Tuesday 24 November 2009

Slimbridge WWT - 22.11.09


Peregrine and Bewick's Swans.

A coach trip with the Watford RSPB group down to Gloucestershire turned out to be a good trip with 3 new species being seen for 2009. These were 18 Bewick's Swans, around 12 White-Fronted Geese out of a flock of 47 but they were hidden in a dip in the grass so only odd birds were seen at ay one time. The third tick was also the highlight of the day. While sat in the tower hide another birder suddenly said he had a Skua sp but just as he found it his eyes teared up from the wind! Thankfully he re-found it stood in the middle of the estuary on the mud. I was the first person to pick it up and with it occasionally flying and showing off more plumage details after a few minutes along with a few other birders we identified it as a sub-adult Pomarine Skua!

This was only my fourth in the UK. The other 3 being juveniles.

Unfortunately last weeks Pacific Diver was re-found but just up the road so went unseen!

No comments:

Post a Comment