3rd to 5th May 2013 - Shropshire

This weekend Bev and I were away for a wedding at Shrewsbury.  We decided to stay a couple of nights at the venue to make a short break of it and do a bit of birding whilst in Shropshire.
 
Friday 3rd May - Venus Pool NR:
Today we decided to visit the Shropshire Ornithological Society's Venus Pool reserve near Shrewsbury.  I am a member of the SOS, as living just 4 or 5 miles over the county border in Worcestershire it is an area that I tend to bird a number of times throughout the year.  That said I had never visited the society's own Venus Pool before and can honestly say it is a cracking little reserve.
 
During our visit their were no rarities/scarcities present but to be honest it didn't matter, it is such a peaceful reserve in a stunning location.  We happily sat in the hides watching the comings and goings of it's inhabitants, including 4 Little Ringed Plovers, 2 Oystercatchers and 2 Shelduck.  The highlight of the visit was when 2 Yellow Wagtails (1♂, 1♀) dropped in on one of the islands for about 20 minutes before flying off South East.  The male spent a good few minutes washing and preening himself in the water at the edge of the island...gorgeous birds!
 
The hedges near the car park were chuffing with warblers with Lesser Whitethroat, Common Whitethroat, Blackcap and Chiffchaff all busy singing away.
 
For more information about the Shropshire Ornithological Society click on the below link:
http://www.shropshirebirds.com/
 
Oystercatcher - Venus Pool

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
  
 
Sunday 5th May - Albright Hussey Manor Hotel:
It was the "morning after the night before" and on returning to the room, after a restorative cooked breakfast, I decided to spend some time looking out over the adjacent farm yard and sheep field watching the many Swallows that were hawking insects there.
 
Whilst enjoying this spectacle  I suddenly caught, in the corner of my eye, a bird flick down from the farm yard fence and onto the grass.  What caught my attention was it's bright red tail.  Great I thought, a Redstart....I wasn't expecting to see one of those this weekend. I went and grabbed my binoculars (which I had taken out of the car incase of any break ins).  Suddenly the bird flicked back up onto the fence, I raised my bins and was surprised (and chuffed) to see that it was in fact a Black Redstart...result!
 
This ♀ Black Redstart continued to show well between 9:50 am and 10:20 am on fences of farm yard and nearby rubble piles and on one occasion even  perched up on the boundary fence of hotel car park.
 
I hadn't got my bridge camera or my digiscoping set up with me so Bev and I decided to try and get some record shots with our compact digital cameras fully zoomed up.  The resulting photos, which are heavily cropped and not great, are shown below.  After all any sort of record shot is better than none!

Black Redstart - Albright Hussey Manor

Click on images to enlarge

Wednesday 1st May - Shenstone

Earlier today there were 4 Northern Wheatear (3♂, 1♀) and a single Garden Warbler present in the Barrs Lane area (TMH) and these were still present on my arrival mid afternoon.

The good weather had also livened up things on the invertebrate front in the Barrs Lane area with Buff-tailed Bumblebee, Common Carder Bee and Small Tortoiseshell all noted. 

Of greater interest at Barrs Lane though was seeing a Gooden's Nomad Bee, the first I have recorded on the patch.  This is a species of solitary cuckoo bee that parasitizes the nest of various species of mining bee.  The female Gooden's Nomad Bee waits until a female Mining Bee has excavated a nest tunnel and has provisioned a nest cell with pollen for her larva. When the mining bee is away on one of it's many pollen gathering trips the Gooden's Nomad female visit the cell and lay her own egg there. The Gooden's Nomad larvae then consumes the pollen provision of the host bee.  It's truly fascinating stuff!

My next stop was at Heath Lane where I recorded another Garden Warbler singing from the scrub at the edge of the Islamic School sports field.  At one point 8 Common Buzzards were up soaring over the model aircraft field and a 9th Common Buzzard was sat perched on a hedgerow at the paddock. 

Things were fairly good insect wise here too with the first patch Orange Tip butterfly of the year flitting around.  Also noted were 1 Peacock, 4 Small Tortoiseshells and a Common Carder Bee.

My final port of call was Curslow Lane where 5 Northern Wheatear and 3 Pied Wagtails were present on the rolled seed bed.

