Home to Roost!!

Well, finally this evening I got to see the Starling roost in my home village of Bayston Hill!! Alll week people were telling me about it, but stuck working afternoons, I was unable to view the spectacle!! (Even my girlfriend went for a look & tried to get a photo of them for me!!... Bless her!!)... ;~)

Three roosts at least!

Green Lane has the bulk of the birds, with a rough estimate of c.2000 birds roosting, a further c.500 birds were roosting just up the road on Hanley Lane. Even my road of Parrs Lane had around 200+ birds along it...

So a rough maxima of c.3000 birds roosting along this stretch of Bayston Hill....

A new level of utter naffness in photography!!... Just a few of the Green Lane Starling roost!!

Birding at the Pole!!...

...Well, Polemere, actually!!.. The S.O.S. latest reserve. It's basically a small pool in the middle of an agricultural area. My first visit, despite leaving the house at 8am, it took me nearly 25 minutes to drive the 6 mile or so from my house because of endless works traffic, Bayston Hill is an awful place to try & get out of between 8-9am!!... (For the record, it took me 5minutes to get home from there... ).

Polemere NR.... not a bad little spot to drop by if your in the area.

On arrival there was a sizable flock of geese in the nearby field, all Canada's & Greylag's.... or so I thought?... I'll come back to that in a mo!!...

The hide was very impressive!!... Sadly the pool wasn't!! Just 4 Wigeon & 1 Snipe all of any note!

So, I began having a scan through the geese again when I noticed a very small goose in with the Canada's!! I whacked my scope onto it & was quite surprised to see a rather cute little Lesser Canada Goose!!!... No question of the ID, sadly the true origin of this bird is seriously questionable!!!... (I can add it to my other 'questionable' goose collection - Lesser White-front, Red-breasted etc...) ;~p

Although it had no leg ring & could fly easily (it flew off with the bulk of Canada's around 9:15am), it is almost certainly a feral/escape. Never mind, it was still nice to see....

Another crap photo by moi, the Lesser Canada Goose at Polemere today... it's the small bugger at the front!!... ;~p

An even worse shot, just to show how crap I am!!

I was about to leave c.150 LBB Gull decided to drop in for a quick drink, they stayed literally seconds before pushing off!!.... Skylark, Pied Wag & Fieldfare were all else of note...

Not a bad little reserve though, and being so close I shall try & visit more frequently....

Salop Trawl Round!!...

Well, as I promised you (& myslef!), I had a bit of a trawl round the county today.... despite the miserable weather!!...

My first port of call was to be...

Brown Clee Hill.

As I neared Ludlow the mist & drizzle which had been present the entire journey south seemed to be lifting, so I pushed on regardless!!... As I parked at the base of Brown Clee it was very apparent that the mist hadn't & wasn't going to 'push off'!!! Brown Clee was completely shrouded in mist!!!

Anyway, I began to scale towards the summit... As I walked through the wooded area on the first 'flat' there were large numbers of small birds moving around. Mostly Long-tailed Tit, Goldcrest and other common species. But I was surprised at the number of Coal & Marsh Tit present, with numerous Nuthatch and one Willow Tit!!... But very little else!!..

The summit was in thick mist and apart from a solitary Crow & Magpie I didn't see or hear a single bird!!... I had a quick smoke and waited, but nothing!!...

Pretty narked off I began the descent, again stopping regularly to check out the tit flocks... but nowt!! I was hoping for maybe a Firecrest!!...

As I returned to the 'flat' area (sandwiched between the large pine plantation & decidious area), I heard what I'd been hoping to hear!!!.... Eventually, the source of the noise flew over my head & circled the clearing... a flock of at least 40 Crossbill!!!... Eventually the landed in a large pine tree in the decidious side of the track, where I was able to view the birds perched on the higher part of the tree. At least several adult males were present, with the rest either juv/female....

So, not too bad after all.... I got back to 'The Argo' & with the drizzle now falling fast decided what to do next?...

After the long hard slog to the summit, it was nice to sit quietly & enjoy the panoramic views from Brown Clee's summit!!....

So, with the weather worsening & the light disappearing fast I decided to abort my plans to visit Bury Ditches & the Long Mynd & made my way to Melverley for the Whooper's that are present there!!...

Melverley.

