Monday 2 January 2017

I FOUND A PINE BUNTING!! IN SHROPSHIRE!!

Popped into Venus Pool in the morning where there was the usual array of ducks on the pools to start the year off along with a good 35+ Snipe showing well with the low water levels; I then walked round the top field in the steady rain where again there were good numbers of the usual Reed Buntings, Yellowhammers and Chaffinches along with 3-4 Corn Buntings and an impressive flock of 300+ Goldfinches.

                I was just coming back along the hedge running parallel to the road (I had given up really as I was soaked!) when about 50m away from the carpark I noticed a chunky, Yellowhammer sized Bunting in the hedge no more than 5m away from me with a couple of Reed Buntings, I got it in my rain speckled binoculars to see a large Bunting, very pale with no hint of any yellow anywhere – bright white ground colour to the underparts and white edges to the primaries; it was flicking its tail and giving little Yellowhammer like calls as it was nervous that I was so close and I instantly knew it was a female PINE BUNTING!!

                I watched it for a few minutes at really close range (I had made a conscious decision earlier to leave my camera in the car as it was raining!  I would have nailed it if I hadn’t!); it gradually worked its way deeper into the hedge so I edged round it, ran to the car to get my camera and was back in a few minutes but inevitably it had disappeared.   I looked around a bit but there was no sign in the continuing rain then went and told a few people in the hides but no one seemed to care much (or even know what one was!).

                I then gambled and left to go and look it up to confirm what I had seen and to put it out but luckily it was re-found later in the afternoon and through the following day allowing many people to catch up with it – I didn’t go back as I hate all that twitching in crowds antics!

                Two adult Whooper Swans were with 50+ Mute Swans in fields at Cound.
 
Taken a few days ago not on 1st January, when it was nice and sunny!
 




Male and female Wigeon

Snipe
 

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