Martin's Bird Blog & Nature Photos

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  • 13th November 2026 – Slimbridge, Gloucestershire

    13th November 2026 – Slimbridge, Gloucestershire

    We had our first frost of the season last night and it was pretty chilly when we arrived at Slimbridge. There was a glorious blue sky and the fields were filling with lots of geese and fowl. However, it has still remained very dry and there is much less water than we would normally expect at this time of the year. There were not too many waders around. Perhaps, because of the tide time they had moved to the estuary.

    The first Bewick swans have arrived from Russia and we saw our first two. Normally common snipe are quite secretive but recently we have had good views of them at Slimbridge and today was no exception.

    Our first Bewick swan of this season
    Common snipe

    Common snipe in flight

    Common snipe landing

    Common snipe on terra firma
    Always a joy to see common crane

    Northern lapwing

    Common shelduck

    Eurasian teal
    Wigeon on the ground

    … and wigeon in the air
    Northern pintail

    A comparison of the size of the common shelduck with a northern pintail

    Northern pintail

    Northern pintail in flight

    Mallard in flight

    The European robins tend to be too close to photograph with long lenses!

    A female blackcap feeding off the berries near the Estuary hide

    Footnote

    We have a rowan tree in our garden and it has been laden with berries this autumn until the blackbirds decided the berries were ripe for eating. They have completely stripped it of all its berries in less than a week. I have seen up to eight blackbirds at one time making the most of it. The word clearly spreads quickly.

    Pick….

    … and swallow

  • 27th October 2026 – WWT Slimbridge, Gloucestershire

    27th October 2026 – WWT Slimbridge, Gloucestershire

    Slimbridge Wetlands Centre really comes to its own at this time of the year when large numbers of geese and winter fowl start arriving at the reserve.

    There have been reports that Whooper swans have already arrived from Iceland and Russian White-fronted Geese have been visible with flocks of Canada, Greylag and Barnacle Geese. However, at the first hide (the Rushy hide) we saw very little other than lapwings. Overhead though there was a common buzzard and a peregrine falcon, so it wasn’t really too surprising.

    Common buzzard

    Common buzzard

    Peregrine falcon

    Peregrine falcon

    As we moved further out on the reserve we had good views of the flocks of geese, including a Ross’s goose which is often here. Amongst the geese were also a couple of common cranes.

    View from the Estuary hide with two common cranes amongst the flocks of geese

    I believe the white goose is a Ross’s goose

    The summer walkway which leads to the estuary is now closed to protect the birds

    I particularly enjoyed getting shots of eurasian teal, northern shovelers and northern pintails close up in the sunshine. It’s still very warm (14 degrees Celsius) for this time of the year and I am sure that once the temperatures drop a little more there will be exciting times ahead with lots more birds.

    Shelduck

    Northern shoveler

    Eurasian teal

    I think many a footballer would be proud of this mullet!

    Eurasian teal

    Northern pintail

    Northern pintail

    Only one common snipe today.

    Common redshank

    Teal take flight

  • 18th October 2026 – WWT Slimbridge, Gloucestershire

    18th October 2026 – WWT Slimbridge, Gloucestershire

    I always try to write a blog about each and every one of our birding days out just to keep a record for myself and to stretch my mind a little when I get home. I nearly didn’t bother today as I had such a paucity of photos as there wasn’t much to photograph and the light was rather poor (as was the cameraman). However, I liked my last burst of photos of a pair of common snipe and decided I ought to post a blog just for them.

    Common snipe

    Common snipe

    Common snipe

    Common snipe

    Common snipe

    Common snipe

  • 11th October 2026 – WWT Slimbridge, Gloucestershire

    11th October 2026 – WWT Slimbridge, Gloucestershire

    We were about to head south to the Somerset Levels but we had a change of mind when a quick check of the weather forecast showed heavy rain whereas just north of us, at Slimbridge, dry weather was predicted.

    There were more geese on the reserve than previous visits but nothing new to report other than a first sighting for us of a red fox on the reserve. None of the birds seemed to be agitated by the presence of the fox. However, the fox seemed to be in good health and certainly well fed!

    Red fox
    Red fox

    Red fox

    Common snipe

    Ruff
    Teal

    Greylag geese

    Close up on another greylag goose
    Northern lapwing

    Great white egret at close proximity

    Great white egret landing

    Goldfinch

    Dunnock

    Grey wagtail

  • 6th October 2026 – Eastville Park, Bristol

    6th October 2026 – Eastville Park, Bristol

    “Où sont les soleils d’antan” – with apologies to François Villon

    No sun today – the first time for a long time.

    Nonetheless we had a pleasant walk on our local patch – the first time we have managed to get to our local park, Eastville Park in Bristol, for 16 months .

