Shropshire Listing

[Mike Stokes]

This won't be a big thread!!!

Reached the 200 mark for my BOU only County life list this weekend..... tarty Med Gull (2nd summer) at last.

Jason, you lose by 13

[JadaDulo]

.... I'm here under my Jedi guise!!!...
.....For some reason I cant log in on here, whilst at work that is, under my usual login???...

Despite Mike county ticking birds like Hen Harrier, RED KITE!!!??? , Arctic Tern (virtually as embaressing!!), Sanderling, Med. Gull etc.... It's been quite a stonking county year!!!...

I've managed, so far, 7 county ticks this year - Cetti's Warbler, Gropper, Marsh Harrier, Crane, Temminck's Stint (a lifer for me!!), Glaucous & Iceland Gull's!!...
I've sadly dipped 2 - SE Owl & Common Scoter, plus I missed out on Nightjar (remains a 'heard only' within the county), & yet another Sarnie Tern!!...
But it would've been 'the' year for a brilliant county year list, I'd hit the 140 mark by May!!!... Sadly, I took around 8 weeks off, of no birding to concentrate on finalising my divorce, so, as of now at least, missed out on year ticks of SpotFly, Whinchat, Little Stint, Med. Gull, Cuckoo, Woodcock, Turtle Dove.... Never went (foolishly) for the Little Gull, still no Little Owl for me.... Add on my dips... I'd be on 160 easily now!!... I still hope to beat my best ever county year list of 157 (need 10 species as of writing this!!).... I'm certain Jim will hit the 160 this year, I think he only needs around 5 more?...

But Mike is no in the very select group of Salop 200's!! - well done on that - I need another 12 county ticks to hit this!!... Another year like this year & I'm sure it'd be possible?... That'd be excellent, to reach 200 in just 6 years!!!...

Anyway.... back to work, cheers all, Jason.

[JadaDulo]

...Add to that now Honey Buzzard!!! Bad enough I didn't see it, but the fact it flew over my patch!!!!
Jim, talk about being in the right place at the right time!!... Also, it will be a VP first!!...

But it just adds to what is a brilliant year for Shropshire!!! Jim is already on 155 ( a full 9 species ahead of myself!!), so with autumn still to really kick in, Jim should have no difficulty reaching 160+ within the county this year!!...

[The Doc]

[Jason Buckley]

Dont worry Paul, I'm happy to post under my Jedi name now & again!!...

[The Doc]

Cheers Jason

The new posts will go through the usual thing of having to be approved until you reach 5 posts, 2 down now so just 3 to go!!

[Jason Buckley]

Okay Paul ~ no worries matey!!...

Mike, who has had a great time ticking Cory's & Great Shearwaters, plus Stormies & Grey Phal... I've made do with ze owd patch ~ but a good day...
Started this morning with 2 Arctic Tern, which stayed for just 10 minutes, followed this afternoon with my 2nd ever VP Med. Gull!!!...

The bird flew off south just 5 minutes after I arrived - talk about in the nick of time!!...

[JadaDulo]

....And it continues in the county this evening with a brilliant Great White Egret at The Mere (I only just scored!!)... Pretty much a county tick for everyone, & as best as we could work out only the 3rd ever record for Shropshire!!...

Whatever next???.... Already on 150 species for the year (within the county), and as I said earlier, I've not really put in a huge amount of effort & haven't even bothered with some relatively easy birds this year!!!... (Woodcock, Little Owl, SpotFly, Whinchat, Cuckoo... to name but a few!!)...

So, any predictions on what next??... Dartford Warbler has to be a big fave, maybe a Richard's Pipit or a Red-backed Shrike?... Quite possibly a Glossy Ibis also?...
Time will tell....

[Mike Stokes]

203 now, the last 3 being tarty Gyppo Goose, GW Egret & Cattle Egret. That's a quite incredible 11 ticks this year. Hoping for Glauc & Rock Pip to end up on 205 by year end

[Mark Payne]

I love the title of this thread, does it involve the old flood lights from Gay meadow, a time somewhere between the hours of 9pm to 4 am BST, owls, nightjars and a moth trap ? and some one to hold the torch and heat the carrot soup.

[JadaDulo]

11 county ticks for me too Mike (but no tarty ticks!!)...
My 2008 county ticks being ~

Glaucous Gull.
Iceland Gull.
Common Crane.
Common Scoter.
Grasshopper Warbler.
Cetti's Warbler.
Marsh Harrier.
Great White Egret.
Cattle Egret.
Temminck's Stint.
Grey Phalarope.

Missed/dipped this year in the county ~

Honey Buzzard.
Nightjar.
Yellow-browed Warbler.
Short-eared Owl.
Water Pipit.

