John Martin

Blossom on on the bare twigs of Cherry Plum. Hairless green young twigs, bigger flowers and blunt sepals, later reflexed plus flowering a month earlier compared with Blackthorn

Venus Pool now looking more floral as the Cherry Plum (Prunus cerasifera) is in bloom. Seen during this morning's WeBS count visit. #wildflowerhour

Shovelers down to 37 from 51 on Weds. Might be a blip, or departure. This male having a scratch

12 Pochard a good count these days. Pair plus another female bathing. 4 male and 8 female counted

Few birds remain in arable - handful of Reed Buntings though. 2 were also in song by the pool

VP WeBS: 25 Canadas, 9 Greylag (from 1st light - no roost to speak of), 2 Mute Swan, 37 Shoveler, 12 Pochard, 15 Tufted, L Egret (CF), 2 Little & 3 GC Grebe, 6 Goosander, 550 Lapwing, 4 Oysterc, 4 Snipe, 14 Teal. V mild. Also Red Kite, Cetti's, Redwing, Fieldfare, Redpoll etc #shropshirebirding 🪶

Thanks Martin, good job the finder knew a birdy person who got in touch.

Hoopoe lurking behind a fence at the end of a grassy paddock.

The best I could manage of the Hoopoe at Isombridge this afternoon. First I have seen in the county. We get about one a year on average but usually seen only by non birder finders. #Shropshirebirding 🪶

Cover of the new photographic guide to flies.

Delighted that this arrived today. Christmas (2024, or was it 2023?) present from my sister! Love a late Christmas present! #Diptera

OK that's only 8🤭

Tortricodes alternella crouched uneasily just under the lip of the trap - aka Spring Harbinger. Lets hope so - temperatures much more spring-like today!

Common Quaker - under the perspex trap lid, for want of a better description. First of the year. Smart in an understated way

The Chestnut - seen 12 so far in just 7 nights trapping - seems a lot to me

Mild overnight so ran the trap here in #Shrewsbury. 9/6 with Tortricodes alternella and Common Quaker nfy, Hebrew Character, Dotted Border, 3 Chestnut (having a good year here) and Pale Brindled Beauty. #teammoth #ukwildflife

Superb critter Andy, very nice!

Yes, any tussocky grassland seems to have pyrrhogaster, but we are less used to bicolor, so we should be more aware of that one.

A flock of Teal over the water at Venus Pool

A male Shoveler flying by

A pair of Gadwall taking off

Wildlife Group at VP on Wednesday part 2. A suspiciously long lunch break in the shelter of the memorial hide warming up & eating lunch, some of us trying to tog passing ducks in the gloom. 4 Pochard, 15 Tufted, 51 Shoveler, 6 Gadwall, 450 Lapwing, 2 Oystercatcher. 5 Snipe etc #shropshirebirding 🪶

Scathophaga stercoraria aka Yellow Dung Fly

Paradromius linearis in a tube so not the best pic.

Wildlife Group at VP on Wednesday part 1. Arable field & margins a.m. for #bryophytes (Bryum rubens, Tortula truncata, Phascium cupidatum etc found) and inverts, trying to stay warm (3C and breezy). Callitula pyrrhogaster aka the boy, Yellow Dung Fly and Paradromius linearis here. #ukwildlife

Superb find Mark, we must have another try!

And forgot the Cetti's singing loudly at The Mere from the small reed bed at the town end

2w Common Gull Ellesmere. Tinkering with settings on new camera.

Female Tufted Duck Ellesmere.

Mixed Larid, near Battlefield, all Lesser and Herrings as far as I could see and no sign of the white winger seen here yesterday (not by me). Hopefully it will resurface

Dry and bright for a change so a trip N of Shrewsbury with @janettem34.bsky.social - 190+ Herring & 60+ LBBG Battlefield; 7 Goosander, 2 Goldeneye, Jack Snipe etc Cole Mere; 4 Shelduck Wood Lane; 16 Goldeneye, 34 Tufted, 3 Wigeon Ellesmere; v little Noneley. #shropshirebirding #nonebyname 🪶

They're an absolute delight to listen to.

Crocus tommasinianus in the foreground with park runners and volunteers near the bandstand in the background. 159th at Shrewsbury for me.

Not much seen in flower this damp and murky week but some rare sunshine on Saturday morning, albeit 0c at 0900. Crocus tommasinianus near the bandstand for #wildflowerhour before #ParkRun

Thanks for showing us this morning and top find👌

Grey Shoulder-knot found by one of the group who was looking for lichens.

