1st September 2012 - Slimbridge

I apologise for how awful I have been in updating this blog.  Originally when we came back from Hungary I became rather ill and so hadn't been birdwatching for a couple of months.  Now I'm managing the illness and doing more birdwatching, I've been putting off the blog updates - bad Therese!  I have a couple of August visits which I'll update about later, but let us start at the beginning of September with a visit to Slimbridge.

Flamingos!

I was visiting my mother in Birmingham and noticed a lovely visitor to Slimbridge, so turfed my mother and the boy into the car and started being a satnav without telling them where we were going (it's a bit far for a non-birder to be persuaded to go).  Eventually they cottoned on, but I had my way by then!  Luckily, I find the WWT reserves great for non-birders as they have plenty of collection birds (a possible debate for later) so there is a lot for them to get excited over at hand.  We had a quick wander round part of the collection, then found our way to the South Lake Observatory.  Here we joined the bank of scopes trying to desperately pick out the visitor I had gone for amongst the many Black-tailed Godwit - the Long-billed Dowitcher.  Eventually he was found, having a bath.  My mother wasn't too impressed - apparently I'm no longer allowed to take her that far to look at a bird unless it is very brightly coloured.  Hmph.

The Tropical House

We all enjoyed the Swallows sitting on the telegraph wires allowing us to get a good look at them and a cheeky Canada Goose trying to get in the window of the hide was a source of great amusement.

Excuse my photos, my camera has been AWOL so my shoddy phone camera has had to try and vaguely depict birds for the last couple of months.  I'm also no longer going to list the birds I see on a given trip unless you guys still want me to - let me know!