Shropshire Birder: Venus Pool

Tuesday, 6 December 2011

Venus Pool - Fieldfare

A Fieldfare makes a change from Desert Wheatear? There were plenty about at VP today and this individual looked lkike it was feeling the blustery cold wind as it dropped in for a drink in front of the hide!

The water is slowwwwly recovering......

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This Blog

Shropshire 2012 list

Currently: 106 Latest birds: Curlew, Little Egret, Skylark, Red-necked Grebe, Oystercatcher, Grey Partridge, Barnacle Goose, Dipper, Lesser Redpoll, Dunlin, Waxwing, Iceland Gull, Glaucous Gull, Caspian Gull, Meadow Pipit, Garganey, Great Grey Shrike, Mistle Thrush, Peregrine, Red Kite, Red Grouse, Brambling, Golden Plover, Jay, Corn Bunting, Tundra Bean Goose, Hen Harrier, Short-eared Owl, Red-throated Diver, Crossbill, Yellow-legged Gull, Common Snipe, Redshank, Green Sandpiper, Mandarin, Gadwall, Little Owl, Whooper Swan, Tawny Owl......

UK lifetime list - the long rocky road to 400......

Currently: 329
Latest birds: (2012) Common Yellowthroat, Spanish Sparrow, Dark-eyed Junco (2011) Little Auk, Western Sandpiper, Sharp-tailed Sandpiper, Squacco Heron, Solitary Sandpiper, Marsh Sandpiper, Western Bonelli's Warbler, Marsh Warbler, White-throated Robin, Capercaillie, White-billed Diver, Mealy Redpoll, Oriental (Rufous) Turtle Dove, (2010) Pied-billed Grebe, Green Heron, Red-flanked Bluetail, Pallas's Warbler, Pallid Harrier, Franklins Gull, Quail, Iberian Chiffchaff, Marmora's Warbler, White-tailed Plover, Broad-billed Sandpiper, Great Reed Warbler, Oriental Pratincole.

Shropshire Life List

This birding blog....

This site is devoted to my photographic activities whilst out birding - I never ever bird without a camera! My local patch (Venus Pool near Shrewsbury) is the focus but I'm not averse to going out and about... I'm a Canon user (7D/50D/40D) and habitually use a 500 f4 usually with 1.4 converter or 100-400 f5.6 when close or on the move. I have a 300mm f2.8 which is an awesome lens given a closer subject matter. Pictures are for sale or publication, all are copyright - please contact me for further details if you wish to use them. They form the background for a range of illustrated talks (see below) .....

Talks

If you like what you see here, why not book me to give an illustrated talk? All talks are digital presentations and suitable for a variety of organisations: bird/wildlife groups or camera/photographic clubs. The current list of available talks covering the theme of 'birds and nature' is:

Life on Venus
A look at the varied forms of wildlife which may be found at Venus pool during the year. The key birds and insects (dragonflies and butterflies) cover most of the talk but ‘occasional’ visitors and some wild flowers get a mention.

A Century at Venus Pool
Now revamped, this is not a History talk but a collection of my favourite images from the reserve. My VP list is up to 150 species and the ‘Century’ refers to the 100+ species now photographed as decent portraits in their own right! Also featured are some of the most unforgettable moments I’ve witnessed!

Shropshire's Magnificent Peregrines
The Peregrine falcon is surely one of the most charismatic of birds. A supreme flier and aerial predator, the species is now well established in numbers within the County. This talk looks at the habitats and progress through a typical breeding season, offering an insight into the secret life of this magnificent bird. (Please note that images featured during the breeding season were all taken under schedule 1 licence)

A Shropshire Birders year
I keep a County yearlist every year and aim to see at least 160 species (with as many as possible photographed!) This talk is based around the highlights of the past few years plus some of my regular photographic activities. It takes you around many of the main birdwatching areas, the best times to go and what you might find there. Shropshire is certainly not one of the best Counties for migrants and rarities but expect a few surprises.

