[Patrick_L]

Originally Posted by andy latham

Hi Patrick,

I think that 2 glaucs is erroneous, there is some confusion over the age of the birds. There was a juv sat sun and mon. the information services reported a 2nd w and I think this where the confusion lies. People are expecting 2 nd w seeing juv and assuming 2 individuals. I know lots of local birders who have seen a juv but no-one who has seen 2 nd w. Hope this helps clear things up.

Cheers Andy

Thanks Andy, looks like it's moved off now. I've noticed a number of large gulls flying high SW from Telford at daybeak when I've driven past on the M54 during the week - presumably feeding on the flooded fields along the River Severn?

Patrick

[pandachris]

Hi Patrick

All's well indeed, thanks. and you?

Shame about the Barn Owl but good news about the Kite. Still not on my garden list, but I'm hardly ever there.

We were hoping to get out this weekend (Julie has new binoculars) but a nasty work call at 03:30 on Saturday and then Sunday's weather put paid to that. I did see 'my' Blackcap on Saturday, as the calls dragged on and daylight arrived in the garden.

[Patrick_L]

Good news - caught up with the party of Bewick's Swans near Harmer Hill yesterday, and so at last my Shropshire list reaches 150.

They are by the minor road that runs NE from the A528 towards Noneley. Good excuse to use those new bins, I'd say.

Patrick

[pandachris]

Didn't get as far as the Bewick's Swans but I did have a Sparrowhawk on the garden fence yesterday and a Red Kite this afternnon - about 13:30 just alongside the A5 from the bridge between Upton Magna and Atcham and three Bramblings at the VP feeding station.

[pandachris]

More surprising than Sunday''s bird but in keeping with a few recent reports on shropshirebirds, last night at 17:57 a single Red Kite sailed southwards across the M54 between J5 and J6, so presumably heading towrds The Rock or the retail park. Must be roosting somewhere in the vicinity because the sun had well and truly set, although it was still quite light.

[waterrailus]

Originally Posted by Patrick_L

Hello Chris, trust all is well.
Unfortunately, there was a dead Barn Owl on the A5 last weekend - not far from the A49 roundabout on the way to Telford. Shame.

Had a Red Kite over the house last week as well, so will try and tot up our Garden list and post that soon. The male Blackcap is still here and both Siskin and Redpoll over today.

All the best,

Patrick

Shame about the barn owl. On my way up to photograph snow buntings on Wednesday (see waterrailus gallery if interested) one flew straight in front of me just before much wenlock on the A458. Tried to find Venus pools on my way back but must have taken wrong turn after Crosshouses and had a merry little detour round the lanes, with no one to ask i dipped out.

[pandachris]

waterrailus

You must have been unlucky VP is not too hard to find. Heading east from Crosshouses you pass a right turn (sign-posted Berrington?) and then another one about 300m further on. There is a small caravan/mobile home place on the corner. VP is about a km along here with the entrance on the left. Both of these roads are rather narrow but there is parking for 15+ cars. Better luck next time.

[pandachris]

My first Shropshire butterflies of the year yesterday, with a Brimstone and a probabl Small Tortoiseshell at the east end of Stafford Park Telford and a Peacock today.

[pandachris]

and my first Chiffchaffs at Nedge Hill, Telford at about 15:00. Nothing much in the paddocks though.

[pandachris]

Fairly quiet at VP yesterday. Plenty of Sand Martins on and off and a fewmale Brambling remaining at the feeding station. Whilst we were in the feeding station hide all of the birds on the reserve went into panic mode for a short while. The birds on the feeders disappeared all at once and went very quiet. The gulls and lapwings were all up in the air and making a lot of fuss, along with the ducksand geese. We assumed probably a Peregrine over but couldn't see anything.

When we left the reserve at about 4 p.m. we'd gone about 100m down the road when we flushed a female (by size) Merlin from the roadside verge. She flew along the road at below hedge-top height all the way to the the Shrewsbury-Cressage road junction, reaching speeds in excess of 40 mph (per my speedometer) and then landed in the top of the hedge opposite the caravan site. Presumably this was what had caused all the commotion earlier.

[pandachris]

Two puzzling raptors seen from the car on my drive home this evening. First was about 17:30 by Jct 5 of the M54 - a medium-sized bird that didn't look very Buzzard like at all. There are often buzzards in the area. It had very long 'fingers' - almost eagle-like - though this was far too small for any eagle. An escape, perhaps?

Further west on the A5 at about 17:40 a falcon that was heading east quickly with a flap-flap glide flight pattern that was reminiscent of Merlin. I hadn't seen a Merlin in the county for several years until yesterday and with my two Red Kites above this is sounding quite unlikely. Too 'butch' to be a Kestrel though, but size hard to estimate at speed. Reckon I'd have stood a better chance of the birds had been heading in the other direction.