Orange Tip (♂) - 1st May 2013














Gooden's Nomad Bee (Nomada goodeniana)

Northern Wheatear - 1st May 2013

Saturday 27th April - Shenstone

Today I visited the patch early afternoon.  The weather during visit had started off bright and sunny but the heavens opened for a while and I decided to sit it out in the car, waiting for the rain to pass in case it put down some passage migrants.  This tactic paid off and in total I recorded 12 Northern Wheatears from various locations around the patch:

Also of note during the visit was a single Yellow Wagtail that was present along Curslow Lane. T

he number of singing Common Whitethroats on territory around the patch had also increased considerably.

The only species of butterfly noted was Small Tortoiseshell.

Shenstone - 19th to 24th April

Right, time to dust off the blog and start catching up with a few posts!!!

Friday 19th April:
I started this evening's patch visit at Stanklyn Lane where the ♂ Common Redstart was still present.  Opposite, on the gallops, a single ♂ Northern Wheatear was also present.  it was also good to hear singing Blackcap, Corn Bunting and Yellowhammer in this area.

At Heath Lane a flock of 6 Corn Buntings were perched up on one of the hedgerows.  A Common Buzzard was also present.

Elsewhere, the Little Owl was showing well perched in it's favoured tree.

The undoubted highlight though was seeing a stunning Red Fox trotting across the lawn at the rear of Stone Manor, it's rufous coat looking wonderful in the glow of the evening sun.


Saturday 20th April:
Today I arrived at the patch around mid-day to be greeted by the sight of a cracking ♂ Brimstone butterfly flying along Stanklyn Lane, my first patch sighting of this species for 2013.  The year firsts didn't stop there when I noticed a Common Whitethroat flitting about and singing near the junction with Heath Lane.

At Stanklyn Wood a Nuthatch was calling and both Blackcap and Chiffchaff  heard singing

At Heath Lane another Chiffchaff and a ♂ Blackcap were seen singing.  The only butterfly noted here was a single Small Tortoiseshell.

At Butts Lane I was treated to a bit of nature porn when the pair of Kestrels started mating on the grass bank.  They don't half kick up a racket whilst at it!

My final stop was Witch Lane where a single Yellow Wagtail flew over heading WSW.  This area was the most productive for invertebrates with 1 Peacock, 2 Small Tortoiseshells, 1 ♂ Nursery Web Spider, 1 Pied Shieldbug and an Early Mining Bee noted here.

Early Mining Bee (Andrena haemorrhoa)

♂ Nursery Web Spider (Pisaura mirabilis)

Thursday 23rd April:
Today there were 2♂ Northern Wheatear and a ♂ Common Redstart present at Stanklyn Lane (TMH).

I only had time to whistle-stop through Shenstone today and managed to find another 3 Northern Wheatear on the rolled seedbed along Curslow Lane. 

At Butts Lane a pair of Swallows were present around Eastfields Farm and a Willow Warbler was singing nearby.


Friday 24th April:
Again, I only had time for a quick patch visit but was pleased to see that there were now 5 Northern Wheatears (4♂, 1♀) in the gallops field. 

The Witch Lane area was again the place to go for the insects with a queen Buff-tailed Bumble Bee, a Common Carder Bee and a Small Tortoiseshell noted there

Northern Wheatear (♂)

Buff-tailed Bumblebee (Bombus terrestris)

17th and 18th April - Shenstone

Wednesday 17th April:
After my voluntary work at WBRC today I decided to skirt through Shenstone.  On the rolled seed bed at Curslow Lane I was treated to a bit of a mini wagtail fest with 3 Yellow Wagtails and 6 White Wagtails all busy feeding.

At Witch lane I heard my first patch Blackcap of the year singing and a Small Tortoiseshell butterfly was also noted.

My final stop was Stanklyn Lane where 1 ♂ Northern Wheatear was present in the gallops and a single Fieldfare was present at the paddocks.  This was to become my last Fieldfare sighting of the Spring.


Thursday 18th April:
There had been a bit of a "fall" of migrants on the patch today.  A cracking ♂ Common Redstart was showing well at the paddocks and 5 Northern Wheatear (3♂, 2♀).  At Barrs Lane there was a single ♂ Northern Wheatear on the plough and at Witch Lane a further 2♂ Northern Wheatears were at Witch Lane.

Also of interest was that the pair of Swallows had returned to the stable building where they nest along Stanklyn Lane.

