Shropshire Birding (1 Viewer)

[SJPortugal]

Hello - I was wondering if anyone could recommend a good reliable spot or site during the winter to see either Barn Owls or Short-eared Owls?
Any help very much appreciated.

 

[pandachris]

H i SJPortugal

I think reliable can be tricky, but SEOs are quite often seen around Whixall Moss, just north of Wem in the northwest of the county and Barn Owls can sometimes be seen at Venus Pool. Not heard about them this year, so far. Whixall can also be good for Hen Harrier and GG Shrike.

 

[pandachris]

Another good day for fungi around Haughmond Hill on Saturday, less good for birds though. Amethyst Deceiver and both Death Cap and False Death Cap and a few remaining Fly Agarics plus a Russula that we're not sure about yet and a few Coral Fungus types.

 

[Patrick_L]

Wise words from Chris, would agree with Whixhall if you need to stay in the county. Otherwise, there is a decent high tide on Sunday 5th December at Parkgate on The Dee, which is not only good for raptors but also top Fish & Chips! High tide mid morning.

Plenty of Redwings and Fieldfares around last weekend for the WeBS surveys, but no ducks!

All the best,

Patrick

 

[SJPortugal]

Thanks very much for the useful owl suggestions, much appreciated. Was amazed to see 17 Goosanders on the river in the centre of Shrewsbury today

 

[pandachris]

Goosanders and Kingfishers not unusual along the Severn, although 17 is probably a good count. Numbers can sometimes be quite high at Atcham.

 

[pandachris]

Unsuccessful on Saturday at tracking down Waxwings in Shrewsbury (Featherbed Lane, Tesco, Meole Brace park & ride) and Oswestry (Middleton Road) but I'm sure some will turn up eventually.

 

[pandachris]

No luck with the Waxwings at Meole Brace Park & Ride again yesterday but superb views of numerous Redwings and a few Song Thrushes on the snow-covered trees.

Two female Goosanders on the Severn from The Crown Pub at lunchtime.

And not that I can ever be found in local pubs, a very noisy roost of starlings in the large evergreens outside the entrance to the Harry Hotspur, still vocal at closing time - I wonder if they remain active overnight to combat the cold. Got a -12 on the car thermometer whilst driving from Shrewsbury to Telford this morning.

 

[Patrick_L]

Hello Chris

You could try the Battlefield Grange estate behind the BMW garage (near Tescos) for Waxwing - I've seen a few there over the last week or so, either in the hedges along the access road or within the estate itself.

Dropped by at Priorslee last week and had both Caspian and Yellow-legged Gulls on the ice. The Shropshire list storms towards 150!

All the best for Christas to you and J.

Patrick

 

[pandachris]

Hi Patrick

I've had a couple of looks around Tesco this year with no success yet. I'll keep trying. We saw some in Wales a few weeks back and an owl located a flock for us in Matlock not so long ago but it would be nice to see some of the Shropshire birds. There was a big flock around Shrewsbury police station in 2006 for several weeks, starting just before Christmas, if memory serves me correctly, so perhaps we'll check around there.

Merry Christmas to you both.

 

[pandachris]

Went for a quick look at the Sainsbury Park & Ride yesterday but all the berries have gone, as have most of the birds.

Also very few birds at Haughmond Hill, although a close up Sparrowhawk on the escarpment was nice to see.

 

[pandachris]

Fairly unusual sighting at lunchtime - a Woodcock flying over the road just past Shrewsbury cinema - looked as though it was dropping into the field just behind Nandos, presumably near the Rea Brook.

Lots of ducks on the Severn just down from Welsh Bridge where there is still some open water. Ice thick enough for a teenage girl to step onto by The Boat House, though I wouldn't recommend it.

 

[pandachris]

Right this minute, the 1st Blakcap of the winter in my Heath Farm garden - a male.

 

[jwreeves]

3 whooper and 7 bewicks swans by the A458 north of cressage late morning showing fairly well

 

[pandachris]

Was fancying a trip down to VP today so might go and look for these. I take it they're more west than north. I think the A458 runs south from Cressage but does a dog-leg in the village and heads just north of west towards Shrewsbury. Presumably they're on the S'bury side - that's where I've seen Whoopers (but not Bewick's) before.

 

[Patrick_L]

Hello again Chris!

The Bewick's-free afternoon was saved by a Barn Owl at Bishop's Castle!

All the best,

Patrick

 

[pandachris]

Always a joy, Patrick.

Just under 100 Mute Swans at the Cound site mentioned above yesterday, but no more northerly birds. Three Bramblings at the feeders at Venus Pool with lots of Reed Buntings and a few Yellowhammers in the field.

 

[Wimpy]

Weald Moors and Baggy Moors

Apologies if this is already in peoples' diaries, but there is a public meeting this Saturday 15th Jan in Newport Parish Rooms about the future development of both of these areas.

The project has been called "the Lapwing Meadows" and I think there was a short film about the project on Midlands Today last year. If I remember correctly it was filmed from the hide at Wall Farm.

RSPB,Shropshire Wildlife Trust, Natural England and Environmental Agency will be present.

The main aim, if I read the newspaper cutting correctly is the creation of a wetland habitat to encourage breeding of wading birds.

I was given a newspaper cutting but I don't know the paper it came from, however here is a link to Natural England on the same topic.

http://www.naturalengland.org.uk/regions/west_midlands/press_releases/2011/060111a.aspx

For further information contact Sarah Wheale on 01952 433211 or email to [email protected]

 

[pandachris]

Huge flock of Woodpigeons this morning at 08:18 over the A5 between Shrewsbury and Telford, just where the road bends to the right after the long straight. There must have been a couple of thousand - they looked like a flock of Dunlin, so densely packed were they at first. I think it took me about 20-25 seconds to drive underneath them and I wasn't dawdling. Presumably flushed from the fields by a Sparrowhawk or similar.

 

[AnotherNightOwl]

Hi Chris,
on another thread you mentioned that you use a digital recorder for taking notes. Which one do you use?