Impressions of Slimbridge

[badgerwatcher]

It was interesting studying the changes in the stages that plants and wildlife were at, as we crossed the country. By the time we got to South Mimms, there were daffodils in flower. At Reading we saw flocks of plovers, by Swindon, all the pussywillows and catkins were out, and May in flower. Also we saw a flock of redwings. Cirencester is beautiful, with lovely cedars and many great trees. Then to the Cotswolds, proclaiming its limestone with drystone walls, sandy sheep, wheatsheafs, and kestrals. Chalford was really pretty, rambling up the valley sides, with mills, a river and a railway running through. Stroud had impressive quantities of mistletoe, and the Sharpness canal, lime green with duckweed and lined with brightly painted boats. And beautiful buzzards.
Slimbridge has poplars, hart’s tongue ferns in ditches, pretty pubs, and cows, lying down.
We have seen the Bewick’s swans being fed, so I’m happy! Also, as we left, we saw the starling roost, from the car park at 5p.m. Clever of WWT to train the starlings to do a display over the car park at closing time!
The hides, for me, were useless! I couldn’t see out of the windows, as there was a ledge, with a seat that if you could get on it, you could brace your feet on, but then I couldn’t see much out of the window. And it hurt my back. I'm 5ft tall, and 58, and never considered myself that short or that old, up to now. Large men with wide shoulders wearing padded jackets proclaimed that the bittern was imminant outside the window, so I silently wished them the joy of it, and left.
There was a black swan that was really aggressive to the other swans, but very beautiful with frilly petticoats, and very fascinating ducks and geese from all over the world, and flamingos. As I couldn't do much 'proper' birdwatching from the hides, I had great fun looking at all of these, and the humming bird house.
I did manage to spot a few curlew, always pleased to see them, as well as ruff and oyster-catchers.
So I'm delighted that I've finally made it to Slimbridge, and seen Bewick's swans. They are delicate and lovely.

[Blackdog]

I'm glad you enjoyed Slimbridge. It's less than a 30 minute drive for me, so I am very lucky in that respect.
Sadly, the hides can get very busy at weekends, making viewing a lttle frustrating sometimes. But, the Bittern is there; I sneaked of work for a couple of hours the week before last to have a look. The hide was almost empty, and the bird showed itself almost straight away. I was chuffed to bits.

[nightshade]

The Slimbridge experience is on the whole fine and well worth the trip
I do however agree with Badgerwatcher whoever designed the hides
needs to rethink them.The step up is right under the shelf so vertically
challenged people (including the Lioness) just cannot see out
AND maintain their balance! this would equally apply to youngsters
Oh and they have not yet responded to an e-mail sent the day after our visit

[badgerwatcher]

I was, however, very impressed with the general behaviour of the huge number of very small children who were accompanying their parents and teachers around Slimbridge. How lovely that our children are still being taught interest in and respect for wild creatures. The receptionist in the travel inn in Stroud where we stayed (which is one of the un-modernised ones and therefore fab!) had taken her two pre-school children round there the day before we went, and was saying how much they had all enjoyed it.
So even though the hides are disappointing from the serious birdwatching point of view, they at least have taken care to provide many other things to see as well. We watched the Bewick's being fed at 4 p.m., which gave me a chance to have a really close look at them, and I was fascinated to learn that the people at Slimbridge can recognise each Bewick's seperately by facial markings.
Next time, I will take a fold-up chair so that I can try and see through the wheelchair height windows.
Also, although many of the ducks and geese on the sight are exotic captures, it has awakened in me an interest in ducks and geese, as I have never seen such a huge selection in one place.
And the starling roost was a real bonus.

[badgerwatcher]

[badgerwatcher]

[Garden Carpet]

Some handsome fellas there BW. I am glad you had a good visit there. Shame about the viewing not being good for you.
jaki

[Gill Catton]

I love love the ruddy shelduck pic gorgeous light and colours!
And that Canada goose has a very small beak I wonder if it's one of the sub-species

[nightshade]

Went back to Slimbridge today,caught a glimpse of the bittern,too cold
so it headed into the reeds s.e. side of the Zeiss hide.
Photo by Kev Lewis outside the hide of the Bittern
Less people about so the whole day was much more relaxed ,
had a look through a Leica scope easy to see why they are the
best,lots of pink footed geese started flying quite a sight
Counted 4 bigmas, man constantly on the 'phone to a mate identified
several birds for me including Cetti s warbler(I just looked where he looked
he was very loud)
Lots of nice people struck up conversations (dropped WAB into each )

[Garden Carpet]

Nightshade... WAB ambassador at large!!! Well done that man

[badgerwatcher]

Do you like the bird watching the bird-watcher? It came right up to the window and peered at her.

[Garden Carpet]

I really liked that one BW. all lovely shots

[Blackdog]

Originally Posted by nightshade

Went back to Slimbridge today................man constantly on the 'phone to a mate identified several birds for me including Cetti s warbler(I just looked where he looked he was very loud)
Lots of nice people struck up conversations (dropped WAB into each )

I always turn my phone off as soon as I get out of the car when I go to Slimbridge - restaurants too

[badgerwatcher]

So do I, Black dog. I turn mine to silent. Why do people think it's ok to talk loudly on their mobiles everywhere they go? It makes me very angry.
Also, I like to get away from it occasionally.

