Martin's Bird Blog & Nature Photos

Tag: WWT Slimbridge

  • 28th July 2025 – WWT Slimbridge, Gloucestershire

    28th July 2025 – WWT Slimbridge, Gloucestershire

    The WWT (Wildlife and Wetlands Trust) is a growing, global community of nature lovers who do brilliant things for nature, especially encouraging young people to engage with nature. However, we visit WWT Slimbridge in the school holidays with some trepidation as we know it is going to be packed with very noisy, excitable children. Yet today (as most times) we were able to visit certain parts of the reserve in relative peace and quiet. The only children we came across were well-behaved and already enthusiastic nature lovers, generally accompanied by knowledgeable and encouraging grandparents.

    This is the time of the year when many “birders” turn to butterflies but today there was plenty to keep us engaged and the only butterflies of note were red admirals. We had a good walk down to the Severn Estuary and , although the tide was really too high to see much on the water, we saw plenty en route.

    Red admirals are ubiquitous at the moment in this part of the country

    Slimbridge is famous for its Bewick and Whooper swans in winter but today there was a black swan.

    The juxtaposition of this little egret to the black swan was quite splendid

    A young lapwing

    Who says we only have LBJs in the UK? Goldfinch having a drink.

    We are lucky to see so many egrets in this part of the world these days.

    Little egret in flight

    Lapwing in flight

    A proud mum tufted duck

    … and one of her ducklings
    … and another (only because they are so cute)

    Clever planting attracts many bees

    I wish the achillea in my garden was as bright as this cousin

    One of five green sandpipers

    Green sandpiper

    Green sandpiper

    Sand Martin down on the estuary

    The light was poor down by the estuary but I could just capture these barn swallows

    Common sandpiper on the Severn Estuary

    Goldfinch in flight

    Kingfisher with a small appetiser

    Kingfisher

    Kingfisher

    Kingfisher

    Kingfisher

    Kingfisher
    Pied/white wagtail

    Pied/white wagtails

    Black-headed gull

    Black-headed gull

    Goldfinch

    A spoonbill, common cranes and curlews (heard but not seen) all too far for my lens.

    There was even a lovely exhibition of very accomplished textile wall hangings

  • 13th June 2025 – WWT Slimbridge, Gloucestershire

    13th June 2025 – WWT Slimbridge, Gloucestershire

    We made our second trip to Slimbridge to try to see the white-spotted bluethroat which has returned to the Severn Estuary for the fifth year running. Normally, the white-spotted subspecies typically breeds on the near continent but this is perhaps a sign that with climate change it is extending its range further north. Sadly, however, this male has so far failed to find a mate. Our luck was in and, after not too long a wait, it made an appearance. Ironically it appeared on a notice board warning not to linger and, showing its discipline, soon moved off. It continued to show well in the reeds.

    You would think that singing like this its song would carry both the Bristol and English Channel

    White spotted bluethroat

    White spotted bluethroat

    White spotted bluethroat

    White spotted bluethroat

    There was plenty else to see on the walk out to the Severn Estuary.

    Bee orchids

    Meadow brown

    Large skipper butterfly
    Painted lady butterfly

    The marbled white escaped my camera

    I imagine a hybrid goose

    A snow goose or a Ross’s goose

    Pied avocet (or simply avocet as we call them in the UK)

    Black-headed gulls

    Great egret
    Great egret

    Great egret

    A shelduck duckling

    More shelduck ducklings

    Scarce chase

    Scarce chaser

    A rather shy robin

  • 14th May 2025 – WWT Slimbridge, Gloucestershire

    14th May 2025 – WWT Slimbridge, Gloucestershire

    It’s the first time we have seen the new ‘Estuary Shoreline’ landscape at Slimbridge. It’s situated in front of the Kingfisher café and, although we had our doubts as we saw it being developed through the winter, we were very impressed with what the talented Grounds Team have achieved in designing it and building it in-house.

    The new ‘Estuary Shoreline’ landscape

    Wonderful wild flowers enhanced the new landscape

    The bees (early nesting bumblebee) were loving the new plantings at the “Estuary Shoreline landscape”
    Common carder bee

    Shelduck looked magnificent in their breeding plumage

    The avocets probably stole the show

    A very handsome shoveler duck

    It was a joy to walk out to the estuary and, although the white spotted bluethroat which has returned here for the fifth year in a row evaded us, we did enjoy the display by a short-eared owl.

