Your Names Not Down ....

Like all good Christmas parties you need some "crowd control".

This bruiser was on the door for the party going on at one of the reed beds at Slimbridge. The word was out that one of WelshSi's Gwent Troublemaking Blue Tits was in the area, aiming to crash a party! And let's remind ourselves of the scene of debauchery I discovered when I popped down to his garden.

I know I said that my visit on the 30th of November was my last visit to Slimbridge for 2011, now it seems that this one might not even been my last. Me and Dawn are seriously considering going up next Saturday for the early start, and help the warder open up the hides, all before the centre opens to the general public. I must admit I have an ulterior motive for this. For the second time in a fortnight the Bittern dipped on me!

Just look at this shot from the WWT Slimbridge Website, there are more there if you scroll through the sightings! Me .. didn't see a bean! The Zeiss hide was packed with expectant Bittern watchers ... nothing! It doesn't get me down though. Some of the other photos I got, of the what people call the more mundane birds more than make up for it!

People don't give a Moorhen a second glance!

Jackdaws are considered a pest .. I love them. Their feathers have an incredible iridescence .. and they have the best eyes in the birding world in my opinion! Pure sapphire!

Oh go on then ... another Pintail for you!

How can you not fall in love with a female Blackcap eating berries!

Or a female Blackbird contorting herself to get at the tasty berries on the same tree!

We ended the day watching the Canadian Geese flying back to the Rushy Pen.

A cracking day out! One our best ever visits to Slimbridge.

If you want to see more of my pictures from this Autumn/ Winter as I add them .. this is the Flickr Set.

For more on #titwar .. look at this Search Matrix.