Northern Wheatear (♂) - 18th April















Common Redstart (♂) - 18th April

Tuesday 16th April - Shenstone and Holt/Grimley

Today I caught up with my old mate and long time curmudgeon Tony S to whistle-stop through the patch and then head over to Holt/Grimley.

Our first stop was Barrs Lane where TMH had recorded 2 Northern Wheatears early morning, but there was no sign.  The only notable bird here was a very showy Yellowhammer that was feeding near the pull in.

Also earlier that morning TS had recorded 2 Greylag Geese on Captains Pool but they also didn't hang around.  That said it was nice to hear Willow Warbler singing at Captains Pool.

At Heath Lane the winter thrush numbers were still decreasing with only 29 Fieldfare still present.  The only other bird of note was a single Common Buzzard.

Yellowhammer - Barrs Lane, 16th April

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The flooded area next to Sling Pool at Holt looked very good for birds and with a bit of scanning we picked up 5 Yellow Wagtails (4♂), 6 White Wagtails, 6 Little Ringed Plovers, 1 Green Sandpiper, 2 Oystercatchers and a ♂ Sparrowhawk.  A ♂ Brimstone butterfly was also seen in flight over the fields.

At Camp Lane Pits we counted an incredible 30 White Wagtails, the most I have ever seen at a single site.  Also of note were 3 Yellow Wagtails, 1 ♂ Northern Wheatear, 1 Common Sandpiper, 1 Dunlin, 1 Green Sandpiper, 2 Redshank and 8 Little Ringed Plover.

Dunlin - Grimley, 16th April

Yellow Wagtail - Grimley, 16th April

Monday 15th April 2013 - Shenstone

This afternoon's visit was a sunny affair with the rare treat of clear blue sky!  This milder weather worked wonders for bringing out a few invertebrates, with the highlight being a stonking ♂ Brimstone butterfly that was flying along Stanklyn Lane. 

Also along Stanklyn Lane were 2 singing Chiffchaffs and 2 singing Corn Buntings.

The Butts Lane/Barrs Lane area was unusually quiet with the only notable birds being the pair of Common Buzzards that were showing over Stone Manor.

Heath Lane was the most productive area on the bird front with 118 Fieldfare present in one of the fields.  A Corn Bunting was singing at the top end of the lane and near the paddock I recorded a new invert for my patch list in the form of a Pied Shieldbug.

At Witch Lane, 2 more Buzzards were up soaring and a Chiffchaff was singing near the cricket pitch.  A queen White-tailed Bumblebee (Bombus lucorum) and a 7-spot Ladybird were also noted.

My final stop was Back Lane where a 4th Chiffchaff was heard singing and a swallow went over heading NW.  A queen Red-tailed Bumblebee (Bombus lapidarius) was also noted.

Pied Shieldbug (Tritomegas bicolor)

Click on image to enlarge









7-spot Ladybird (Coccinella septempunctata)

Sunday 14th April - Shenstone & Grimley

The weather today was mild but overcast with light drizzle. No photos for today's post I'm afraid...the weather just wasn't conducive!

On arriving at the patch I checked out Stanklyn Lane paddocks first.  Little was happening here but for a single Swallow that passed through heading NW. 

My walk around the edge of Stanklyn wood proved more productive with 2 Teal (1♂, 1♀) present again in the wet woodland.  A Chiffchaff was singing from within the wood and a Nuthatch was showing well.

At Heath Lane, a 2nd Swallow flew over also heading NW.  A Yellowhammer was showing well at the model aircraft field and a ♂ Kestrel was hunting at the paddock.  The field adjacent to the paddock was quite productive and held 26 Fieldfares, 1 Redwing and a single Corn Bunting.

Next stop was Witch Lane where I walked the wooded footpath to view across the far fields.  A single Jay was present along the path and 26 Stock Doves were on the fresh plough.  6 Swallows (two groups of  three) flew over heading North.

My final stop off was Barrs Lane and this was by far the most productive area of the patch today.  An incredible 198 Fieldfares, 4 Redwings, c.80 Starlings and 26 Meadow Pipits were still present on the newly sown field.  A Yellowhammer was present singing from the adjacent hedgerow and a Corn Bunting was singing from the rear of Stone Manor.

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From Shenstone I headed over to Holt & Grimley to check out what was about at the gravel pits.

