Shropshire Birding (1 Viewer)

[pandachris]

Nine buzzards between Shrewsbury and Ellesmere yesterday morning, enjoying the sunshine and mostly in pairs.

 

[pandachris]

An hour at VP yesterday evening. No hirundines about but a pair of swans defending the whole pool resolutely against all comers. Some rather attractive Fieldfares coming into breeding plumage amongst the 40 or so that were roosting there and two bats hunting over the path back to the car park.

 

[jada dulo]

Had a brilliant day yesterday!!!...
Had several Wheatear on Titterstone Clee (plus a Merlin nearby).... Moved to VP & had a Chiffchaff outside the main hide & a Sand Martin through at 15:20hrs!!

Then off to Whixall where we had the very ellusive Great Grey Shrike (on Fenns Moss - over by the large barn frame structure), a ringtail Hen Harrier (almost flew into me when I walked onto the mosses!!), & a Short-eared Owl giving great views!!!...
Brilliant day - 11hrs birding, 5 year ticks 1 big celebration last night (phew - bad head today!!)...

 

[pandachris]

Nice one. I was hoping for Wheatear at VP but no luck. I was also hoping to get off work in time to have a look for an early Ring Ouzel but no luck there either.

 

[jada dulo]

Hi Chris - bit early for Ouzel, from memory I've never had one in Shropshire in March?.... VP generally get's just the odd Wheatear, but again it's usually end of March, early April...
Osprey will be the next good VP bird, first sighting's end of March generally... LRP's should be around soon, plus, I'll be heading off to The Mere's next week, March is prime time for Med. Gull's!!! Hoping for a Kittiwake too!!...

 

[pandachris]

I remember when you could get Med Gulls at The Mere pretty much from December-March.

Funny you should mention Kittewake. An unusual looking gull flew high East to West over VP on Monday evening, when there were very few gulls around at all. I only got on to it as it was well past the hide and heading for Shrewsbury, but I quite fancied it for Kittiwake. Didn't "tick" it though because I was far from certain.

 

[Patrick_L]

Evening all!

Managed to get onto the Forum at last - work has blocked access to anything but serious sites, and so access to forums, blogs etc. are barred. I have to get the old laptop out at home now!

Despite the late date, Sunday's WeBS count was very rewarding in the sunny weather - still some Wigeon, Teal and Shoveler around, 12 Snipe, a decent flock of Curlew and displaying Buzzards by the dozen.

Only obvious migrants were several Siskins over (also one over the garden on Saturday) and few gulls. At least 3 pairs of Tree Sparrows along the tree belts as well.

Cheers!

 

[jada dulo]

VP was pretty dire yesterday, & my search for Crossbill has still drawn a blank!!....
Working lates all week now, so not much birding, next week I hope to get out & about (although working nights, but at least I get early mornings & evenings free....)

 

[Rob Jones]

Visitor

Hi folks
Out of area birder here (Staffs) but always enjoy a day at VP. :t:
Nice and sunny there yesterday. Highlights were Sand Martins high over the pool pm and a Chiffchaff which is the first this year. Brambling and Tree Sparrows on the feeders. A Marsh Tit, at least I don't think it was a Willow? Oh, and a Rook that has figured out how to hang on to a bird feeder. :-O

Snipe to the left of the hide and Curlews but not in numbers previously recorded in the book. Sadly no Bittern, but was recorded the previous day so maybe it was just hidden away. Barnie at 6.10pm. About 20 mute swans dropped in before I left.

 

[pandachris]

Did somebody mention a Pallid Harrier? No access to a suitable phone and I don't have a pager. I can finish work within 20 minutes though.

 

[Patrick_L]

Chris

The Pallid Harrier was reported yesterday over the road between Hook-a-Gate and Hanwood. It's an odd time of year - I think the Parakeet is a better option for a Shropshire tick, even though it's a long way south!

Cheers,

 

[Rockbirder]

Hey up folks, Greetings from Cheesedale. If in the unlikely event that you've got a Pallid Harrier there's only one man for the job. Get that fat bald bloke from Telford(my best man) Andy Latham on the case, he eats rare birds for breakfast!!!!

cheers

Andy Barker.

 

[pandachris]

Perish the thought that I might be sceptical, but I had to think a bit before I even came up with a road between Hook-a-Gate & Hanwood. Presumably it's the narrow lane south of both villages which from memory woold be an awful place to bird - one car wide, few places to park and lots of tall hedges.

Nipped out to Painsbrook Lane this morning in the hope of Ring Ouzel. Nothing much about and too cold and breezy to stand around for long. Couple of R-L Partridges and a splendid and almost completely black m pheasant was about it. I suppose they breed them like that deliberately but it was a fine looking bird.

 

[pandachris]

Swallows

My first of the year in the UK (and surprisingly before I've seen/heard my 1st Chiffchaff) on the Ellesmere road on the way out of Shrewsbury at about 16:30 today.

 

[jada dulo]

Re: the Pallid Harrier report, I've given this some thought & I certainly aint gonna accuse someone I dont know of stringing... But it strikes me as odd!! The person in question obviously has the skill & knowledge to ID a Pallid, therefore he must know the rarity value of the bird? Then why did he wait 24hrs to post his sighting (when he saw the bird in his home village - so he had access to his computer etc...), & even then his 'report' was just one sentence long with no detail at all!!!...

It doesn't seem right to me.... But again, I guess you never know?... But the area isn't far from the Mynd where a pair of Hen Harrier (M&f) have been roosting all year!!...

I went & got the RN Parakeet the other evening, very smart bird & well worth going to see!!! Still aint had a Swallow or House Martin! Still no LRP's at VP.... Going for a Ring Ouzel hunt next week, also looking to get Mandarin at Borle Brook!!

 

[pandachris]

Swallow at VP yesterday p.m. but not much else of note. Decent look at the Brambling at the feeding station and the male pheasant there was stunning in the sunshine. All irridescent purples and greens.

Of note was the number of people there - I counted 20 vehicles ar about 3 p.m. - never seen it so busy. Several people there obviously new to the hobby, which is always good to see.

 

[jada dulo]

Had 4 Ring Ouzel on Titterstone Clee today (in the quarry), vocal, but typically flighty & elusive!!... Only 1 Wheatear.

At VP the 1st LRP has arrived, it was joined later by 2 more!!! As I shot off to Titt. Clee Jim had 2 Swallow & a House Martin thru!!... Not that I'm too worried about missing them!!...
County year list now on 120 species!!...

 

[jada dulo]

Woohoo!! My April 1st Osprey theory came very, very accurate today when an OSPERY flew into VP at midday!!! The bird remained flying high & flew off NE after just 5minutes!!
Rob Stokes, Shirley Dodwell & 2 others in the hide all saw the bird, but sadly Richard Dodwell somehow didn't manage to see the bird!!...
Also had my 1st Swallow today!!!
A good morning!!

 

[pandachris]

Nice one. Had a 5 a,.m. start today so I'm fancying an early finish and an hour at VP "on the way home" Probably my last chance at Shropshire birds until May, as we're off to the Far East early on Friday morning.

 

[Patrick_L]

Have a good trip if I don't catch up with you beforehand Chris, and good luck with the Straw-headed Bulbuls!

I was away in Sussex for my Dad's 75th at the weekend, and had a nice small fall of migrants at Beachy Head, mainly Willow Warblers but Redstart as well. They are on their way.

Cheers,

Patrick