Because our wetlands aren’t frozen, we’re getting record numbers of some overwintering species that don’t need to scarper off to France and Spain in search of unfrozen water to feed in.
Whirling flocks of thousands of birds across the wetlands catch the low winter light beautifully – it’s great for photos or to just breathe in the view.
Black-tailed godwit at WWT Slimbridge Reserve
Just this week we’ve had 323 shoveler duck at WWT Slimbridge Wetland Centre – a record in its 68-year history! We nearly broke our record of just under 5,000 golden plover, a lovely little wader.
Add in the flocks of several thousand wigeon, lapwing and the like, and we’re getting something like 50,000 birds – that’s about double the number this time last year.
The Severn Estuary tide rose up across land that doesn’t usually flood. All the birds love their new wet feeding grounds. The insects rise up out of the soil to escape the water and all the seeds float out; there are lots of hungry beaks waiting to snap them up.
The ducks, swans and geese also feel safer with large surrounding watery areas: it’s difficult for foxes to sneak up on them. Although our local peregrine have been diving in – then having to defend their kills from the bigger buzzards, which watch them do all the work then try to bully the peregrines away.
