slimbridge help

[midlands birder]

HI
just wondering if anybody knew how to view the recent cattle egrets(if still presant) on slimbridge/frampton 100 acre,i have only been to slimbridge once before and am still confused by the place, also how do you get out to middle point,a birder mentioned it last time but i didnt find out how to get there.
is there anywhere you can get good(or at least identifiable) views of the coastal waders on the estury at low tide as when were planning to visit the tide is ment to be low/medium level.
thanks in advance:t:
MB
(edit-just saw a report of a cattle egret at slimbridge,think they could stick around for a bit longer)

[IDIC]

Hi Midlands Birder

As far as I know they are still at Slimbridge and, if they have not moved, you cant see them from the main public part of the reserve. They are on the 100 Acre Field and the best way to see them is either to use the viewing platform there, which involves a bit of a trek to get there, or do what I did, go on the Landrover Safari. It's only a fiver and is well worth it. I went a couple of weeks ago and not only got to see the Cattle Egret (there was only one there then) but also saw Kingfisher and some wonderful close flying by 4 Hobbies.

I suggest you go to the "Gloster Birder" website and he has details of getting to the viewing platforms if you want to see them that way.

www.birder.pwp.blueyonder.co.uk

Hope this helps.

Kind Regards
IDIC

[midlands birder]

thanks for the help idic.
i might go with you option of the landrover safari,about how long does the safari last and can you view the estury waders from it as this is also an objective while there(i need just 8 species to get to the milestone,200)
MB

[IDIC]

Hi Midlands Birder,

The Safari lasts about 2 hours.

Yes, the waders can be seen on the "safari" as part of it is right on the Estuary side. You can also get a good view of waders from Holden Tower Hide and some of the other hides that are on that edge of the reserve. If the tide is in, and the water level has been high recently, a lot of the waders have been coming on to South Lake (inside the public part of the reserve with an excellent observation hide).

Enjoy!

IDIC:t:

[midlands birder]

so the best bet would be take the safari,and then check out the hides.thanks again idic

[myoudale]

Hi

If you didnt want to get into slimbridge, you would need to walk along frampton canal, then drop down into a feild on the right and walk over to green lane, and veiw from the platforms there.
The gate has a sign post on saying footpath if you wanted to do it that way.

Otherwise, just go birding at slimbridge for the day, take a safari, with either Dave Paynter, Martin McGill or James Lees, and they will take you along the sea wall, then should, weather permitting, drop into the the area where the egret has been showing from. Usually it a great photo opportunity as well.

May i ask what other species you need or would like to make up to your 200?
Might be able to point you to the right hides.

Cheers
Mike

[midlands birder]

this could go very good,now 4!! cattle egrets at 100 acre.
this would be a lifer.
the reason i want to get the esturine waders is that i only have a few on my list,this year i have seen 20 species of wader,i need spotshank(seen at slim from zeiss hide),grey plover,knot,turnstone,curlew sand,barwit or anyhting else that comes my way,if i get all of these it would put me on 199
apart from the egrets does anyone have any recent news from slimbridge(or close to there) as recently i havent heard any news from that area
you just book the safari in the reception at slim dont you?

[myoudale]

Yes you book it at reception.

You might be able to get spotted on South Lake, there have been 3 kicking about that last week. Othewise Zeiss hide is best best. I would imagine you would get Turstone, Little Stint, Curlew Sand, Dunlin, Ringed Plover, Black God, from the Holden looking out onto the estuary. You might also even get grey plov from there. Also look onto the Top New Peice and you may find waders.

Recent sighting have included;
Wigeon, Teal, Redshank, Ruff, Snipe, Water Rail, Pintail, CornCrake, Spotted Crake, Grasshopper Warbler, Reed, Sedge, Cettis, Willow, Blackcap, Wheatear, Garganey, Stonechat, Whinchat, Rock Pipit, Skylark, Meadow Pipit, Kingfisher, Knot, Green Sandpiper.

Not sure of todays sightings however.

Mike

[midlands birder]

the last time i visited slim(about a month ago in the holiday) the tide was way out and all the waders were very ditant specs.im sure i picked out a few knot but i wasent sure so its not on my list and thats why i asked if there are any other ways of seeing them,
thanks for the recent sightings.
the corncrake was only seen by the grass cutting warden wasent it.
by the way marsh warbler recently too..
MB

[myoudale]

Indeed there was a Marsh Warbler, with some good photos taken by James Lees. Was a bit of identification issue as many people didnt believe what it was.
Indeed the corncrake was only seen i think by Martin McGill whilst mowing the area, and then wasnt seen again when searched for at 1730.

I think at the moment the tides are ok, so you should be able to get some things.

If your down this weekend, i might even be with you on the safari, i will be the one opening the gates for you guys though. The joys of volutary work.

