Venus Pool - Night Heron!!!

Incredible, unbelievable, etc etc were just two of the adjectives used by many locals to describe the latest bird to slip through the normally effective 'Shropshire rare bird' deflector shields! A big thank-you too, for Bernard Roberts getting news out - I could so nearly have missed it by heading to the north of the county with an evening talk in Wrexham looming... A Night Heron no less, the first twitchable one in Shropshire  and we will have to wait for the Shropshire Avifauna to find out more regarding one other accepted bird from the 1970's?

It was skulking in the twiggy shrubs to the left of the pool by Lena's hide, when I arrived late afternoon. Not viewable from the hide but decent enough from the ramp leading up to the hide or through the path hedge, I chose the former to take a few shots...

Not easy to get anything worthwhile but at least it was now clearly an adult and with those long dangly bits - a male?

Occasionally, turning its head whilst half asleep!

And then the sun began to fall on where he was perched - wow just look at that red eye!!

And for a minute of two shuffled to give a view almost devoid of obstructions!

 OMG, was this for real? Well I pinched myself really hard and ouch, yes it was!

So here we go again, the 'twitch protocol' was about to be implemented again as Shropshire hosts another great bird. With Iberian Chiffchaff, Yellow-browed Warbler and Wood Sandpiper waiting in the wings, there's a lot going in the Shire right now...

Granville Country Park - Iberian Chiffchaff!!!

Hastily processed pics and a 'song' video of the Iberian Chiffchaff at Granville Country Park this afternoon. Less than 100m from the where the 2016 Ibe Chiff was resident during April 2016!

I had joined Andy Latham and John Reeves at about 2.15. They hadn't seen it but it was pretty convincing on song, lurking somewhere in the bushes beyond the small pool. It certainly looked like mission impossible to get a glimpse other than the brief flight views we managed until this happened...

Totally against the run of play and then a short while later, it paused to preen on the opposite side of the pool! That long supercilium and other features reminiscent of the 2016 bird....

And here's the bird in 'song' when it wasn't doing a perfect impression of Common Chiffchaff.

It was impossible not to have doubts but presumably this is an Iberian Chiff mimicking a Common. It was 'Iberian' when not in view but then frequently singing its heart out above our head as a 'Common' when feeding. And NO, before you query it, there weren't two birds involved...

Yellow-browed Warbler - take 2

It's always worth going back... On arrival at the site, a small group of birders were viewing from the opposite side of the road. Sensing they were on it, I was told it had been showing earlier on the outside of the copse but was not in view. It seemed like a good idea to check the favourite haunts of the Yellow-browed Warbler from Sunday?

Inspired moment or what - I was on it within seconds of checking inside the copse. Tucked away in the canopy...

But then dropping lower and in unobstructed view!

Crikey, despite the high contrast of strong sunlight, as good as I could have hoped for? I was now joined by a small throng!

A call?!

And then a final pose at the end of the branch!

Not a bad 2 minutes or so work!

It then disappeared and so did I - Iberian Chiffchaff at Granville?? Sounds like lightning striking twice!!

Shawbirch - Yellow-browed Warbler!!!

Yellow-browed Warbler is hardly a national rarity nowadays but it certainly is a prized tick in Shropshire with (until today) quite a few of the top listers still needing it. All that was about to change with one being reported in a garden in Shawbirch! There's history in this area too, with one turning up in Andy Latham's garden on 12th October 2008...

There have been four previous records, all autumn birds so this is the first spring visitor to be found - but who knows how long has it been in the area?

After appearing briefly in a private garden mid-morning, it disappeared for nearly four hours and was finally relocated in a small copse east of the B5063 in Shawbirch at about 2.00pm. It showed pretty well on and off disappearing for quite a time but everyone who had come by 4.30 had connected :-)

Hard work to see, photography as difficult as it gets! Nevertheless, here's a few record shots from the session.....

One of the most striking features was how 'untidy' it was (we are used to pristine autumn 1st winter birds!)

And of course there was ALWAYS a branch, twig or leaf in the way!!

And if only this moment had occurred a bit nearer? Another fly about to meet its doom!

I was one of the lucky ones to have seen Andy's bird, a few demons were exorcised by this one for others and yet another good bird for the shire too!

Whixall Floods - Wood Sandpiper

One for the record! Record shots that is.... Finally got chance to check out the flood and this very early Wood Sandpiper was still present! Found by Reevesy on the 18th! In the scheme of whixall floods, it was showing very well, always distant but no obstructions...

Not a lot else here or at Wood Lane, the only other highlight was a large gathering of Sand Martins (c 120) over the Mere at Ellesmere.

Venus Pool - Redwing

They wont be here much longer but this obliging Redwing was determined to put on a bit of a show before departing!

Once he had got out of the longer grass that is!

 In fact molehills seemed to be the perfect vantage point in the quest for worms?

Yet, I didn't see him catch a single one!

We will just have to settle for poses then....

'Twas a lovely day with Spring in the air, wonder what's happening on the pool?

Venus Pool - more White-fronted Geese

It's been a couple of weeks since I've been birding in the shire, ill health, trips to Belgium and all round the country with talks all took their toll.... But a report from Geoff and Graham of two Russian White-fronted Geese got me scrambled to come out of the birding doldrums...

Showing pretty well on the island in front of the memorial hide :-)

It was 4.30pm and the sun came out, lighting them up perfectly!

They don't like helicopters!

But they do seem to like posing?

And this individual seemed to be playing to the crowd (just me!)

Taking the weight off his feet, well one of them...

And then settling down for the night...

It's been quite a year on the Goose front and with milder weather and birds clearly on the move, the next few weeks might turn up some more surprises?