Colemere - Black Tern

Colemere has become the number one  'go to' site when Black Terns are moving. Having been busy and missed the four on Thursday evening, thanks to Rob Dowley, I got another chance this afternoon!

There's only one 'spikeless' buoy so at least it had somewhere to perch...

A few images of it dancing over the water...

Heading my way!

Full throttle...

A mosquito bite hastened my departure and with my wrist swelling badly, it's Piriton for the next few days?

Polemere - Flava of the week?

There's been an interesting female Yellow Wagtail hanging about at Polemere for most of May. James Grundy noted it on the 4th and I first saw it on the 6th.  Here's a sequence taken from a 'walk past' on the mud today... The most striking feature is that white supercilium and grey head...   

 

The throat is also white...

Here's the grey head and upperparts suffused greenish yellow...

A trawl of the web reveals a few very similar birds (some captioned M. flava and others of less likely subspecies) Rather than agonise for too long on the identity crisis, have a look and let me know what you think?!

Priorslee Lake - Common Terns

Any sort of passage is good news this Spring and with six Black Terns at Belvide today, at least something terned up in Shropshire - two  Common Terns found by Clive Biddulph. And while he popped off to Belvide, I took a few pics...

The first one had a brighter red bill and less black, taking an occasional flight against the far bank reed bed...

And returning a bit closer!

Sometimes flying much closer too...

Here;s the second one...

You can almost feel the relaxation as those tired wings are stretched out!

You don't get many Tern opportunities in Shropshire... I love those head on moments, just prior to frame filling, they happen even less!!

One, just one Black Tern would doooooo!!

Polemere - Hobby paddling!

One of those 'did that just happen' moments happened today! I was passing Polemere and thought it was worth a quick look with a Garganey in mind? Not a chance, but plenty of swallows and after 5 mins or so, the alarm went up, even the Geese got alarmed! And then the reason became obvious on the far bank! A Hobby...

After flying towards the near bank it was partly hidden behind the hedge. But then it simply strode into view...

Marching down to the waters edge!

Well, it was rather hot...

An proceeded to cool down its feet in the water!!

But not for long, just look at those flies scatter...

Another one for the 'Great Hobby' moments album and I've been lucky enough to have a few :-)

Polemere - Swallow

I seem to be finding a few more common species in the viewfinder and before the Hobby got my attention as bird of the day. The swallows gathering mud and perching nearby were serious contenders?

Bit of a frame filler!

Worthy of a closer crop!

And just that small turn of the head brings out the iridescence - stunning.

Venus Pool - Tuftie display team

Those who know me, realise my favourite break from birding is a fast flying jet or two! Whilst they wont challenge the red arrows in the speed stakes; for close formation stuff , these Tufted duck would take some beating! And H&S would probably knock some of these manoeuvres on the head!!

It's the thrill of the chase but who's chasing who. This female had eight admiring suitors (not all in the frame) and she was doing most of the chasing...

And leading, by a short bill?

Tight turns...

And effortless glides...

But two's company and three is a crowd!

You'll have to make your mind up girl...

The Bog - Jay caught in flight

A random mooch around 'The Bog' didn't produce an awful lot although I did see my first Large Red Damselflies of the year! A Jay was fly-hopping through some scrub so I picked a spot where I guessed he would appear and my luck was in! Here's half a second's worth of action...

I was hoping for one of the burst to be free from clutter and it nearly was...

There wasn't a lot else and it was baking hot, an ice cream beckoned...

Venus Pool - Mandarin finale

Having spent nearly 14 hours here the previous (BIG) day, I wasn't exactly dashing down to the water with a spring in my step! And annoyingly (24 hours late) the first bird I clocked eyes on would have been useful - a drake Mandarin!

Looking drop dead gorgeous and lusting after every single female duck (sometimes male too !

A right royal display...

But this drake Gadwall was having none of it!

And neither was his missus...

And as the light was fading in the seriously slow shutter low light, I created this artistic masterpiece...

Or maybe I wasn't expecting a flight shot to happen...