Sling Pool at Holt and it's adjacent flooded field held a good mix of species with highlights including 1 adult ♂ Yellow Wagtail, 3 White Wagtails, 5 Pied Wagtails, 3 Green Sandpipers, 2 Oystercatchers, 1 Common Snipe, 18 Gadwall and 13 Shoveler.  Other species noted included Lapwing, Teal and Tufted Duck.  Large numbers of Sand Martins were hawking low over the water.

Next up I popped to the Island Pool at the old workings.  Here there were a further 2 Oystercatchers (one of which looked like it was sitting on eggs), 5 Gadwall, 23 Tufted Duck, 1♂ Teal and 2 Sand Martin. 

At Camp Lane pits I had my undoubted highlight of the day when I found a cracking ♂ Northern Wheatear along the east side of the pit.  Also of note here were 3 Yellow Wagtails, 1 Common Sandpiper, 8 Little Ringed Plover, 1 Redshank, 1 Oystercatcher an a ♂ Wigeon.

Shenstone Round Up....

The ♂ Ring Ouzel was present for an incredible 6 consecutive days from Tuesday 2nd to Sunday 7th April and was enjoyed by birders during that period.
















Below is a round up of the other patch goings on over the past week or so:

Wednesday 3rd April:
First patch Chiffchaff arrived.  Seen flitting around in Alder at edge of Captains Pool (TS)

Friday 5th April:
A Greylag Goose was present on Captains Pool and 3 Teal (1♂, 2♀) were also present (TS).  Greylag is a scarce visitor in patch terms and can be less than annual.

Saturday 6th April:
I decided to visit the patch early evening to have yet another look at the Ring Ouzel.  Whilst stood on the public footpath I was treated to the sound of a Lesser Spotted Woodpecker calling 8 or 9 times from the woodland on the opposite side of the road.  This really lifted my spirits as I am yet to see one on the patch although there were a couple of reports of one not far from there last winter.

Wednesday 10th April:
Undertook a dusk visit to the patch looking for Owls.  No joy but did have cracking views of a Muntjac Deer near Stanklyn Wood.  A patch lifer!

Thursday 11th April:
Early pm Tony recorded 20 Sand Martins and 8 Swallows through at Captains Pool.  I popped there late afternoon and recorded 5 Sand Martins, 4 Swallows and a single House Martin.  Two Chiffchaffs were singing from the trees surrounding Captains Pool.  A ♂ Great Spotted Woodpecker was showing well in an Oak at the water's edge.

After partaking of refreshments at the lakeside tea room, Tony and I headed out to do a tour of the fields.  They were very quiet with the exception of Barrs Lane where 165 Fieldfare and 5 Redwing were seen feeding on the freshly sown field.  A further 9 Redwing were present in Stanklyn paddocks.

The undoubted highlight of this visit was seeing the Little Owl showing very well.  I really do love this species!

Little Owl - 11th April

Friday 12th April:
The Corn Bunting flock is now breaking up with only 11 remaining flocked together at one location.

A Yellowhammer was singing from a hedgerow along Stanklyn Lane.  There were 6 Fieldfare present in the paddocks and a Chiffchaff was singing nearby.

In contrast to the previous day, Barrs Lane was very quite with only 12 Skylarks of note on the freshly sown field.  A single Meadow Pipit flew over heading WNW.  A Corn Bunting and 16 Linnets were present in the Butts Lane area.

At Heath Lane a Mistle Thrush and 7 Fieldfare were present  in the field adjacent to the paddock.  The seemingly ever present ♂ Kestrel was on the wires and an Orange Underwing moth sp. was seen flying over the paddock in the sunshine and landed in the canopy of one of the tall trees between the paddock and the Islamic school.  Nearby, 2 Ravens were present at the rear of the model aircraft field.

Saturday 13th April:
There were 3 Willow Warblers and a ♂ Blackcap present in the trees at edge of Captains Pool (TS).

Heath Lane Development Proposal - Latest News

Yesterday, I  received word friend who works for WFDC that the Shenstone site was no longer on the agenda for last night's council planning meeting as it has been withdrawn by the applicant.

If this is just a temporary reprieve I have yet to find out.  It may be just a tactic of the developer to withdraw an application as they don't feel that all the t's are crossed and i's are dotted.  They could well resubmit it at a later date rather than face an outright refusal.  Then again,  perhaps they will withdraw to cut their losses. 

For now it is at least a slight respite coming into the bird's breeding season.  I will keep you posted as I hear more.
Jase