    Generally, it’s a great place to see some wildlife and today did not disappoint. I reckon if I see a kingfisher on one of our days out I am never disappointed. Somehow they always manage to lift your spirits.

    Common kingfisher in the gloom

    Common kingfisher

    There was a pair of grey wagtails on the weir but it was difficult to make out amongst the fallen leaves – well that’s my excuse for a very poor photo!

    Not much problem picking out the common moorhen.

    This crow was both feeding and taking a shower on the front of the weir.

    There were two herons around the lake and this one spent time in the trees and down at the lakeside

    Fortunately these images have not been tagged or covered in graffiti as were the previous iteration

    Grey heron

    Grey heron

    Peekaboo!

    Grey heron

    The second grey heron

    Off for some serious fishing

    The grey herons were having to share the lake with lots of other competitors – here cormorants waiting their turn.

    Cormorant actively fishing

    There were half a dozen mute swans on the lake

    Mute swans

    Black-headed gull

    The much larger black-backed gull

    Grey heron in flight – part 1

    Grey heron in flight – part 2

    Grey heron in flight – part 3
    Grey heron in flight – part 4

    The mallards are often forgotten

    … but everyone loves feeding the pigeons.

    Grey squirrel

    The squirrels can easily fend for themselves

    I couldn’t resist a common kingfisher to end with

    Extended highlights video – less than 4 minutes!

  • 4th October 2026 – WWT Slimbridge, Gloucestershire

    4th October 2026 – WWT Slimbridge, Gloucestershire

    We were only free for the morning and so we reverted to our “safe place” – the World Wildfowl Trust’s reserve at Slimbridge.

    We had a disappointing start, with not very much to see, but our patience prevailed and in the end we were rewarded with some nice birds.

    Small flocks of geese are building in numbers – here greylag geese.

    The morning mist soon burnt off but not on the hills of the Cotswolds in the background.

    The same looking across the Severn Estuary towards the Forest of Dean

    A very obliging common snipe displaying its tail feathers.

    I can’t remember seeing a snipe display its tail feathers like this before, so here’s another shot from a different perspective.

    This is how I would normally expect to see the common snipe

    Grey wagtail

    Male shoveler – from the front

    Male shoveler – from the back

    A coy teal

    Common moorhen

    A little egret, moorhen, coot, gadwall and a cormorant

    Great white egret

    Little egret and great white egret

    Great white egret

    An aggressive lapwing

    A much calmer lapwing, having won its territorial advantage

    “Butter wouldn’t melt in its mouth”!

    Great white egret with its lunch

    Great white egret swallowing its lunch

    The common snipe were not as secretive as usual

    Even a wood pigeon can look threatening when landing very close

    Extended highlights video (less than 4 mins!)

  • 30th September 2026 – Gwent Wetlands, South Wales

    30th September 2026 – Gwent Wetlands, South Wales

    We were looking for a change of venue for birding but didn’t want to travel too far and so opted for RSPB Newport Wetlands on the other side of the Severn Estuary to where we live in north east Bristol.

    Small numbers of winter fowl on the reserve

    A pair of gadwall

    Common darter

    We are still enjoying lovely weather in late September and we had a glorious walk around the reserve on the edge of the Severn estuary. However, we didn’t see very much. There were signs of winter fowl on the reserve such as wigeon, gadwall and teal but only in small numbers. There were plenty of dragonflies and butterflies and there were still a number of house martins (but too fast for my reactions). The best bird was a curlew which flew overhead and then stayed around on the edges of the estuary.

    Curlew overhead

    Curlew on the edge of the Severn estuary

    Small white butterfly

    Red admiral

    Common darter

    RSPB Newport Wetlands is part of the Gwent Levels which stretch 35 kms from Newport to Chepstow.

    Sadly we didn’t see any bearded tits

    After lunch we headed to Goldcliff Lagoons but the dry weather meant that the first lagoons were completely dried up and, as rain was threatening, we headed back to the car. We will have another go later in the year as we are bound to pay soon for all the lovely sunshine we have had this summer.

    Gulls and shelduck on the edges of the estuary

    I have no idea what these tugs were doing on the edge of the estuary but they came very close to the mudflats
  • 25th September 2026 – Slimbridge (not so) wetlands

    25th September 2026 – Slimbridge (not so) wetlands

    WWT Slimbridge Visitor Centre

    An easy trip to WWT Slimbridge as we live on the north side of Bristol

    It’s been a while since we have managed to get out birding and so we opted for our safe bet of WWT Slimbridge. Although we have had some rain and the fields have greened up a lot, the water levels are very low and most waders are probably opting for the nearby muddy banks of the Severn Estuary.

    However, I hope you agree, there were a few nice birds to see.

