John Martin

VP 0645-0820 no storm driven waifs, water levels up a little, 790 Canadas the biggest roost of the autumn for me, 127 Teal, 16 Greylag, 65 Lapwing, Red Kite, Grey Wag, 2 Mipit, W Rail, 3 L Grebe. Carrion Crow dropping Swan Mussels to gain entry to contents. #shropshirebirding 🪶

VP 0715-1000: 370 Canadas, 51 Greylag & 15 LBBG roosted. Duck nos up feeding on part flooded drawdown 3 Pintail, 153 Teal, 32 Shoveler, 4 Wigeon. Highlight ad Whooper Swan to S 0925. GWE on fishing pool, 66 Lapwing, 6 Snipe, 145 Redwing, Fieldfare, Siskin, Stonechat, 2 Chiffchaff #shropshirebirding

Catching up on a highly unorthodox Monday visit to VP with G - an ad Med Gull low over to S was a patch yearly, 2 Eg Goose, 2m Gadwall, 30 Shoveler, 4 Wigeon, 50 Teal, 2 W Rail, 14 Snipe, 60 Lapwing, L Egret, 4 Raven, Coal Tit, 59 Redwing, Siskin, 2 Stonechat, 3 Chiffchaff, 52 spp #shropshirebirding

On Weds with the wildlife group at Oaks Wood some Ivy flowers attracted various insects, some of them togged basking on leaves and an old stump nearby. Here are the large and striking Sericomyia silentis and Mesembrina meridiana. #wildflowerhour #diptera #hoverfly

VP from 1st light 397 Canadas roosted, 10 Wigeon new in. Shoveler up to 31 and Teal 51. W Rail, Chiffchaff, 65 Lapwing, 3 L Grebe (CF). Overhead 160 Redwings, 240 Starling, Redpoll, 2 Snipe etc. 30 Linnet arable. Redwings in town later near the weir with @janettem34.bsky.social . #shropshirebirding

Some #Diptera from Wednesday's wildlife group at Oaks Wood all caught by @lancefly.bsky.social The very smart Platypezid Callomyia amoena, the anomalous (they predate aphids instead of munching fruit) Drosophilidae, Acletoxenus formosus & Fannia pallitibia. #ukwildlife @dipteristsforum.bsky.social

1/ Nature is in peril. Drastic declines and specialist species struggling is what the Wild Bird Indicators, using BTO data & published by Defra, show. Here’s what we know ⬇️ The All Bird Species Index shows 19% declines in the UK since 1970. This comprises 132 species. 📉 #Ornithology

Garden moths last night in #Shrewsbury The only 'migrant' a very pink Vestal, perhaps locally bred. But Autumnal Rustic nfg the best, plus another 'Merv', 2 Figure of 8, 2 Barred Sallow etc 16/11. #teammoth #ukwildlife

Getting rather behind with garden moth posts but a slightly uncooperative Gem last week (8 Oct) was a recent highlight -new for the garden (only 6 Shrops dots on latest map by West Midlands Moths). Merveille du Jour appearing most nights too and always a treat. #teammoth #ukwildlife

Yesterday with @janettem34.bsky.social while failing to find the rare moss Cinclodotus riparius in a very silty algae filled R Teme in Ludlow we did enjoy good views of a sub-singing Dipper and 2+ Kingfishers. #shropshirebirding

VP #WeBS yesterday. Low numbers, water levels still falling + Fox legging it along the shore at dawn. 337 Canada, 18 G'lag, 44 Teal, 3 Shoveler, 18 Lapw, 3 Snipe, 2 L Grebe, 18 Moorhen, 3 W Rail etc. Green & GSW, Bullfinch, Siskin SW, 3 Chiffs, 6 Reed Bunting, 2 Raven, Stonechat. #shropshirebirding

Much Riccia cavernosa on the drawdown zone at VP & pics of Physcomitrium patens and Botrydium granulatum, thanks @astridbiddle.bsky.social for pointing the last two out. Got some Physcomitrium in a pot in the fridge but would never have got the alga! Well worth all the brushcutting #bryophytes #alga