Out and About – a special year
2008 was a phenomenal year featuring opportunistic travels to all parts of the UK, record breaking numbers of local birds, rarities and a twitch or two. The excitement is condensed into a single presentation, the ups and downs, some exhilarating bird watching moments and an attempt to see 250 species in a year without really trying (much).

Shropshire Wildlife
A brief look at the wildlife to be found at several key reserves and sites within the County of Shropshire. Birds, butterflies and dragonflies are the key players with a scattering of other interesting guests and a flower or two!

North Norfolk here I come
A premier location featuring some of the UK’s most fantastic birding sites. A seasonal look at the main reserves, the birds you are likely to see and some of the highlights of my visits to the area. Expect plenty of quality birds!!

Birding through a lens
Apart from my trusty pair of binoculars and scope, I always carry my camera with me on my birding travels throughout the UK. This talk takes a look at what’s involved in bird photography, numerous localities and of course – plenty of interesting birds!

Nature in focus
A similar talk to 'Birding through a lens' but dealing with a wide variety of wildlife found in the UK. The technical side of things, equipment and technique, where to go etc will be dealt with here. Ideal where the need is a bias towards 'photography'.

A Winter weekend in Vancouver
Well, a bit longer than that actually! This talk covers the events of a trip to the Vancouver area and Vancouver island in Feb/Mar 2008. Whilst this is the wrong time of year for seeing migrants, a good chance to see resident birds and plenty of wildfowl. I was on a lecture tour and these are the moments spent birding in this fantastic west coast area of Canada!

*** New for 2011 ***

Close to the edge with wild Peregrines
A follow up talk on this most charismatic bird of prey and is recommended after first enjoying 'Shropshire's Magnificent Peregrines'. Using images (taken under schedule 1 licence) the focus is on the 2010 breeding season capturing the development of chicks from day 1 to fledging. Whilst one particular family of birds is followed through the breeding season, there are some intimate moments in the development of other Peregrines. It features a look at ringing activities and how this will hopefully tell us more about their movements following fledging.

Another year birding in Shropshire
Following up on the popularity of 'A Shropshire Birder's Year' this is another look at birds and birding within the County of Shropshire. The same seasonal approach but with a different range of birds commonly found including yet more rarities and excitement! Geese and Winter wildfowl start the year off before Spring arrivals and another breeding season. More local rarities including Dotterel and Wryneck plus an engaging pair of Blue-headed Wagtails. Terns featured strongly in 2010 and seven species will be on show including the infamous Venus Pool Whiskered Tern. A spectacular finale will feature the December Waxwing invasion! Birding in Shropshire can be hard work but it can certainly produce some really good birds!

Identity Crisis
Many birds fall into the 'is it or isn't it' category and this talk looks at a good number of birds which can be easily misidentified or 'mixed up' with similar species. Using images to note the key identification criteria, in theory at least, it should be possible to correctly identify those problem birds, with some - even from a distance. Black or Bar-tailed Godwits, Spotted or Common Redshank, Whimbrel or Curlew, Willow Warbler or Chiffchaff, Arctic or Common Tern, Common/Spotted/Green/Wood Sandpipers, Common or Jack Snipe etc. A few Gulls featured may help to dispel their mystery? There will be a few more problem birds and many more identity problems to solve....

Out and about - A Brilliant Birding Year!
The second in my 'out and about' series concentrating on my birding trips and adventures during 2009, covering 1,000's of miles in the UK. The year started off with some amazing Waxwings and great Gulls before repeated trips to Devon provided an expensive Penduline Tit (find out why) amongst a whole host of local specialties like Cirl Bunting. A late May trip to Scottish Highlands turned up most of the key local birds. After a few 'Summer specials'. Autumn kicked off with a local Purple Heron plus a Cornish Baird's Sandpiper. There will be lots more fantastic birds (not just rarities!) and great locations featured in between all of these - selected from the highlights of the year.....

