Slimbridge Part I

With Hugh having to address a number of business matters in Avonmouth, Gloucestershire (close to the River Severn Estuary) he thought it a good idea that together we might visit the nearby

In full agreement we were off and reaching the M4 Motorway corridor
started a concerted search for Red Kite, which was not to be!
As ever

SIR PETER SCOTT
the founder and patron of this fine centre was there to welcome us.
While 'wild' birds were a little thin on the ground there is always much
education among the comprehensive Wildfowl Collection.

ANDEAN GOOSE

ARGENTINIAN BLUEBILL

ASHY-HEADED GOOSE

BARROW'S GOLDENEYE
male

and female.

BLACK-BELLIED WHISTLING DUCK

with a small group of the same.

BUFFLEHEAD

male

and female

CANVASBACK

BLACK-BILLED WHISTLING DUCK

male

CHILOE WIGEON

COMB-HEADED DUCK

male
COMMON EIDER
with not quite so common female
SMEW

male
COMMON EIDER

 

and female
COMMON EIDER

male

FALCATED DUCK

 

HAWAIIAN GOOSE

alternatively called
Nēnē (nay-nay)

We will issue Part II when time allows.

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Bat Out Of Hell - Meatloaf

With the angling season now well upon us and knowing many of the 'tight line' brigade, we are able to field a few images of their successes.

A few good size
CHUB
are being caught.

PETER KELLY
(with a fine specimen 5lb 12oz Chub)

has been responsible for most of these piscine images and the story relating to someone else I met on the river bank in recent weeks. I have known Bill Graham for some months now, and wandering the Stour the some time ago saw a distant angler in the fast fading light. Calling out "is that you Bill"? the reply came "yest it is". Closer approach proved it was not the person I was expecting but was indeed

BILL NEIL
(seen here with a recently caught 7lb 3oz Chub)
This Bill, it turns out is a reel (sic) Legend in his Own Lifetime being
the only person to have Chub, in excess of 8lb from 2 different rivers in the County.
Of the top 30 heaviest National Records for this Species Mr Neil holds 12 of these.
I look forward to seeing him again!
Purely by chance I happened along the bank on 2 separate occasions
in recent days to witness both

DACE
and

ROACH
being caught.
Note:- in the same way that all Moths are returned 'unharmed' to the
wild after recording, so are all the Fish.

Also along the same beat the presumed same

LITTLE GREBE

is still hugging the far bank and also catching plenty of small fish.

Looks like another Weather Front on its way so best get off to the
North End.

This 'pale'

COMMON BUZZARD

still appears to be thriving among the Solar Panels,

a fine perch to keep your eye on the 'Groceries'!

 The part flooded area behind Eco has, in the last few days, become
Poker-Dotted with one of the
Anthroceros Species
of
HORNWORT
making for a splendid sight.

GOLDBECK
the Solar Farm Contractors still have not completed putting in there
Final Touches with this excellent Information Board on Gibbet Firs
(we hope you are able to expand and read, dragging the image to your
desktop and expanding might be the way to go?).

along with these c2 (of 4)

BAT BOXES

ROE DEER

this one on the edge of the Gravel Pit and outside of the compound,

but still some remain within, with a theory that they are getting in
UNDER the FENCE
which is yet to be proven?

 YARROW
still in bloom, and

 REDLEAD ROUNDHEAD

yet another new Fungi for the Property found, photographed and
identified by Dave Foot.
It was wondered if the 'REDLEAD' part of the name relates at all
to the protective paint used on ships hulls - a substance extremely familiar to me!

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Skater's Waltz - Émile Waldteufel

The only Frost for 2 or 3 weeks arrived last night, but while of a fairly 'hard' one it was also very short lived. By 08:00 you might have thought it Spring, with the sun peeking above what remain of the banks of the Stour and a cacophony of bird song (Robin, Blackbird, Song and Mistle Thrush to name but a few) but the long range forecast predicts that will be quickly curtailed too.

On arrival at Harbins Tennis Court

the surrounding Trees and

Parley Pond
seemed to be regenerating Christmas but not much to the liking of

 the local 'tame' Duck population.

 Had the thaw not been in progression we may not have offered any
Barley, we don't want any stranded birds in Ice Holes not even from among this
Mötley Crüe

MUTE SWANs
of the Ice Breaker type.

 Pond Side Vegetation

 also looking good.
So, back to Blashford, ostensibly to visit the woodland, but
there was firstly a little unfinished business to attend to at the Tern Hide.
This time there was little difficulty picking up on the

 LONG-TAILED DUCK
but then something that hadn't even occurred to me, a dozen

 PINTAIL
 
 slowly paddled their way across Ibsley Water feeding en-route.
Moments after the hide was vacated, except for myself, with one of the 3 male

 RUDDY DUCK
appearing from nowhere before heading for the woods.
The sole occupant of the Ivy Hide was quick to point out a
most obliging and extremely vocal

 WATER RAIL
My informant left at which point a Black-headed Gull 'flushed' a
Green Sandpiper from a mid-water boulder and enter 2
Hampshire Hogs doing a day 'Twitch' (seeing how many species they
could record in a 24 hour period). They were delighted with the news
of the Rail and Wader then went on quickly to locate the

 BITTERN

 concealed in hardly enough reeds to cover the area of
Slight Return II - nice one!
A full house at the Woodland Hide which seemed to be overhung
with discontent at the absence of the usual Siskin and Redpoll flock.
Buzz seemed to be there were 'none' on the reserve but only a short walk
away the Alders (full of fruit) and gunwales under with

 SISKIN
and on closer inspection a few Goldfinch and

 LESSER REDPOLL

I do love this place and just a 15 minutes drive from my current caravan site.

HEAVEN!

It is only occasionally that I return via the Matchams Road, mainly to

check the riverside and water meadows and ALWAYS take the wrong

turning under the flyover. However, partway to Verwood stands the archetypal

Hansel and Gretel Cottage.

and one from just a little further afield, a newly 'ringed'

SNOW BUNTING
at Seaton Snook, Cleveland
thanks to Dave Foot's recent visit there.
Did you bring one back with you Dave?

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