Venus Pool - Ruff passage

It was lunchtime before I emerged from a big PC catch up today.... just in time it would seem at VP - three Ruff had just dropped in!



Record shots galore only - with the water so far away now it's gonna take until well into the Autumn to recover and bring the birds closer....



Sociable feeders, it wasn't hard to keep all three in the frame!





As close as they came!




Who sh***ed who to create these then?



Oh well, nothing else happened so a search beckoned for another butterfly on my 'wanted' list....

Holly Blue and other insects

I was giving Wenlock Edge the once over late afternoon for Wall butterfly but the only brown job coming my way was the ever present Speckled Wood!



Some consolation came in the form of a male Holly Blue which actually stopped (can you believe it) to pose for the camera!










Plenty of Common Blues at VP, male upperwing here.....




Plus female underwing shots......





Hopes of a late hatch of Small PBF on the Stiperstones were dashed but this is certainly the place to see Grayling!



At 'The Bog' Black Darters up to their usual activities. I wouldn't recommend you try this with your partner in a Gorse bush!!

Venus Pool - Greenshanks

Not a lot doing locally but two Greenshank seem to have taken up residence at VP. With the water receding, the only possible chance of a closer shot was from the memorial hide - a brief obliging moment.....



One by one.....





A 'different' angle!

Working Sparrowhawk

A male Sparrowhawk has been persecuting the local hirundines at Royal Shrewsbury Hospital. Maybe he think's he's a Hobby? Long overdue, just sorted these images from a while back as I was getting in my car after work....






Flap, flap....






glide....










No hirundines were harmed in the shooting of this sequence. Maybe a Hobby should show him how it's done!

Venus Pool - Turnstone!

Mud, mud everwhere......






I suppose you wouldn't give one a second glance at the coast - a Turnstone that is. In Shropshire terms a pretty mega species however and at least two of the serious local listers needed this one for their list!

It remained rooted, feeding on one of the middle muddy islands so sadly all I can offer is distant record shots - it was one very smart Summer plumaged bird indeed!








The Ruff is still present






A couple of Little ringed Plovers in this evening added to all the other waders (which have stuck) meant NINE species of wader in a 24hour period - not bad for VP! What's next?

Venus Pool - Wader time!

News of a Ruff encouraged me to have another evening at VP - which looks awesome!! Every chance of a bumper passage performance here with the extent of muddy margins present.....

Seven species of wader seen and whilst the water is now distant - the Greenshank came within range! Excusae the poor light though!






Coming closer....










Here's the juvenile Ruff.....












Keeping company with a Dunlin!





Green Sandpiper, Common Sandpiper, Common Snipe and Lapwing made up the numbers....

Venus Pool - Hardy Wasp Spiders

The Winter of 2010/11 was as severe a test a 'Southern softie' could expect to encounter? Minus 18'C is pretty typical of the minimum experienced at VP and whilst number seemed to be down on last year - Argiope brunnichii is alive and still weaving webs at VP and here are some images to prove it!

Three mature (and no doubt getting bigger) females were found. For once, I found one away from the web too








To flash or not to flash, that is the question? Fill in seems to help in the low light down in the tussocky grass.....






Another coccoon becomes the evening meal....






The less attractive underside on show....





If you're a tiny fly, just sit still, very VERY still and hope she doesn't notice you?






Bit of wader activity on the pool too! Greenshank, 2 Green Sands, a Dunlin and lots of mud, shame they were too distant - could this be the prelude to a good Autumn passage.....