Venus Pool - Mute Swans and Lapwing flight

The light was glorious and with more common species begging to create some more gallery content, I actually singled out a Mute Swan departing! Whatever next!

Plus some lapwings dropping in!

That water looks cold?

Never ignore anything that flies in good light!

Priorslee Flash - 1st winter male Scaup

With the Scoter having scuttled overnight, I joined Martyn Ryder at the Flash with a couple of 1st winter Scaup for company! Here's the male....

Tucked up and resting

But occasionally sparked into action!

I can't remember a more obliging Scaup moment, so here's two more!

The male and female together....

And this one summarises their plumage differences plus size comparison with a Tuftie!

The female to follow!

Priorslee Flash - 1st winter female Scaup

Some close ups of the 1st winter female Scaup, yes asleep again!

Awaking from her slumber!

For a quick preen.....

Surprisingly quite smart when viewed close up?

That's all from these two Scaup for now!

Priorslee Flash - Goosander pair

I've had quite a few requests for 'common' birds recently so need to keep the website gallery well stocked! Many of the images never see the light of day here but I'll keep a few postings devoted to something erm..... less unusal?

Like this pair of Goosander, paired up and looking like Spring is in the air? Individual images....

Plus the happy couple shots!

Looks like the perfect partnership!

Horsehay - Yellow-legged Gulls

Still no white-winger on offer but a creditable 5 Yellow-legged Gulls (3 ad / 2 3rd w) in a frantic 'in/out' pre-roost wash today! I managed to pause the scan to catch three of them.....

Two adults....

Plus a 3rd Winter....

Classy gulls which still stand out amongst the hordes of now  'white-headed' Herring Gulls!

Priorslee Flash - Velvet Scoter!!

The one that nearly got away! I was over at Stubber's Green with a few gulls in mind when (an hour after news broke) Steve Nuttall kindly tipped me off! It had been found at lunchtime on Priorslee lake but when I got there - a heart sinking moment as Geoff Holmes and Graham Walker were clearly scanning with no Scoter in sight.... And a guy was putting away his sailing dinghy..... draw your own conclusions!

Two of the Scaup had gone missing too so there seemed a reasonable bet that it had tagged along with them and flown to the flash?? After a few minutes, I headed off!

I checked out a large group of Tufties opposite the 'promenade' on arrival and almost the first bird I picked out - OMG Velvet Scoter a 1st winter female (first Shropshire lifer of the year!) !! Geoff and Graham were shortly there and a trickle of other birders later. It was 3.30ish by now and the light was fadinhg fast but here's a few of the record shots:-)

The locals were wondering wtf is that :-)

A muddy walk to the far side followed including a fall which I hope hasn't resurrected my back problem.... Oh well that's a better view!

The cheek patch is clearly more defined on the left side!

A retreat into darker walker came next but sadly the shutter speed was now getting into 'difficulties'!

A quick flash of those secondaries.....

A few more of the same!

Saved the the pick of the bunch til last?

Shropshire bird no 225 :-) Putting the calibre of this Scoter into perspective.....Only the fifth occurrence in the County, the last one was in 1994!!

Priorslee lake - first winter drake Scaup

I've already covered the two first winter females and they have now been joined by a drake of the same age! With one eye on a gull pre-roost which was pretty much a non-event, I concentrated on the Scaup......

The male and a female which were concentrating on getting some shut eye!

Eventually the male woke from hsi slumber!

Showing all angles to appreciate the developing plumage on flanks and back.

A bit of a preen was followed by this walk on water!

And a wing flap - subtle use of motion blur :-) Ok, the light was going!

Not to be outdone, one of the females swam by to steal the show.....

With this!

Well it made me smile.......