A Short Visit to Slimbridge

Over the weekend I was visiting relatives in Gloucestershire. On the way home I decided to divert and pop in to the Slimbridge Wetland Centre for a couple of hours or so.

Although various ducks and waders were beginning to return for their winter holidays there was not much in reach of my lens. However, there were a couple of Black-tailed Godwits that were feeding in front of one of the hides. These are not so colourful now that they have lost their orange summer plumage.

The rest of the photos are all from the captive collection but worth snapping nonetheless. Although I read what they were at the time my short term memory has failed me so if I've made any mistakes please let me know.

1)  This is a Nene (Hawaiian Goose) which Sir Peter Scott saved from extinction. They were wandering all over the place. 

2)  White-faced Whistling Duck

And doing a bit of mutual grooming

3)  A Rosybill or Rosybill Pochard (I think)

4)  Maccoa Duck

5) Chiloe Wigeon

6)  Crested Screamer -  it didn't scream at me - just gave me a dirty look

7)  Puna Teal

8) Black Swan

9)  Radjah Shelduck

10)  Ringed Teal

11) Not sure what this one is. I think it might be a female of one of those above.

12)  Red-crowned Crane

13)  Greater Flamingoes

There are several species of Flamingo at Slimbridge including Andean, Chilean and Lesser. However, the Greater was the one that you could get closest to and I spent a while watching quite a large colony  - noisy devils they are too

Very elegant

There seemed to be quite a few youngster around so they must be breeding successfully

I didn't know this until I read the blurb but parents feed their youngsters by dripping a form of milk into their beaks rather as pigeons do. This guy was pestering his mum although capable of feeding himself as far as I could tell. It looked more like water that was being drip fed in this case.

Up close 

And even closer

Extraordinary looking birds aren't they?

Although I didn't photograph much in the way of wild birds it was nice to see these exotics. You could spend a whole day there and still not get round this vast reserve and see everything. 

Part of the problem with seeing wild birds was they were doing some maintenance work on the lakes in preparation for the return of the Bewick's Swans in a couple of months or so.