Stiperstones - Saturday 21st June
The Bog Visitor Centre
Only six people turned up at the National Nature Reserve car park on what should have been a warm, sunny June morning but instead felt more like November. Waterproofs and gloves were the order of the day as we set off in the drizzle along the All Ability Trail. We soon cheered up as we saw a meadow pipit on a post and then heard a couple of willow warblers singing nearby. Chaffinchs, crows and blackbirds soon appeared and then the distinctive pink chest of a linnet. A raven cronked overhead as we got a good view of a spotted flycatcher sitting in a fir tree with an insect in its mouth. The birdsong continued with first a song thrush and then a dunnock and a blackcap, all sitting in trees, giving voice. Near to Hollies Farm swallows were swooping around and a wren and a family of blue tits were flitting from bush to bush whilst a chiffchaff sang nearby. A group of mallards sat asleep by the farm pond. Up on the ridge between Shepherd’s Rock and the Devil’s Chair the only sound was from half a dozen skylarks singing heartily in the rain. We dropped down into the woods below the covered reservoir and found a sheltered spot for our picnic. A great spotted woodpecker could be heard drumming away and then the distinctive call of a curlew somewhere down in the fields near Tankerville.
Duly refreshed, but still wet, we descended through the trees to the sound of a goldcrest and a magpie and then crossed the road and headed for a meadow in Pennerley which has a good variety of wild flowers. We identified ox-eye daisies, yellow rattle, possibly milkwort, some orchids, maybe early purple ones, red clover and there were lots of other grasses and flowers. Unfortunately nobody had a wild flower book with them so most remained a mystery. By now we were thinking of tea at The Bog and as we passed Brook House a garden warbler sang from a gorse bush and a great tit appeared and further along the path a number of house martins whizzed around. The Bog was a welcome refuge from the weather and one of the famous cakes and a hot drink soon warmed us up. There were no raptors on the walk although a red kite and buzzards were seen on the journey to and fro.
Trevor Halsey
Cramer Gutter - Saturday 16th May
Lousewort (Pedicularis sylvatica) © J R Crellin 2005
This is the not-too-prepossessing name for what is in fact a lovely reserve up on Catherton Common on the lower slopes of Titterstone Clee, managed by the Shropshire Wildlife Trust. It is justly famous for wild flowers which were there in abundance during our walk, and which considerately (unlike birds) tend to stay in one place for examination. The open, boggy area sloping down towards the brook is the most productive for the keen botanist and among those plants we were able to identify were sundew, cotton sedge and lousewort - again much prettier than it sounds. We were also delighted to see several small frogs and, despite the overcast conditions, a couple of green-veined white butterflies.
The easily-followed track took us past a small pond, down an old lane and through more open meadows, descending to a footbridge across the stream and into a small wood - useful shelter during a fierce shower. Our bird sightings during the morning included linnet, great spotted woodpecker, mistle thrush, willow warbler, chiffchaff and a pair of stonechats, one of which may possibly have been a whinchat - it refused to come close enough for a proper view.
Chris Bateman
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Long Mynd - Sunday April 19th
The mist was hanging over the hills as we drove up the Burway to Pole cottage but by the time everyone had arrived the sun was breaking through with the promise of a bright day. Eleven members set off to explore the trees around Pole Cottage and were first alerted to a Willow Warbler singing in a tree. Chaffinch, Wood Pigeon and Meadow Pipits soon followed and as we left the trees to walk down the road to Boiling Well a Wren loudly bade us farewell. In the short heather to the right of the road a couple of Red Grouse were spotted, a number of Meadow Pipits were flitting around and overhead the lovely song of a couple of Skylarks. We soon turned into the top of Ashes Hollow and a caught sight of the striking black head and white neck ring of a male Reed Bunting sitting in a tree. The female soon appeared nearby followed by a Buzzard sitting on a rock and as we made our way down the valley we saw a pair of Stonechats and a couple more Willow Warblers. Whilst pausing for refreshment at the junction with the un-named side valley that leads back to Pole Cottage we were entertained by a Kestrel and a Buzzard wheeling around, each trying to chase the other away. Meanwhile, a Robin sat in the tree below quite unconcerned. We then set off up the side valley where a few Green-Veined White butterflies were flitting to and fro and the Celandines gave a splash of yellow beside the stream, and as we arrived back at Pole Bank a Curlew could be heard in the distance. It was now time for lunch and as we sat on the grass in the warm sunshine it would have been easy to fall asleep.
