Gropper Dip!!

2 Gropper's turn up on the same day, one at ASF, the other at Pole Cottage. Andy & Jim texted me yesterday to say the Gropper was reeling & showing occaisionally. With work looming I raced up to Pole Cottage, I arrived and heard the distant reeling, I had just retrieved my bins from the boot of the car, looked up to see a dog racing through the heather!!... The bird didn't call again! In fact, the bird wasn't seen or heard since!!! If only I ticked bird's on call, eh?....

However, I was back at Pole Cottage around 08:30am this morning, although it was soon apparent that it did indeed appear that the Gropper had indeed gone, there was plenty of stuff knocking about...
A Red Kite was gliding nearby on arrival, a very showy Red Grouse near the car park, then I saw the first of two Whinchat!! At last, a year tick!!! The two birds were typically showy & fairly mobile.
Then my second tick, a Tree Pipit flew into Pole Cottage & perched in a nearby tree for a short while, before flying off south... A Merlin did a couple of fly-pasts in typical high speed mode!
There was also 2 Wheatear perched on posts inside the plantation area, also a Garden Warbler was present.
A search for Dotterel drew a blank, but I did find a superb full summer pl. Golden Plover!!!

So, a kindda resolve with 2 year ticks, but yet another painful dip & certain birds are still proving tricky to locate! But, saying that, in the final week of April my county year list sits at a pretty impresive 140 species!!! So, it's getting there slowly & still plenty of 'certs' still to get!!...

Bridges.

Spent the last couple of morning's at Bridges in search of Redstart! Failed to locate a Redstart, but it's safe to say that Bridges is 'thick' with Pied Flycatcher!! At least 7 male & 1 female seen!! Also had a pair of Red Kite nearby, plus Dipper & Grey Wagtail on the stream...

I'm planning a visit to Clunton soon to pick up Wood Warbler, so hope to maybe nail Redstart here (& maybe Crossbill finally??)... Also need to get up to Whixall for Cuckoo & Hobby, plus the Wrekin, which is a good spot for Redstart & Wood Warbler... Not forgetting, I still need a Reed Warbler & Swift... So, stacks still to get!!...

Sunny Day Birding...

As Mand was off this weekend I promised her 'no birding' & to spend some time together.... & despite missing the 2 Crane's on Friday (look's like they've gone now!!), nothing much turned up over the weekend...
So, today I went for a look around the back roads of Shropshire around the Mire Lake area. At least 6 or 7 Whitethroat seen, a few Blackcap, plenty of Chiffchaff & Willow Warbler, but also a very vocal & typically elusive Garden Warbler.

Then went to VP where I had an ID crisis moment, where an odd looking gull had me slightly flumaxed for a brief while. Initially I thought the bird to be a juv. Med. Gull, but after Jim & Rob had been to see the bird it was agreed that it was no more than an odd looking LBB Gull!!
Oh well, it happens to us all... However, thanks to the fact I'd been & collected my scope I did pick up a Sedge Warbler in the phrags at the back of the pool...
So, 2 more year ticks & I still have quite a few certs to tick yet... Shame about the Crane's & I'm sure I'll get Med. Gull on my county year list soon enough...

Mire Still 'Ticking' Over!!!

If last night wasn't brilliant enough, standing on a grassy bank, along with Jim, The Guru, Rob, Damo & Dave 'Jonah' Western, looking over a small lake, an adult Little Gull flapping around the pool, and almost in the same scope view was a drake Garganey & nearby, a female Ring-necked Duck!!

Just before 7am this morning my phone goes off... I knew this had to be another bird, so I dressed & set off back to Mire. I joined Jim, Big V & Mike & there sat on the water was an Arctic Tern!! I had to use Big V's scope though, I just couldn't get the bird in my bins!!...
Yet another year tick, courtesy of Mire. And with news of a Common Sandpiper at VP, I hope to add another one very, very shortly!!

It's all happening now, aint it?...

**Just got back from a flying visit to VP ~ picked up the Common Sandpiper, also present were 4 Dunlin & a rather smart male White Wagtail!!... **

An Explosion at Mire!!!

After the utter shite of yesterday, I'd been happy with just a simple year tick in the next few days... But, THREE in one day!!!
And this was after I'd been to a family funeral!! Home by 3pm, tired & a more than a tad emotional... I went to bed for a kip! I woke around 5pm & decided to go for a beer for my much-missed uncle!!
I hadn't been at the pub long when I got a text from the Guru!! - 'Little Gull @ASF!!'

Now, I spent most of 2008 pissed off because I didn't go for the Little Gull that was there for 3 days last year!!!... So, regardless of my beer, this year I wasn't missing one!!!
I ran home, dived into the Argo Mk. II & raced off to Mire!!
When I arrived, already there joining ze Guru was Rob & Damo!!... I couldn't believe the news!! Not only was there an adult Little Gull flapping around the pool, but also a drake Garganey!!!!
And if that wasn't enough, after just a few moments of being there ze Guru yelled out... 'Ring-necked Duck!!! F***in' get in!!!'....
What the hell was going on!!?? What a totally awesome visit - thank f**k I left my beer & went!! 3 awesome year ticks, all in one place, all in literally a few minutes!!!
(& I missed a fly-thru Sanderling!! - how costly may that prove later in the year??)

