[Rare Bird Alert]

Breaking news from Rare Bird Alert: Wilson's Phalarope in Gloucestershire.

BBRC and IRBC stats from RBA's Previous Records Online:

There are 220 accepted records of Wilson's Phalarope in Britain and 82 in Ireland.
The most recent published record for Glos was in 1990

RBA's Previous Records (new) has all the records and a wealth of stats and analysis for this and other rarities recorded in Britain and Ireland
Click here to see the location on the Free Rare Bird Map
Click here for information about Wilson's Phalarope in the Opus. (Please feel free to contribute to this page)

[kingfisher]

Dropped in during a lunchtime downpour seen from the Zeiss Hide...glad I stuck around. Worth getting wet for. Large flocks of Redwing and Fieldfare moving through.

[Darren Pearce]

I didn't get there in time.The bird was first seen at 12.45 and news got onto the pager at 14.04. I left Yate at 14.25 and got to Slimbridge by 15:00 and as I was pulling into the car park the negative news came through to say it had flown off at 14.25. Not all was lost as my son got to play in Welly Boot land

[Brian Stretch]

Seen today on the reserve again briefly late morning then flew off and showing again from Zeiss Hide early afternoon.

Brian
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www.birdingtoday.co.uk
www.worcesterbirding.co.uk
www.uptonwarrenbirding.co.uk
www.westmidlandsbirding.co.uk

[Jynx]

Originally Posted by Brian Stretch

Seen today on the reserve again briefly late morning then flew off and showing again from Zeiss Hide early afternoon.

Brian
____________________________
www.birdingtoday.co.uk
www.worcesterbirding.co.uk
www.uptonwarrenbirding.co.uk
www.westmidlandsbirding.co.uk

Gone again by 1:02pm, not behaving itself, appears to be feeding out on the river at times, which is inaccessible.

Got it this time though Another blocker gone, cracking bird but not as nice as the obliging adult female in 1990.

[Stranger]

Managed to get brief veiws this morning from Ziess hide.
Bird was associating with a flock of Dunlin and was extremely flighty.

[michaelburnett74]

I got there way too early (8ish) and left too early to see the Palarope but in a way as a fledgeling birder it worked out ok for me,i went down to the canal in Frampton while i waited for the place to open and saw Linnets(a 1st for me)and Goldcrests along with loads of other tits and finches.I left Slimbridge at about 12.30 and went to the Forest of Dean and saw my first Brambling and wild Manderin ducks,every cloud eh !

[Woodchatshrike]

Great find for wwt consultant gareth bradbury.

[midlands birder]

any chance it will stick around,would like to get to see this bird(about an hour and half down motorway).missed a local bird in 2007 so would like to get him back.

not holding my hopes up though
MB

[Woodchatshrike]

it's apparently going to be on the weekend news on radio five tonight around 9:45.... Rarities seem to be quite newsworthy these days.

[colsworld]

Originally Posted by Darren Pearce

I didn't get there in time.The bird was first seen at 12.45 and news got onto the pager at 14.04. I left Yate at 14.25 and got to Slimbridge by 15:00 and as I was pulling into the car park the negative news came through to say it had flown off at 14.25. Not all was lost as my son got to play in Welly Boot land

I kept checking the websites to see if it was still around and by the time I decided to go over at 2pm I had a feeling it would not be around. Call it DIPPERS LUCK! so I went to Coombe Hill instead to catch my first large flock of Fieldfares of the the winter.

[Blue Alert]

I got to the Zeiss hide just too late yesterday, however it's gonna have to stick around until Saturday to give me another chance!

[midlands birder]

Originally Posted by Blue Alert

I got to the Zeiss hide just too late yesterday, however it's gonna have to stick around until Saturday to give me another chance!

it's gonna have to stay till sunday if i want to see it

[Colin]

Still there today and on view for most of the day from the Zeiss Hide and definitely all the time from about lunchtime to close of play at least.

[midlands birder]

yeah around from 9 am till dusk today,maybe(hopefully) settling into a pattern

[Jynx]

Originally Posted by midlands birder

yeah around from 9 am till dusk today,maybe(hopefully) settling into a pattern

It seems to be feeding out on the river when it's not showing so high tide is probably a good bet. That will will drive it into the scrapes.
Another tip Lathbury hide the small one to the right of Zeiss hide often affords better views.

[Blue Alert]

Fingers crossed it's settled.

[midlands birder]

where abouts is the bird showing,i have heard it is showing to the left of the zeiss hide,i will attach a photo of the area and could someone please point out where the bird is/has been showing

feel free to crop/mark on the pic

[Colin]

Originally Posted by midlands birder

where abouts is the bird showing,i have heard it is showing to the left of the zeiss hide,i will attach a photo of the area and could someone please point out where the bird is/has been showing
Attachment 227757
feel free to crop/mark on the pic

If you look towards the river from the hide and set that as the 12 o'clock position, today the bird seemed to spend the afternoon in about the 11o'clock position almost in line with a pill box which is just beyond the water in that field which is locally known as the Top New Piece. If it is on view from that hide (Zeiss Hide), then it is easy to see with a scope.

[Jynx]

Originally Posted by midlands birder

where abouts is the bird showing,i have heard it is showing to the left of the zeiss hide,i will attach a photo of the area and could someone please point out where the bird is/has been showing
Attachment 227757
feel free to crop/mark on the pic

Are you sure that's not the Serengeti?

It is often right of that view nearer to Lathbury hide, but as Colin says will be visible with a scope from Zeiss hide. You will need a scope, there don't seem to be any decent photos of it yet, it's always fairly distant.

[midlands birder]

thks for the help colin and jynx,just hope i stays around untill sunday now

[Colin]

For information, Midlands Birder, the Zeiss Hide is the big double decker hide which you undoubtedly know from your picture and the Lathbury Hide is right by the little ice cream/coffee shopette which is itself by the canoe safari start. The Lathbury Hide is not so obvious and is tiny.

[Darren Pearce]

Originally Posted by Darren Pearce

I didn't get there in time.The bird was first seen at 12.45 and news got onto the pager at 14.04. I left Yate at 14.25 and got to Slimbridge by 15:00 and as I was pulling into the car park the negative news came through to say it had flown off at 14.25. Not all was lost as my son got to play in Welly Boot land

After my huff on Saturday all is now well as I saw the bird this morning. Showing nicely from the Zeiss hide.

[midlands birder]

got even more of an incentive to visit now, 2 penduline tits reported from the south finger hides, also nice to see the phalarope still showing well today

[Blue Alert]

Good bird. Stay bird, stay.

Good boy.