Annual management week at VP, also a chance to check out plants on the drawdown zone. Great to see the Limosella aquatica (Mudwort) having a big year. Plenty of Rumex maritimus (Golden Dock) too and delighted to find a plant of Rumex x knafii (Golden x Clustered) new to VC40! #wildflowerhour

Silene dichotoma (Forked Catchfly) looking splendid earlier this week - twitched on 'waste' ground in Thetford on the way home from a week in Cley. Lovely find by the locals, thanks for sharing. #wildflowerhour

Catching up with some Norfolk highlights from last week including the (non - ruled out on sonogram) promising-looking 'Eastern' Yellow Wagtail, splendid weevil off Sea Beet Lixus scabricollis and a rust on Sea Campion at Cley with PSL maestros @graemelyons.bsky.social and @andymus.bsky.social

Big day out with @andymus.bsky.social who did nearly all the driving. My old colleague Simon Leach rediscovered Atriplex pedunculata (Pedunculate Sea-purslane) near Shoeburyness in 1987 after no records for c50 years. Site owner kindly gave us permission to look for it. #wildflowerhour

New plant for me during a mostly sunny autumn week in Norfolk. Asarina procumbens (Trailing Snapdragon) on a church near Cromer, looking splendid. I have failed to find it a few times before e.g. Llandudno. Thanks @bramblebotanist.bsky.social for gen #wildflowerhour

Trying the new mobile LED trap out in Cley last night. It works! 15/11 including 2 Mallow, Feathered Thorn, Black Rustic, Green-brindled Crescent, Sallow etc. Never had the Mallow in Shrewsbury. #teammoth

The inspiring Wern Farm in adjacent Monts with the wildlife groups on Weds produced several of the fine Calliphorid Cynomya mortuorum, Small Copper and fleeting views of Barn Owl amongst others. #diptera @dipteristsforum.bsky.social #mybutterflyyear #ukwildlife

After the BSBI England meeting, a diversion 'on the way home' this afternoon via Burleydam to see the Baird's Sandpiper. An adult, apparently about 200m outside Shropshire where we have never had this American wader, with a Ringed Plover. #cheshirebirding #ukbirding

Garden moths in #Shrewsbury this morning. Pristine Small Mottled Willow (it's been their year but this is the first for a while), Gold Triangle (Hypsopygia costalis) also as fresh as a Badger/Daisy. Autumnal feel w 1st Lunar Underwings (five) of the year and a 2nd Black Rustic. #teammoth #ukwildlife

VP w G today the juv Ruff from y'day remained and showed well. Also lingering 1CY LRP, 2 Greenshank, 4 Green Sand, W Rail, 25+ Shoveler, 395+ Greylag etc. Lots of big Larid (140+) dropped in (v few usually) but all Lessers. 10 Clouded Yellow the commonest butterfly, V. zonaria. #shropshirebirding 🪶

Late picking #favouriteplant of the year for #wildflowerhour but this is right up there. I believe it is Utricularia australis with that flat lip that turns up a little at the edges. In ditches at Canada Farm on Somerset Levels during the excellent Dipterists Forum week in July. Native plant✅!

VP wader fest continues with 2 juv Little Stints this pm, big thanks to Mike J for posting pic/news. They were flighty and may have dropped in after rain shower. Full on patch and Shropshire✅ for me. Also 6+ Sand Martin, 9 Shoveler, Greenshank, Green Sand. 3+ Yellow Wag etc #shropshirebirding 🪶

Sorbus intermedia (Swedish Whitebeam) from the Bog Mine on a rather wet Wednesday with the wildlife group. 2 big ones and three smaller ones, including one across the lane. Also #fruits #wildflowerhour

Early shift for #westmidsalldayer at VP. 2 Green Sand, LRP, Water Rail, Starling (no honestly) and best of all 2 Spotted Flycatcher in the car park as I was leaving for #ParkRun volling. Less than annual for me on patch. #Shropshirebirding