    A very raucous rook

    Clouded yellow butterfly – there has been a proliferation of these butterflies locally this year.

    Common snipe

    Ruff

    A different ruff

    Canada goose amongst the daisies

    Transhumance of greylag geese? Hardly!

    My favourite shot of the day – a shoveler

    A skein of Canada geese

    Green sandpiper – the only one to be seen today

    Common snipe – quite elusive today

    It took a lot of patience to get this photo of the common snipe

  • 16th September 2026

    16th September 2026

    For the past couple of weeks I have not felt well enough to get out and about and so I have amused myself by making a few videos from photos I have taken,

    I share with you, in this blog, one of these videos of some shots of one of my favourite birds, the common kingfisher. In French it is known as Martin Pêcheur and as a former French teacher I like the fact that I share its name.

    It’s only 4 minutes long!

  • 6th September 2026 – WWT Slimbridge, Gloucestershire

    6th September 2026 – WWT Slimbridge, Gloucestershire

    We have had some rain in the last few weeks and the countryside is beginning to green up but the pools at Slimbridge were still very low again this morning. We didn’t really see anything very different from our last few visits but it was great to get out and see what was about and take some pics!

    Greenshanks and a redshank

    Grey wagtail

    The common snipe didn’t have much to hide behind as the banks had been cleared

    Common snipe

    A pair of gadwall

    Little egret

    Ruff

    Green sandpiper

    Common chiffchaff

    Common chiffchaff

    Common chiffchaff

    Green sandpiper

    Common greenshank

    Common greenshank in flight

    Northern shoveler

    Lapwing

  • 24th August 2026 – WWT Slimbridge, Gloucestershire

    24th August 2026 – WWT Slimbridge, Gloucestershire

    We have had to be much less adventurous with our holidays this year but nonetheless we have really enjoyed our trips away to the south coast of England. Although the distances travelled have not been very great I was very tired after our last expedition to East Devon (whether it be my health or just old age) and so it was great to relax this weekend and watch some sport and do a little gardening. That doesn’t mean that my camera was very far away and I share a few nature shots from the garden yesterday.

    Common carder bee enjoying the salvia

    Common carder bee on verbena

    £8 solar fountain from amazon.co.uk!

    Holly blue butterfly

    The common green bottle fly Lucilia sericata on achillea

    Also on the achillea a thick-legged hoverfly syritta pipiens

    Small white butterfly

    Green-veined white butterfly

    Holly blue butterfly

    After a mainly sedentary weekend by this morning I was chomping at the bit and we had a trip to WWT Slimbridge.

    The highlight of our visit was a common snipe (normally very secretive and well camouflaged) which made an appearance as soon as we arrived in the open right in front of us .

    Common snipe

    Common snipe

    Ruff and two greenshank

    Greenshank in flight

    Spotted redshank

    I was very pleased to recognise straightaway the spotted redshank from its feeding habits. I remembered what an old chap (probably younger than me) told me when I starting bird watching, on a trip to Titchwell Marshes in Norfolk, about how the spotted redshank feeds very much like an avocet with a sweeping action whereas the common redshank simply picks at food.

    Common redshank

    Little egret

    Little egret

    You can see the effects of the drought we have had from this shot of a group of common crane

    … and from further away

    It’s not only the farmers who are desperate for rain – the birds need it too – view of the Severn Estuary from the Estuary hide.
  • 19th August 2026 – Seaton Wetlands, East Devon

    19th August 2026 – Seaton Wetlands, East Devon

    We sneaked another morning visit to the wetlands but had to dodge a few showers (what a novelty!).

    From the tower hide the view across the river Axe

    Eurasian curlew heading down river

    Canada geese heading up river

    From the Tower hide the view across the reserve

    Oystercatchers and black-headed gulls

    Black-tailed godwit

    Common redshank

    Mainly black-tailed godwits

    In this muddy patch (caused by the tide!) there were a mixture of curlews, whimbrel and common sandpiper, but most beyond my range

    We ventured a little further (and got wet) only to have a view of these Canada geese feeding

    An inquisitive pheasant

    Back at our holiday rental there were butterflies and a hummingbird hawk-moth:

    Large white

    Hummingbird hawk-moth

    Clouded yellow

    A very tired peacock butterfly

    Comma butterfly

    Small white

    Red admiral

    Just for good measure a few of the beaches and other aspects of our visit.

    St Winifred’s Church, Branscombe

    St Winifred’s Church, Branscombe

    The Old Bakery at Branscombe

    Manor Mill, Branscombe. The only working mill to survive of the four originally operating in Branscombe.

    Branscombe beach and café

    Branscombe beach looking eastwards

    Beer Beach – still a working fishing port

    The beach at Beer