Venus Pool - Temmincks!!!

What a fantastic few 'Shropshire' days recently with good birds turning up almost everywhere! Having got the Whixall Marsh Harrier and a couple of Black Terns (neither of which will feature here) it was a question of drop what you're doing and get down to VP this evening where a Temmincks Stint had dropped in. (Thanks once again Geoff and Graham!!)

There are plenty of inland Temmincks about at present but this was special - on the old patch! It got even better - what better place to spend time on the island, in front of the memorial hide. Now, for such a small bird that is a big big bonus!!














Tell you what, considering the size of Stints (think Sparrow size!) - I'm well pleased with this one!!






And if you don't believe me, here's a Lapwing for comparison!






A big break from Shropshire again over the next week - I'm in the North East, working sadly but I have the chance of a day or two at 'play'. The Farnes are not far away - just hope the weather holds?

Lytham - A right Ross's grand day out!

The long staying Lytham Ross's Gull had been an occasional topic of conversation between myself and Andy Latham (should we?). With clearing skies and the prospect of a fine bank holiday Monday in Shropshire (= no birds), we opted to leave my car at VP and blast off up North. I was in danger of getting into trouble as this was merely (as I left home) a morning trip to North of the County. Erm, forgot to add the words 'of Lancashire'.....

Captain Kirk (me) eat your heart out. After a 6.30 start, we were stood over 'Grannys Bay' less than two hours later. Not a Granny in sight, they emerged later, lots of joggers but more importantly not a Ross's either!






This has been one of the most confiding and long staying of 'megas' this year. Was today going to be the day it headed back up to it's Arctic North?

Amazingly, we bumped into another Shropshire birder who had 'escaped' - nice to meet Anthony from Maesbury!! We teamed up and wiled away the encroaching tide, wader watching. There were in exces of 1,000 Knot with decent numbers of Dunlin, Grey Plover, Ringed Plover, Oystercatchers, Turnstone and a real 'turn up' - a single Purple Sandpiper!! How many of those have you seen amongst a beach wader flock?! Bar-tailed Godwit and Sanderling flying across too.

Try playing 'Spot the Purple Sandpiper!






The tide, as paint duly dries, came in and still no Ross's. Everyone seemed content to sit and wait but we were getting itchy feet. We walked North past Fairhaven Lake and eventually found a smiling birder! Ross's just around the corner on the sea! The pace quickened somewhat.....

Oh you little beauty!!






As close as it got!



<




All of a sudden the thought of having this bird down to 5 metres was forgotten - it wasn't going to happen anyway but at least I got one brief chance for some distant record flight shots!






Just look at that wedge shaped tail!








We had to fend off numerous comments from the locals who had totally p***ed us off by crowing how good it had been showing all week... Apart from their dogs causing mayhem, a loose sort of translation from proceedings was along the lines of....

Eckie thump Vera, yon Birdaz lookint Rossis Gull. I'll nip downt' Rovers an tellum!

We called in at Newton marsh where the wader tally got a real boost: Spotted Redshank, Redshank, Ruff, whimbrel and Lapwing. There were in excess of 100 Black tailed Godwits here too!!

Neumanns flash beckoned on the return journey. The pair of Black-singed Stilts now sitting and sharing this duty - one parent briefly caught in open water.....






Never a dull moment on the return journey either! Whether it was the V8 engine tuned truck which Andy valiantly failed to catch or the 4WD tosser who dared to tailgate us (he crawled for several miles in our 'very carefully' driven bendy stretch wake!)

Then, back to VP and what had we missed. The entries in the book for 5th May 2008? Totally, totally blank - absolutely nothing!!

South Shropshire - Raptors & Warblers galore....

After the excitement of the previous evening, could the standard be maintained?

Andy L, Yvonne C and yours truly were on a South Shropshire mission for Dotterel, Goshawk and Warblers..... The first few minutes in the car were interesting, how long would the 'f' word be kept under wraps? It lasted all of one minute and then we had a fantastic day, lots of laughs and went places a Renault Laguna really shouldn't go (I've still got my exhaust - just!!)

The Longmynd was first with stops at Boiling Well, Pole Cott, an offroad dodgy adventure and the 'sheep fields'. Not a Dotterel in sight but we had a few cracking raptors. Red Kite, Kestrel and then an unfortunate Buzzard entered into Merlin territory where the feisty pair set about him in no uncertain terms!!

Bury Ditches was fairly quiet but at least we added Goshawk to the list, a distant bird displaying well! Garden Warblers pretty vociferous but unseen - at least the Redpoll were obliging.....






Clunton Coppice was alive with Warblers and a normally reclusive Garden Warbler showed exceptionally well (pics courtesy of a sharp-eyed Yvonne!).











As did possibly the highlight of the day - Wood Warblers!! Two superb singing males with Blackcap, Willow Warbler and Chiffchaff also in the area.












Another raptor watch over Black Hill turned up another Goshawk together with the ever increasing count of Buzzards (shedloads, whatever!)

Several stops on the way back to Clun added more Warblers, Pied Flycatcher and Redstart.

A final stop on the Mynd and following a 'Dottereless' breezy walk around the flanks of the sheep fields, we added a pair of Hobbies, Kestrel and Merlin. Then, back to VP where there was not much of interest at all!

Andy was on form as ever - you want a Goshawk? - here's a Goshawk etc.....