Quite a year by any inland county standard, for Shropshire it has to rank in the Top 5 best ever years!!?... Still chance of a few more good birds yet also!!... (Here's hoping eh?... )

[JadaDulo]

Despite an 8 week absence from any birding whatsoever during the summer months, I've set my best ever county year list (currently on 158 species!), so I'm hopeful of reaching 160 this year.... Still need a Little Owl, I'm praying to finally nail SE Owl in the county, which remains as my only real county bogey, Hen Harrier is an almost given as & when I can get an afternoon spare to go up the Long Mynd!!... Woodcock in another, but always a difficult bird (easiest to tick on Haumond in late spring whilst roding!)... Waxwing is almost a cert this year, but will we get one before 2008 runs out?...
Indeed, Waxing & hopefully a Bewick's Swan (we're surely due one this winter?), would be great for me, but truly fantastic for Jim as it would give him an amazing 170 species for Shropshire this year!!!
To the best of my knowledge, 170+ has only been achieved by 2 people previously, Andy L & the late, great Tony Butter!! (175 & 174 respectfully)...
So, despite my leave of duty during summer, which 'lost' me guaranteed ticks such as Cuckoo, Whinchat, Spotted Flycatcher & Turtle Dove, I may yet still achieve my goal of 160!! I'm dearly hoping for just one more county tick to give me the nice rounded 12 county ticks!!!... SE Owl has to be the favourite?...
My main county goal of reaching the Salop 200 Club is now also well on target, I need just 8 more county birds!!!
It'll be interesting to see who is the first to reach the 200 mark out of myself, Jim & Big V!!!...

[Mike Stokes]

[Mike Stokes]

[Mark Payne]

[Mike Stokes]

[Jason Buckley]

MED. GULL, HEN HARRIER, RED KITE, SANDERLING & ARCTIC TERN!!!!

I have year ticked every one of these species in Shropshire since I began birding!!! You obviously DONT know WHERE to bird in Shropshire!!!

[Jason Buckley]

....So dont try to justify your meagre county list!!! You're soon to be overtaken by 3 birders who have only been birding Shropshire this millenium!!!

[Mark Payne]

[Jason Buckley]

Oooohh!!... Thats nasty Mark!!
Mike's seem's very hasty to slate other people's lists these days.... I assume it's because he now considers himself a 'big-boy, hardcore twitcher!!'...
When, and it's only a matter of time, I burn past him on his county list, I shall have to remain controled as I dont want to ever become one of these 'mines bigger than yours' people who can only scoff at other peoples birds instead of having the skill, patience & talent to find their own!!!

[Mark Payne]

[JadaDulo]

It's a funny thing Mark, maybe you can help me with this one?... Last year I said to Mike that my target for this year was to reach 190 on my Shropshire list, at which he scoffed 'what 9 species do you think you're going to get?'!!...
Two birds I mentioned (along with Glaucous Gull, Iceland Gull & Cetti's ~ all of which I got!!), I said Common Scoter & Gropper!!! He then replied that these were 'no way guaranteed as the scoter was a very difficult bird to get & gropper had gone rare in Shropshire!!'...

Now that I have them, the all-new, 'self-confessed' county bird expert (???), claims they're TARTY!!??....

I do wish he'd make his mind up!!...

Maybe he should get out & about & search for a decent county bird.... then he'd have a first!!... He'd get to fill in a rarity report!!!


....Oh yeah, I'm up to 192 species now for Shropshire....

....& this thread has no livened up a bit too!!!

....I'm out birding tomorrow... wonder what I'll find?....

[Mark Payne]

taking the words of Archie the Great, Amen.

Hook, line and sinker.

[JadaDulo]

Can we have a Shropshire 2009 county year list please???...

With Jack Snipe, Iceland Gull, Waxwing & Scaup already bagged, & I'm off for Hawfinch on Thursday, it looks to be another good year!!?

Got a busy month ahead...
Meleverley for Whoopers, Long Mynd for Red Grouse & Hen Harrier (& possibly SE Owl), need to find a Corn Bunting around Isombridge/Childs Ercall area, still need a Siskin & Jay, Bury Ditches for Crossbill... although as I'm planning a few hours on Brown Clee Thursday to search for Hawfinch (Yvonne had one there today), I should nail Siskin & Crossbill here... although Yvonne had b*gger all!!...

100 for Shropshire before end of Jan.?... I need 12 more!!!

[The Doc]

[Jason Buckley]

Cheers Paul!!!

[Jason Buckley]

Just had a fab 2 hrs on Brown Clee!!! Not only did I manage to find a Great Grey Shrike on the summit .... but then went back to 'the junction' & scored on the Hawfinch!!!!
My 1st county tick for 2009, plus I've now in just 1 week had 4 species of bird I failed to see at all last year in Shrops!!!
I doooo hope these great birds keep on comin'!!!...

~Cheers for putting the news out Paul!!~

[Mark Payne]

good find matey, keep up the good work.

mike will be

[JadaDulo]

Report from Chelmarsh last night of a probable Kumlien's Gull!!!!

No sign today, but there are a few Iceland's knocking about at the mo! To be perfectly honest with you I know extremely little about Kumlien's!!... All I do know is that they normally only turn up in Ireland!!..

Whats the gen. on these birds then? Any info. in case I stumble across it, would be great please guys n' gals!!

Is it a BOU split?...

