Long Mynd - Snow Bumtings

A nice find for Geoff Hall - three Snow Buntings at the Long Mynd on the 20th and luckily they were still showing well today despite every passing bike and car flushing them! As time went on, they became more mobile (well they just had to be feeding on the verge!!)

Do you come here often?

Females first...

But the star of the show was this male and the chilly conditions were soon forgotten!

Running along...

And never far from the verge!

They were either close together or well apart and I didn't have my shorter zoom lens...

Here's the trio with the the tail of the smart male just clipped!

I suppose we will be getting real snow before long??

Black Knoll - Snow Bunting

I always try to get to every scarce bird in Shropshire, some are easy... some are difficult! The prospect of climbing to the summit of Black Knoll in near freezing conditions for a Snow Bunting didn't exactly fill me with enthusiasm (I must have taken a few thousand images over the years!) but this is Shropshire and not an everyday bird! To give credit where due the bird was found by insect guru Nigel Jones earlier in the week, a refreshing change from Diptera!

I'd just parked up at 'Base Camp' at the Southern end of the Long Mynd and whilst getting my gear ready noticed a familiar car approaching... it was Rob Stokes! Been a while but we teamed up and kept each other going!

We were nearly at the summit and at roughly the same spot John Martin connected the previous day, and split up to check the nearby paths. 30 seconds later "I've got it Jim" came the call. Yep, he certainly had and it wasn't long before a half used card was full (here's the highlights)

As ever, a confiding bird provided you just sat still and waited...

Even taking a bow...

Card no 2 was more of the same but trying for cleaner backgrounds or something 'different'?

Tiny seeds but puffed up and looking as if he ate all the pies!

With the light getting worse and hands frozen, a worthwhile finish with a classic pose!

Shropshire Snow Bunting No. 3 for me. The cold was soon forgotten as we made our way back to the cars!

On This day (May 29th)... 2009 Ben Macdui

Probably one of my most memorable 'Adventure' days was climbing Ben Macdui #OnThisDay May 29th 2009... Here goes with the original post...

The summit of Ben macdui is the second highest point in the UK, it is also a significant distance from the nearest road access! It is a bleak yet wonderful place which everyone who has been there on a 'nice' day raves about! It would hopefully yield a lifer for me (Ptarmigan) too!

We faced a walk/climb of some 9 miles there and then 9 miles of knee jarring descent. We had been admiring the snow laden peaks and slopes of the Cairngorm range since arrival - another factor the mountain would throw at us!

The biggest problem facing us today would be dehydration. The full Scottish breakfast was a big energy boost, accompanied by a pint of fresh orange juice, plus even more water!

The big lens was obviously out of the question but I couldn't go without a camera could I? I opted for the 100-400mm zoom which together with 2 litres of water, food and spare clothing meant I had to carry at least 5kg on my back - this was getting scarier by the minute!

We weren't 'Munro purists' so settled for starting at the ski station car park rather than Loch Morlich.

The temperature and wind speed made interesting reading, just look at that wind speed - and 41'C bloody hell!!!








The first part of the climb was the worst bit, steep and relentless. Two of the party bit the dust at this stage but eventually we reached the snow covered ridge with the peak of Cairngorm to the East! The hard work done, it was now the long walk across the desert like plateau....






This looked like Ptarmigan country and it was! We found our first one here (others would come later) and this was a confiding male! Not surprisingly, the weight was lifted from my back as the camera finally was pressed into action!!
















The snowfields soon followed (who needs crampons!) Despite opting for my 'trainer style' walking shoes, I was able to use the footprints of those before me. More of a problem was the glare - I now understand what snow blindness is all about!!







The final stretch to the summit saw another two of the party pass on the experience but there was no way on this earth I was not going to do it! Another bird was to make it even more worthwhile too! Hearing a persistent call (which none of us recognised) Ian Baggley eventually pinned down the culprit - a male Snow Bunting in Summer plumage!! Was I even more glad the camera was carried........











I got left behind with one of the guides and a Snow Bunting!

Then, the final push......






Four and a half hours of climbing and walking and at last - we had made it!!!






Now, the bit that everyone was dreading and by far the worst bit - several miles of bone jarring descent!

Just when you need even terrain - along comes the boulder field!! Best tactic is to stick to the huge ones - they don't move!!







Business acumen was rife during the final part of the descent with Dave Pearce conceiving the novel idea of a bottled water franchise (just hope there wasn't a dead wee beastie further upstream!!)