Butterflies, Dragons and Damsels of Shropshire
Visitors to my blog or Shropshire Odonata pages cannot fail to be aware that for two or three months of the Summer, I spend a lot of time chasing insects! Concentrating on Butterflies, Dragonflies and Damselflies, this talk is a colourful presentation of the best moments watching these amazing insects within Shropshire. The emphasis is on their lifestyle, flight periods and the habitats they are found in (including gardens) plus tips on identification. The importance of fieldcraft and the best approach to watching them, with tips on photography is covered. The talk is geared for a ‘general’ audience with an interest in nature and will feature in excess of 60 species (not bad for Shropshire!) The talk ends as usual with a new audio visual finale.

Email me for more information and availability

Shropshire 2011 list

Currently: 164
Latest birds: Water Rail!, Tundra Bean Goose, Desert Wheatear, Red-throated Diver, Merlin, Scaup, Long Awaited Duck, Steppe Grey Shrike, Mandarin, Caspian Gull, Rock Pipit, Curlew Sandpiper, Sabine's Gull, Grey Phalarope, Arctic Tern, Spotted Redshank, Black-necked Grebe, Arctic Skua, Turnstone, Little Egret, Spotted Flycatcher, Common Tern, Nightjar, Tawny Owl, Sanderling, Ringed Plover, Garganey, Ruff, Greenshank, Swift, Dotterel, Garden Warbler, Hobby, Cuckoo, Bar-tailed Godwit, Reed Warbler, Pied Flycatcher, Stonechat, Grasshopper Warbler, Whinchat, Lesser Whitethroat, Sedge Warbler, Wood Warbler, House Martin, Redstart, Ring Ouzel, Whitethroat, Grey Wagtail, Common Sandpiper, Snow Bunting, Tree Pipit, Blackcap, Swallow, Yellow Wagtail, Willow Warbler, Wheatear, Little Ringed Plover, Common Crane, Redshank, Avocet, Great Grey Shrike, Chiffchaff, Sand Martin, Dunlin, Oystercatcher, Crossbill, Red Grouse, Barn Owl, Yellow-legged Gull, Shelduck, Hen Harrier, Short-eared Owl, Kingfisher, Little Owl, Great-crested Grebe, Glaucous Gull, Red Kite, Peregrine, Dipper, Wren :-), Common Snipe, Gadwall, Pink-footed Goose, Brent Goose, Golden Plover, Curlew - earlier highlights: Bewicks Swan, Whooper Swan, Waxwing......

Shropshire 2010 list (target 170)

Currently: ***172***
Latest birds: Bewick's Swan, Waxwing, Mediterranean Gull, Black Tern, Turnstone, Curlew Sandpiper, Little Stint, Whiskered Tern, Wryneck, Quail, Wood Sandpiper, Nightjar, White-winged Black Tern, Long-eared Owl, Common Tern, Little Egret, Little Tern, Sanderling, Spotted Flycatcher, Garganey, Bar tailed Godwit, Hobby, Garden Warbler, Avocet, Tree Pipit, Wood Warbler, Red Kite, Dotterel, Red Grouse, Reed Warbler, Tawny Owl, Whinchat, Swift, Common Scoter, Grasshopper Warbler, Lesser Whitethroat, Whimbrel, Ringed Plover, Whitethroat, Sedge Warbler, House Martin, Ruff, Cuckoo, Marsh Harrier, Common Sandpiper, Black Redstart, Black tailed Godwit, Pied Flycatcher, Common Redstart, Osprey, Yellow Wagtail, Willow Warbler, Corn Bunting, Ring Ouzel, Wheatear, Green Sandpiper, Greenshank, Great Grey Shrike, Chiffchaff, Ring necked Duck, Little ringed Plover, Swallow, Sand Martin, Hen Harrier, Stonechat, Short-eared Owl, Grey Partridge, Little Owl, Common Crane, Goshawk.