Garden moth trap star this morning was this stonkingly nicely marked Small Marbled (3rd garden record and 2nd this year). Also Frosted Orange nfy, Red Underwing, 9 Centre-barred Sallow, 120 LYUW, Rosy Rustic, Dusky Thorn, Box Tree etc 192/22 #teammoth #migrantmothuk #Shrewsbury #ukwildlife

Less of the same at VP this morning, a Greenshank the only wader seen. Also 7 Shoveler, 35 Teal, juv Shelduck, big jump to 520+ Canadas, 6 Egyptian Goose, Green and GS woodpeckers, 12 Chiffs, Reed Bunting etc. Diversity plummeting as the all dayer looms 😅 #shropshirebirding 🪶

VP with G, less of the same after a clear night, no sign of Curlew Sand. Greenshank, Green & Common Sand, Snipe, 3 Lapwing, juv Shelduck, 31 Shoveler. 8+ new brood Clouded Yellow round arable w Brown Argus, Common Blue, Sm Copper etc. #shropshirebirding 🪶 #mybutterflyyear @ukbutterflies.bsky.social

VP at lunchtime w @janettem34.bsky.social in heavy showers hoping they dropped something in. The juv Curlew Sandpiper continues to entertain, 3 Greenshank (one new in), 2 LRP, 2 Green and 2+ Common Sands, Snipe, 4 juv Shelduck, 1CY Water Rail, 25 Shoveler etc #shropshirebirding 🪶

Also at Buildwas Abbey on Wednesday with the wildlife group some Small Teasel, Dipsacus pilosus, where we saw it before in early November last year. Looking better this time with some on theme #seedheads and even a few flowers for #wildflowerhour Always a nice plant to see

A fine show of Colchicum autumnale (Meadow Saffron) in grassland near the River Severn at Buildwas on Wednesday with the wildlife group, looking fresh in the parched sward. We weren't expecting it but it's been recorded nearby before. #wildflowerhour

Pics of passerines from VP yesterday. Whitethroat, I thought juv/1w based on gape, dark iris etc, but why is it regrowing its gcs with an outer one in pin? Two of the 6+ Yellow Wags, one w very white super, throat and grey crown and ear covs, the other more typical 1w. #shropshirebirding 🪶

VP late pm w @janettem34.bsky.social continuing juv Curlew Sandpiper, new juv Turnstone (one of 2 in yesterday pm), juv LRP, juv Greenshank, 3 Green Sand, 1+ Common Sand, 4 Snipe, 18 Lapwing, 70 Teal, 28 Shoveler, L Egret, Red Kite, 6+ Yellow and 40 Pied Wag, juv Water Rail etc #shropshirebirding 🪶

Some recent #Shropshire moths that are not as rare as they used to be. Metalampra italica at Buildwas with w the wildlife group on Weds near a pile of logs; Small Ranunculus from 25th and another Vestal from 26th both in the garden. #teammoth #ukwildlife

VP from 0535 hoping last night's Curlew Sand had stayed - yes - a beautiful peachy juv! Patch gold and a county✅ for me! Also juv Peregrine, juv Greenshank, 2 Green & 2 Common Sand, Water Rail, 2 GWE, juv Shelduck, 2 Reed Warbler, 2 Whitethroat, 2 Redstart, 110 Goldfinch #shropshirebirding 🪶

VP early morning - great rarity of steady then heavy rain in SE murk but not much new apart from increase in Teal to 55 and Snipe to 12. 2 juv Greenshank, 2 Green and juv Common Sand, 14 Shoveler, Water Rail, 2 Reed Warbler, 175 BH, 4 LBB and juv Herring Gull, 40 Pied Wag etc. #shropshirebirding 🪶

VP with G. Fewer birds but G picked up 4 juv Turnstone dropping in. They landed out of sight, emerged from behind island for 2 minutes & off to S calling. Total stay c5 min! Otherwise 2 Greenshank, 3 Green & 2 Common Sand, 3 Snipe, 10 Lapwing, 3 Y Wag, 4 Cl Yellow. #shropshirebirding 🪶 #ukwildlife

