Shropshire - Happy New Year

I'd almost forgotten how to put a post together after a bit of a break from birding and blogging! But January 1st is always a great motivator with the list slate wiped clean (not that I kept any lists in 2019!!) Therein lies the problem, no list = no motivation so I'm going to revisit the Shropshire 'January list'. Simply how many birds can I see during the month of January within the county border? And ideally beat the '101' tally from Jan 2017!

I didn't exactly  hit the ground running as I missed the dawn exodus of the VP Whooper Swan, Egyptian (x2) and White-fronted Goose! Never mind I managed to catch up with the distant  Whooper Swan - relocated to one of the fields near Cross Houses...

Virtually all of the morning was spent wandering the reserve with Dave Chapman and smarting from the early 'misses' I still managed to get my Shire list up to 50 by late morning. No real surprises but the highlight was probably at least four Water Rail from the Fen hide...

And then, opting for a quick check of the pool before leaving - the Egyptian Geese were back in town!

The afternoon was spent near Shifnal, failing miserably to see the 'Sewage Works' Yellow Browed Warbler :-( A consolation adult Yellow-legged Gull at Priorslee lake helped but I'll have to await a return of a Caspian?

I might even be tempted to get out again tomorrow!

Venus Pool - Red-necked Grebe

Yesssss, Red-necked Grebe, a long awaited patch tick for me, viewed from the causeway on the adjacent fishing pool. Nice work too by Paul Bennett, Dave Bate, and John Smith, three Belvide birders who found it mid morning and got the news out!! You will have to agree the finder guys and submit a rarity form to Ian Grant :-)

I got down there just after midday and in between showers after a 30 min 'no show' it reappeared again in the NE corner! The light was pretty dire and rain didn't help but I'll more than settle for these!

It was busy catching fish too!

This one proving to be quite a struggle to swallow!

But eventually 'down the hatch!

There have only been two other records in modern times at Venus Pool, in 1989 and 1991. A showy long staying bird was at Priorslee Flash in 1998 and the last record in the county was in 2012 (my first local one seen with Yvonne at The Mere)  More importantly, bird No.181 for my VP list! Come on Winter, do your best deliver a Slav next?! I think everyone needs that?

Severn flood plain - Whooper Swans

I had a cruise (not literally) around the  Severn flood plain in the Pentre / Melverley / Edgerley area which has been deluged in recent weeks by severe flooding and now accessible. I was very fortunate too, as the land, now gradually reappearing, still held enough flood water to keep the swans happy and in view! There were plenty of Mutes but I was hoping for Whooper Swans and with a count of 19 for an hour long session, I had to be pleased...

I'd have settled for one!

But at quite a few of my stopping places, the calls were all around and they were clearly 'roaming'...

The car makes the perfect mobile 'hide'! Firstly a group of three landing in front of me...

Not to be outdone, I also found additional groups of six and ten (all adults) as the day veered from misty to bright! Here's a count-down to what happened next... Five...

Four...

Yes, you know what's coming when they have that 'gonna fly jizz'... Three...

Two...

Off they go...

In perfect synchro unison :-)

Looking back, I think this was my favourite image?

Magic moments indeed!

Priorslee lake - Caspian Gull!

It's been four years since I've seen one of these brutes in the County. With the advent of 'recycling centres', large Gulls have had to move on to new feeding opportunities and the local tips no longer offer a haven for foraging! There must be something going on locally as this 1st winter Caspian Gull has been around for a few days...

With barely 30 Gulls on the water, the centre of attention! The white head of this Gull gleaming out and just look at that bill...

Quite distant at first but at least it was active!

Those long legs pretty obvious in the next two...

White underwing showing nicely !

Despite clouding over, with patience some closer views were possible! With a couple of Lesser BBG for comparison, that is one mighty bill!

Hmmm, vegetarian fare? It was soon spat out!

Paddling away and about to depart at 4.00pm...

There was also a burly 1st Winter Yellow-legged Gull for comparison! Next to sort...

St Martins - Rose-breasted Grosbeak

After the previous  'Keystone Cops' comedy twitch, two days previously, I decided to have another try for better views of the Rose-breasted Grosbeak!? Two favoured locations, the 'Quarry' and the 'Bakers' were on my radar and here's the best from each...

The Quarry , shame it was side-lit...

And at the Bakers, what an incredible underwing :-)

The chocolate cake was pretty incredible too...

Morning Point, St Mary's - Blue Rock Thrush!!

I put my eggs in one basket today after yesterday's Cuckoo moment, could the same happen again but with the elusive Blue Rock Thrush?? I decided to patiently stake out the section between Morning Point and Woolpack battery... eventually with a couple of seconds of success!

And a second later...

I think it was worth it?

Dump clump, St Mary's - Yellow-billed Cuckoo!!

The Dump clump was the place to be today with a Red-breasted Flycatcher present but extremely mobile and elusive. Pride of place however went to the Yellow-billed Cuckoo which was on show once more. I say, 'on show'n but it was up in the canopy often obscured by branches and at an awkward angle. So to spare you the messy images, here's the one and only half decent one...

Certainly in contention for bird of the trip...

The Old Town Red-eyed Vireo had relocated into the churchyard for a finale...

Given what's gone before, not in contention!