UK 2010 list (target 250)

Currently: 249
Latest birds: Great Northern Diver, Hooded Crow, Pied-billed Grebe, Green Heron, Red-flanked Bluetail, Pallas's Warbler, Shore Lark, White-fronted Goose, Yellow-browed Warbler, Pallid Harrier, Black-throated Diver, Great Skua, Bearded Tit, Egyptian Goose, Mediterranean Gull, Pectoral Sandpiper, Spotted Sandpiuper, Feruginous Duck, Glossy Ibis, Grey Phalarope, Leach's Petrel, Arctic Skua, Little Stint, Whiskered Tern, Wryneck, Franklins Gull, Quail, Red-necked Phalarope, Nightjar, White-winged Black Tern, Long-eared Owl, Iberian Chiffchaff, Marmora's Warbler, Red-footed Falcon, Ring-necked Parakeet, White-tailed Plover, Broad-billed Sandpiper, Black Tern, Wilson's Phalarope, Little Tern, Arctic Tern, Sandwich Tern, Chough, Puffin, Razorbill, Black Guillemot, Black Grouse, Great Reed Warbler, Oriental Pratincole, Little Gull, Temminck's Stint, Curlew Sandpiper, Wood Sandpiper, Spotted Flycatcher, Dartford Warbler, Woodlark, Gannet, Kittiwake, Manx Shearwater, Hobby, Tree Pipit, Wood Warbler, Dotterel, Red Grouse, Reed Warbler, Tawny Owl, Whinchat, Swift, Nightingale, Garden Warbler, Common Tern, Cetti's Warbler, Grasshopper Warbler, Lesser Whitethroat, Whimbrel, Whitethroat, Sedge Warbler, House Martin, Ruff, Cuckoo, Common Sandpiper, Common Redstart, Pied Flycatcher, Osprey, Yellow Wagtail, Willow Warbler, Corn Bunting, Ring Ouzel, Wheatear, Green Sandpiper, Great Grey Shrike, Ring necked Duck, Bar-tailed Godwit, Eider, Brent Goose, Cirl Bunting, Garganey, Chiffchaff, Hoopoe, Bufflehead, Little ringed Plover, Swallow, Great white Egret, Avocet.

Venus Pool 2010 list (target 120)

Currently: *** 120 ***
Latest Birds: Mandarin, Water Rail, Goosander, Lesser Redpoll, Mediterranean Gull, Black Tern, Common Redstart, Whiskered Tern, Common Tern, Lesser Whitethroat, Great Black-backed Gull, Greenshank, Herring Gull, Tawny Owl, Redshank, Little Egret, Barn Owl, Goldcrest, Peregrine, Grey Wagtail, Hobby, Garden Warbler, Common Whitethroat, Ringed Plover, Reed Warbler, Swift, Sedge Warbler, Dunlin, House Martin, Kingfisher, Cuckoo, Green Sandpiper, Barnacle Goose, Green Woodpecker, Marsh Harrier, Blackcap, Common Sandpiper, Common Gull, Black tailed Godwit, Osprey, Willow Warbler, Raven, Yellow Wagtail, Wheatear, Little ringed Plover, Chiffchaff, Swallow, Sand Martin, Oystercatcher.

Tuesday, 6 December 2011

Venus Pool - Fieldfare

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Shropshire Birder Website

This Blog

Shropshire 2012 list

Contact me

UK lifetime list - the long rocky road to 400......

Shropshire Life List

Local links

Pick of the blogs and links

Great sites - insects etc

Blog Archive

This birding blog....

Talks

Forthcoming talks....

Other interesting links

My other sites and interest (Alpines)

Action photography

Ranking

Shropshire Bird Race

Shropshire 2011 list

Image of 2011 (UK) five selections only

Picture of 2010 (UK) FIVE selections only please

Image of 2011 (Shropshire) Pick five selections only

Picture of 2010 (Shropshire) Pick FIVE selections only

Shropshire 2010 list (target 170)

UK 2010 list (target 250)

Venus Pool 2010 list (target 120)

Shropshire birder's Birdmap