[mrs fish]

Great pics BW, I do like that one of the bird watching the bird watcher

I hate mobiles so don't own one

[badgerwatcher]

I have a mobile because two of my sons are epileptic. Both are adults, both work and function perfectly well, my oldest son has been clear for some years, but my youngest son, who is 31 and lives with us, tends to have major grande mal seizures now and then. James and I travel the country with our work, but need to be alerted immediately in an emergency. Several people have front door keys, and I ring home at regular intervals when I'm away.
I'm not being defensive I'm just explaining!

[Garden Carpet]

I too hate mobiles but have just got myself one.. cos i drive alone on a lonely road and may need assistance some time. They have their uses in emergencies.. not as a constant connection to work or mates or whatever.. and certainly not on a wildlife venue
jaki

[aeshna5]

Originally Posted by Gill Catton

I love love the ruddy shelduck pic gorgeous light and colours!
And that Canada goose has a very small beak I wonder if it's one of the sub-species

Gill, I'm going to be irritatingly picky, but it's a female Cape Shelduck, not Ruddy which doesn't have the grey head!

I agree the Canada's one of the smaller forms, but they can be tricky, so I'll keep quiet there!

[Susie]

You've posted some really lovely photos there, Badgerwatcher. Thank you.

And I HATE ringing phones. Grrrrrrrr.

I love my mobile but I keep it on silent all the time.

[Gill Catton]

Originally Posted by aeshna5

Gill, I'm going to be irritatingly picky, but it's a female Cape Shelduck, not Ruddy which doesn't have the grey head!

I agree the Canada's one of the smaller forms, but they can be tricky, so I'll keep quiet there!

Hmmm maybe I'm wrong but it excactly matches the image of an adult female in my concise BWP, including the white/ grey markings on the head. However, I don't have a pic of a cape shelduck in there so I'll have a hunt around on't web

I don't think I'm not going to change my mind because the female cape seems to have a grey head and neck with white mask from the pics I've found, whereas the female ruddy (although varaible) has a ruddy orange head and neck with white 'mask'
be more persuasive

[badgerwatcher]

I am afraid I had never seen this bird until Slimbridge, and my partner told me it was a Ruddy Shelduck, as some of the names of the birds were written on a board by the water's edge. When I got home I looked it up in this fairly ancient book.



I didn't even look at the Cape Shelduck. I actually still can't tell which one it is from this.
Cape Shelduck-





Ruddy Shelduck-

[aeshna5]

Originally Posted by Gill Catton

Hmmm maybe I'm wrong but it excactly matches the image of an adult female in my concise BWP, including the white/ grey markings on the head. However, I don't have a pic of a cape shelduck in there so I'll have a hunt around on't web

I don't think I'm not going to change my mind because the female cape seems to have a grey head and neck with white mask from the pics I've found, whereas the female ruddy (although varaible) has a ruddy orange head and neck with white 'mask'
be more persuasive

Sorry Gill- I think it's my eyes- I could have sworn when I looked at photo yesterday the head looked grey (which I mentioned in my post)- yet now it is brownish when I look , so it is Ruddy as you correctly stated. I know both birds well- I think I was on computer too long yesterday+ wonky vision! I feel a right pillock now!

[Gill Catton]

Originally Posted by aeshna5

Sorry Gill- I think it's my eyes- I could have sworn when I looked at photo yesterday the head looked grey (which I mentioned in my post)- yet now it is brownish when I look , so it is Ruddy as you correctly stated. I know both birds well- I think I was on computer too long yesterday+ wonky vision! I feel a right pillock now!

Don't worry happens to the best of us!! I can be just as picky (and am frequently wrong!!) - it's good right? Keeps a person on their toes!

[colincurry]

I went to Slimbridge a couple of weeks ago, some 35 years after my previous one and only visit. I went with my younger son (who lives in Bristol and provided the transport) and my Controller. I think it fair to say that they do not have the same level of interest in birds as I; but they nevertheless enjoyed our visit. I could have stayed all day but, quite reasonably, we left about 2 pm.

It seems very different from my recollections from before in that it seemed much more professionally set out and there seemed to be many more birds to see. We went in the middle of the week, and it was half term. The car park seemed pretty full but there was plenty of room. I know that I am a miserable old curmudgeon but I was pleasantly surprised at how well the children were behaving - with it being half term, I feared the worst. However, they respected the wildlife and seemed interested in what was going on. I went to the Zeiss hide to look for the bittern. I was one of three in the hide, and the other two told me that it had not yet come out to play. As I have said earlier, I had to respect the wishes of my family and could not wait around too long - also, there was so much else to see.

The weather forecast was very iffy, but the rain did hold off whilst we were there and there were intermittent spells of sunshine - not the very best for photography, but WABers like a challenge. I was not very well organised and did not even have pen and paper to jot down what I thought I had photographed; but with help I hope that I have correctly identified the birds I snapped. I looked at the exotic ones, and also went for native birds that either I find it difficult to get close to or that I have not seen before.

Here are some snaps:

Black swan



This is a Nene feeding my baby



Red breasted goose



I have seen pintail at Waveney and very far away at Fen Drayton. This was a chance to get up close



A rosybill - for obvious reasons



In the wild, I find coots very nervous and difficult to get near. I only recently learned what strange feet they have, and this was too good an opportunity to miss



This is a crop from a snap across the estuary; and reminds me very much of a Chinese painting in its delicacy and formality