Today I paid my first visit of the year to the Shropshire Ornithological Society’s reserve at Venus Pool, south of Shrewsbury.
Highlight today was the Common Snipe that behaved for some great photo opportunities. Here are four approaching through a trio of duck Wigeon.
And here we can see the orange markings on the tail of this species.
Two birds nicely in line.
Coming closer.
A portrait shot as one came very close.
And another. All these from the public hide.
A Canada Goose provides a ‘little and large’ perspective.
And again.
A pleasant surprise was seeing at least 16 Shelduck – my largest-ever number in the Midlands. These birds all migrate to Heligoland Bight in the Autumn to moult where they become briefly flightless. They are now returning and looking out for suitable nesting locations. They often nest inland using old rabbit burrows.
A pair of Teal, the drake in the foreground.
A smart pair of Wigeon, the drake in the foreground again.
An interesting trio of Wigeon. An adult drake at the front; a duck at the back; the bird in the middle shows features of both sexes. It is a 1st winter drake still moulting in to adult plumage with some retained orange flank feathers. The yellow crown is yet to show clearly.
Here he is again with a full adult drake behind him. Note too the dark tip to the bill is not as clean as on the full adult.
The feather arrangement on the back shows this is a similar but different immature drake.
One of my bogey birds is Pintail. Usually they had been “seen yesterday”. It was my lucky day as there were four present including these two smart drakes.
A Lapwing showing off. The crest is longer as it enters the breeding season. And note the rufous undertail.
Apologies about the out of focus dead willowherb that rather takes the edge off this view. Green Plover indeed, as this species is known to some country folk.
(Ed Wilson)