The moral? Sometimes you have to travel to find decent birds - we did on both counts! Another five year ticks added to my year list (Goshawk, Garden & Wood Warbler, Pied Fly and Hobby)and (for me) so early in the year, the '200' is now in sight (188)

Ellesmere - Gropper!!

This story starts the previous evening where I was giving a talk to the Ellesmere branch of the SWT. Birds were the main feature and one of the audience came up to me later with what are now immortal words - "Do you know a bird that sounds like a Cricket?" I did (Could it really be a Gropper!) and we swapped contact details with a promise of the location to follow.....

The next day after work, on checking my voicemail, I had enough to go on and decided to check it out. The drive to Ellesmere seems endless especially when the light is fading and just by luck - the only place to park along the narrow lane between Ellesmere and Sandy Hill just happened to be where I was about to tick for the first time in Shropshire - Grasshopper Warbler!


I could hear it reeling as soon as I got out of the car and almost immediately had some startling views - too darn close!!! The bird was literally filling the big lens field of view! It never really came completely out in the open but I had two awesome chances (when it nearly did) to get a picture of two as it emerged from the depths of the hedge.

I never really got the shot I was after but with twigs here and there, got just about every angle of view! Apologies for the bits of green here and there but tell you what - I'll settle for these!!

Cracking start to the Bank Holiday weekend, now how about them Dotterel.....

Venus Pool - Dunlin / Tern up

The forecast was cloud and persistent rain, for the morning anyway and I decided to have an early start at Venus Pool. With Andy Latham covering the Eastern front (at Allscot) hopes were high of a passage bird or two?

There were five Dunlin on arrival (6.10) at the pool and shortly afterwards a group of seven flew in. Photography was nigh on impossible in the dull light but I had a go......








Perhaps the highlight was a Common Tern dropping in at 6.20 and staying for an hour or so! Don't quite know how I managed to capture a couple of half decent flight shots given the awful conditions!














The shingle island in front of the hide attracted quite a few birds during the session: Little Ringed Plovers, a rather bedraggled Wheatear and Yellow Wagtail (three were seen).










The rain cleared by mid morning and the Dunlin flock had increased to 14. Every now and then they would fly around the pool putting the Red Arrows to shame! Mind you, a couple of birds broke formation on the second circuit (lower pic)










The Oystercatchers eggs must surely hatch soon (sitting since the end of March). Routine nest changes have been seamless and the plucky duo take on anything entering VP airspace - pretty good parents these!






Sometimes I feel like putting the camera away in dull light and rain but it can lead to some moody atmospheric or dynamic motion shots. Once upon a time, I might have deleted these two shots - I actually quite like them but then it's all in the eye of the beholder.....








A great early morning session with some good banter being had by all. Paul, Dave W early on, then Jase after his lie in! The flash incident kept us all going and will remain in the annals of hidelore for ever more! I'm still not sure who won the 'war'. OK, maybe the Hobby and Ringed Plovers from the Eastern front edged the day but no question where the Dunlin had got their act together - Venus Pool!

South Shropshire - Hoopoe and Tripits....

I was nearly tempted to head North but the lure of a good Shropshire bird (plus maybe others?) was just to much to resist....

I headed South with the Longmynd first point of call - Dotterel eluded me last year so hoping for better luck this year? Not today though; after a scour of the Sheep fields and glider station. I did pick up a couple of Red Grouse however, a Swift overhead was the first of the year for me and of course there were Meadow Pipit, Skylark, Stonechat and Wheatear!







Then, off to the tiny settlement of Pentre Hodre near Bucknell in South Shropshire where a Hoopoe had been seen the previous couple of days. I bumped into Kev Joynes who had photographed it the previous day - we worked together, soon realising this was going to develop into a search! After about 45 mins of working the lanes, we unexpectedly found the bird in the roadside verge. It propmptly flew up and hopped over the hedge into the neighbouring field. It then became a stalking challenge - trying to get a decent view through every opportunistic gap in the hedge. As you can see, we did get some excellent views, all too brief sadly but some decent images were recorded. Eventually a passing birder decided to park his car right by where the bird was feeding and flushed it (sadly, not to be seen again that day!!)












At about midday, I decided to have a break from Hoopoe hunting and with Black Hill looming to the North, drove up there for a quick look around. There were plenty of birds singing - mostly Willow Warblers.....








.... a few Chiffs and then the unmistakable sight and sound of Tree Pipits! I saw at least four, fresh in and giving it their all with fantastic display flights with superb views on top of the conifers. The backdrop was pretty critical and some really atmospheric shots were captured from the darker surroundings.















A return to Pentre Hodre and the Hoopoe hunt proved uneventful. At about 3.45, I decided to move on to Bridges.

I never got there! Once the mobile signal was activated, a backlog of missed calls and texts came in - AVOCET at Venus Pool!!

Venus Pool - Avocet !!!!!!!

I had been lucky enough to see the Wood Lane Avocets in 2006 but this was just as exciting an event - second County record and a first for Venus Pool!!

All the speed limits were dutifully observed and I got there at 4.30 with the Avocet still showing really well. Best views were from the Memorial hide - this is a bird you take for granted in Norfolk but in Shropshire, a fantastic sight!

Here's just a taste of the action.....
















Oh, I nearly forgot - there was a Whimbrel there too, would normally have been the star turn of the evening. Distant record shots only!