They have done it!
Avocet News! We are very pleased to announce that our very first breeding pair of Avocets have fledged three young. This is the first time this species has bred in Gloucestershire. They laid four [...]
Avocet News!
We are very pleased to announce that our very first breeding pair of Avocets have fledged three young. This is the first time this species has bred in Gloucestershire. They laid four eggs but unfortunately one was broken and never hatched, but the three that did are now flying around our Reserve. The Reserve Wardens here at Slimbridge put up an electric fence around the nest site to protect them from foxes etc. Once hatched the parents then walked the three tiny 8 hour old grey fluff balls around 700 metres to the Bottom New Piece! This was an incredible feat for these tiny young chicks, but it was for a very good reason. Where they choose to breed was a very safe nesting site, but not the best feeding area. So they walked them to the BNP a much better feeding area. The parents seemed to spend 90% of their time chasing away anything that landed within 100 metres of the young. We are very pleased to see this iconic and graceful bird breeding on our Reserve, Especially now when so many other birds have failed to breed due to bad weather. So congratulations to the Avocets and the reserve Wardens who both put a lot of hard work in this summer. The birds can be viewed from the Zeiss Hide or the Kingfisher Hide.
Holden Tower
Cuckoo 2 Male and female doing full courtship display close to the hide,.Giving fantastic views.
Common Crane 4 (GCP birds)
Curlew 27
Skylark 10
Linnet 4
The Zeiss Hide
Avocet 7
Lapwing 10
Gadwall 35
The South Lake
Med Gull 1 First summer
Great-crested Grebe 2
Lapwing 40
Black-tailed Godwit 12
