We had scheduled a visit to WWT Slimbridge to see if we could catch up with the collared pratincole, stopping for a roll and sausage at the Gloucester Services on the M5, and where I successfully split my coffee down my fleece - perhaps it wasn't going to be a good day. I was grateful to Kev as he'd seen the bird the previous day and was happy to return for seconds. At the services I went online and joined the WWT as we would be entering by the Member's entrance - there would be no issue with me using the membership again, here at Slimbridge but also across the other reserves. We arrived, parked up and passed through the gate offering our details to the staff on guard. We didn't hang around and made for the South Lake Discovery Hide; this is where the pratincole had been reported over the last few days. Passing through the reserve we had a fleeting glance of one of my favourites, a Cetti's warbler - we didn't stay to see if I could get a photo, we were on a mission.
We arrived at the hide and found it busy, especially on the righthand side - we joined the group and found they were on the bird, and it was perched on a small island out in front. We could see the bird through our bins and Kev's scope - after a short while, a space at the windows came free and I joined Neil Cowley, tracking the bird as it started to fly around the lake. It was a nightmare photographing against the sky, the bird in silhouette or the photos with significant noise. Still, I spent an hour or so watching the bird flying and returning to the small island - taking photos and hoping against hope that something would come out. Our friends Dylan Parry-Davies and Sue Toon arrived and set up to view the bird with us. Dylan is a specialist at videos through his scope and I looked forward to see what he would post later on Twitter. My photos would be challenging but I hoped to get something with the bird in flight.
It was amazing how the light disturbed our attempts at photographs but gave great views through the scope. I kept trying regardless.
Out on the water there were large numbers of black-tailed godwits and lapwings, and a couple of avocets. There was only one star though. I'd been in place for a while and felt that I should give up my space to allow someone else to have views and a chance of photos - I met with Kev, Dylan and Sue outside the hide where they were watching goldfinches and siskins feeding in the trees. We all made for the Zeiss Hide and climbed to the upper deck and looked out over the reeds and fields to the river beyond. The first bird Dylan pulled out was a little stint, out in the distance so small against the handful of lapwings, then another with a sizeable flock of dunlin - black-tailed godwit fed far to our right. A water rail called but didn't show and a marsh harrier sat on the edge of the water feeding on some prey; we couldn't see what.
One of the other birders mentioned that there were white-fronted geese visible from the left end and when viewing 14 of these were could also see seven ruff in the same field. Back in front a peregrine sat on a post, just visible over the brow of the slope far over towards the river. Having got our fill we all left, Dylan and Sue heading for the cafe and Kev and I further down the track. We eventually got closer to the white-fronted geese seeing first 10 depart then another 14. There were a few mipits feeding in the field too, with now 36 ruff visible.
On our journey we bumped into Penny (Pagan Birder) and Ann. We stopped and chatted for a short while, relaying that a firecrest has been spotted with the tits and goldcrest near the gate to Kingfisher hide - we hadn't found it. It was time for a coffee and cake.
After our break we made our way down to the Estuary Hide, stopping to see redshank and lapwings along the way. In the part sunshine the colours of the lapwing were at their best - I couldn't resist a photo.
We reached the Estuary Hide and surveyed the area spotting a couple of snow goose (one blue morph), barnacle geese and the peregrine still sitting on the post. A single black-tailed godwit fed in the pool to our right and a curlew out in the river.
It was getting late and we'd soon need to make for home as Kev was going out in the evening - just time to drop into the South Lake Discovery Hide again on the way to the car. There were numbers still in the hide and I had another go at some flight shots with no better outcome - I was relatively pleased with the shot of the bird resting in the grass between the two bodies of water. I had managed to get to a window thanks to Alan McCluskie giving up his spot for me. We would meet him again for a chat on our way out - we'd previously bumped into him at RSPB Otmoor when viewing the short-eared owls recently.
Another tremendous day out with a lifer and a year tick.
Year List: 223
BirdTrack Record: https://app.bto.org/birdtrack/pubcon/shared?subId=SUB46116133
No comments:
Post a Comment