Neckera crispa on moist slopes of limestone quarry. Good site for bryophytes but I didn't photograph many.

A slime mould on a rotting log, Trichia meylanii was suggested as an ID by the most slime-mould-acquainted person in the group

A few from Wednesday with the wildlife group in a limestone quarry near Pant. Grey Shoulder-knot found on a rock face, the striking #bryophyte Neckera crispa and possible Trichia meylanii, a slime-mould on a rotting log. #teammoth

Thanks Dave

Well marked Dotted Border on egg box, new for the garden moth year list

Hebrew Character - one of three last night, the first of the year. Common but a belter of a moth

Dark Chestnut on egg tray. Dark colours but sharp wing tip looks good for Dark. These (this and Chestnut) are a species pair I often struggle with. Wing tips are often worn and they're variable in colour, especially The Chestnut.

Best night of the year so far, with 2 Dotted Border, 3 Hebrew Character and what I think is Dark Chestnut all nfy plus 4 'The' Chestnut. #teammoth 7 species so far from 6 nights of trapping including a single Wogan at the end of Jan. #ukwildlife #shrewsbury

Adult White-fronted Goose Crudgington Moor in murk and drizzle. Impressed with the OM1 mark2 and 100-400, but much to learn about it.

Some of the 13 Tufted Ducks at VP

Pochard outnumbered the Tufteds at VP with 14. 6 male and 8 female. By recent standards this is a high count! As always we missed the Otter, this time by an hour

Another look at the White-fronted Geese at Crudgington this drizzly murky morning with G. At least 249 plus 5 GWE, 13 Shelduck, 250 Golden Plover etc. 5 Barnacles still at Buildwas end of Leighton Bends. 14 Pochard, 13 Tufted, 515+ Lapwing etc VP. We missed Otter as always. #shropshirebirding 🪶

More commentary on the sentencing of Yorkshire Dales gamekeeper Racster Dingwall Racster Dingwall, the now former Head Gamekeeper on Conistone and Grassington Estate in the Yorkshire Dales National Park, pleaded guilty at York Magistrates’ Court last month to conspiring t…

MORE commentary on the sentencing of Yorkshire Dales gamekeeper Racster Dingwall ⚖️

Pertinent points made by the Northern England Raptor Forum (NERF), representing raptor fieldworkers.

#RaptorResearch #WildlifeCrime 🌍

raptorpersecutionuk.org/2026/02/10/m...

A slightly damp Eyed Ladybird

Land Caddis - not the best pic but head on you can at least see the head of the critter. Good to find these locally in some quantity

The large moss Dicranum majus with leaves neatly curved to one side.

A neat looking rove beetle that Caroline Uff (beetle recorder) identified as Othius punctulatus

Wildlife group pics from Bucknell Wood on 4 Feb. Eyed Ladybird, Land Caddis (head on - they kept inside their cases until warmed up on a hand or even a hand warmer!), Dicranum majus (seemed suitably robust and curvy leaved) and the rove Othius punctulatus (det Caroline). #ukwildlife #bryophytes

Cheers Andy - chimping again I see. Not seen an elusive Snow-flea this season so next winter, hopefully. Top day in the forest that was!

No stopping the man!

Part of the big group of White-fronted Geese at Crudgington in the rain and gloom Saturday pm

More of the Sibe White-front flock including a 1w bird on the right. Need to sort my camera settings

5 distant Barnacle Geese on floods downstream of Leighton bends, phone scoped

Bit of a Shropshire goose fest underway. Yesterday with @janettem34.bsky.social in wretched light late pm with new camera, some of the flock of at least 261 White-fronts (305 counted later) at Crudgington. 5 Barnacles today near Leighton (phone scoped in the distance). #shropshirebirding 🪶

Rhodobryum roseum - a large, indeed spectacular, moss on a rocky ant hill

Varnished Hook-moss, Hamatocaulis vernicosus from a flush near Pole Bank on the Mynd

Some top #bryophytes around Shropshire in last 2 days with @mattrjones.bsky.social including Rose Moss, Rhodobryum roseum today at Earl's Hill (thanks Dan Wrench et al) and lots on the Mynd yesterday, mainly found by Matt, including Varnished Hook-moss, Hamatocaulis vernicosus.

Thanks Martin, great team effort. Mine hasn't arrived yet although I lugged boxes of them to CJ's with G and Sue last week for posting, so it should be on its way.

Yes indeed!

Decent sized patch of Snowdrops in flower

Snowdrops, Galanthus nivalis, in flower today in local abundance on Lyth Hill. Always good to see such signs of spring. Very late once again for #wildflowerhour