2nd winter Yellow-legged Gull, Richmond Bank
Adult Yellow-legged Gull, Richmond Bank being very uncooperative for the camera. The sunlight was harsh and glaring making the mantle colours somewhat darker than normal. Here the light bounces off the ice in front - note the difference in mantle shade between the argentatus bird to the right and the argenteus birds on the ice.
First winter Yellow-legged Gull, Moore
Gulls in flight over Richmond Bank
Leucistic Herring Gull, Richmond Bank
Great Black-backed Gull overflying Moore with 2 Herring Gulls
Fox on the ice at Birchwood Pool, Moore - it's just heard a mobile phone going off!
Snow tastes good!
It's fun rolling in the snow!
Bewick's Swans, Slimbridge
Barnacle Geese, Slimbridge
Buzzard with the Woody it stole from a Peregrine.
Distant White-fronted Geese, Slimbridgexxxx
Great weather this, innit! So good I ended up driving down to Droitwich on Thursday and, following a days work there, a further journey to Bridgwater in Somerset. Finally got back late Friday after a few hairy moments on the M6!
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At least on Friday afternoon I managed to pop in to Slimbridge for a quick mooch. As with everywhere it was cold and covered in snow! I headed straight away to Holden Tower, hoping to see some interesting geese. The first thing I spotted was a flock of around 110 Barnacle Geese way out near the estuary, however no sign of the White-fronted Geese I was hoping for. In the field to the right of the tower a huge (and I mean huge) female Peregrine had caught a Woody. She was immediately hustled off her kill by a Buzzard (I have seen this particular spectacle before down here) – the latter took its food into a hedge where it was hassled by a second Buzzard.
Xxx
There was little moving – all the Bewick’s Swans on the frozen lake to the right of the hide were asleep. Finally just before I left a flock of around 80 geese wheeled around the hide and then dropped behind a distant hedge – these were the White-fronts! At least 5 of them had the decency to hop back over this side of the hedge.
Xxxx
The main pool was also frozen – a rarity, apparently, in these here parts. One consequence is that the birds now get fed on the ice. Not a problem for the hundreds of Greylags and Canada Geese, however the Bewick’s Swans appear to be very wary of feeding on the ice. I estimate that less than a quarter of the 270+ swans present on the pool actually attempted to feed. As a result the warden confirmed that many of the swans are in poor condition and losing body weight fast – very worrying.
Xxxxx
Saturday morning I decided to head off to Moore – the usual last minute decision. At the Birchwood Pool there were no birders and few birds. A small patch was still free and crammed with water fowl. Eventually a couple of the Seaforth guys turned up and one of them spotted a first winter Yellow-legged Gull on the water. Unfortunately there were few gulls on the pool (though 2 Curlews did walk round on the ice for a while) despite large numbers flying onto the far side of the tip.
Xxxx
A spanking fox did come out onto the ice and wander around the water, trying to figure out how to get at the Coots et al. It eventually gave up and proceeded to lie down and squirm around in the snow. These were superb views – I did hope it would come closer, however the mobile phone of one of my neighbours in the hide followed by a dog walker calling his dogs spooked the animal and off it went. I decided that Richmond Bank probably offered the best opportunity so I headed off there.
Xxxx
The walk along the canal to Richmond Bank was unusually quiet aside from a cracking female Sparrowhawk which flew low over my head. There were large numbers of gulls at Richmond Bank – I estimate 7-8,000. The problem is that the sun was shining directly into my face and also causing problems with colour cast etc. I found an adult and then a second winter Yellow-legged Gull until some tit in a red tracksuit and a small camera decided it was a superb scenic shot. Off he went toward the gulls – surprise, surprise the gulls decided to disappear. A few thousand did come back later just as the Seaforth guys arrived. One of them found a leucistic Herring Gull – after that time had run out for me so I headed off home.
Xxxx
In the garden the usual Fieldfare is still present and still roosting with the Blackbirds. The pale Collared Dove is also still around. A couple of Tree Sparrows, 5 or 6 Reed Buntings and a sprinkling of Chaffinches were present throughout, however overall much fewer numbers than last weekend. The male Spar also put in an appearance. Late afternoon I managed to get to the feeding station on Waterworks Lane and dig out another feeding scrape. A short while later 18 Yellowhammers and 12 Grey Partridges were present – five more of the latter were feeding on the track to the farm.
XXXX
At least on Friday afternoon I managed to pop in to Slimbridge for a quick mooch. As with everywhere it was cold and covered in snow! I headed straight away to Holden Tower, hoping to see some interesting geese. The first thing I spotted was a flock of around 110 Barnacle Geese way out near the estuary, however no sign of the White-fronted Geese I was hoping for. In the field to the right of the tower a huge (and I mean huge) female Peregrine had caught a Woody. She was immediately hustled off her kill by a Buzzard (I have seen this particular spectacle before down here) – the latter took its food into a hedge where it was hassled by a second Buzzard.
Xxx
There was little moving – all the Bewick’s Swans on the frozen lake to the right of the hide were asleep. Finally just before I left a flock of around 80 geese wheeled around the hide and then dropped behind a distant hedge – these were the White-fronts! At least 5 of them had the decency to hop back over this side of the hedge.
Xxxx
The main pool was also frozen – a rarity, apparently, in these here parts. One consequence is that the birds now get fed on the ice. Not a problem for the hundreds of Greylags and Canada Geese, however the Bewick’s Swans appear to be very wary of feeding on the ice. I estimate that less than a quarter of the 270+ swans present on the pool actually attempted to feed. As a result the warden confirmed that many of the swans are in poor condition and losing body weight fast – very worrying.
Xxxxx
Saturday morning I decided to head off to Moore – the usual last minute decision. At the Birchwood Pool there were no birders and few birds. A small patch was still free and crammed with water fowl. Eventually a couple of the Seaforth guys turned up and one of them spotted a first winter Yellow-legged Gull on the water. Unfortunately there were few gulls on the pool (though 2 Curlews did walk round on the ice for a while) despite large numbers flying onto the far side of the tip.
Xxxx
A spanking fox did come out onto the ice and wander around the water, trying to figure out how to get at the Coots et al. It eventually gave up and proceeded to lie down and squirm around in the snow. These were superb views – I did hope it would come closer, however the mobile phone of one of my neighbours in the hide followed by a dog walker calling his dogs spooked the animal and off it went. I decided that Richmond Bank probably offered the best opportunity so I headed off there.
Xxxx
The walk along the canal to Richmond Bank was unusually quiet aside from a cracking female Sparrowhawk which flew low over my head. There were large numbers of gulls at Richmond Bank – I estimate 7-8,000. The problem is that the sun was shining directly into my face and also causing problems with colour cast etc. I found an adult and then a second winter Yellow-legged Gull until some tit in a red tracksuit and a small camera decided it was a superb scenic shot. Off he went toward the gulls – surprise, surprise the gulls decided to disappear. A few thousand did come back later just as the Seaforth guys arrived. One of them found a leucistic Herring Gull – after that time had run out for me so I headed off home.
Xxxx
In the garden the usual Fieldfare is still present and still roosting with the Blackbirds. The pale Collared Dove is also still around. A couple of Tree Sparrows, 5 or 6 Reed Buntings and a sprinkling of Chaffinches were present throughout, however overall much fewer numbers than last weekend. The male Spar also put in an appearance. Late afternoon I managed to get to the feeding station on Waterworks Lane and dig out another feeding scrape. A short while later 18 Yellowhammers and 12 Grey Partridges were present – five more of the latter were feeding on the track to the farm.
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