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ZEISS DTI thermal imaging cameras. For more discoveries at night, and during the day.

Shropshire Birding (2 Viewers)

pandachris said:
Teasingly close to the birds I saw on Sundorne Road on Wednesday. Wish I'd had two minutes to have a proper look now.

Next time I'm in Shrewsbury in what might be considered daylight hours is Tuesday morning. I hope they're still around.

Good look if you go for the Crossbill, Patrick. I've never seen one.
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Chris the rowans the waxwings are feeding on will probably be gone tomorrow, I'll be amazed if they are still there after the weekend. I would think other birds will be found some where else, maybe Telfords turn next...!
andy
 
Waxwings in Shropshire

I called at Aldi today, I thought I heard a waxwing, once, but there was no view of them and the only berries left were some berberis and rose hips along the side. Can't be sure what 'I heard really was one. I'd guess they've moved on.
 
I looked at a lot of starlings around Wolves yesterday but not even a hint of anything different. Might see if we can get back to Shrewsbury before sunset, just in case.
 
pandachris said:
Good look if you go for the Crossbill, Patrick. I've never seen one.
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I didn't see one either, and unfortunately the photo that appears with the report was, I understand, not of this bird! Not sure what's happening there! However, despite that the area is great for a day out, with extensive mixed woodland with a good range of the commoner stuff, superb views (when it's not too foggy) and good facilities, including an excellent tea room, at the National Trust property, so a not wasted day out at all. Shame it's not in Shropshire!

Did the WeBS count at the S/V confluence yesterday - a nice morning for it as well. Unfortunately there was quite a lot of disturbance, which meant the ducks were very mobile, but the Pintail and Wigeon numbers were excellent. No raptors, though.
 
We live in Derbyshire but are currently putting in a new kitchen in our house in Shropshire. The other day I was out with the dogs over there (just south of Bridgnorth) and I was really excited to see a buzzard fly out low from the trees right in front of me and land on a telegraph pole - this couldn't have been more than 10 metres away - I've never seen one that close. Typical though, I didn't have my camera with me!
 
Decent shots of Buzzards seem hard to get. Always nice to see though.

Twenty minutes around Aldi from 10:00 yesterday morning but no sign of any Waxwings.

A Raven over the A5 at 8 a.m. today about a mile west of The Wrekin, heading south.
 
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pandachris said:
A Raven over the A5 at 8 a.m. today about a mile west of The Wrekin, heading south.
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Chris

I hear that there was a party (a "Murder") of 19 Ravens recorded on the S/V WeBS count on Sunday - thought to be feeding on a corpse. Didn't say what sort of corpse, though.

Peregrine over Mytton Mill this lunchtime - excellent, as didn't get one at the weekend on the WeBS count.
 
Murder

Patrick

Without checking I reckon it's an 'unkindness' of Ravens. We pay for most of our bird/wildlife trips abroad out of our pub quiz/pub trivia machine winnings :brains:

Murder is generic for crows and I've no idea whether Rooks or Jackdaws get their own collective terms, but I reckon that if you know the species, then unkindness trumps murder ;)

As for the corpse, bit worrying that. I used to go out for occassional birding trips with a few other Shropshire birders and we maintained a 'dead list' out of a macabre sense of fun. It had some quite good stuff on it, including horse, polecat and Bonxie.
 
Yeah, despite crashing my car last week!!! I got the Shrewsbury Waxwings thanks to a lift from Yvonne!!...
Sadly, missed out again on SE Owl at Whixall as I was struck down with the worst cold I've ever known!!! (still suffering now almost a week on!!)....
Now I have a loan of a car (from my fab girlfriends equally fab Mum!!), I'll try to get up Whixall next week (added bonus of Great Grey Shrike now, plus pos. of Hen Harrier & Jack Snipe!!).... Working lates 'til Tuesday tho!!
SE Owl is my target as it is my only remaining county bogey!!!... ;)
.....I couldn't possibly have gone Sunday Andy, as not only would Dave had to have driven me there, but he'd have to have carried my onto the Moss I was that b*llocksed!!!).... :)
 
pandachris said:
Without checking I reckon it's an 'unkindness' of Ravens. We pay for most of our bird/wildlife trips abroad out of our pub quiz/pub trivia machine winnings :brains:
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I bow to your knowledge Chris, as long as you will stand as a "phone-a-friend" when I eventually get to sit opposite Chris Tarrant. Can't help thinking that compared with a "Murder", an "Unkindness" sounds a bit nesh for a bird like a Raven.

I have Otter on my Shropshire dead list (by the Baschurch Road last year) - great shame. Fortunately, I also have it on my alive list!
 
