Venus Pool - OSPREY takes 3, 4 and 5!

I had a Marsh Harrier on my mind after a few domestic activities and for some utterly misguided reason, opted to see if I could chance upon the Whixall Moss Marshie which has been reported recently....

I ended up with Andy Latham and Howard Prince in the middle of the Moss, putting the world to rights and other than a dozen or so Common Buzzards, not being troubled much in the way of birdlife! I think a male Brimstone butterfly was the highlight!

Common sense eventually prevailed and I thought I'd ease the ensuing 'Mordor Grip' or Moss Fever by checking out VP and maybe that Osprey (again!)

A sunny Sunday afternoon at VP is not normally recommended (that 'moss fever' coming on again) or get your bum on a seat - I actually managed to sit down in the new Memorial hide! At least there were a few Yellow Wagtails (four counted), Hirundines, a Common Gull (first seen here for quite a while) plus a singing male Blackcap.

After 45 minutes or so, I picked up the now nearly 'resident' Osprey gliding in (Take 3) and with good light and blue sky - MORE flight shots.....








This was now becoming hard work, (but someone's got to do it) I had to endure the sight of the Osprey circling for just over 15 minutes, sometimes almost overhead. My instinctive habit of stopping breathing whilst pressing the shutter coupled with hand holding a 500mm lens began to take it's toll!

Step hovering.....










Eventually it departed, fishless.....

Don't drop off to sleep or start ignoring my blog though, there was the odd splash and dash takeaway coming in Takes 4/5..... but at approx 3.20pm...... something I have not seen happen at VP before - happened! You'll have to branch off to the post below to see....

Meanwhile, (or.... welcome back) lets carry on with 'Take 4'








I should really have gone by now but..... I nipped back from the car as there was a 'year tick' Common Sandpiper in front of the main hide......






Whilst I was there, barely an hour after the last fish was taken - look who came back for take 5!!








Can these fish really get any smaller??? A great bird but would you believe it could have been overshadowed by the Marshie?

Venus Pool - MARSH HARRIER

Venus Pool lifers are memorable events for me, they just don't happen very often....!

With really memorable events, you always remember where you were? Like when JFK got shot for example (showing my age now) - I was in a fish and chip shop actually! Reckon I'll always remember where I was when a Marsh Harrier turned up at VP - LOL !!

Anyway, I wasn't in a fish and chip shop, it was the Memorial hide and that wasn't the Osprey sneaking back low over the North Marsh! It wasn't a Buzzard or Red Kite either - the brain went into overdrive with the realisation female 'MARSH HARRIER'!

The amazing thing was, instead of doing the quick flyover that scarce raptors do - it cruised backwards and forwards, hunting over the far reed bed.....












This Harrier was clearly hungry and after a couple of missed attempts, it clearly spotted something tasty?








Eventually, after sitting down with whatever it had just caught for 5 mins - it departed - back the way it came over the Northern plantation, mobbed by corvids......








The Osprey had been impressive once again but absolutely no doubt which bird stole the show - the Marshie moment 20 mins or so long - appropriately, a Tunnocks teacake followed to celebrate!

Venus Pool - OSPREY take 2

With some great birds about there seemed little reason to stray outside Shropshire and nursing an injured toe, walking far was not a option either! Fortunately, I had a chauffer for the day assuming I wasn't left stranded high and dry for refusing to part with my (very functional / therapeutic actually) socks and sandals!!!

First port of call was Venus Pool and an excellent chance of Osprey again? The water level is now thankfully being lowered - mud is beginning to appear and a wader (Black-tailed Godwit) got the day underway, Yellow Wagtail too. An 8.00 entry by the Osprey stirred up the Gull flock and they gave it merciless stick, after a minute or so it was gone!

A hungry Osprey has to fish though! A question of whether it would search elsewhere or return! By 9.30 We had just about given up and left the hide with Black Redstart now on the agenda when I spotted something large and very distinctive gliding in over the hide - the Osprey!!!!

The light was much better that the previous day so without wishing to overdo the flight shots - here's the best three as it manouevred into position.....










To plunge and catch a fish! Yet again, a small 'Rutilus' but who cares, more frequent fishing is the likely outcome! Slightly into the light, a small image does not do justice to this capture of the Osprey leaving the water!






It was then off to find a dead tree somewhere (haven't worked out exactly where yet!)








The Titterstone Clee Black redstart proved to be anything but 'easy'. It had been seen on the main radar station perimeter fence but not for us..... After a check of all the radar balls, we returned to the original search area and eventually, it flew briefly onto the fence.... then disappeared again....






Plenty of Wheatear about and we did hear a Ring Ouzel in the quarry down below but the Ouzels were left in peace and not on the itineray today!






Pole Cottage was almost birdless and my quest to see a Shropshire Red Kite in 2010 also continues, can you believe that! We dropped down to the wooded stream at Bridges...

A male Pied Flycatcher was singing near the entrance and we found at least another one at the upstream bridge. An elusive male Common Redstart and pair of Dippers soon followed....






Yvonne spotted a really unusual pale white raptor over the nearby hill. The upperwing was brown but check out the 'ghostly' white underwing and body of this pale morph Common Buzzard!






A Yellow Wagtail to finish at VP, completed a pretty fine day but as you'll all know before reading this - Sunday was destined to be much better - including a patch tick at Venus Pool (and they don't come that often!!)

Venus Pool - OSPREY!!

There are some birds which no matter how many times I see them, draw me like a magnet! Persistence paid off too after doing the 'Osprey hour' four evenings at VP this week! What a moment too. I was chatting to a guy (Pat) who watches VP regularly and he casually asked me.....

(It was 6.25pm, some birders are on the reserve, they think it's all over ......)

.....if I'd seen an Osprey this year? It was one of those Wolstenholmesque moments!

I looked up and even before I had time to say 'no', it was a case of "I have now!!" Bloody Hell, or something like that...






Ever closer and eventually down the middle of VP in front of the hide!








This was an experienced bird! There would be no messing about - another circle over the pool and fishery and then it was down to business.....






No dramatic dive from height. Just a casual stepped hover - here are the two stages....








The splash and take off were a momentous blur in the gloom of the pool.






A medium sized Roach for supper....








Finally, against better light as it departed, a decent shot I'm more than happy with!






Oh well, Lucky Jim proving that timing and persistence pays off!

Not long after, six gorgeous Yellow Wagtails dropped in too! A record shot of three of them....






If past experience is anything to go by - there was a good chance of a repeat performance first thing in the morning. Check back to see what happened......

Venus Pool - Spring migrants

A bit of patchwork planned for this weekend and with a hunt for LesserPecker on Haughmond not surprisingly proving fruitless, I spent quite a bit of the day in the hope of an Osprey dropping in at VP.

No joy with that either of course but there are a few Spring arrivals now. First up, a Willow Warbler singing outside the main hide....










With an equally obliging Chiffchaff nearby (Chiffs aren't averse to Willow either!)...










The water is at a ridiculously high level for the time of year and if this is maintained then I think we can all look upwards rather than down for waders as they fly over??. The scree island is in danger of collapsing too as erosion takes it toll. Nevertheless, I counted three Little Ringed Plover on the reserve (although only one was visible from a hide!)












And finally, the bird which I eventually caught up with at the end of the day... a pristine male Yellow Wagtail....










More Warblers in soon no doubt.....