Slimbridge
What an absolutely glorious day it has been! Crystal clear blue skies, complete lack of wind, and temperatures just above freezing. What more could you ask for in winter? To celebrate the new year mum and I decided to go to Slimbridge for the day and see the bewick swans that were there in large numbers. There were a surprisingly large number of people around; I think the good weather had brought people outside. As I'm in the UK for the next year (or so!) we decided it would make sense to become members. So we did. I later found out that there's a reserve not far from where I live in London so I'll be visiting as soon as I get the time. We headed first to the 'Back from the Brink' enclosure, which wasn't quite ready when I was last there in the summer. It's now fully functioning, with a beaver damn, otters (North America, I was surprised to find out, rather than European), and cranes. This is a common crane (I think): We then headed towards the hides looking