[Mark Payne]

Its a probabily a hybrid between Iceland and Thayers gull or race of Iceland, from Baffin Island in Canada, some treat it as a full species if they want more on species on there list. Only tickable on BOU list as a race.
Its has grey marking on the primarys. Adult should be fairly distinguishable !!

just sent you a BB paper, happy reading, take it down the pub and see your street cred disapeer in a matter of seconds.

[Jason Buckley]

Cheers Mark!!

Had my second county tick for 2009 today with a single White-fronted Goose at Polemere!!!
Already turning into another great year for Shrops!!!

[JadaDulo]

Just one day left in January & I'm on 105 species so far on my 2009 county yearlist, the highest I've ever done for the month!! (I think my previous best was 95!?)...
Already had 2 county ticks ~ Hawfinch & WF Goose!!
Plus, have already ticked 6 species this year I failed to see at all last year in Shrops!!
Had a couple of great 'finds' with Great Grey Shrike & Iceland Gull!!...

....But, have sadly dipped on a Glaucous Gull at Priorslee (despite several visits!!), left the Mynd a tad too early, which cost me a SE Owl!! And it looks like the VP Pink-foot has 'done one'... So, 3 good ticks there, but in all fairness they're all grip-backable!! (with a bit of luck, of course!!)

Still need birds like Curlew (??), Crossbill, Willow Tit, Barn Owl, Little Owl, Grey Partridge, Merlin... So, still some stuff to hunt down during Feb.
Hope that the home county is in for another good year!!

[Jason Buckley]

Proving excellent at Priorslee for white-wingers this year!! Had Glaucous Gull there today for the 3rd time this month!! I've also had 3 seperate Iceland Gull's there too!!!...
Got Grey Partridge, Curlew, Barn Owl & best off all Lesser Spotted Woodpecker so far this month too!!
County year list now up to 112 species!!! My best start for a county year yet!!!

I worked out that 160 is now not too tricky for me with all the spring/summer/autumn migrants!!... I'm hoping to reach the mythical Shropshire 170 this year, but a loooooong way to go yet!!

[The Doc]

Thanks for the call re the Glauc, Jase, much appreciated

[Jason Buckley]

It's been pretty much agreed that the Glaucous Gull present at Priorslee yesterday is most probably a 'new' bird! A much darker bird roosted at Belvide.
Could this now be a 2009 gull tally for Priorslee being as follows...

Iceland Gull - 3
Glaucous Gull - 3
Kumlien's Gull - 1

Pretty impressive & I assume this must be a county best!!?...

[Jason Buckley]

Had a great day yesterday - started straight from work at 06:50am, with nothing at VP I moved onto Titterstone Clee where I scored with several Wheatear!!... Not a great deal else, but did get a Merlin back near the base of the hill...
Moved back to VP, via a quick stop at home to walk dog, grab a cuppa & bacon sarnie & grabbed just over an hour's kip!
Back at VP had an instant tick with Chiffchaff outside the main hide, plus later, at 15:20hrs I had my first Sand Martin of the year, as just one bird flew through VP & off north...

Then off to Whixall Moss - as soon as I set foot on the Moss a ringtail Hen Harrier almost flew into me!!!... The I joined Andy, Dave & Pete Jordan to watch a distant Great Grey Shrike on Fenn's (my 2nd for the year - giving a few a great chance to grip back the Brown Clee bird on me!! - b****cks!!!)
Finally, enjoyed views of Short-eared Owl!! 4 year ticks today, 3 brilliant county birds!!

[JadaDulo]

Been awhile since I posted.... The last few weeks have been dire in the county, after a mini wader-fest, a summer pl. Knot at Mire, plus I found a summer pl. Barwit & a summer pl. Sanderling at VP, things looked good...

Had a few annoying dips, Gropper, Black Tern, Crane & most frustrating, a White Stork!!!
However, a rather fab summer pl. Curlew Sandpiper at Mire today became my 153rd species for my 2009 county year list, leaving 'just' 17 for my target!! (Still need Spotfly & Mandarin, of which I have def. sites for both!!).
Still no Blackwit tho', which is odd... usually had a few by now.

As this may be my last year going for a big county list I could really do with a good autumn, plus a few Shropshire mega's turning up - (Wryneck, Red-backed Shrike, Yellow-browed Warbler, Turnstone, Rock Pipit... all would be more than welcome!!).
Maybe another county first?.... Please!!!

We'll see... anyway, the quiet 2 months now where I doubt I'll be doing a great deal of birding after I've nailed the few birds I need...
But it's been quite surprising, to me at least, how quick you can build a decent list if you put in the hours, 153 by June, in 2007 I saw 152 species all that year!!! (Mind you, it was a dire year!!)...
Anyway... let's hope for some county goodies!!!

[Jason Buckley]

Great start for 2010 with only 5hrs birding put in & already got 2 Caspian Gull's (ad. & 2nd w.), several Yellow-legged Gull, Black-necked Grebe & 3 Smew!!!

Could be another good year for the county?... Not doing a list as such this year but shall be out & about as much as pos.
I want that ad. Ring-billed Gull at Priorslee for the county list!!