Patrick

I'll happily be a 'phone-a-friend' - I can do just about anything except football/soap opera/reality TV and recent pop music. Another £25 in our kitty last night after a very good weekend (though it probably cost me the Waxwings). We've paid for almost all our holidays this year from our winnings and that covers Germany (twice), Morocco, Mull and Aviemore, Hungary, Barcelona, Poland and probably some odds and ends I've forgotten. We've even had a few new birds along the way.

Jada

Any details on the Whixall birds? I'm not that familiar with the area but might have a couple of hours tomorrow, unless we decide to nip up to Southport to deliver my mum's Xmas presents.
 
Yeah, they're 2 Shorties, pretty mobile but easy to pick up on!
The Great Grey Shrike was only seen by one (reliable) witness, but was waaaayyy over on the Fenns (Welsh) side!!..
You could flush a Jack Snipe along any of the flooded paths I believe & Hen Harrier is always a possibility!!
I'm desperate to get up there, cold now gone, got a loan of a car for a few weeks.... just stuck working every day now 'til 30th Dec!!!!...
I may try to get up there on Sunday morning... SEO is the only one I really want!!..
 
Spent 3 minutes this morning in the 8 a.m. gloom in Telford trying to track down a call that I didn't recognise. Dog whistle. :gn:

Off to Manchester for a night out later - hoping to finally connect with some Waxwings there. Seems to have gone quiet in Shropshire of late.

160 birds in the county in a year. I'll be lucky to get to 170 for the UK and that includes a week in Scotland in the late spring.
 
Finally!!! Nailed SE Owl on Whixall Moss on Tuesday, my 160th species for Shropshire this year (& my 193rd species on my Shropshire Life List ~ 7 more for the Salop. 200 Club!!) ;)
It was my 12th county tick this year, which is truly awesome (plus I dipped on 4 more!!)...
What a great year 08 has been for Shropshire, here's hoping 09 is just as good!!!
(Oh yeah, I didn't see the Shrike!)

Happy Christmas all.... :)
 
jada dulo said:
...my 160th species for Shropshire this year ...
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Nice one. Might try for the owl/shrike tomorrow - we've got three days when we can do as much birding as we like - off to North Wales for a couple of nights. Whixall isn't too far out of the way.

Just had a Coal Tit in my Heath Farm garden - first I've seen here for a couple of year, although to be fair I'm not actually here all that much in daylight. Must be about time for my Blackcaps to appear - I've had m & f virtually every winter since I moved in, in '99.
 
Cheers Chris, I'd given up on my county yearlist after my divorce was finalised in July, but soon realised with the massive influx of seriously great birds I could still hit this target, so I'm really pleased to have done it!!
Certain birds still remaining for the county 09 list, Bittern at VP, SEO at Whixall (maybe the shrike?)... Waxwing still a great possibility too...
 
No luck with the shrike or the owl on 27th, but we did manage over 50 species before we left the county. Nice walk, nonetheless. Think we'll have another go this morning.

Good couple of days in Wales and a tremendous few days in Germany, although not much time to do any birding- we did manage to find out own Black Woodpecker, Northern Grey Shrike, Hawfinches and Great White Egret, though on the one reserve we visited for a couple of hours and I still have Middle-spotted Woodpecker and Muskrat to research, so if anybody's heading for the Heidelberg/Worms area give me a shout and I'll pass details on.
 
Hi all ~ great start to the county year list with 84 species seen on New Years Day, incl. Waxwing (at Stokesay), Jack Snipe (at Mire Lake), Scaup (at Whitemere) & Yellow-legged Gull (at gull roost on Whitemere)...

Next day scored 2 Water Rail at VP (looks like the Bittern has gone as it aint been seen since 31st Dec!!).
Had a Stonechat in Admaston (of all places) yesterday...

.....& best of all... a 2nd w. Iceland Gull at Priorslee lake today!!! There was an ad. Caspian Gull there on the 2nd Jan. No sign today.

(We had 4 Brambling at the feeder staion at VP incidently on New Years Day!!)

Heading for Roden tomorrow am for the flock of c.60 Corn Bunting. Then Tuesday I hope to nail Hen Harrier on the Mynd (plus Red Grouse)!!...
Still need Siskin & Jay too!!... In the following days hope to get Crossbill (Bury Ditches), Whoopers (Melverley), Willow Tit (Whixall) & Grey Partridge (Upton Magna)...
Looking at breaking the 100 mark by end of January!!! (currently on 87!!)...
Looking to be a good year already... Hawfinch seen today at Ellesmere too!!!
 
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