Pete's Favourite Things

Keith and I went on a trip with Bexley RSPB group down to the WWT at Slimbridge on the Bristol Channel. This is a wonderful reserve famed for its wintering Geese.

On arrival, we went to the Holden Tower and were soon watching Barnacle Goose, Greater White-fronted Goose and a Red-Breasted Goose.

Red-Breasted Goose

Greater White-fronted Goose

We then moved on to look out over the flooded fields and located a number of Bewick’s Swans and Common Crane along with other Wildfowl.

Common Crane

Bewick’s Swan (top), Eurasian Wigeon (centre left), Moorhen (centre right top), Shelduck (Centre right bottom), Eurasian Teal (bottom left), Tufted Duck (bottom right).

Northern Lapwing (top left), Pied Avocet (top right and centre right), Black-tailed Godwit (Bottom left) and Grey Heron (Bottom right)

Woodpigeon (top left), Rook (top right), Grey Heron (centre right), Jackdaw (bottom)

A long journey but a brilliant days birdwatching with some great views of species not normally seen in SE England.

Red-breasted Goose (Branta ruficollis)
Canada Goose [sp] (Branta canadensis)
Barnacle Goose (Branta leucopsis)
Greylag Goose [sp] (Anser anser)
Greater White-fronted Goose [sp] (Anser albifrons)
Mute Swan (Cygnus olor)
Tundra Swan [sp] (Cygnus columbianus)
Common Shelduck (Tadorna tadorna)
Northern Shoveler (Spatula clypeata)
Gadwall [sp] (Mareca strepera)
Eurasian Wigeon (Mareca penelope)
Mallard [sp] (Anas platyrhynchos)
Northern Pintail (Anas acuta)
Eurasian Teal (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)
Water Rail [sp] (Rallus aquaticus)
Common Moorhen [sp] (Gallinula chloropus)
Eurasian Coot [sp] (Fulica atra)
Common Crane (Grus grus)
Eurasian Oystercatcher [sp] (Haematopus ostralegus)
Pied Avocet (Recurvirostra avosetta)
Northern Lapwing (Vanellus vanellus)
European Golden Plover (Pluvialis apricaria)
Black-tailed Godwit [sp] (Limosa limosa)
Dunlin [sp] (Calidris alpina)
Little Stint (Calidris minuta)
Great Snipe (Gallinago media)
Common Redshank [sp] (Tringa totanus)
Black-headed Gull (Chroicocephalus ridibundus)
European Herring Gull [sp] (Larus argentatus)
Common Wood Pigeon [sp] (Columba palumbus)
Eurasian Collared Dove [sp] (Streptopelia decaocto)
Western Jackdaw [sp] (Coloeus monedula)
Rook [sp] (Corvus frugilegus)
Carrion Crow [sp] (Corvus corone)
Eurasian Blue Tit [sp] (Cyanistes caeruleus)
Great Tit [sp] (Parus major)
Goldcrest [sp] (Regulus regulus)
Fieldfare (Turdus pilaris)
European Robin [sp] (Erithacus rubecula)
House Sparrow [sp] (Passer domesticus)
Dunnock [sp] (Prunella modularis)
Pied Wagtail [sp] (Motacilla alba)
Common Chaffinch [sp] (Fringilla coelebs)