Long Mynd - Dots before the eyes!

It had to happen, early May is prime time Dotterel to pass through the county and this pair were spot on with their timing! Found by Meirug Garbutt in a mown section of bracken stubble near to the top of the burway...

The weather was atrocious, with torrential downpours with an occasional dry spell to get the camera out! A couple of shots of the quietly attractive male...

 

And ditto for the crowd pleasing female?

It's not often in the bird world that a female outshines the male but Dotterel buck the trend. And do you know what, tomorrows going to be drier? Guess where I'll be...

Longmynd - Emperor Moths!!

A planned trip to the Longmynd and Bridges with Dave Chapman turned up trumps and not for the birds, this time it was a rather exciting Moth. I'd never photographed Emperor Moths before but there were plenty of fast flying males from the moment we wandered from the road. We must have seen dozens! Was this a fresh hatch? They were constantly on the move but one or two were located on the ground... they were all pristine!

A few were located on the ground, here's the habitat...

The first obliging male was quite pale coloured.

Needed to get down close for a close up the feathery antennae, aren't they amazing?

The colours seem quite variable and this final brightly coloured individual had scarlet inner wing margins - what a stunner!

Eventually opening its wings...

Watch out Hawkmoths, I may have found a new favourite?

Longmynd - Skylarks aplenty!

I seem to have quietened down on the twitch front but one day soon something may tempt me? Meanwhile with Shropshire's deflector shields keeping waders and decent stuff at bay, all I have is the summer visitors and residents to keep the shutter from seizing up...

So, Skylark is a bird I usually note is 'there' but with one or two parading around the car (whilst checking there were no Dots before my eyes) , here's a few pics of 'em!

Standard fare...

Walk-feeding...

The obligatory ruffle!

And in close-up...

You can see, like many creatures, birds are susceptible to parasites -ticks?!

I'll give this one a clean bill of health...

So for once, they aren't just a background melody, obliging birds in their own right!

Longmynd - Whinchat and co.

Prime time for Dotterel on the Longmynd is usually 1st May + / - a few days so visits at this time of year can pay dividends. There were no Dotterel to be seen sadly but a freshly arrived female Whinchat was surely worth an image or two?

And whilst the light wasn't helpful early on, this male - one of a dozen or so Wheatear was briefly obliging!

But maybe the stars of the show for imagery were the humble Meadow Pipits, as the light improved dramatically!

Always on the go...

But once in a while pausing to look me in the eye!

I'll be back!

Longmynd - Dots before my eyes!

The bird race was at Venus Reservoir was going nowhere and when a late morning tweet announced there were two Dotterel on the Longmynd (well done Dave Pearce!), it was a no-brainer where I should be....

A lovely pair showing really well despite the torrential 'drizzle'!

Female first

Busy feeding...

And posing :-)

The male was a bit more lively!

Eventually walking right up to me!

Or even flying up to me!

I'm not entirely convinced that Dotterel like pouring rain!

But it's soon ruffled off...

The day was going to take yet another twist - an Avocet!! At Wood Lane... I'm on my way

Bridges and Longmynd - Pied Fly etc

Heading to the South of the county, my first call was a Bridges. A Dipper soon made itself scarce but this smart Grey Wagtail was a different matter!

My first Pied Flycatchers of the year, several males and a couple of females were stubbornly in the canopy but at least one descended on the walk along the road - almost too close? 

Red Grouse on the Longmynd weren't new but this is the first to pop its head up and not disappear!

Another newcomer to the 2017 local list was Tree Pipit at Clunton Coppice....

Where I was about to be beguiled by my favourite woodland songster!