21st - 23rd March

A good total of 55 Mute Swans were at Venus Pool on 21^st (roosting overnight before heading off to feed on the surrounding fields) – by far the highest count I’ve had here; there were also 3 Oystercatchers, 13 Shelduck, 61 Shoveler and hanging on, 19 Bramblings and 3 Goldeneye still.   A couple of hours spent up on the Long Mynd on 22^nd then produced plenty of calling Red Grouse and a cracking adult female Merlin – pretty scarce in Shropshire really!

                Then, late afternoon on 23^rd there was a huge brute of a female Goshawk cruising along the hedgerow just past New House Farm, seriously upsetting the local crows – an awesome bird and only the second I’ve seen around Wyke!

 

Little Grebe at Venus Pool

Great-spotted Woodpecker

Chaffinch

Partially leucistic Meadow Pipit on the Long Mynd

Wren

 

Plus a couple of colour ringed Mute Swans at Venus Pool

Orange 28N was an RSPCA rescue bird from Coventry in March 2015 and was released in Bewdley where it stayed until mid-July 2015 - this is the first re-sighting since

Blue 71BA is a bit more local having been ringed in Shrewsbury in September 2014