VP a.m. no new waders despite rain at 1st. Greenshank, 7 Green & 2 Common sand, 3 Snipe, 3 juv LRP, 13 Lapwing, 245 BHGull (many 1w & much variation), 20 L & 2GWE, Gadwall, 3 Tufted, Kingf, Nuthatch, 2 M Thrush, Willow Warbler, 2 Whitethroat, Redstart, 3 Y Wag, 30 Goldfinch etc #shropshirebirding 🪶

VP this morning with 3 Greenshank the highlight, 2 of them in & out, calling beautifully etc. Also a record 24 Little Egret, 2 GWE, 6+ Green & 2 Common Sand, 3 j LRP, 7 Shoveler, Yellow Wag, 3 Canlag etc #shropshirebirding 🪶 #ukwildlife

VP w G this a.m. Still 3 j LRP, 20 L Egret, 5 Green Sand, Y Wag, Common Sand etc. Main excitement in varying large white bird competency, almost missed 1+ juv Cattle Egret flying round and away over the hide 🤭. Good Mute Swan (and Canada Goose) rescue skills though. #shropshirebirding 🪶 no Turnstone

It's that time of year again, almost exactly a year since the garden first, a bosting big Clifden Nonpareil in the garden trap! 18 Aug last year, 17th this. Otherwise quite busy but migrants just a Rush Veneer and a Small Mottled Willow. #teammoth #ukwildlife #shrewsbury

Y'day at VP 20 Little and 1 GWEgret, 17 Grey Heron, 3 juv LRP, 5 Snipe, 4+ Green and 2+ Common sands, 2 Yellow Wag, juv Reed Warblers, 3 Canlag etc in morning w @shropshirebirdlass.bsky.social then a juv Turnstone dropped in at lunchtime so returned to view that. County rare. #shropshirebirding 🪶

Sunday 0535-0930 WeBS at VP 18 Little & 1 GWEgret, 15 Grey Heron, 5 Green Sand, juv Ruff, 2+ juv LRP, 5 Green & 3 Common sands, 3 Snipe, Shoveler, 94 Mallard, 16 Teal, 11 Eg Goose, 440 Greylag, 255 Canadas, 2 Canlag, 15 Cormorant, Kingf, 3 Yellow & 35 Pied wags, 2 Redstart etc #shropshirebirding 🪶

VP this morning juv Ruff, 4 Green & 2 Common Sand, Snipe, 2 juv LRP, 18 L Egret, 19 Grey Heron, juv Water Rail, Kingfisher, Mandarin, 130 BHGull, 510 G'lag and 140 CAGO, Canlag, 6 Eg Goose, Yellow Wag over, Redstart, Kestrel etc. Fresh Common Blues out #shropshirebirding #butterfly 🪶 #ukwildlife

Best moth night of the week for diversity was 11th with 170/49 including a smart Catoptria falsella (3rd gdn), Common Lutestring (1st since 2023), Maiden's Blush, Prays fraxinella, 10 Small Mottled Willow, Wax Moth, Sallow Kitten, Sept Thorn etc #teammoth #ukwuldlife

Yesterday's moth trap in the #Shrewsbury gdn had slightly more than today: 224/40 with Obscure Wainscot new for the garden. Also 18 Small Mottled Willow (peak count so far in a mad year for them, only a year since the garden first) Common Wainscot , 82 Large Yellow Underwing #teammoth #ukwildlife

Last night's mothing slightly down in numbers on previous two nights, 203/39 but including nfy Vestal (3rd garden record), Calamatropha paludella (also 3rd) and Orange Swift. Small Mottled Willows down to 8. Bit behind with the mothage. #teammoth #ukwildlife

Other plants at Whixall Moss on Wednesday on the rather crispy moss itself included Cross-leaved Heath (Erica tetralix), Bog Asphodel (Narthecium ossifragum) and Bog Rosemary (Andromeda polifolia). #wildflowerhour #ukwildlife

Whixall Moss on Wednesday with the wildlife group. Angelica (Angelica syvestris) at its best pulling in some insects including several whopping Tachina grossa. Nearby was Bifid Hemp-nettle (Galeopsis bifida). #wildflowerhour #diptera #ukwildlife