After enjoying a male Ring Ouzel flying around the ski station buildings, one final activity.... One of the key briefing issues was the need to drink plenty and keep your pee clear, was it? - I'll spare you the pic - it was!!







There's an oft asked question - Why do people climb mountains. Are they just plain daft cos it's bloody hard work! Is it because the're there, the Ptarmigans or even the crow "I climbed Ben Macdui"? I'll do all of these - a magical experience!!

And just to prove i made it.......

On this day (April 10th) in 2011 and 2010.

There was snow on the summit of Earls Hill on this day in 2011...

It was 6.30ish in the evening and apart from a distant Tree Pipit on Black Hill, I'd had nothing worthwhile to show for the day. All that was about to change as I munched on a burger and got a missed call! After a redial, it was news from Mike S who had picked up an intriguing post on Birdguides - 'Snow Bunting near the summit of Earls Hill'....

Intriguing or what, it had to be worth checking out. I sped off with Andy / Jack picking up Mike from the pub en-route....

I know Earl's Hill well, I know just how tough the walk through the pines is - relentless and near vertical. I wasn't looking forward to it unloaded but with camera gear on my back and the burger rolling around in my stomach, would I make it?

I sure did, head down, a veerrrrry slow pace but made it without a stop and eventually breathed (heavily) a sigh of relief as I emerged onto the hillside and final push.....






Andy and Jack soon joined me, a 'runner' (mad or what) when asked, said he'd seen a small 'grey' bird just down from the trig point! We accidently flushed it but this bird was going nowhere in a hurry....

The Snow Bunting settled down in some rocks, playing peekaboo..... we waited for Mike who was still ascending but having to offload a few pints of liquid ballast - eventually we had all scored!






The light was fading fast and Snow Bunt was feeding up furiously. Pretty confiding too as we watched it perform.....






Closer and closer it came.....










These two will do nicely....








Thumbs up from the lads, County ticks for three of us - (Andy's fourth or fifth!!) Mike really, no really.... has given up alcohol from this pont in time (honest!)






On a Sunday afternoon anyway.! Hmm.... looking a bit unsure about that?

In 2010, this day produced some stunning moments with an Osprey fishing on two occasions - here's Take 2! Scroll down and check out the ghostly pale morph Buzzard too!

With some great birds about there seemed little reason to stray outside Shropshire and nursing an injured toe, walking far was not a option either! Fortunately, I had a chauffer for the day assuming I wasn't left stranded high and dry for refusing to part with my (very functional / therapeutic actually) socks and sandals!!!

First port of call was Venus Pool and an excellent chance of Osprey again? The water level is now thankfully being lowered - mud is beginning to appear and a wader (Black-tailed Godwit) got the day underway, Yellow Wagtail too. An 8.00 entry by the Osprey stirred up the Gull flock and they gave it merciless stick, after a minute or so it was gone!

A hungry Osprey has to fish though! A question of whether it would search elsewhere or return! By 9.30 We had just about given up and left the hide with Black Redstart now on the agenda when I spotted something large and very distinctive gliding in over the hide - the Osprey!!!!

The light was much better that the previous day so without wishing to overdo the flight shots - here's the best three as it manouevred into position.....










To plunge and catch a fish! Yet again, a small 'Rutilus' but who cares, more frequent fishing is the likely outcome! Slightly into the light, a small image does not do justice to this capture of the Osprey leaving the water!






It was then off to find a dead tree somewhere (haven't worked out exactly where yet!)








The Titterstone Clee Black redstart proved to be anything but 'easy'. It had been seen on the main radar station perimeter fence but not for us..... After a check of all the radar balls, we returned to the original search area and eventually, it flew briefly onto the fence.... then disappeared again....






Plenty of Wheatear about and we did hear a Ring Ouzel in the quarry down below but the Ouzels were left in peace and not on the itineray today!






Pole Cottage was almost birdless and my quest to see a Shropshire Red Kite in 2010 also continues, can you believe that! We dropped down to the wooded stream at Bridges...

A male Pied Flycatcher was singing near the entrance and we found at least another one at the upstream bridge. An elusive male Common Redstart and pair of Dippers soon followed....






Yvonne spotted a really unusual pale white raptor over the nearby hill. The upperwing was brown but check out the 'ghostly' white underwing and body of this pale morph Common Buzzard!






A Yellow Wagtail to finish at VP, completed a pretty fine day but as you'll all know before reading this - Sunday was destined to be much better - including a patch tick at Venus Pool (and they don't come that often!!)