Winter bird visitors at WWT Slimbridge

Helena and I finally managed to visit WWT Slimbridge this afternoon so that we could see the regular feeding of wild birds on the Rushy lake. (Here is Helena's blip – Woodpeckers at WWT Slimbridge today). It happens at dusk when a warden, equipped with a radio microphone, wheels out a barrow of seed and feed and proceeds to scatter it around the edges of the small lake. The birds arrive in advance, in their droves in expectation of their nightly meal.

We arrived early enough to walk to the Estuary Tower, where i like to see the wide open spaces of the Dumbles marshes adjacent to the River Severn as well as the various fields, such as the Tack Piece, which are managed by the Trust for the winter visitors. The warden feeding the birds mentioned in his fascinating narrative as he scattered the food, that the recent heavy rainfall had done wonders for the marshes, allowing them to become properly flooded again with fresh water so that the feeding grounds are in excellent shape for winter.

I'm adding some 'Extras' (but only for a few weeks!) showing various views from both the Estuary Tower and then of the bird feeding at the rushy Lake. The last one shows the warden near the original House of the founder Peter Scott, standing beside the Rushy Lake.

The WWT Slimbridge twitter account (Slimbridge Sightings – 
@slimbridge_wild) counted the birds they saw today as follows:
2nd January 2023

Tack Piece - 21 Ruff, 400+ Black-tailed Godwit, 28 Redshank, 500 Dunlin and 3000+ Lapwing, a few Wigeon and Teal on the scrape, Linnets, Skylarks and Starlings+ 2 Water Rail below the Estuary Tower.

Estuary Tower- ç95 Russian White-fronted Geese on the Severn sands, 200+ Pintail, 500 Wigeon and 120 Teal on low tide pools, Snow Goose with Greylag, Barnacle and Canada Geese, Marsh Harrier, Kestrel, 2 Stock Dove and Great Egret N of Tack Piece