I have a quite a number of days holiday to take from work before the end of my holiday year and so decided to have a long weekend. We have work going on in the kitchen and so my wife decided she'd prefer to stay at home and monitor progress while I made my way down to WWT Slimbridge. However, the day before I was due to visit a lesser scaup that I'd seen at Staines Reservoir a couple of weeks previously relocated to Farmoor Reservoir - I decided to stop there on the way to Slimbridge, finding the gate already open by 7.50am. There was only one other car in the car park and the occupant was kitting up to go and see the same bird – Barry Batchelor as it turned out.
We set out and checked around the sailing club and pontoons as this is roughly where the bird had been seen the previous day. Empty handed we decided that if it was still present the likely spot it would be located would be on the far side of the causeway with tufted ducks – if not there it could be anywhere. We started walking along the causeway and could see someone camped at the far end; it turned out to be Mark Pidgeon. We continued to scan the birds as we made for his position just in case but as soon as we were close, we could see our bird. We said 'hello' and all agreed this was the target. Within a few minutes a car drew up on the corner and out stepped Ewan Urquhart (@Stormvogel99) with Keith Clack. He immediately started taking photos and within two minutes the lesser scaup took to the wing, accompanied by two of the tufted ducks, and off in the direction of the Café. We packed up and followed.
We found the bird hanging out with the tufties just offshore, giving good views. I took a few photos and said my goodbyes, making for WWT Slimbridge where I hoped to find the white rumped sandpiper; it had given me the slip a few weeks before, leaving for much of the day when I had planned to drop in from RSPB Ham Wall.
I arrived at the car park to find Ewan Urquhart standing by his car and waiting for Keith to return from the rest rooms – what a coincidence. Keith soon joined us, and we made our way to the Discovery Hide on South Lake to see if the sandpiper was still there - we entered to find that it was. It was at distance, but I took a few record shots anyway - hopefully if I stayed a while it would gradually feed closer. Initially it did the opposite. The longer we watched the easier it was to pick out from the numbers of dunlin also showing along the water's edges.
Gradually the sandpiper worked its way closer until it was within range for the camera, feeding very much in a similar manner to a little stint (as observed by Keith). The conditions were overcast but there was enough light to make a good attempt at capturing photos.
The sandpiper had flown back some distance from our position and the hide was quite full – I had my photos. Ewan and Keith left and I wasn't long in following. I made for the Zeiss Hide and saw distant common cranes, new for me this year. There were numbers of black-tailed godwits, dunlin and some avocet (as there had been on South Lake) but no raptors. I heard calling Cetti's warblers but had no views - no surprise. I decided to return to the Visitor Centre and have lunch before heading out and to the Rushy Hide and beyond.
There had been earlier reports of greater scaup outside Rushy and it took a bit of scanning around to find it - predictably it was on the opposite distant bank and as really as far away as it could be. Fortunately I was still carrying my scope and could get good views regardless - I tried some photos. In contrast the Bewick swans were much closer and very vocal - not being aggressive to one another - just joining a communal chorus.
I wanted to get to the end of the track and dropped into each hide in turn seeing numbers of white-fronted and barnacle geese, and more Bewick swans. The close passes from pintail ducks allowed me to see feather detail not always discernible.
I reached the Estuary Tower and could see nine common cranes, then watched as wigeon waddled from the pool of water behind the hide to the edge of the field by a hedge - hundreds of them - and then spooked, they flew back to the pool. This was repeated at least half a dozen times - quite comical. I scanned through the geese but was drawn to a white goose in with a barnacle flock - a Ross's goose - apparently it has been on-site for a couple of years.
The main sighting on my return to the car was a sparrowhawk as it was mobbed by a crow. A special visit to Slimbridge which never fails to deliver.
No comments:
Post a Comment