Bird ID's WWT Slimbridge

A few birds which I wanted to double check

I originally thought this was a herring gull, but on second thoughts could it be yellow legged?

The waders (there are about 4, central(ish) Ruff and/or Dunlin?

And just wanted to double check I was correct with this being a blackwit

TIA

Regards

Benji

  • Certainly not a herring gull as its legs are yellow. It could well be a yellow-legged gull - the only other gull I can think of is a lesser black-backed and I'm used to their disappearing over the winter.

    I think the small waders are dunlin and the bigger one is a black-tailed godwit.

    Our herring gulls are red listed birds.  Think about that the next time you hear some flaming idiot calling for a cull of them.

  • The small waders are Dunlin - lots of them at Slimbridge over the winter. Same goes for the Black Tailed Godwit - your big wader. For me the gull is a Lesser Black Backed and certainly they are not uncommon there during the winter months.

    I'm rather surprised the estuary path was still open - during all my years down there it was summer opening only.