Navigate and migrate your way to Bewick’s Lodge, WWT Slimbridge.    

For reasons I’ll explain a little later I recently treated myself to a very memorable couple of photography nights at the fabulous Bewick’s Lodge at WWT Slimbridge. Well, we all need a break don’t we and I LOVE a bus man’s holiday.

Situated plum in the middle of the action of this country’s premier wild bird and bird collection reserve, Bewick’s Lodge is a luxurious and stylish base for a visit. A modern, spacious and bright three-bedroom apartment on the first floor of the post war Slimbridge backlot. The apartment is quiet and peaceful with wonderful views of the birds over the waters behind the Rushy and Peng hides and beyond to the river.

I have long held a theory that travellers miss out on places we usually visit for only a day. Take for example, ferry ports. As travellers we migrate and navigate through these places as quickly as possible without ever thinking to stop and explore the wider location. You can’t imagine how brilliant the area around the Cinque Ports of Dunkirk is!

And so having met several people on our VIP Experiences who had stayed at Berwick’s Lodge and who reeled off one superlative after another – FOMO kicked in and I decided to see what the fuss was about for myself.

I have lost count of the number of times that I have been to Slimbridge. Particularly in the last 4 or 5 years since partnering with WWT to deliver high quality photography training. But thinking back, all of those visit’s bar one has been day trips.

My one-to-one bird and wildlife photography classes in partnership with WWT Slimbridge were initially conceived as an additional (to the sell-out group courses) VIP Experience for guests staying in the onsite accommodation. Something different for guests to do to make their visit an even more immersive experience. However, once the word got out that they were available everyone, form all abilities, are welcome to book.

The booking process for the lodge is very simple and the booking staff are attentive and informative with a detailed welcome pack containing everything you need to know sent out in advance. The apartment is easy to find and impressive from the entrance hall.

A combined storage, boot rack and seating bench of timber, bleached with age and worn with use, hints at a relevant history…. Above, ample coat hooks provide space for warm winter guest coats and a row of complementary binoculars for use on site hang from the same hooks completing the look. The stairs lead to a spacious modern kitchen, open dining room and lounge with three en-suite bedrooms off the main hub.

Since I was going to be there alone, except for one of the evenings, I spoilt myself and took the master bedroom. A lovely comfortable room with a frame four poster, panoramic bay windows and a beautiful en-suite. Neatly fitted behind the slick large wardrobe doors of the sleek modern façade is an old drawer set annotated with its intended and ordered apparel of then Peter Scott . Much of this house was lived in by Sir Peter Scott and here in this snazzy bit of carpentry is the living evidence. Not having too much in the way of “formal wear”, I freestyled the stowage and settled in.

But, the killer advantage for this particular room is behind the doorway off the bedroom. The slate grey door leads onto a landing and then a very narrow staircase. In my case the kited climb tested my frame and reminded me that I really need to go on a diet. But it’s worth it. Emerge into the lantern tower to a 360-degree view. The already spellbinding view of the Rushy Pen from the apartment below now had the added backdrop of the River Severn, its’ flood plain and the Forest of Dean on the far bank. From here one can look down on the birds close to the house and watch all of the comings and goings as night falls or the dawn awakens.

WWT Slimbridge provide food in abundance for the over wintering wild birds. As a consequence, we enjoy the spectacle and magic of being in close proximity to the flocks of travellers from the Arctic Circle. Feeding also helps to alleviate the grazing impact of thousands of birds on the surrounding farmland. But what Slimbridge really provides is a safe refuge. The ability to roost in safety over the cold winter nights is of paramount importance for the birds.

Disturbance, of any kind, of the birds at a roost can sap vital energy and make surviving the night that much more difficult. For this reason, the automatic blinds in the accommodation are closed at dusk by remote timer. Please do not try to move them after they have closed for the night.  Up until dark, you’ll have this unique and priceless view of wild migrating birds. The Tower blinds ay remain open but, again, guests are encouraged to keep disturbance (that means movement and light) to an absolute minimum. Don’t misunderstand me, The WWT could not be more welcoming for your visit but the birds very definitely come first!