[Neil-T]

Called in to see the Common crane at Whixall moss today. Viewable from the canal towpath to the left of the bridge over the canal by the junction. I noticed that the bird had got a very bad limp on the left leg and was struggling to walk It would be a shame if it was predated or died of an infection. Is there anyone in the area that can do something for it?

A couple of pictures from distance.

[pandachris]

Shame about the state of the Crane, Neil. Let's hope it recovers. Might get a chance to get up there on Sunday, but not before.

Now this is getting silly. This morning at about 08:20, from the car on the A5 at the top of the hill before the M54 a bird shot out over the embankment and nearly flew into the side of the van that I was behind. It pulled up steeply and then almost pivoted on one wing tip to recover, giving me a perfect view of its underside and shape. Merlin. Like the bird on Sunday absolutley no doubt of it.

[pandachris]

Barn owl at 23:30 last night over the road linking the A49 and the Ellesmere Rd across the north of Shrewsbury, just by the railway bridge. No Merlins.

[pandachris]

No sign of any Wheatears or Ring Ouzels at Nedge Hill at about 3 p.m. yesterday, but two Green Woodpeckers, Willow Warblers and Blackcap all present. Four fallow deer crossing the road near the Haughmond Hill car park entrance at 00:55 this 'morning'.

[gforrest15]

Hi there, just joined and had two birds identified, I have no idea. Common buzzard and Lapwings today in Selattyn/Hengoed, Oswestry.

Some photos I posted for identification - http://www.birdforum.net/showthread....83#post2118083

[pandachris]

Hi G, welcome to the thread. Some nice pics there.

[pandachris]

An hour or so at a relatively quiet Venus Pool yesterday (couple of pais of Little Ringed Plovers on site) was enlivened when we had a look for the 6 Yellow Wagtails recorded in the hide log book as being in the field 'behind the hide. This is the field on the right as you walk down from the car park. We counted a total of 15, include one very nice looking Blue-Headed form.

Probably no more from me for a couple of weeks as we're off to Cuba on Thursday.

[Darth Wader]

Went to Stiperstones nature reserve over the weekend. Got some great views of a pair of Red Kites, saw a Kestrel, Stonechat, Swallows, Willow Warblers, numerous Pipits, and what i think was a pair of Curlew, and heard Chiffchaff. Brilliant day

[Patrick_L]

Greetings all, sorry long time no post but have been out and about so time to catch up.

Have been impressed with the number of singing Common Redstarts around south Shropshire - plenty on the Stiperstones, Bridges (plus Pied Flycatchers), on Caer Caradoc and even around Westbury where there have been 4 or 5 singng males on the two farms I've been surveying for the RSPB. Nice.

Loads of Swifts around Coton Hill in town now - none until 28th April, now dozens. Same for House Martin. Hobby over the house at the weekend.

Cuckoo singing at Fitz several mornings recently, also Dipper there (first in the 4 years I've been there).

All the best,

Patrick

[Spotter]

Although have been a member of the forum for some time I never new this thread existed so Hi folks. I Went to Venus Pool, Nr Shrewsbury for the first time today. Got there at 0820 left at 1215, saw the following birds:
Canada Geese, coot, black headed gull, Lesser black back gull, greylag geese, cormorants (inc Juvenile), tufted duck, lapwing, mute swan, Great crested grebe, buzzard, mallard, crow, shelduck, ringed plover, oyster catcher, pheasant, sand martin and reed bunting. This takes me up to 45 for the year

Really pleased with site and hides

[pandachris]

Hi Spotter, welcome to the thread. VP is not a bad reserve and turns up something special from time to time. It was really quiet on Wednesday night when i popped in for 30 mins on the way home from work, but there's still a chance of some migrants. The Ringed Plovers are quite unusual there though they had been recorded for several days. Little Ringed Plover are more likely because they regularly breed at the reserve. Watch out for them on you next visit.

[Patrick_L]

Another Hobby over the garden this evening - second this spring. The local Starlings now have young out.

[Rob Swift]

Hi All,

I had a walk up the Wrekin Saturday 21st... the first time I've ever been up!

Good views of two soaring Peregrine at the top. Interestingly after 10 minutes, one shot off northwards and the other southwards.

Other Birds Seen:
Tree Pipit x 3 singing (2 at the summit)
Good numbers of Willow & Garden Warbler, Blackcap, Chiffchaff, Whitethroat.
Redstart x 1 and also Cuckoo heard.

Rob Swift

[pandachris]

Thought I might have seen a Red Kite over the A5 on the bendy bit west of Telford yesterday p.m. They're not really a bird that I associate with 'might have been' but it was too close to the car to get a proper look and I was driving.

Looking good for a trip to the Lleyn Peninsular on Saturday for the boat to Bardsey and hopefully some cetaceans.