Gloucestershire yet again

Jack Snipe

I decided to take the day off today and pop down to Slimbridge in a bid to see the two juvenile Glossy Ibis that have been roosting there each night for the past fortnight.

Wigeon

As it is a fair drive, I decided to make a day of it and arrived at the site at 11:30am.  My first destination was the shop where I bought a few small Christmas presents for my birder's wife.  I then strolled over to the Holden Tower where I ate my lunch while watching gulls loafing on the Estuary and Canada, Barnacle, Greylag and White Fronted Geese munching on the lush grass.  I then made way slowly back towards the Visitor Centre stopping off for the longest duration at Martin Smith Hide which was a great vantage point to watch Lapwing, Golden Plover, Curlews, Dunlin, Black Tailed Godwits and Wigeon all being harassed now and again by a Peregrine.  Highlight was a Jack Snipe creeping around the reeds at the back of the nearest pool.  A quick stroll round the rest of the reserve and hides and a stop off for a coffee made it near 4:00pm and time to head for the South Lake where the Glossy Ibis roost.

True to the form and at 4:25pm the Glossy Ibis glided down onto the Causeway of the South Lake. A great end to a great days birding.

Glossy Ibis gliding down onto South Lake

Glossy Ibis