The journey to Slimbridge went smoothly and ran to time, courtesy of a 6:30am start, but the journey back late afternoon was, as expected, subject to delays. However it didn't detract from a great days birding and I eventually arrived home later than planned but very contented.
On arriving at Slimbridge I headed straight to The Rushy where Bewick's Swans were showing very well and it was good to see 6 juveniles amongst them.
Bewick's Swans
Bewick's Swans
Bewick's Swans
Bewick's Swan
A few adults were sporting leg rings too and I have had a very quick response back from WWT with their details. Left leg rings indicate females, right leg rings males, and white rings indicate birds ringed as adults (older than 2 or 3 years) and yellow rings indicate birds ringed as cygnets.
Bewick's Swan Maisie - UNN - a female ringed as an adult at Slimbridge on 19/1/2015
Bewick's Swan Demidov - BPD - a female ringed as an adult at Slimbridge on 9/1/2018
Bewick's Swan Allington - 915 - ringed as a cygnet at Slimbridge on 30/1/2019
(I also saw BUZ, a male ringed at Slimbridge on 27/1/2023 as an adult and delightfully called Lightyear!).
I carried on towards the Estuary Tower, stopping in the hides along the way and admiring the assorted assemblage of birds - Wigeon, Mallard, Coot, Moorhen, Mute Swan, Greylag Goose, Canada Goose, Tufted Duck, Shoveler, Teal, Pintail, Lapwing, Redshank, Pochard, Golden Plover, Shelduck, Black-tailed Godwit and Dunlin - and amongst them were at least 15 Ruff and a Spotted Redshank.
Teal
Pintail
Pochard
Pintail
From the Estuary Tower a hunting Peregrine was spooking the Lapwing, Golden Plover and Dunlin present but the Barnacle Goose flock was unperturbed by it's attentions and amongst it were a Snow Goose and 2 white Farmyard Geese. Also present were 4 Common Cranes, 2 of which were unringed.
News of a poorly looking Whooper Swan on The Rushy saw me heading back there for a look but there was no sign of it when I arrived. There have been 2 Whooper Swans present at Slimbridge this winter but they have been difficult to see, spending time feeding in the fields not easily viewable from the hides so it would have been good to catch up with one on The Rushy, even a poorly looking one.
I then headed off to the South Lake for a quick look where 8 Avocet and an adult Mediterranean Gull amongst the Common and Black-headed Gull flock were the highlights before carrying on to the Zeiss hide. The usual birds were present from here too and so I headed down to the Kingfisher Hide were 15 Gadwall (10 male), a Goldcrest, a calling Chiffchaff (heard only) and 3 Grey Squirrel were noted.
I returned to The Rushy and the Estuary Tower for the rest of my time, just enjoying the birds on view and adding a brief and distant flight view of a Great White Egret, 3 Snipe, a Great Spotted Woodpecker (heard), 2 Stock Dove, 2 Water Rail and another 2 Common Crane (in flight) to the days list.
Water Rail
Water Rail
Water Rail
Water Rail
Water Rail
Bewick's Swan
Bewick's Swans
Bewick's Swan
Bewick's Swan
Bewick's Swan
Bewick's Swans
Bewick's Swans
Bewick's Swans
All too soon it was time to catch the taxi back to the train station, the time had just flown by and for a change it wasn't too cold as I usually find Slimbridge to be. I failed to see the White-fronted Geese flock which was feeding in the fields out of view behind the hedges and the 2 Whooper Swans were reported with them (presumably the poorly looking one on The Rushy earlier in the day wasn't quite as poorly as first thought!) - it would have been nice to have seen them but sometimes you just can't have it all!
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