Today was an emotional day today, tiring due to a lot of driving in shite weather, but those few minutes at Mire lifted me loads!!! I can see why ze Guru always baffles at 'part-time birders!!'...
It's more than a hobby - it's a passion that can lift you above almost anything!!!

Thank God I'm a birder!! Cheers Andy....

Farewell Uncle Ivor, I shall miss you...

First Major Dip of 2009!!!

What a total, utter shit!! I hate dipping, especially when it's a lifer involved! I've never seen a White Stork & have for some time been expecting one to turn up in Shropshire.... & yesterday, one did!! The bird was reported to Geoff by a non-birder, at a ploughed field in Rednal!
I'd stopped off at VP en route home from work this morning, the Lesser Whitethroat was still present in the top field, vocal as ever, & a slight surprise on the main pool when I noticed the Bar-tailed Godwit had returned!
Having only slept barely 3hrs in almost 2 days I soon jacked the birding in & set off for some much needed sleep!
It was roughly 11:30am when I heard my phone go, so needed to answer the call of nature anyway, I got up, my head numb with tiredness & went downstairs to check my phone...
A text from Rob - 'White Stork @ Rednal'!!!!
I woke instantly... I dressed, was in my car & arrived at Rednal before midday!!! I joined Rob & Geoff, only to discover I'd missed the bird by half an hour!! I stayed for an hour & half, searching everywhere, but no sign! A small consolation came in the shape of a Whitethroat!
Now late for picking up my daughter, relucatntly I left!

I was back at Rednal for 5pm. I made for the canal path & once again began searching! I was soon joined by Paul Rutter, 2 sets of eyes always a big help! Still no sign... Soon we were joined by Andy, Dave & Jim... plus 4 more birders came for a brief while, but soon left!
Us hardened Salop birders remained until 20:30hrs, with no sign of our target bird.... At least Andy kept up going with some f-word filled humour!! Plus Jim's never-ending faith that the bird will show!!
Sadly, we all left empty handed. Another painful loss this year, but this one is by far the worst for me, missing a lifer by minutes really, really sucks!!!

....& Sometimes It Does!!!

Yeah, funny aint it?... After working a night shift & even though I was knackered, I stopped off at VP on my merry way home to my much-needed bed. The pool was ridiculously quiet, so instead of heading straight off home, I decided to have a look in the top field for possible Redstart or Common Whitethroat.... I didn't find either of these, but I did find a Lesser Whitethroat!!!..
Couldn't quite believe it as I entered the top field & heard this cute little warbler's fab little rattling, warble... I soon located the bird almost opposite Cound Stank woodland, where it showed briefly, but well, as it hopped into an opening in the hedge! Always great to see this bird early, as later as the hedgrerows grow they become far, far more tricky to see... & once they stop calling, they're almost impossible to pin down!!
A second surprise came as I heard a brief 'wader' call above & looked up to see a lone Whimbrel fly over, relatively low, was able to clearly see the more 'uniform' curved bill & the smaller size & to me, the flight always look's 'different' to Curlew!.. I made my way back to the hide to see if it had dropped in, but the bird had turned northwards & flown off...

After just under 3hrs sleep, I was up & raring to go again... After a quick sort out at home I was in The Argo Mk.II# & heading off to one of my fave Shropshire haunts - Bridges!!...
I kindda fell in love with this place the very first time I visited it. A gorgeous, scenic scattered woodland in a valley sandwiched between the Long Mynd & Stiperstones...
I'd not been there long before I found my first male Pied Flycatcher!! Stunning little bird, the first was past the first area of woodland & into the first clearing, as I retraced my steps I found a second, far more vocal male Pied Fly! & to top it all, there was a 3rd, equally vocal bird close to the area by the bridge!!
Sadly, I failed to locate a Redstart, but it was great to watch a male Sparrowhawk mobbing a passing Peregrine!! Also had a Red Kite pass by...
So, 3 year ticks today which puts me on 130 species on the county yearlist, which is now getting somewhere where I wanted to be!! Still plenty more to add yet!!

It Doesn't Always Pay-off!!....

....But, if it did, where would the challange be? Despite a long weekend on the beer, I woke this morning and my entire body seemed to be still sleeping... even my internal organs!! It took ages & immense effort to roll my carcass outta my pit!!
Despite feeling seriously groggy after 3 days where I put away a scary amount of Guinness, I decided to check the mere's out, as I've not put hardly any time in down there this year. I visited Crosemere, Whitemere, Colemere & The Mere.... & turned up.... NOTHING!!!
Despite almost every midland county supporting Common Scoter's, Avocets & even a Red-rumped Swallow & a Bonaparte's Gull, the mere's failed to produce even a Goosander!!??...
In fact the only notable bird to come out of the county so far today is a Pied Flycatcher in the Candy Valley & an Osprey that flew through VP!!... A Gropper was reported on Titt. Clee last night, but The Guru failed to locate it, he did however score a Ring Ouzel!!
Redstart & Pied Flycatcher are most likely readily available at Bridge's, if not now, certainly in a week or two... Plus Clunton Coppice should produce a Wood Warbler in the next wek or two...
Either way... good tick's are slipping through the net, whilst my target % for the year slips ever further away from my self-set target!! Need to put in more effort!!!