The long drive was made 100x worse by me reversing to let a car past & my car sliding on a wet patch of mud and the arse end of The Argo disappearing into the hedge followed by a sickening crunch!!!... I got out (as the very ungrateful ****** passed by without so much as waving!!), to see that a well positioned horizontal branch had skewered my rear tail light, completely smashing it!!! **** it!!!! Anyway, I soon arrived at the very rough dirt track to see the Whooper Swan's all present & correct!! I counted 17 birds present (+ 3 Mute's), with a potential 18th also there (it would not lift it's head!!)...

Some of the 17/18? Whooper's at Meleverley, piccie taken with my N95... if you want excellent photo's... I suggest you visit Jim's page!!... ;~p

So.... I arrived home at 16:00hrs, the poor Argo limping along with a smashed tail light now added to her already knackered wheel bearing, poor old girl plastered in crap to boot!!!... But 40+ Crossbill & 17 odd Whooper's aint too bad a days county birding, especially as the weather was so damn crap!!... The Whooper's became my 149th species for Shropshire for the year, beating last years total by one!!... Although to be honest, as I aint been 'going' for anything for the last 10 weeks or so, I aint too bothered about my year list this year.... That's why I aint really mentioned it 'til now I guess?... But as Andy rightly say's to me 'get out there & look!!'... & today, I did!!... Cheers all... J.

The Argo, sporting her lates scars after a days birding with her very neglectful owner!!!....

Bloody cold morning at VP!!!....

As I arrived at 'ze pool' at 07:00am this morning straight from work, the thermo on the car informed me that the air temperature outside was zero!!... Nice!...

I stood in the car park for 10 or 15 minutes chuffing madly on a cigar whilst listening to non-existent bird call and trying to climatise to the near arctic cold!!...

Eventually there was enough light to do something resembling birding.... I trudged down to the hide but there was little different on the pool... a solitary Curlew & Snipe all of any note. The Water Rail continued to take the p*ss by constantly calling but not once putting in an appearance!!... Sod it!!!... Too cold to be sat still so I went for a walk up the top field...

Far more productive, a flock of over 100 Chaffinch were perched on the hedgerow, with more in the field itself... Possibly 10 or so Yellowhammer and a few Reed Buntings also in the hedge, but then I got onto, & at close range, a rather fab male Brambling perched on the hedge... this was soon joined by a Lesser Redpoll!!!....

Not brilliant, but definately getting better... well worth getting froze solid for?... ;~p

Sunrise over VP, for all you lot that cant get up in the morning!!...

A slight pick up!!?....

Having, yet again, missed out on a day twitch (this time for a Pechora Pipit!! - which Big V & 'Stroksey' were succuessful in seeing), I made do with patchworking again.... So, off to VP!!..

Again, a dark, grey and misserable day... But c.200 Lapwing on the main pool were okay, also 4 Dunlin feeding in with them. A Common Gull dropped in & fed with the c.60 BH Gull. Just 1m Wigeon, but now 3 Gadwall (2 drakes!)... Some nice colourful relief came in the form of a Grey Wagtail in front of the main hide & this was soon joined by a Kingfisher, which with it's first attempt was successful in catching a 'Rambo' of small fish, which no matter how much the Kingfisher whacked it's head against the wood post it still fought for freedom... but alas, failed!!... Was quite amusing to watch though!!...
Around c.100 LBB Gull passed overhead and also 7 Goosander (2m & 5f) flew over the top field...

Otherwise pretty much no other change....

Another bleak day at VP!!...

Oh night shift's are such fun!!!... Especially in winter where you leave work at 7am and it's too dark to bird!!... However, I woke fairly early, around 11:30am, not bad after doing a 17hr shift yesterday!!...
A few household chores out the way I decided to nip down to the owd patch for a quick look around...
On the main pool 4 Wigeon were new in... Female Goldeneye was, for once, showing well. Shoveler & Teal numbers looked to have increased slightly?
On the track to Lena's Hide there was quite a few small birds moving through, mostly Long-tailed Tit, a few Goldcrest and a Marsh Tit of note...
Fieldfares were moving around the reserve in small numbers...
In the top field along the hedgerow towards the oak tree Reed Bunting's were quite numerous, easily over 20!!.. With the odd Tree Sparrow & Yellowhammer. Otherwise little else of note today...

