Bewicks Of Slimbridge

We decided to get this years bird list up and running with a trip to Slimbridge today. I must confess I wasn't hopeful of taking any decent photos as it was quite thick fog as we drove up. It wasn't the greatest conditions, but I did manage quite a few decent shots on the Rushy.

I love the Rushy Hide. You can get some cracking photos of the waterfowl quite close up. There were hundreds of Pintails there, and as you know if you are a regular reader of this blog, it is one my favourite birds to photograph.

Visiting Slimbridge at this time of year is usually about one thing though. The returning Bewick Swans. There are few hundred on site at the moment, and we stayed until 4pm to watch the waterfowl feeding, which always gives you awesome views of them returning to roost the night on the Rushy, along with the thousands of other assorted geese and ducks. I chose this photograph to reflect that.

I could have easily have chosen a couple of the Lapwing shots I took. In the years I have now been going to Slimbridge I have never seen so many there! They easily number in the lots of thousands. Huge swirls of them taking to the air on regular occasions from the Tack Piece or the South Lake.

It was nice to get out and stretch the legs and try to walk off some of the Christmas excess. I came home with over forty species added to the 2013 list. So a pretty successful day all round!