167 - Is That It?.....

Yeah, well my last post was a bit, well I was pretty fed up when I wrote it.... I was after all dipping everything going!!! (& it aint often that there's 'something going' in Shropshire!!)...
In reflection I've recently failed to see Red-breasted Merganser (Mire), Firecrest (Wrekin), Cetti's Warbler (Chelmarsh) & also a Common Scoter at Mire - although I knew nothing about this bird!!!??... So, can hardly count it as a 'dip', but these 4 birds (along with the 'should've' been on my list Gropper!!), would've put me on a very respectable 172 species & to be honest that would've done me for this year, except if a county tick turned up!!! (that's one good thing about the dipped 5 species above, not one is a county tick, they're 'just' year ticks!!)

So, seeing as I've almost certainly run out of steam now to chase any more ticks, barring a county tick of course!!, I shall now continue to do the 'relaxed' birding I've been doing these last 4 weeks!!!
(in my defence, throughout October I only had 2 days off work, & both those I spent with my daughter - so birding time was extremely restricted - mainly to early am at VP!!)
Also had a few problems with my personal life which had to be sorted, all this obviously took alot of the 'chase' out of me & now I'm staring at way too many good birds gone. Although the Cetti's is still a possibility.... I'll see? But I'm quite pleased with my 167 species.... after all, it's just 9 species off the county record!! I aint got the drive left in me that Andy, Jim & Yvonne seem to have to keep searching such a quiet birding county....

Next year shall be a much different year for me. No lists for one!!! No targets a second!!! BUT.... I shall be after lifers & I'm looking forward to going on a few twitches with Paul Barker, Dave Western, Big V, Damo, Mike & some of the others hopefully!!!....
This aint my closing entry for 2009, just wanted to let my regular readers know where I am & that I am still birding, but just very limited at the moment (putting in quite a few extra shifts at work, qualty time with Mand & my lil' girl!!)...
There is of course still a chance that I'll hit 170 by year end, just that I aint 'chasing' it now.... Just a quickie - I think Andy has already hit 172 species for the year!!! ;-)

No Fire on my List!!

I've hit a brick wall in my county birding it seem's? Dipped the Merg, then dipped the Chelmarsh Cetti's Warbler (although congrats to the Chelmarsh lot on a great new site tick!!), & today I dipped the Wrekin Firecrest for the second time!!!
I tell ya what, I'm getting pretty pissed off & totally bored with the naff county birding scene!!! Roll on 2010 when I can start getting some decent birds (hopefully!) on my list!!!
All the birds I had a chance to see this year - Collared Flycatcher, Crested Lark, Brown Shrike, Sandhill Crane, Eastern Crowned Warbler & most recently Fan-tailed Warbler!!! All birds I doubt I shall ever see in the UK now!!!
Oh well.... 167 species for Shropshire this year, and it's taken some doing!! (Last tick was Mandarin at Borle Brook after my failed Cetti's attempt!!).... Just getting fed up of dipping at the moment... Shall try again for the Firecrest tomorrow..... Maybe??

Dipping in Shropshire....

Yeah, it's begun!! Dipped a Red-breasted Merganser at Mire Lake the other day!! (How long was it there? Was it flushed??)... I arrived just an hour after Andy texted me, to find 2 birders already there & who'd been there for over half an hour, who looked at me blankly when I enquired about the Merg!!!
Not overly concerned, RB Merganser aint a county bird for me as I had a drake a few years ago....
No sign today of the reported RL Buzzard in a field just outside Crudgington.... But I know this species can be extremely mobile!!... There was certainly plenty of Common Buzzard, incl. a very pale bird, but not a Rough-leg!!!
Oh well.... I'm more disappointed about being unable to go & see the Stains Brown Shrike with Andy at the weekend than dipping these 2 birds!!! My 'twitchy' feeling is coming back to me already!!!!

More from VP.....