Looking forward to having a couple of days off & venture further afield... So bare with me, this aint gonna be just a VP blog!! ;~)

Venus again... not very original am I?...

Well, I dont bloody care!!... I'd just finished work & I'm back in at 9pm tonight, so.... VP en route home it was!!
The main pool hasn't had anything change much, now 6 Pochard & there was a Dunlin on the main island!!...
In the top field there were quite a few Chaffinch, around 4 or 5 Yellowhammer, a couple of Reed Bunting &, bird of the visit, a female Blackcap!!! (Bloody Blackcap 'bird of the day'!! What's that all about!!?....)

Gotta few night shifts to do now, but am hoping to travel a bit further afield on my few days off!!!...

Quick congrats to Alan & Mike on successfully ticking the Hume's YB Warbler at Conwy yesterday.... ya jammy b*****d's!!! ;~)

Drab & Dreary.... & no birds!!!

To quote the song... 'What a difference a day makes'!!... I left work at around 13:30hrs, looking forward to possibly finding a Franklin's Gull in with the gull flock at Leighton valley.... When I arrived.... not a single solitary gull!!!... Oh well, on to VP then....

I arrived to soon discover that all the Fieldfare's & Redwings had gone!!... and there was very little else moving around the hedgerows also...
The main pool was much the same as yesterday, with little change in bird species or numbers present... However, the one (& only) highlight came in the shape of a Merlin, which flew over the pool and off to the north....

Hmmmm.... a pretty poor day really, oh well that's birding, aint it?...

My Patch - Venus Pool.

Venus Pool... taken on a very nice...& quiet day!!!...

Well, I finally got a visit in to my local patch today. En route I pulled over on Leighton bank to inspect a large group of gulls perched on the edge of the Severn... Nothing much of interest though; LBB Gull's mostly, quite a few BH Gull & from what I could see the odd Common Gull...

Arrived at VP to see a large flock, easily c.200 Fieldfare's on the top field hedgerow, also around c.40 Redwing. 2 Marsh Tit, a Goldcrest, female Bullfinch and a Nuthatch were all of note in the general car park area...

The main pool wasn't too bad with wildfowl in good numbers, Mallard, Tufted Duck, Shoveler & Teal were quite numerous, 2 Gadwall, 1f Goldeneye, 3 Pochard & f Ruddy Duck.

Waders came in the form of solitary Dunlin, Curlew & Snipe.

A Water Rail was very vocal to the right of the main hide, but never put in an appearance....

Flyover Skylark, Meadow Pipit & common finch species....

Well... that's about for today... More to follow soon.

Introduction to your author; Jason... er, that's me!!

Right then, where to start.... Basically I began birding (properly), in August of 2003, my first trip out was, to what was to become my local patch, Venus Pool, just outside Shrewsbury in Shropshire. On that first day the catalyst for my passion was well and truly kicked off with me finding my first ever Bittern!! (a lifer for me at the time!!)...
I began in earnest birding regularly at VP and after a short time of 'getting me bearings', other county birding spots...
In 2006 I decided to do a year list at VP to not only set a 'record' but to see what was possible to see on my patch in one year. I had set myself a goal of 130 species, but I fell just short with a final tally of 128 species!... Still, not bad eh?... Plus I had some half decent patch 'finds' incl. Bar-tailed Godwit, Hen Harrier, Med Gull & Black Tern.
I do occasionally do the odd twitch, although this year has been very difficult for me due to my divorce (which is still on-going as I write this!).. But I managed this year to net a few lifers in the county: Jack Snipe (dont laugh!!), Dotterel and also a good 'patch' find with VP's second ever Pectoral Sandpiper... Also I was on 'the team' which set the new county Bird Race record; we managed 108 species, beating the old record by 2 species!!... So, not an entirely wasted year I guess?....
Having been 'away' from birding for around 2 months now (due to affore mentioned divorce crap!!), I'm hoping that this, my blog, will be my next catalyst for a new start for my life & birding in general?!...
It will now way match either Jim Almond's or Paul Kings for photography skill (as I have a very dodgy digiscoping kit & a Nokia 95 as my full photography equipment!!), but with my infectious nature, dedication to birding and ability to not see much of anything I'm hoping it'll give you not only something to read but to have a bit of a giggle at too!!!...
Enough anyway about me for now... Let the party begin!!!.... I hope you like it?...
Jason. 13/11/2007.