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A wonderful wild weekend centring on our annual trip to WWT Slimbridge also visiting Dix Pit and Rushy Common and Tar Lakes

At a slightly different time of year this weekend with some time off Friday and Monday we headed for our yearly visit to the incredible WWT Slimbridge in Gloucestershire on Saturday. As ever it was a riveting bird fest with numerous stunning species observed in winter’s elegant wetland bird display. Dominating the day were the impressive Bewick’s Swans with their black and yellow bills, captivating birds to watch as their soothing honking calls epitomize the wild essence of winter. Also standing out on the day were many rustic Ruffs with a neat Spotted Redshank with them and Redshanks and shimmering hoards of delightful Golden Plovers often mixed in with many Lapwings. Other reserve specialities gigantic Common Crane and White-fronted Goose (albeit in the form of the Lesser White-fronted Goose which has been hanging around) were a treat to see, as were nice views of raptors Marsh Harrier and Peregrine. A host of ducks including Pochard, Pintail, Shelduck and Shoveler, raucous Rooks, the beautiful Ross's Goose with Barnacle Geese and more wonderful wader scenes of Avocets, Black-tailed Godwits and Curlews in numbers also stood out. Exhilirating views of Kingfisher and Goldfinch with Water Rail, Cetti’s Warbler and Wren heard well were other highlights on a sensational wildlife watching day. I always leave here feeling inspired by the wonder of nature I’ve seen but also by what a beacon of hope this place is from Sir Peter Scott’s pioneering work to the continued important and formidable force in conservation the WWT (Wildfowl and Wetlands Trust) are.

On Friday on the way from home in Hampshire it was fun to visit Dix Pit in Oxfordshire which we discovered on the way on our 2023 edition of this trip. I was flabbergasted to see two Common Cranes flying over here to see this key target of the trip and remarkable bird early as I was taking in the historic and fascinating Devil’s Quoits here where I was spellbound by seeing my first Skylarks of the year and hearing them too such a hopeful sight for the promise of spring as they displayed. Seeing the cranes led me to learn that they have now bred in Oxfordshire which is amazing. Glorious Goldeneyes, Pochard, Wigeon, Common Gull, Great White Egret, Great Crested Grebe, lots of Snow Geese, Red Kite a key bird of this county seen well on the journey too, Buzzard, Siskins and Long-tailed Tit with Green Woodpecker heard were other highlights here.

Sunday on the way home brought a visit to the picturesque Rushy Common and Tar Lakes in Oxfordshire where we had also been before on such a trip and a return to Dix Pit both to try to see the bird we had hoped to on Friday at the latter Red-crested Pochard and we we were thrilled to see an elegant pair of this flamboyant species at Dix Pit. Great White Egret, Dunnock and good Redwing views with Cetti’s Warbler heard very well were other highlights at Rushy Common and Tar Lakes with Goldeneye and Pochard enjoyed again at Dix Pit. Smashing Long-tailed Tit views, Great Crested Grebes including courting, Cormorants and many Wigeons and Shoveler were other stars at both. After traversing through the pleasant Cotswolds countryside it was a lively journey to these Oxfordshire sites with my first Egyptian Goose and Muntjac Deer of the year seen in fields and a few Red Kites, a Sparrowhawk diving off of a roof (a species I saw in Eastleigh just before we got home too before enjoying Goldfinches, Robin, Collared Doves, Black-headed Gulls, Lesser Black-backed Gull and more from home on this sunny evening) and Buzzards seen.

A difference to when we normally come in early January is how much more spring like the trip was with beautiful blossom in the landscape and a fair few wildflowers seen across the weekend including speedwell, snowflake, snowdrop, daffodil, primroses, daisies, groundsel, hogweed and cuckoo-pint leaves and cleavers. At Dix Pit I was also ecstatic to see my first Peacock butterfly of the year a luxurious ruby cloth drifting by with bees seen across the weekend and a Scarlet Tiger moth caterpillar seen at Slimbridge. Seeing Roe Deers here and taking in the breathtaking wetland and rural surrounding scenes with catkins shining in the landscape too was nice. An excellent wild weekend.

The photos in this photoset from the weekend are of; Bewick's Swan and Pochard at Slimbridge, views at Dix Pit and Tar Lakes, snowflakes and Woodpigeon at Slimbridge, Devil's Quoits and a view at Dix Pit and Great Crested Grebe and view at Tar Lakes.

Ruff (Philomachus pugnax) 203 by Sandra Surtees Via Flickr: Ruff in breeding plumage and in full display mode. It was an absolute nightmare to photograph. He was either running around at full speed or pointing his head down for a brief second. Seen at Slimbridge Wetland Centre.

#Ruff (Philomachus pugnax)#Ruff #Philomachus pugnax #Slimbridge #breeding plumage #Slimbridge Wetland Centre #Calidris pugnax #flickr

Widgeons

#birds #birdwatching #widgeons #widgeon #slimbridge #wwt #coolpix p1000

Was Peter Scott a natural hero? Anything less is for the birds

Peter Scott and the Birth of Modern Conservation, Chris Moore, Quiller Publishing, £20. Review: Simon Hacker Like it or not, we live in an age of iconoclasm where nobody’s sacred, especially if they’re dead or a bit of a Matt Hancock. And so it is that every now and then a biography lands to deliver a gentle slap to whatever cosy impressions we had of the people we like to think of as, perish…

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#Sir Peter Scott #Slimbridge #Wildfowl and Wetlands Trust

Some of my favourite shots I took yesterday at @wwtslimbridge We saw a Marsh harrier in one of the hides for the first time which was amazing. In 1971, the Marsh Harrier was Britain's rarest breeding bird. Since then, numbers have steadily increased and today there are 590–695 breeding pairs of Marsh Harriers in Britain. #birds #slimbridge #wwt #feathers #wildlife #nature #ducks #waterfowl #mandarin #bewick #baerspochard #bhg #blackheadedgull #wetlands #water #photography #wildlife https://www.instagram.com/p/ClOqC3PKFU7/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=

#birds #slimbridge #wwt #feathers #wildlife #nature #ducks #waterfowl #mandarin #bewick #baerspochard #bhg #blackheadedgull #wetlands #water #photography

Cinderford gain derby day bragging rights

Cinderford 2 Slimbridge 1 A late rally from Cinderford saw them take the points from Slimbridge at the Causeway, writes Tim Blake. After Ethan Dunbar had put the Swans ahead, goals in the last few minutes from Tris Haswell and Mike Symons saw the home side take the points. Slimbridge had the first decent effort on goal with eight minutes on the clock when a well-worked corner from Joe Shutt,…