In a moment of madness (and to again replace my scope eye piece for the second time), I spent a day at Slimbridge with mate Rob. Given the fact we had strong winds and driving rain in the morning, what promised to be a dreadful day actually ended up being a good "twitch". As the photo shows, these shelduck and lapwing are a bit damp ( I must get a digi-scope)Birds seen in rough order, 11.00 to 16.00
Pochard, Pintail, 20+ Bewick Swan, Tufted Duck, Wigeon, Black Headed Gull, Coot, Moorhen, 9 Redshank, numerous Shelduck, Rook, Jackdaw (more on these below), Curlew, Teal, Lapwing, Mallard, Canada Goose, Dunlin, Greylag Goose, Chaffinch, Common Gull, Great Tit, Blue Tit, Grey Plover, Juv Herring Gull, Lesser Black Backed Gull, 2 European White Fronted Goose, Woodpigeon, Mute Swan, Cormorant, Buzzard, Cetti's Warbler (heard only as ever) Shoveler, very wet and miserable male Sparrowhawk, Great Spotted Woodpecker, Fieldfare, Little Grebe, roosting Pheasant, Dunnock, Robin, Pied Wagtail, Starling (seen by Rob only but I'll pretend). By 4pm it was almost dark, but the spectacle of over 1000 Jackdaws coming into roost put us a real heartlifting end to what had become a great day.
And to cap it all, in the morning, while talking to Rob "about should we bother" on the phone, 2 Coal Tit, 7 Goldfinch, 5 or 6 House Sparrow, Blackbird and Starling in the garden.
Which makes it 45 species today - oh and a Rabbit and a Grey Squirrel, the latter having a battle of wills on the peanut feeder at Slimbridge with the Woodpecker.
Interestingly, no Grey Heron, Magpie or Long Tail Tit's, and Snipe may have been there but didn't see any either, even though the notice board said "lots"
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