See our busy arrivals lounge on a trip to WWT Slimbridge
Migration is in full swing now at WWT Slimbridge as the attraction in Gloucestershire welcomes its first wintering birds to the site.
Over the last week numbers of pintail, wigeon, and teal ducks have grown on Slimbridge’s wild reserve signalling that winter is truly on its way.
These species of duck have flown from Russia to reach here seeking out our relatively warm winter climate.
There has also been a noticeable early influx of snipe with 30 already on the Reserve.
These migrant species will continue to grow in number reaching a peak in mid January before lengthening days and warmer weather will encourage them back to their breeding grounds.
James Lees, warden at WWT Slimbridge, said: “We now have 1,200 teal, 200 wigeon and 100 shovelers on the Reserve. It is a bit like a busy arrivals area at the airport with all these birds landing after long flights. Like travellers they are often tired from their journey and will take a few days resting and washing before they relax. For me this is the best time of the year as I love to see visible migration. We are actually able to see birds flying overhead from North to South and when there is poorer weather they sometimes stop-off here for a day or two before heading on their way again. It is also exciting each morning to see what new arrivals have come overnight as the Reserve can change quite drastically in a short space of time if several large flocks arrive within a few days of each other.”
This year the Centre will be celebrating migration. Over half term there will be a fun trail for families exploring which birds go where in the world and why migration occurs. This is included in the cost of admission and is from October 26th to November 3rd.
Visitors will also be able to see the thousands of arrivals at the Centre’s popular Wild Bird Feeds which are daily at 4pm from the start of November.
To see our latest sightings you can go online to: http://www.wwt.org.uk/visit/slimbridge/wildlife/latest-sightings/