[midlands birder]

but the warbler has been proved now so all good,might see you down there then,i will be there saturday.if you do see me i'll be the teenager with the scope(that's all you have to know to id me)
MB

[myoudale]

shall not be there tomoz, in newcastle, Come on City!!!!!!

FYI - Grey Plover seen at the Zeiss hide today.

Enjoy your day.

[midlands birder]

in the end the safari was cancled because of the strong wind but still had some amazing birds(lifers ae in caps) on way down i had a juv/female merlin(1st this winter) over and a hobby.i will say highlighs in the order we saw them.on south lake 9 pintail,8 pochard,28 blackwit and in the godwit flock was 3 BARWIT,also a ton of teal/shoveler here,from the zeiss hide(most action) 146 barnicle goose,3 SPOTTED REDSHANK,1 KNOTbriefly,1 blackwit,3 ruff(year tick),1 water rail heard,4 golden plover(no grey plover),1 pintail,30c redshank,flock of wild greylag,2 snipe over,500c teal,5 raven and a few wigeon,a walk out to middle point,22+ shelduck,30c curlew,1 little egret and 2 more knot,10c g b b gull,from the holden tower,1 little egret,20c curlew,100c lapwing,27 OYC(briefly),1 knot(just managed to pick it out),100c dunlin and a mipit on thd dumbles,then a trip to the 100acre area,i quickly located the 4 CATTLE EGRETS in a cow field,they showed exeptionally well and i managed a few photos in the gusty conditions(would have got closer photos if it wasent so windy,i will attach a few photos of 'wild' birds:
222071

222083

222086

222087
i will update my blog soon(hopefully) and will have videos of the egrets (a bit wobbly because of wind):t:
everyone thanks for the info and you have helped me to have a great biring day and now im only 4 off 200

[myoudale]

Sounds a good day, shame about the grey plover, i think you picked the only day over the last weekend where one hasn't been seen.
Glad you had a good day, trouble with the safari is that you go along the sea wall and with the high top rig, it could easily be blown over down the bank.
I must ask however, how did you get to the 100acre area to see the egrets?

[midlands birder]

i have now found out the area where i saw them isnt the 100 acre,but i just put it down as here,slightly north of simbridge there is a road called ryalls lane or somethin like that,there is a bridge along there over a river/canel then you come onto a load of grasy verges on the other side of the bridge,i first spotted the egrets from the bridge in a field about 100 metres away,i continued along the path and came to a field containg cows in this field was the egrets.it is south of where the 100 acre is and they gave great views.the genaral location is at SO.733.053
by the way blog updated now with full story of day

[Blue Alert]

I saw three of the Cattle Egrets from the second (older) viewing platform on green lane last Saturday morning (10th Oct.). They were just beyond the first fence, and one spent five minutes sat on a fence post. Wonderful views - and I had them all to myself!

Alas, my camera equipment is in Australia on holiday (!!!), so I had to shoot with a little Canon Ixus! Never mind.

[midlands birder]

hi blue alert
glad you got the egrets and like me had them all to yourself,very nice pic,much better than my feeble attempts,
btw love the waxie pic too,my favorite bird that is
MB

[Blue Alert]

That was in Littledean in the winter. They were very obliging for a few days!

[StarainBoy]

No Wilson’s phalarope for the assembled faithful on Friday morning. Plenty of dunlin and golden plover from the Zeiss Hide and even a couple of black-tailed godwits, discernible through the murk. Enough to keep me occupied for an hour before the murk turned to the forecast rain and I scurried back to the Visitor Centre.

Happily, Bewick’s swans (http://theandygibb.com/blog/index.php/2009/11/13/bewicks-swans-slimbridge/) were back, and, later, a distant party of white-fronted geese from the Holden Tower.

[midlands birder]

had a quick shoot down to slimbridge 2day in the vain hope that one of the scarcer birds would still be around or refound,all had cleared out,
but still very enjoyable.
started at the zeiss hide,got the tides good this time,a lot of waders in,about 500c dunlin,100c golden plover,3 knot,8 sanderling,2 redshank,6 blackwit,4 ruff and a snipe,loads of ducks too,30c pintail,200c wigeon,1000c teal and a few shoveler,2 peregrine were about,a water rail shown and a cetti's called.
at the holden,3000c lapwing(4000c on site),50c golden plover,another peregrine,42 white fronted goose,a mute swan,a load of greylags,the 140 flock of barnicles,
and lastly the rushy pen,a little egret, 18 bewick's swans,60c pintail(very very good views) a few wigeon,200c pochard,more teal, 20c shelduck and a good load of tufties,will upload a few pic after,can anybody ID the bewick's swan,just out of curiosity.
had 79 species at slimbridge today(totaling about 9000 birds),and 81 for the day
MB

[midlands birder]

like i said pics so here they are:
228523

228525

228526

228527

228528
more to follow on blog sometime(will drop post on here when its done):t:
btw all wild birds;)