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 DeanA 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 snipeGrey wagtailMale shoveler – from the front Male shoveler – from the backA coy tealCommon moorhenA little egret, moorhen, coot, gadwall and a cormorantGreat white egretLittle egret and great white egretGreat white egretAn aggressive lapwingA much calmer lapwing, having won its territorial advantage“Butter wouldn’t melt in its mouth”!Great white egret with its lunchGreat white egret swallowing its lunchThe common snipe were not as secretive as usualEven a wood pigeon can look threatening when landing very close
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