Binoculars at the ready at WWT Slimbridge
Bird Race joins line-up for Slimbridge Festival of Birds 2015
Birdwatchers will go head-to-head spotting species during a Bird Race at WWT Slimbridge’s Festival of Birds.
The race will take place on the first day of the two day Festival on January 31 and February 1, which is held annually when bird numbers on the famous Reserve in Gloucestershire are at their peak.
During a bird race individuals or teams compete to spot and record as many wild species as they can within a certain time period.
At Slimbridge on a good day it might be possible to spot up to 100 species of bird. An easy one to spot will be the famous Bewick’s swans which migrate to Slimbridge each year.
For visitors with a less competitive nature there are plenty of other activities going on such as swan bill sketching, wild bird feeds, dog decoy demonstrations and a lively talks programme spanning the two days.
Mike Dilger one of the stars of the One Show will be attending both days and giving talks. Other well-known faces include Ed Drewitt an expert on falcons and Mya-Rose Craig, 12, who became the youngest person to see 3,500 species of bird.
WWT Slimbridge will also be featuring its own experts with a talk by reserve warden James Lees on its global conservation work, a talk by Paul Rose on the latest flamingo research and a behind-the-scenes look at making Wildlife Weekly, a video blog produced from Slimbridge each week.
James Lees, Reserve Warden, said: “Whatever your age or experience at birdwatching there is plenty to get excited about this year at the Festival.
“The Bird Festival is a chance for us to really showcase what a fantastic day out Slimbridge is for wildlife lovers and this year we’ll also be talking about WWT’s conservation successes across the world, which I don’t think we do enough!”
Visitors birdwatching over the weekend will benefit from knowledgeable Guides in the Hides who will be helping them spot some of the more interesting species from each hide.
You can buy a special weekend ticket (£15) online ahead of the Festival. On the day you can buy a ticket at the normal admission price. WWT members can attend for free.
For more information visit wwt.org.uk/slimbridge
Explore Gloucestershire
9 January 2015
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