Shackerley Lane and Humphreston Farm area, Albrighton, Shropshire.

A differet walk today, well part of it was new.

Common Orange-tip (Anthocharis cardamines).

I headed out through the village and then down to the pool at Donington, on the way I picked up Collared Dove (Tórtola Turca / Streptopelia decaocto), Carrion Crow (Corneja Negra / Corvus corone), Woodpigeon (Paloma Torcaz / Columba palumbus), House Sparrow (Gorrión Común / Passer domesticus), Common Starling (Estornino Pinto / Sturnus vulgaris), Dandelion (Taraxacum spp), Primrose (Primula vulgaris), Red Campion (Silene dioica), White Dead Nettle (Lamium album) and Garlic Mustard (Alliaria petiolata).

Maidenhair Spleenwort (Asplenium trichomanes).

As I approached the pool I checked the stream and had good views of a smart Grey Wagtail (Lavandera Cascadena / Motacilla cinerea) which was feeding below the bridge and as I walked towards the pool it flew up under the ridge and out over to the far shore.

Common Comfrey (Symphytum officinale).

Around the pool I found Mallard (Anade Azulón / Anas platyrhynchos), Common Moorhen (Gallineta Común / Gallinulas chloropus), Great Tit (Carbonera Común / Parus major) and House Martin (Avión Común / Delichon urbica).

Common Comfrey (Symphytum officinale).

I continued on up the lane finding a field full of Woodpigeons, a few Stock Doves (Paloma Zurita / Columba oenas) along with a family party of Mistle Thrushes (Zorzal Charlo / Turdus viscivorus).

View over the fields.

Wild flowers included Honesty (Lunaria annua), Herb Robert (Geranium robertianum), Maidenhair Spleenwort (Asplenium trichomanes), Cow Parsley (Anthriscus sylvestris), Common Bluebell (Hyacinthoides non-scripta), Annual Mercury (Mercurialis annua), Greater Stitchwort (Stellaria holostea), Red Clover (Trifolium pratense), Hawthorn (Crataegus monogyna), Common Nettle (Urtica dioica) and several lager Horse Chestnut (Aesculus hippocastanum) trees which when I was a kid, many years ago I would come and collect Conkers from.

Woodpigeon (Paloma Torcaz / Columba palumbus).

Just across the A41 I found a nice clump of Common Comfrey (Symphytum officinale) flowering in amongst a large tangle of bramblesas well as a couple of Small White (Pieris rapae) and Common Orange-tip (Anthocharis cardamines) butterflies, one of the latter sat nicely for a short while.

Germander Speedwell (Veronica chamaedrys).

As I followed the lane along towards the turning out to Shackerley I could hear several Skylark (Alondra Común / Alauda arvensis) singing above me, not sure if it is just my wishful thinkng but this species seems more common in the area than I remember as I hear it on all the walks I do and 15 years ago before I left for Spain I do not think it was  bird I saw often here.

Thyme-leaved Speedwell (Veronica serpyllifolia).

Also seen along this stretch were Common Whitethroat (Curruca Zarcera / Sylvia communis), Blackbird (Mirlo Común / Turdus merula), Linnet (Pardillo Común / Carduelis cannabina), Dunnock (Acentor Común / Prunella modularis), Wren (Chochin / Troglodytes troglodytes) and out on the fields several Jackdaws (Grajilla / Corvus monedula) and Rook (Graja /  Corvus frugilegus) in a mixed flock.

Common Daisy (Bellis perennis).

I turned right at the junction and continued out towards Shackerly and in the small woodland on the side of the road I heard a couple of Blackcaps (Curruca Capirotada / Sylvia atricailla) in full song and a Song Thrush (Zorzal Común / Turdus philomelos) which could be heard over both of them. 

Common Field-speedwell (Veronica persica).

I checked a large cereal field from one of the gateways on the right and found two sets of ears belonging to European Brown Hare (Lepus europaeus) and even though I stood quietly for a while the ears were all I saw. Down in the bottom of the field where the crop had been killed of by the wter which had been lying there I saw a couple of Grey Herons (Garza Real / Ardea cinerea) strutting through the mud feeding on I do not know what but they seemed to be doing quite well as were the several Pied Wagtails (Lavandera Blanca / Montacilla yarrellii) picking off insects around the margins.

Cut-leaved Cranesbill (Geranium dissectum).

Walking on I found Pheasant (Faisán Vulgar / Phaisanus colchicus), Robin (Petirrojo Europeo / Erithacus rubecula), a very smart Yellow Wagtail (Lavandera Boyera / Motacilla flava flavissima), Common Chaffinch (Pinzón Vulgar / Fringilla coelebs), Common Chiffchaff (Mosquitero Común / Phylloscopus collybita), Ground Ivy (Glechoma hederacea), Germander (Veronica chamaedrys) and Thyme-leaved Speedwell (Veronica serpyllifolia), Common Daisy (Bellis perennis), Tufted Vetch (Vicia cracca), Lords and Ladies (Arum maculatum) and a Brimstone (Gonepteryx rhamni).

Small Tortoiseshell (Aglais urticae) cataerpillars.

On the cut through between Shackerley Lane and Donington Lane I heard a noisy Green Woodpecker (Pito Real / Picus viridis) up in one of the large English Oak (Quercus robur) trees, Yellowhammer (Escribano Cerillo / Emberiza citronella), a male Lesser Whitethroat (Curruca Zarcerilla / Sylvia curruca) both singing from nearby hedgerows as well as Small Tortoiseshell (Aglais urticae) cataerpillars.

Common Sedge (Carex nigra).

Plants included Shepherds Purse (Capsella bursa-pastoris), Common Field-speedwell (Veronica persica), Cut-leaved Cranesbill (Geranium dissectum), Lesser Stitchwort (Stellaria graminea), Red Dead-nettle (Lamium purpureum), Wild Raddish (Raphanus raphanistrum) and Smooth Sow-thistle (Sonchus oleraceus).

Ribwort Plantain (Plantago lanceolata).

I then walked back towards Humphreston Farm along Donington Lane where I got a second chance to get shots of a Common Orange-tip and found Buff-tailed Bumblebee (Bombus terrestris), Ribwort Plantain (Plantago lanceolata), Common Sedge (Carex nigra),  Agimony (Agrimonia eupatoria), Wood Forget-me-not (Myosotis sylvatica) and Dove`s-foot Crane`s-bill (Geranium molle).

Common Carder Bee (Bombus pascuorum).

Further around by the woodland I again had the Ravens (Cuervo / Corvus corax) again including a couple of newly fledged youngsters, Greylag Geese (Ansar Común / Anser anser), Mallard (Anade Azulón / Anas platyrhynchos), Nuthatch (Trepador Azul / Sitta europaea), Long-tailed (Mito / Aegithalos caudatus), Blue Tit (Herrerillo Común / Parus caeruleus), Common Buzzard (Busardo Ratonero / Buteo buteo), Barn Swallow (Golondrina Común / Hirundo rustica), Common Kestrel (Cernicalo Vulgar / Falco tinnunculus), Goldcrest (Regulus regulus), Goldfinch (Jilguero / Carduelis carduelis), Greenfinch (Verderón Común / Carduelis chloris) and Great Spotted Woodpecker (Pico Picapinos / Dendrocopos major).

Common Orange-tip (Anthocharis cardamines).

Agimony (Agrimonia eupatoria).

Dove`s-foot Crane`s-bill (Geranium molle).