Enjoying the Shropshire Desert
The Desert comes to Shropshire: The Biggest Twitch enjoys the Desert Wheatear!
It was a busy week for talks this week, with our latest being to the Bedfordshire Bird Club at Maulden on Tuesday night. We were given a very warm reception and it was great to catch up with some old friends and make new ones as we gave our talk on The Biggest Twitch to a new audience.
Barry and Wendy were kind enough to put us up for the night and with three Tundra Bean Geese on Cainhoe Gravel Pit near Flitwick not far away, of course we couldn't resist the offer of some morning birding with Barry before we headed for home!
Our drive took us across the park at Woburn, where we were fascinated to see four species of deer in view at one time: Fallow, Red, Sitka and Pere David deer all close to the road.
Fallow and Pere David Deer grazed right beside the road
Jackdaw Freeloader!
Then we drove on to Cainhoe Gravel Pit. Would the geese be there?
Phew! First we scoped the 3 Tundra Bean Geese heads amongst a flock of Canada Geese necks on a field beside the gravel pit. Then the flock helpfully flew onto the water, and we had even better views of these birds. In the sunshine, we could see their distinctive bill patterns and really appreciate the size difference as they mingled with Greylag Geese on the water.
Barry and Alan enjoying the Bean Geese
Tundra Bean Geese among the Greylags
We said goodbye to Barry and Wendy, with our thanks for looking after us so well, and headed for home. But rather than take the direct route on the motorways, we decided to take the scenic route through Shropshire. Perhaps we'd be able to catch up with the Desert Wheatear that had been seen near Ludlow. No news first thing in the morning but we decided to try our luck anyway. Then just as we were 20 minutes away, news came out that the bird had been seen. That was the cue for every set of traffic lights to be set on red and every learner driver, tractor and JCB in the area to pull out in front of us!
At last we reached the oddly named Titterstone Clee Hill and by now the morning's sunshine had disappeared. The bird had been seen below a disused quarry and in the gloomy light, the area looked rather spooky and forbidding.
The disused quarry on Titterstone Clee Hill, an unlikely-looking spot for a Desert Wheatear!
We plunged over the edge and slipped and slithered our way over a scree slope down to where we could see a photographer concentrating on a gorse bush. And sure enough, there was a gorgeous Desert Wheatear, obligingly perched up and showing off in the breeze.
Desert Wheatear at Titterstone Clee Hill
We enjoyed incredible views of this confiding bird with binoculars and telescope before getting to work with the handheld camera and digiscoping. The bird flew from bush to rock to stock, and seemed to be finding plenty to eat.
This obliging Desert Wheatear sat up on some great perches for photography!
Desert Wheatear - showing off her black tail nicely
The bird, a female, seemed to be totally unfazed by the group of birders and photographers who had gathered by now.
Big lens, close bird!
Desert Wheatear - how close do you like your birds to come in to you?!
With plenty more driving ahead of us, we tore ourselves away from the bird, having thoroughly enjoyed our little piece of Desert in Shropshire!
If you'd like to join us for great birding, why not email us on
info@thebiggesttwitch.com? We look forward to sharing great birds with you!