A couple now left us and the remainder headed off down the wide track behind Pole Cottage towards the road above Prolley Moor. As we descended a couple of Buzzards wheeled overhead and a male Stonechat and a male Kestrel were seen. Lower down a pair of Ravens were being mobbed by a group of Crows, a few Swallows were darting about and the drumming of a Great Spotted Woodpecker could be heard. Reaching the road a Coal Tit and another Willow Warbler were singing in the trees and in the fields alongside the road a large tree contained a rookery with a number of the birds sitting on nests. In the field another 30 to 40 more Rooks were feeding together with some Jackdaws and a Magpie. We then all jumped as a female Pheasant burst out of the ditch alongside us whilst a Blue Tit watched from a tree. We now reached the trees at the bottom of Stanbatch where a Mistle Thrush and a Redstart were sitting almost side by side and we found the Nuthatch which had been loudly calling. It was now all uphill through Stanbatch to regain the track to Pole cottage and Great Tit and Dunnock were soon added to our list and further up a pair of Stonechats were sitting on the fence. High above, a Buzzard was sitting on a rock and nearby a pair of Wheatears. Before long we were back at the cars thus ending a very rewarding walk.
Much Wenlock, Saturday February 21st
For the second year running the day was warm and sunny even after earlier weather predictions that there would be heavy rain.
We soon left the town to follow public footpaths to such delightful places as “The Sewage Works” and Bell Hole. These proved very productive with the highlights being sparrow hawk, grey wagtail and siskin and 8 buzzard soaring over Ash Coppice. Whilst having our coffee stop good views were had of buzzard, meadow pipit and robin.
The walk then took us to a disused quarry to look for peregrine but we were out of luck, although further on someone reported a possible peregrine flying very high. We continued along Wenlock Edge and managed to see a very well concealed yellowhammer & an early Red Admiral butterfly . A good morning's walk was had by the 29 people present, recording 36 species of birds
Reg Dixon
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Venus Pool, Saturday January 10th
The one that got away!
The temperature was minus 2 degrees centigrade as we arrived at Venus Pool but that did not deter the hardy folks who kept arriving. The car park was soon full with 15 local members and 10 non-members who split into 3 groups to avoid bottlenecks at the hides. Our group was first into the main hide and found that the lake was frozen over, so there was only a handful of ducks and geese present which included a greylag goose and a shelduck. We then spotted a snipe working its way along the edge of the ice and likewise a pied wagtail. Next we walked around to the hide on the far side, passing the fishing lake which had not iced over. The ducks had obviously moved here and there were groups of pochard, tufted ducks and teal with the occasional wigeon, gadwall and shoveler amongst them. A great crested grebe was diving and a goosander flew over. At the far hide the flasks of hot drinks came out and we had a good view of a reed bunting whilst warming ourselves. It was now time to visit the woodland hide with its array of bird feeders. There were finches, tits and other small birds everywhere with the highlights being a pair of bramblings, the usual tree sparrows and a marsh tit, nuthatch and treecreeper. Walking between the hides we had seen buzzards, sparrowhawks and kestrels and underneath an owl box a collection of owl pellets. We met up with the other two groups at the end and retired to a pub for lunch to compare notes. The total number of species seen was 60 with other interesting sightings being great spotted woodpecker, kingfisher, fieldfare, redwing, yellowhammer and lesser redpolls. Despite the cold, it was a good morning’s birding.
Trevor Halsey
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