Seriously wet, but great Gripper!!!....

I'm so glad I worked 4 hours TOIL on Monday, as it payed off today!!!... I was at work this morning & went to my locker for a few quid for my brekkie, I happened to check my mobile & saw I had 4 missed calls, 2 texts & an answer phone message!!... Andy had found 2 Crane's just outside Crudgington!!!!...
A nervy hour passed & I was then allowed to take my 4hrs TOIL (ha ha, see above!!), & I raced, as best I could, to the location. Along the A442 to Crudgington, a small track by a yellow Newport Moto-X sign, I reversed into the track & scanned the opposite field, after a nervous few moments I then saw them, at the far side of the field, 2 Common Crane, walking round & feeding!!! Awesome!!... My 7th county tick this year so far!!!... The torrential rain made viewing difficult, but to photograph them, impossible!!!...
A Common Tern was picked up en route home at VP, taking my Shrop. year list to 141 species!!...

...Just a quick update!!...

Not that there's a great deal to update on, as I've been relatively quiet birdingwise.... Not having a day off in 3 weeks aint helped!!...
Have added a stunning drake Garganey at Mire, quite unbelievably, I gripped back Sanderling at VP, having already missed two!!! (both at Mire!)
A Greenshank was a nice addition today, my county yearlist is now 139 species, still aint had Kingfisher, Cuckoo, Hobby, Whinchat, Little Owl, Common Tern, Arctic Tern, Med. Gull, Ringed Plover... to name just a few!!!...
Hope to have something of interest for you to read soon...

A full bag in Salop!!!...

Incredible!!! Just when I was getting over missing the Crane's, couldn't locate the Hoopoe I heard on patch & still not been for the SEO's on the Long Mynd, owd Salop kicks up another class bird!!!

I was all ready to go out for a meal when my mobile goes off & I see it's Jim lad ringing, I knew straight away it must be a bird!!... & a good one.... in the county!!...

"Hiya mate, when I ring you know it's something good!!", Jim said, I couldn't believe my ears when he followed up with.... "Temminck's Stint at VP!!!"...

I instantly ran home from Mand's house, dived in the car & sped off to VP, texting every sod I knew en route!!... (naughty I know, but who gives a f*** when it's a fabbo bird like this!!?... Not me, anyway!!)...

I arrived at VP & Geoff had his scope lined up on ze bird for me (Jim was getting ultra brill shots from the Memorial Hide - sorry I didn't pop in & say hi Jim, I had to get back quick for I'd left Mand hanging - bless her!!). A brilliant Temminck's Stint!!!!

First Tem. since 2003, when 3 dropped in at Wood Lane....

I full bag for me!!! A lifer!!! Therefore, obviously, a county tick, on patch & a year jobbie too.... so it hits every list I do!!! That happens very, very rarely!! The last time this happend was the Firecrest in 2003!!!

What will be next?... great year for Shrop so far, my 6th county tick (COUNTY Richard, not actual year, my county year list is almost 140!!!)....

I'm luvin' it!!!....

Sadly, you'll be so upset to hear, I could for some unknown reason, only upload this one of 4 outstanding pix of the VP Temminck's Stint!!... But thanks to my uncanny talent at this photo lark, you can clearly see the large black blotches on the scapulars, long atteniuated shape, straight bill & pale legs!! (The latter rules out all easily confusuin species - Dunlin, Sanderling, Little Stint etc. as they all have black legs!!!)....

May the 4th Be With You!!!...

Ahh, it so nearly was!!... A phone call this morning from The Guru to inform me of 3 Crane's just south of Crudgington!!! Wow, another county tick for me!!.. But after over an hour of searching, the Crane's never gave themselves up.... still, there's always hope!!
After dinner at my Mum & Dad's, Mand & myself had just arrived at her Mum's when again my mobile lit up with The Guru's name emblasened on the screen!!... This could only mean a good bird!!
"17 Whimbrel & a Black Tern at VP!!"..... Like a shot I was off....& fair play to her, Mand joined me!!...
Having to join the slow train of Sunday drivers, again Andy called, this time to say the tern had flown south!!!... As I was now en route I decided to push on to VP anyway... And just as well, as the lone Black Tern flew back into VP just 5 minutes after Andy had called me!!...
The bird flew lazily around the main pool, no chance of a photo as it only settled once and that was for a split second only!!!
Still, a good year tick & my 1st tern sp. for the entire year!!!...

...........Now, where are those bloody Cranes?

County Tick No.5#!!...

Yeah, so Jim calls me to say he'd recieved news of a bird which 'sounds like a cricket!!'.... Jim checked it out & it was indeed a Gropper!!! (Grasshopper Warbler for those who dont know the slang for this bird!)... ;~)
I set out to Ellesmere around 7am this morning & joined Rob, Mike & Big V who were already there! The bird had been calling, remaining typically elusive, but had been silent for 10 minutes or so... Luckily after just a few minutes the bird started reeling again.... An incredible sound to anyone who hasn't heard the call... (to quote the book - around 23 - 31 triple pulses per second!!!.... Thats f***ing fast!!!).
Thankfully after an infuriating wait the Grasshopper Warbler hopped onto the outter part of the hedge (just a few feet from Mike & myself!!) & began reeling, I watched the birds entire body vibrating as it sang it's awesome song!!!
Big V had positioned himself perfectly & managed to get the bird in his scope!!!...
Unbelievable year so far for county birding, the 5th month & my 5th county tick!!!... My county year list sits at 133 species now, & my county life list is now 186 species, just 4 more to hit the 190 mark!!!... Great stuff!!...

Off south again!!...

An early morning with Damo yesterday to search for a few year ticks for Damo... We started on the Long Mynd with a search for Dotterel!.. Sadly we drew a blank here... in fact, very little bird life at all in fact...We then headed off to Bury Ditches. It was a glorious sunny day & expectations were high. We had several Garden Warblers, although vocal they remained hidden in the scrub, luckily I'd had a very showy Garden Warbler the previous day at VP!!...We began scanning with the scopes & after half an hour or so I picked up a lone Goshawk gliding over the far plantation, we watched the bird for a good 10 minutes before moving up to the fort. A quick search gave Damo his next tick, a lone Tree Pipit, showing well!!....

We moved on to VP for quick search (picking Dipper up en route at Longnor bridge), but VP was extremely quiet... so back home & down ze pub for me where I recieved a very, very great call from Jim!!!... More to follow!!

The excellent view from the roman fort at Bury Ditches yesterday!!!....