Broadsands Bay - Cirl Buntings part one

Bit of a belated catch up here but here a few shots of an encounter with a very obliging male Cirl Bunting!

One of my favourites was this eerie head on shot shot hidden amongst the willow.....



A few different perches to pose on.....







Before a bit of a preen, checking out every nook and cranny!







Before feeding on the ground.....



Inviting the odd close up!



Closer still to come.....

Whixall Moss - Boats and Cranes

Having been away all weekend, this was my first chance to have a go for the Whixall Moss Crane. An early finish off work and I was there mid afternoon, bumping into Pete Jordan at the car park!

It all looked good, walking along the towpath, two pairs of birders commented - "still showing well" just opposite the parked boat". Not a care in the world then - except..... when we got to the boat, the friendly couple who had been putting birders onto it all day, announced - "someone's just flushed it!"

Horror of horrors, allegedly birders too!! who had gone for a closer look in the fields over the canal! I wont type what we said.....

All we could do was keep looking and hope it would return? After walking further along the towpath we realised it was impossible to see the fields on the opposite side as they were well below the level of the canal. Eventually, we walked back and crossed the footbridge, walking up to the next 'drawbridge' - (is that what the're called) and crossed over. Looking back we could see..... nothing! We walked back towards the footbridge, it looked like a big bad dip but about 50m away from it and scanning the fields again, I suddenly realised - I'd got it! Very distant in the snall wooded area roughly opposite from where the track comes out of the Moss and just to prove it.....






Pete had to go, I had an hour or two to spare and was hoping it would wander back in the field to where it was originally (opposite the parked boat). I'd crossed the footbridge again, just to see what it was doing (still very distant in the wood) when I heard the chug chug chug of a canal boat...

In a moment of madness, I flagged the boat down.... The two lads on the boat looked a bit startled as I asked if I could hitch a ride? To photograph a rare bird a few hundred metres away.....

No problem they said, full steam ahead!!!








I could tell roughly where the Crane was feeding and we came to a halt. The view was not exactly plain sailing either with bankside brambles in the way and only one small corner of the field in full view. After a few minutes, unbelievably - the Crane wandered into full view!!

I fired off a few shots - with the motion of the boat, there weren't many keepers and before long it was gone, back into the wood again!

These will do though!












I promised Richard and Steven I'd post a picture of the boat, so as they sailed off into the Sun.......








... I walked off into the sunset! One of my more memorable mad moments and the first time I'd ever been on a canal boat!!!

Broadsands - Cirl Buntings

My annual visit to Broadsands Bay and the Cirl Buntings! Wait a minute, I haven't even looked at any of the 16Gb of images taken - this could take a while to appear......

Venus Pool - Lapwings united

I mentioned the Lapwings were up to their aerial tricks lately and with a few minutes to spare and good light - tried to keep up with them!

One is not too difficult....






Two are a different manner as they weave about, constantly changing direction!








Things got a little close for comfort - a definite near miss in aviation terms?






No, this isn't a long winged two-billed Lapwing but it might be those two stuck together?(and not by me I hasten to add!)






The male Gadwall cruising along nearby....






A longer than average bill helps to reach the depths of a Teasel head the other Goldfinches couldn't reach?






Off to Devon now for the South West alpine show. If the weather holds, I hope to stay down for the Sunday and check out the Cirl Buntings.....

Burrow Hill Fort – Great Grey Shrike

The small village of Hopesay lies tucked away up a narrow road from Clunton with the imposing ‘Burrow Hill’ dominating the landscape from afar. I’d glanced over the previous week whilst on my way back from Clunton Coppice and wondered? Great Grey Shrike there again ?? Lo and behold, news came out last Sunday evening, with more news from MS and RV in the week – a very flighty Shrike – but at least it WAS there!

Not a Sherpa in sight either to help me lug the 12kg of gear, food and water up to the top. I made it without a stop too, apart from the strategically placed gates and stiles which provide a natural ‘break’.

The first 'foothill'......






I made it to the newly enclosed/fenced entrance to the Hill fort where I met a certain John Maddock. I’d met John before, he walks this ‘patch’ once in a while during the Winter and was the person we have to thank for inspiring a population of leaner, fitter Shropshire birders to take up ‘hill walking’. He found this Shrike in both 2010 and 2011 – nice one John!

The good news was, a scope was trained on the distant Shrike, it was on my list then.

Whilst the fence erectors had an eye on ‘double time’ earnings, driving a 4 x 4 under the bird was going to cost me the chance of a record shot – and it did, as the Shrike flew out of sight!

The habitat.....








It was time for lunch anyway, as I settled on a grassy bank and recharged my energy levels. One thing I’ve learned about Shrikes is to play a ‘waiting game’ - they will come back to their favourite perches – eventually.....

30 minutes later, it appeared on the North side of the fort on the top of the tallest tree!

Distant flight shot.....






I then spent the next hour or so watch it perch, watch, fly and hunt always about 100m distant – just hoping it would eventually come nearer? Slowly but surely, it did.....












Eventually, having forgotten I was sat there? It briefly landed low down in the nearest tree about 40m away. It didn’t stay long but at least I got what was to be the best record shots of the day!








By 3.30, the Shrike had tended to disappear onto the slopes below the fort and it was downhill all the way for photography and me – far easier walking down than up!

Venus Pool - feeling frisky

I haven’t done this for a while now – sat at Venus Pool to see what might fly in (about time for a Little Ringed Plover?) Guess what, nothing did! I wiled away an hour of the morning taking in the usual seasonal birds, many of which were getting a little ‘frisky’.

The Oystercatchers in particular were certainly making plans for little Oystercatchers! DEespite looking well satisfied and very pleased with themselves, it was all over in seconds!










Lapwings laying claim to a territory and seeing off anything else......








The Shelducks flying united.....






By 10.30, enough was enough and the lure of high ground (Burrow Hill Fort) proved to be too much. I called in at Longnor where one of these was showing well.....






On my way to see this!






More pics to follow……

Rainton Meadows - Mealy heaven!

The forecast wasn't good - snow flurries were possible as I set off in totally the wrong direction to come home (North!) Rainton Meadows was the destination again and Mealy Redpolls in much better light? Well at least the midday sun was not an option today!

There were many more Redpolls today, at least 60 and at leat 20 of them were Mealies, try as I might, I couldn't convince myself for the Arctic but that's one for another day!

Lets start off with some Leser Redpoll images.....

The Nyger filled feeders were the reason the birds were concentrated here.






Posing nicely....










A nice male colouring up nicely!






A close encounter with one Lesser Redpoll on the ground....






One Lesser poined by a Mealy Redpoll....






The Mealy Redpolls really were the dominant species at times.....






Apart from the larger size (although female Mealies can be somewhat smaller), the most striking feature of Mealy Redpoll is the overall 'frosty' appearance - an overall grey coloration with the underparts much whiter. The wing bars are a much cleaner white than in Lesser Redpoll and the dark ear covert patch really contrasts in the absence of brown cheeks.












The white rump shows here with a hint of pink staining.....











It all had to end (well twice actually) once for a shower of rain and then the predicted snow flurry! So, I did the hill to the feeder area walk three time. Who needs the gym when birding gives you plenty of exercise :-)