Three counties Saturday

Buttonoak

 Flooded Dumbes at Slimbridge (Dunlin & Lapwing)

Birds in flight on the Tack Piece

 A few of the Golden Plover

 Tack Piece

 Frampton

 Frampton

Frampton

After a very poor start to 2014 with the weather I decided I'd rearrange my Slimbridge visit for Saturday and try and take in a few different sites on the route. After picking up @Midlandbirder in Stourport we headed to Buttonoak in the Wyre Forest, Shropshire. As soon as we entered the forest we picked up a good range of woodland birds of which many were great for the year list. The Crossbills were very busy flying around and rarely settled. Craig found the Two-Barred Crossbills from calls. We spend the next hour trying to relocate them and also to try and find a Woodcock, neither were successful.

From there we stopped in a Lineholt, Ombersley to get Lesser Redpoll but no Meally's were about at this time so we carried on our journey to Slimbridge. Gloucestershire was s suffering from the severe flooding and many of the fields on the way were badly flooded.

As soon as we out of the car there were birds everywhere, whirls of waders turning and twisting no doubt being chased from the local raptors. We headed straight down to the Holden Tower where you could see the Dumbles and Tack Piece were simply full of wildlife. There were thousands of birds everywhere in front of us but a constant flow going up and down river at the same time. Highlights included 170 White Fronted Geese, 3000 Golden Plover, 100 Bewick Swans, the normal Brent Goose, 150 Barnacles, 5000 Lapwing, 3000 Dunlin, 3 Crane (GCP), 200 Black Tailed Godwit, 180 Curlew, 4500 Wigeon, 100 Pintail, 2 Peregrine, 4 Avocets.

We did stop in at Frampton on the hope of seeing a Little Egret before heading home but we had to settle for a swooping Sparrowhawk, Kingfisher, Green Woodpecker, 2 Great Spotted Woodpecker, Kestrel and a pair of Little Grebe.

The day finished with 74 species, 37 new for year list and 1 lifer.