Birthday Black Red!!

I'd planned to visit Bridge's to search for Redstart & Pied Flycatcher yesterday... However, pre-birthday celebrations on Friday night left me feeling slightly rough Saturday morning... So, had a bit of a lie-in & Mand cooked me a fab birdthday fry-up! Then I headed down to VP as I didn't have a great deal of time before I had to pick my daughter up... Whilst at VP I scored my first Willow Warbler of the year, but little else (the Barwit was still present, plus 2 Yellow Wagtail!!).
Then I recieved a text from Yvonne which read 'Male Black Redstart at Pole Cottage'!!! What a fantastic tick & I had to get this bird... I raced to the Long Mynd & Pole Cottage, where I joined Jim & Yvonne, but the bird had briefly disappeared!! After around 15 minutes of searching, Yvonne located the bird over on the other side of the plantation. The bird then showed brilliantly perched on a fence post!! A cracking male Black Redstart on my list!!

Better still, I got to my ex's on time to collect Erin & had a fantastic birthday!! However, Spider had called me in the morning &, as it turned out, correctly predicted Common Scoter would turn up on one of the mere's... & indeed, 12 Common Scoter were seen at Colemere late that afternoon!! Oh well, hope to grip scoter back later in the year.... I'm having a much needed couple of weeks of the Guinness now!!!...

An Early Birthday Treat!!

Aye, tomorrow I shall be the grand owd age of 38!!! Shit, 2 more years & the dreaded 40!!!
Anyway, after a pretty busy day shift today I was planning to head straight home & straight out on the razz! But with a sudden harsh downfall I thought I'd nip into VP en route home to see if the rain had dropped something in?
Indeed it had, I was expecting maybe a Common Tern, but instead there was a Bar-tailed Godwit!! The bird was neat, with just a few patches of summer plumage appearing on the breast & flanks, & was showing ace right outside the main hide.
And then a fe,ale Yellow Wagtail dropped onto the nearby grassy island - 2 year ticks!!
The Barwit an excellent tick, quite a rare county bird, only my 3rd at VP & 4th for the county (I've seen more Pec. Sands in Shropshire than Barwits, believe it or not?).
Large number of Sand Martin present, with Swallow in double figures & at least 2 House Martin.
Anyway... time to go to the boozer, & my Guinness shall taste all the sweeter after such a belting year tick!!

The Lull Before The Storm?...

After a great start to April things became.... well, complicated! A sudden shocking loss within my family, some further financial stress plus I was struck down with what must've been a glandular thing?!!... All meant no birding for the last few days, and with all things given, at the moment, nothing short of a Wallcreeper in Titt. Clee quarry, will get me too sodding fussed at the mo!

But today I did stop of at VP en route from work & finally picked up my first House Martin of the year in with c.50 Sand Martin!
I now have my daughter for 2 days, so nil birding for me... However, my birthday looms ever nearer, so I look forward to searching for a few ticks on my few days off this weekend...

End of the First Quater.

With the first 3 months of 2009 now behind us, I find my county yearlist total sitting on the lowest number I set as an acceptable target for myself - 120 species!!
I've been keeping track of all the bird species reported within the county this year, there are 14 species I've either dipped or failed to see so far this year!
Despite a thorough search I failed to locate the very reliable report of 2 Common Crane which dropped into a field in Muckleton earlier in March. Dipped Little Egret & most painful for me, was being unable to find Paul Barker's Scandanavian Rock Pipit on Titterston Clee!!

However, my target bird of Short-eared Owl was finally nailed on Whixall Moss, also enjoyed seeing my 2nd Great Grey Shrike of the year & also saw my 3rd ring-tail Hen Harrier for the year!
A county tick was thanks to Paul Barker & his parents, a brilliant Ring-necked Parakeet!!! Despite what some people feel towards the 'tickability' of this species in the UK, it's still a great bird to go & see!! As are Ring Ouzel!! Of which I was lucky enough to see 3 males on Titterstone Clee!! (with a reliable report of a female also present).
So, another mixed month, with some great birds seen, but also a few painful dips!!

April has started excellent, however!!! After a lie-in this morning I decided to visit VP, as I've scored Osprey at VP on April 1st a couple of times in previous years!! I was joined in the hide by Shirley Dodwell & we had a brief natter, and then a year tick - a lone Swallow flew through!! Ironicaly, I was telling Shriley about my April 1st Osprey theory, when we were joined by her husband Richard & also Rob Stokes. We were busy chatting away when I happened to look up at the several Buzzard which had been circling high over the pool, when I noticed a darker, larger bird... I raised my bins & yelled 'OSPREY!!' The bird had flown in from the east, high up, did a brief circle of VP, before flying off NE at 12:05pm (just after April Fool deadline... just in case you were thinking it was an April Fools Day joke!!) ;~)
Great start to April, 2 year ticks on patch!! With a few das off I hope to add more soon...