    Short-eared owl

    Short-eared owl

    Short-eared owl

    Short-eared owl

    Short-eared owl

    Short-eared owl

    Short-eared owl

    Short-eared owl

    There were plenty of these azure damselflies to see

    Avocets

    Avocet flying over shelduck

    Avocet

    Black-headed gull with nesting material

    Avocet on its nest

  • 5th March 2025 – WWT Slimbridge, Gloucestershire

    5th March 2025 – WWT Slimbridge, Gloucestershire

    A lovely morning spent photographing birds at Slimbridge. Nothing remarkable except for nature itself and the warmth of the sun on our backs.

    Statue of Sir Pater Scott who established the Wildfowl & Wetlands Trust  in 1946 and helped found the World Wide Fund for Nature,

    Northern pintail

    Greylag goose

    Common crane

    Mute swan taking off

    Eurasian curlew

    Eurasian teal

    Common crane

    Avocets standing out from the wigeon and the shovelers

    White fronted geese in front of the barnacle geese

    More barnacle geese arriving above the Canada geese

    Greenfinch

    Goldfinch

    Long-tailed tit

    Blue tit

    Coal tit

    Common chaffinch

    Robin

  • 29th November 2024 – WWT Slimbridge, Gloucestershire

    29th November 2024 – WWT Slimbridge, Gloucestershire

    “Byrdes of on kynde and color flok and flye allwayes together.” William Turner :”The Rescuing of Romish Fox” 1545

    Birds of a feather flock together – they certainly do at Slimbridge and, at this time of the year, in large numbers.

    The diary at the front desk gives an indication of the numbers of sightings – but did the golden plover come later?

    The other feature at Slimbridge currently is that the Bewick swans have returned:

    Bewick swans in flight

    There were plenty of opportunities for close-ups too:

    Curlew

    Redshank

    Widgeon flanked by greylag geese

    Shelduck

    Northern pintail

    Northern pintail

    Pochard

    Shelduck

    There were also birds that you are likely to see in your garden too:

    Blue tit

    Great tit

    Robin

    … and it’s not all about birds!

  • 4th October 2024 – WWT Slimbridge, Gloucestershire

    4th October 2024 – WWT Slimbridge, Gloucestershire

    A beautiful start to the day encouraged us to venture north from Bristol to spend a while at the World Wetlands Trust reserve at Slimbridge. We were well rewarded with close ups of black-tailed godwits, common greenshank, common redshank, northern lapwings, a little egret, Canada and Greylag geese and a green sandpiper.

    Unfortunately, the beautiful light didn’t last long and nor did we.

    Black-tailed godwit

    Black-tailed godwit

    Common greenshank

    Common greenshank

    Common greenshank

    Common greenshank and little egret

    Northern lapwing and little egret

    Common redshank in flight

    Common redshank with their feet firmly on the ground

    Canada geese

    Eurasian teal

    Greylag geese

    Close up of a northern lapwing showing its beautiful iridescent plumage to best effect

    Ruff

    Ruff

    Green sandpiper

    Green sandpiper

    Ruff

    Comma butterfly

  • 28th August 2024 – WWT Slimbridge

    28th August 2024 – WWT Slimbridge

    Peter Scott opened Slimbridge, the first of nine WWT Wetland Centres across the UK, in 1946. Since then generations of families have visited the centre where their interest in nature and conservation has been nurtured.

    However, today it seemed more like a vast playground for very young children and their mums, most of whom showed very little interest in the wildlife. It could have been worse as I imagine many of the older children were absent having their shoes fitted for the return to school.

    We managed to find a few quiet areas away from the play areas and enjoyed seeing a few interesting birds.

    Black-tailed godwits

    The black-tailed godwits were losing their breeding plumage

    Spotted redshank

    Greenshank

    Juvenile ruff

    Green sandpiper

    The ruff and the green sandpiper together

    Very distant common crane

    Ross’s goose and barnacle geese

    Grey heron with its catch

    Common snipe

    Common snipe in flight

    2 Eurasian spoonbills

    Eurasian spoonbills

  • 16th February 2024 – WWT Slimbridge, Gloucestershire

    16th February 2024 – WWT Slimbridge, Gloucestershire

    Another break in the rain and so we make a dash for Slimbridge. There’s not much doubt that these are currently wetlands.

