Martin's Bird Blog & Nature Photos

Tag: WWT Slimbridge

  • 19th September 2025 – WWT Slimbridge, Gloucestershire

    19th September 2025 – WWT Slimbridge, Gloucestershire

    What a surprise! Just as we seemed to be moving into autumn we get a late summer’s day. The French call it l’ėtė de la St Martin and we call it an Indian summer, but I’m probably getting carried away as St Martin’s Day isn’t until the 11th November. Anyway it reached 22 degrees in sunny Gloucestershire and, although I was wearing a T-shirt, I wished I was in shorts.

    Slimbridge seemed to be moving on. There were flocks of greylag geese and quite a number of Canada geese too. From our favourite hide there were loads of bar-tailed godwits which were nice to see but difficult to photograph as there didn’t seem to be a focal point. A redshank amidst the group helped a little and then when they scattered from the threat of a peregrine it was easier to pick a focal point. There were some ruff too but very far off. Common snipe are some of our favourite birds but they were quite coy too.

    The highlight of the day was a male grey phalarope (not as attractive as the female) but miles away so don’t hold your breath for any great images.

    A brimstone greeted us on arrival

    There were several big groups of black-tailed godwits like this

    What a beauty – a black swan, certainly no ugly duckling

    Sloes from a blackthorn – think lots of gin!

    Common snipe being very coy

    Black-tailed godwit

    Ruff at the back of the pool

    Lapwings are always present here

    Redshank amongst the godwits

    Redshank jumping for joy

    Godwits take to the air

    Can you spot the grey phalarope? Bang in the middle of my photo with a 400 mm lens and heavily cropped. It looked just as tiny with a x60 telescope. Oh the joys of birding!

    We loved the textiles exhibition too:

  • 22nd August 2025 – WWT Slimbridge, Gloucestershire

    22nd August 2025 – WWT Slimbridge, Gloucestershire

    In praise of WWT Slimbridge

    When I was young my mum and dad, bless them, took me to Slimbridge a couple of times: I can’t say I was very impressed; I was more into team games and I would rather get muddy by diving around on the sports field than sloshing about in wellies. My parents obviously thought it a worthy thing to do but clearly I don’t think it was really in their DNA either and so, as it was fairly expensive, we didn’t go too often.

    I can’t believe how much we love going there now. I know we dodge the hordes of children (and their parents/grandparents) by heading for the hides (rather than the pens with lots of exotic birds) but I do recognise that Slimbridge is a fabulous place and does amazing work to get youngsters interested in wildlife.

    Sadly we see lots of bad parenting there but today we met a young boy (and his dad) as we were heading out to the Severn Estuary who stopped us and told us that if we continued on this pathway we could follow a walkway which took us down to the estuary where we might see, if we looked carefully, curlew and ringed plovers. We were both impressed that his dad didn’t interrupt him but allowed him to be our advisor. This young boy was thoroughly enjoying his day and clearly his dad had encouraged him enough to reach this point. It was a very refreshing encounter.

    Down on the estuary we clearly didn’t look carefully enough as we only heard a curlew and the ringed plovers were too far away for our “old” eyes.

    On the estuary we saw lots of egrets and grey herons.

    However, we did see loads whilst we were at Slimbridge. I hope you enjoy some of my photos from today.

    Probably my photo of the day, a Cetti’s warbler, if I am correct

    Reed warbler

    Reed warbler

    Sand Martin chasing fly (top right)

    Sand Martin about to gorge its prey

    Swallow

    Swallow

    Grey heron

    Honey bee

    Wasp

    Migrant hawker

    Common snipe

    Rock doves

    Common snipe

    Tufted duckling practising its diving

    The beauty of the Severn Estuary

  • 19th August 2025 – WWT Slimbridge, Gloucestershire

    19th August 2025 – WWT Slimbridge, Gloucestershire

    A variety of waders at Slimbridge today.

    It was pleasantly warm but fairly dull for our morning visit. I have nothing to complain about though compared with the poor farmers who must be really struggling with this exceptionally dry spell in this part of the world. They have definitely something to complain about this year!

    Northern lapwing

    When you are struggling for light a goldfinch is a saviour

    Redshank and ruff unperturbed by a noisy coot

    Common redshank and ruff (right)

    Green sandpiper and a common snipe trying to blend in with the foliage

    Black-tailed godwit centre stage

    A skein of greylag geese overhead

    … and on the ground

    The green sandpiper breaks cover first

    Followed by the common snipe

    Black-tailed godwit in the centre with a ruff behind

    Definitely one of my favourite birds – the common snipe

  • 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