Had a relatively productive quick visit to VP yesterday. The Bittern gave a brief flight view over the far reedbed, also whilst scanning for the Bittern I saw a Water Rail dash briefly across the front of the reedbed.
Sadly no Whooper today, but a winter pl. Black-tailed Godwit was new in & I counted at least 5 Snipe.
A juv. Peregrine did a couple of unsuccessful dives through, I noticed (especially on the second pass) that the bird had slightly unusual plumage in as much as it had what looked like 'spotted' plumage on the flanks?!!... Never noticed this before on a juv. Peregrine.
Still no year ticks, maybe time to go nail my 'banker' bird & hope for a few ticks in Nov. & Dec.!!

The North Hide Conspiracy!!!

Well there's been a bit of movement recently, I was slightly peed off to dip (twice!!), the Whooper Swan that's been dropping into VP, as this would've been a patch tick for me... & only my 2nd patch tick this year (my VP list is 160 something, so patch ticks are far & few between!!)...
Also, the Bittern has returned to VP, almost a year to the day that it turned up last year!!...
My 2 recent visits resulted in me seeing neither species though....

Also of note the new Memorial & North Hide's are now in place!!... There is a much improved path now to the Memorial Hide... The North Hide is for S.O.S. members only (I'm sure the strip of red tape with a paper note stapled to it will be the best in cutting edge deterent for all those cheeky non-members wishing to use this hide!!)...
The North Hide does however leave a bad taste in my mouth as this isn't the hide that was agreed by the commitee!! (I know this for sure as I was on the commitee!!!).... However, it seem's that secret 'sub-commitee's' have the power to overule all.... without voting, too!!!
I aint going into a full rant as it's done now & I should've made my feelings apparent much sooner.... Sadly, I missed my last 2 commitee meetings due to work commitments & having my daughter stop over....
Needless to say, I have since resigned my postion on the commitee due to my struggling to make meetings, but mostly due to the fiasco over the North Hide!!
I shall end by saying just this, I have now lost a lot of respect & trust in the S.O.S. & I'm now struggling to work out why I pay to be in a society??....
It's all very sad....

No Birds, No Cry!!!

What the f*** is going on!!??.... After the Rednal heron we've had to endure the worst autumn migration ever!!! Not a single bird of note has turned up!!!
Sad news that ze Guru hs become one of many people to feel the bite of the current recession, so it kindda puts it all in perspective!!
But there are so many decent birds around though.... This, coupled with the county birding drought, has led me to decide to come out of retirement.... As of next year I shall be twitching again!!! I have missed it more than I ever thought I would!!! And not just the birds, but the laugh that is always had plus all the brilliant places it takes you to....
So, from the start of 2010 this blog should liven up a bit, I have only 1 target to hit next yeat, I intend to see over 10 lifers to finally get my UK list over the 300 mark!!!
As for my goal for this year??.... 3 species required!!! Still a chance during October for something to turn up. But look's like winter shall have to produce a Pink-footed Goose, Common Scoter & hopefully a Caspian Gull to get me to the 170 mark!!!
Sorry I have nothing more interesting to write, but Shropshire is crap at the moment!!!!

All Quiet on the Shropshire Front!!!

Bloody 'ell, after the now very famous Rednal Purple One.... we have to endure nowt!! Sod all about. Okay, I could easily add my 'banker sp.', but I want to save that one for later.... A report of a 'possible' 10 Glossy Ibis flying over the A51 at Newport was certainly a very interesting report, but it seem's to have fizzed into nothing with once again no validity coming out of the report!!... Personally, I think Glossy Ibis is a highly probable species for the county & hope that these were indeed genuine & turn up soon...
VP is enduring major disturbance at the moment with both the North & Fen hides being replaced, only one shall remain for S.O.S. members only!!
So working nights is a good thing as I can get to VP at first light before all the disturbance kicks in!! This morning there was sadly no waders, but a good turn out of wildfowl. Amongst the several hundred Canada's & Greylag's (annoying as these geese are, in a few weeks I'll be at VP & Polemere scanning these flocks in hope of gripping back a Pink-foot.... or better still, a Brent!!!)... I was surprised to see a lone female Wigeon, but according to the log 15 were present yesterday!! Around 20 Shoveler, a few Teal & 2 Gadwall.
Only other bird of note was a Little Egret. Still time for a good bird, hoping for our annual Pec. Sand or a Little Stint to drop in, looks like Mire will be the place though. Also hoping for another county 'mega'.... Let's see if anything comes of this Ibis report!!....