Today's sightings-New Year's Eve
After three nights of cold and clear conditions we are now thawing out, the cold snap has encouraged some species to make their way to Slimbridge but has also thinned out the vast wader flocks. This is typical behaviour during such a weather event. The temperatures are increasing and the thaw is well underway today, just in time for New Year's Day.
The wading birds should be back to form the large day roosts, it seems that they disperse over a large area and have to feed 24hrs of the day when ice and frost is about, some may have headed for milder wintering areas. As the freeze up was short lived the Black-tailed Godwits, Ruff, Redshank and Little Stints are still around with Golden Plover and Lapwing out in the fields. The Wigeon and Teal flocks have been on the estuary.
The clear nights have allowed migration, at least 184 Bewick's Swans are now on site. A roundup of the birds seen today follow.
South Lake
Ferruginous Duck- female present to 0946 when it flew off and relocated in the Asia pen in the grounds. It has again joined the small flock of similar Baer's Pochard and is less wary of human presence today. Being rather small it does get pushed around on the South Lake by the Pochard and Tufted Ducks so has been flighty at this location. This bird does not originate from Slimbridge, is unringed and fully winged. It arrived on a cold weather event which is often the case with ducks here. A wide range of wild duck and goose species occur within the collection area, 80% of the birds you see in the grounds are wild, it is not unusual for us here. 3000-5000 thousand wild duck can be found in the grounds in mid winter with hundreds of geese and swans also visiting the Rushy Pen, again happily tolerating human presence albeit one person (a warden). The decades of Slimbridge being a safe haven for wildfowl make it unique as a place to get up close and personal with them. Origins of unusual wildfowl are always questioned, we leave it to the observer to make their own opinion of status. Ferruginous Ducks are attractive little ducks, even if the name suggests they are brown.
Shoveler 100+, Pochard, Teal, Tufted Duck, Shelduck, Gadwall, Pintail 35, Mute Swan, Grey Heron, Cormorant, Great Crested Grebe, Greylag Goose, Moorhen, Coot, Black-tailed Godwit, Lapwing, Dunlin.
Rushy Pen
Whooper Swan 1 flew out at 0808
Bewick's Swan 184 roosted- most flew out to feed on Tack Piece and field to NE of centre
Dunlin, Ruff, Black-tailed Godwit, Lapwing.
Tack Piece
Bewick's Swans
Snipe, Dunlin, Lapwing, Golden Plover, Redshank, Black-tailed Godwit, Crane 3 (GCP).
Holden Tower
Peregrine 2, Sparrowhawk 1, Buzzard 4, Little Egret, Grey Heron, Barnacle Goose 180, Canada Goose 190, Meadow Pipit, Pied Wagtail, Skylark, Mistle Thrush, Fieldfare, Raven, Magpie, Carrion Crow.
Willow Hide
Water Rail, Reed Bunting, House Sparrow, Chaffinch, Bullfinch, Wren, Dunnock, Blackbird, Great, Blue and Long-tailed Tits, Dunnock, Wren, Robin.
Decoy
Great spotted Woodpecker and Bullfinch
Kingfisher hide
140 White-fronted Geese and Pink-footed Goose to 0930 when they flew N
Chiffchaff, Cetti's Warbler, Reed Bunting, Little Grebe, tits, finches and common passerines at the feeders
Water Rail 2, Little Grebe 1 and Roe Deer.
Grounds
Jackdaw and Rook roost-numbering 1000's
