred warbler did not put in an appearance in its usual favoured area, the small copse below the Estuary tower. There were other small birds present, namely, chiffchaffs, blackcaps, goldcrest, blue and great tits but no other warblers. The pectoral sandpiper was never going to be easy to see from the Zeiss hide, with numerous ducks asleep and all at a distance and I had to give up on that one too.
However, all was not lost, as whilst viewing from the Estuary tower' first floor, someone came in from the open air top and asked the birders present if they were aware of a lesser whitethroat amongst the Canada geese. Most of us were puzzled for a moment, (what was a lesser whitethroat doing amongst geese?) until we realised he had actually said Lesser Whitefront! The goose had just been spotted and was causing a wave of excitement amongst birders, as it was a rare find.
I have to admit that I would never have spotted it, but another birder kindly let me view it though his 'scope and I was then able to find it in my binoculars. It is usual for Slimbridge to host a flock of white fronted geese in the winter months, but the 'lesser' species is slightly smaller with a larger white 'front' and a yellow eye ring and it is much rarer in the uk. |I wonder whether it will be gone after only a short time, or, whether it will choose to spend the winter here. Let's hope it's the latter!
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