A chance to get out of London on an RSPB trip to the WWT reserve at Slimbridge in Gloucestershire. The reserve is on the Severn estuary as it makes its way to the Bristol Channel and is one of the best places in the UK for wildfowl.
The journey down from London, was a long one due to having to divert off the motorway and heavy traffic, but at least it was enlightened by the sighting of a Kestrel, once very common alongside our motorways and 3 Red Kites. With the late arrival and the early dusk, it was a bit of a rush to get to view all three of the different wild areas which comprise the reserve – two on the estuary and an inland lake.
There were good numbers of many types of wildfowl, but perhaps the best sighting was of four Common Crane on the estuary marshes. These birds are from the re-introduction programme that is taking place in the Somerset levels and may well have been birds originally bred at Slimbridge, which have made their way back for the winter.
Water Rail
As the dusk closed in we were treated to a wonderful roost of Jackdaws
Greylag Goose [sp] (Anser anser)
Greater White-fronted Goose [sp] (Anser albifrons)
Canada Goose [sp] (Branta canadensis)
Barnacle Goose (Branta leucopsis)
Mute Swan (Cygnus olor)
Tundra Swan [sp] (Cygnus columbianus)
Common Shelduck (Tadorna tadorna)
Gadwall (Anas strepera)
Eurasian Wigeon (Anas penelope)
Mallard [sp] (Anas platyrhynchos)
Northern Shoveler (Anas clypeata)
Northern Pintail (Anas acuta)
Eurasian Teal [sp] (Anas crecca)
Common Pochard (Aythya ferina)
Tufted Duck (Aythya fuligula)
Grey Heron [sp] (Ardea cinerea)
Great Cormorant [sp] (Phalacrocorax carbo)
Red Kite [sp] (Milvus milvus)
Common Buzzard [sp] (Buteo buteo)
Common Kestrel [sp] (Falco tinnunculus)
Peregrine Falcon [sp] (Falco peregrinus)
Water Rail [sp] (Rallus aquaticus)
Common Moorhen [sp] (Gallinula chloropus)
Eurasian Coot [sp] (Fulica atra)
Common Crane [sp] (Grus grus)
Northern Lapwing (Vanellus vanellus)
European Golden Plover (Pluvialis apricaria)
Black-tailed Godwit [sp] (Limosa limosa)
Eurasian Curlew [sp] (Numenius arquata)
Common Redshank [sp] (Tringa totanus)
Dunlin [sp] (Calidris alpina)
Black-headed Gull (Chroicocephalus ridibundus)
Great Black-backed Gull (Larus marinus)
European Herring Gull [sp] (Larus argentatus)
Common Pigeon [sp] (Columba livia)
Common Wood Pigeon [sp] (Columba palumbus)
Eurasian Collared Dove [sp] (Streptopelia decaocto)
Eurasian Magpie [sp] (Pica pica)
Western Jackdaw [sp] (Coloeus monedula)
Rook [sp] (Corvus frugilegus)
Carrion Crow [sp] (Corvus corone)
Great Tit [sp] (Parus major)
Eurasian Blue Tit [sp] (Cyanistes caeruleus)
Long-tailed Tit [sp] (Aegithalos caudatus)
Common Starling [sp] (Sturnus vulgaris)
Common Blackbird [sp] (Turdus merula)
Pied Wagtail [sp] (Motacilla alba)
A very good day and 47 species seen (including 3 species seen on the journey)
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