Glos and WWT Sightings 30 and 31 January 2006

31 January 2006 I made a visit to Leigh Meadows which is between the village of Leigh and Wainlode Hill, off the A38 Gloucester to Tewkesbury road. A pair of Whooper Swans have been seen in the area this winter. I parked at the church and walked along the public footpath through a farmyard and across a cut maize field to view the Mute Swan flock. I saw at least two pairs of adult Whooper Swan, one pair had four cygnets but I am sure I saw five adults distantly from Wainlodes Hill. A Black Swan was also present. At the back of the church a mixed flock of 50 Chaffinch, 120 Redwing and 150 Fieldfare fed on the maize. I tried Witcombe Reservoir as a possible Laughing Gull was seen on Sunday but no sign between 3-3.45pm. At the end of the day I went to Arlingham for the gull pre-roost and had brief views of a probable adult Ring-billed Gull, one was seen a day or two ago. It flew off with the majority of other gulls whilst I was changing eyepieces. MJMcGill.

Birds at WWT were much the same as yesterday.

30 January 2006 At WWT Slimbridge two Whooper Swans, 230 Bewick's Swans, one Pink-footed Goose, one Dark-bellied Brent, 780 E.White-fronted Goose, a possible E.White-fronted x Lesser White-fronted hybrid, 101 Barnacle, two Peregrine and one Jack Snipe at the Martin Smith Hide and two flushed from South Lake whilst unblocking pipes. JSLees.