After the birds have migrated and navigated their way to Slimbridge to share the winter bounty with the umpteen happy locals, all they really want is to survive another winter, keep healthy and refuel for the long and arduous trip back to the Arctic breeding grounds. If you’d just flown all the way from Siberia, you want a little peace and quiet too.

It's easy to assume that everyone knows what constitutes disturbance. We talk a lot about this and exercising good fieldcraft on our group and one to one photography courses. The birds at Slimbridge are habituated to daylight noise and movement from the hides including my personal bugbear, bad fieldcraft such as sticking your great big lens right out of the hide window! Seemingly we can get away with most sorts of “bad” fieldcraft in these busy public hides – during the day. Once you are tuned to the sometimes-subtle reaction of a resting bird to some new and changing element of its environment, you can begin to learn about the animal’s body language. We cover this is our courses to help photographers see when their own presence could be causing a problem and how to deal with it.

Looking at this from the bird’s perspective might help. Think of them as Stressed Erics. Constantly in fear of being swooped upon by a raptor or picked off by a stealthy fox, they spend the whole of their day in high alert mode. Any peace that they do get comes from the protection of the many attentive eyes of the flock or by being in a place with natural cover and protection. One of the islands may serve as a refuge inaccessible to predatory mammals or their own stillness and camouflage in the undergrowth may prevail against the odds.

Imagine now, as a bird, if you saw an unexpected movement of a body against a backlight, a shadow cast from a building usually in darkness, a break in the reflected water on the windows or in movements from a building facia normally unmoving and still. You see, easier now to appreciate the stress levels of the birds isn’t it. A bit like your imagination running riot on a lonely, night time walk in the woods. I opened a window just a tiny fraction during the day before the blinds close. Just undoing the catch was enough for the reward. A slight nigh time draught but the sounds of the marsh at dawn and dusk flooded into your comfortable living space.

Another one of the joys of staying at WWT Slimbridge for longer that a day trip is the opportunity to explore the wider area a little, the places that the birds also go during the day. I took a peaceful walk along the Sharpness Canal towards the river and the docks but the opposite direction is just as restful and scenic. One of the less obvious things I really enjoyed was the sound of the night marsh and grazing fields after dark. You forget how much the nocturnal sights and sounds of a marsh are part of the experience. It is only a short appetite building walk up to the Tudor Arms local pub for a very decent pub dinner and we really enjoyed it. Both nights! And, no washing up.

At dusk I sat in the tower observatory and wondered why there were so many bats were flying so close to the panoramic windows until, the next day, I realised that there is a wraparound bat box built just under the windows!

For me as a solo traveller the room rate per night was in the luxury bracket. But then, once inside, that’s exactly what you find - luxury and value for money. The apartment as already mentioned has three double rooms. Take a birding break with friends and split the cost or treat yourself for some quiet family time. Many of my clients have done just that. Life is about experiences. A stay at Bewick’s Lodge very definitely falls into that bracket. All in all, great value for money!

This a perfect marshland bolt hole. You feel as though you are in the middle of a very peaceful nowhere. There’s even a TV! I don’t know if it even works. Who knows it may just be for show. Take my advice when you stay, don’t bother to find out if it works either!  

Parking is free as is your entrance (from 8.15am) fee to Slimbridge (for non-members). The full-service café at Slimbridge opens for breakfast at 9.30am and an evening meal at the Tudor Arms costs around £25.

David is the photography trainer for WWT Slimbridge delivery group courses and one to one VIP Experiences throughout the year. Helping clients get to grips with creating great images of birds in their natural environment and in flight. Follow the links or get in touch for more information.

https://www.wwt.org.uk/wetland-centres/slimbridge/plan-your-visit/bewicks-lodge https://www.thetudorarms.co.uk/ https://www.wwt.org.uk/wetland-centres/slimbridge/experience/vip-experiences