    Northern lapwings and golden plover clearly enjoying the wet conditions

    There were a few rarities there today (spoonbill, dark-bellied Brent goose) but the only rarity (for Slimbridge) which we managed to see amongst the thousands of birds on view were two Whooper swans who have joined the visiting Bewick swans and the native mute swans.

    Bewick swan

    Whooper swan

    Mute swan

    Northern pintail

    A ruff and a shelduck either side of a pair of wigeon

    Black-tailed godwits were easier to pick out when they took to the air

    Lapwings

    Even the chaffinch had to negotiate the wet conditions

    We heard the curlews way before we saw them

    I only saw two oystercatchers

    There were rather a lot more golden plover

    The golden plovers regularly made splendid displays over the wetlands

    Northern shovelers

    Wigeon

    Whooper swan up close

    The Bewick swans are much smaller than the Whoopers (and the mute swans) and have proportionally more black and less yellow on their bills

    Male and female tufted duck

    A few of my favourites from the pens:

    Smew

    Goldeneye

    Common pochard

    Goldeneye displaying

    Slideshow of my photos from this morning’s visit:

  • 18th January 2024 – WWT Slimbridge

    18th January 2024 – WWT Slimbridge

    Slimbridge on ice and in the winter sunshine was a sheer delight this morning.

    The Bewick swans looked very much at home. We are so lucky to see these beautiful birds so close to home.

    Bewick swans in flight

    Bewick swan

    A snow goose in flight was quite exciting too.

    The same could be said of the common cranes – we saw two in flight and at least 9 feeding on the edges of the Severn estuary.

    Common cranes in flight

    Common cranes

    2 water rails close up were also pretty special.

    Water rail on ice

    Water rail

    Robin skating on ice

    Northern pintails being checked out by the Bewick

    Slideshow of this morning’s photos:

    https://videopress.com/v/nnSfMwvH?resizeToParent=true&cover=true&preloadContent=metadata&useAverageColor=true
    Barnacle and Canada geese


  • 6th January 2024 – WWT Slimbridge, Gloucestershire

    6th January 2024 – WWT Slimbridge, Gloucestershire

    Following a series of storms in recent weeks, many parts of the country are now suffering flooding (in some cases quite severe). We are fortunate not to have been affected by these floods but locally it is very wet and muddy and difficult to get out and about.

    However, we had no problems getting to WWT Slimbridge today and enjoyed seeing large flocks of waders taking full advantage of the wetlands.

    The light was not always good but we were very thankful to be out enjoying some fresh air and, for a change, there was hardly any wind.

    Golden plover

    Golden plover

    Black-tailed godwits

    Wigeon

    Curlew

    Avocet

    Ruff

    Snow goose

    Teal

    Shelduck

    Redshank

    Lapwing

    Wigeon

    Avocet

    Shoveler

    Gadwall

    Bewick swans

    Slideshow of today’s photos:

  • 26th December 2023 – WWT Slimbridge, Gloucestershire

    26th December 2023 – WWT Slimbridge, Gloucestershire

    It was dull at Slimbridge this morning but quite mild. It was definitely a pleasure to be spared the wind and rain which have plagued us for the last few weeks.

    Bewick swans

    At this time of year the highlights are the Bewick swans which migrate here from  the arctic tundra of Russia.

    This year the Bewicks didn’t arrive at Slimbridge until the 16th November which is the latest they have arrived on site since 1965. Experts are linking their delayed arrival to climate change, combined with a mixture of stormy and mild weather in recent weeks.

    The Bewicks are quite small swans , as can be seen compared to a shelduck

    There were fair numbers of one of my favourite ducks, the northern pintail.

    Northern pintails

    Female northern pintail

    We also had good views of the generally secretive water rail – with two parading very close up.

    Water rail

    Water rail

    Two Egyptian geese flew in to join the large number of greylag and Canadian geese.

    Egyptian goose

    The wet fields were teeming with lapwing which every now and again were spooked by a predator and took to the skies. Unfortunately, in the the dull conditions they didn’t make the spectacular show that we often see here. We were disappointed also not to see any golden plover which also generally make a great display.

    Lapwing

    Lapwing

    There is always a chance to see common crane here but today they were all very distant.

    Common crane close to the estuary

    Slideshow of photos from this morning::