WWT Slimbridge 28th April 2018

When we left Bristol we headed for the village of Slimbridge where we were staying overnight but we got here too early ot check in to the Tudor Arms pub so we went straight to the reserve. The poor weather continued but we made the best of it and got some reward.

We headed out to the South Lake Discovery Hide and stopped briefly at the breding pens which always give great views of Black-winged Stilts, Avocets, Redshanks and Ruffs. This time they also had some Dark-bellied Brent Geese.

Over at the south lake there were a couple of Common Cranes over at the back and on the scrape there was a single Mediterranean Gull. We were told that there was a Common Sandpiper somewhere on the scrape but we did not see it. There were Sand Martins and Swallows in the air but it was a little disappointing.There were good numbers of ducks but for waders we were better off at the hides overlooking the Severn where we got Redshank, Avocet, Ruff and Black-tailed Godwits as well as more Common Cranes and a Peregine sitting on a log.

Not one of our better days there for uncommon species but we still got thirty-eight species of birds and actually, for a change, spend quite a lot of time looking at the birds in the collection. It isn’t often that you get such a close look at some beautiful birds.

After a while we were rather cold and we called it a day. We could have retuned the enxt moring before we headed back to Manchester but it was wet and cold and we didn’t have the stomach for getting wet and then sitting in the car all the way back home !

Bird Sightings : WWT Slimbridge