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Friday, 17 April 2020

Pebble Brook Trail, Albrighton, Shropshire.

Birds, Butterflies and some Wild Flowers on my Old Local Patch.

Yellowhammer (Escribano Cerillo / Emberiza citronella).
I set off on the public footpaths from the village for my daily walk and headed out towards Pebble Brook and onwards to Bluebell Wood.
Just after I started along the first part of the track and found Blue Tit (Herrerillo Común / Parus caeruleus), Woodpigeon (Paloma Torcaz / Columba palumbus), Common Chaffinch (Pinzón Vulgar / Fringilla coelebs), Common Magpie (Urraca / Pica pica), Jackdaw (Grajilla / Corvus monedula) and on the verges Dandelion (Taraxacum spp), Garlic Mustard (Alliaria petiolata), Greater stitchwort (Stellaria holostea), White Dead Nettle (Lamium album) and Seed heads of Coltsfoot (Tussilago farfara).
Yellowhammer (Escribano Cerillo / Emberiza citronella).
In the hedges there were flowers of Blackthrorn (Prunus spinosa) and lots of Wild Cherry (Prunus avium), some other trees were just coming in to leaf including Sycamore (Acer pseudoplatanus), Hawthorn (Crataegus monogyna), Ash (Fraxinus excelsior), Silver Birch (Betula pendula), Hazel (Corylus avellana) and English Oak (Quercus robur). 
Greater stitchwort (Stellaria holostea).
Further along the track before I reached the brook heard and saw Willow Warbler (Mosquitero Musical / Phylloscopus trochillus), Common Chiffchaff (Mosquitero Común / Phylloscopus collybita), Blackcap (Curruca Capirotada / Sylvia atricailla), Robin (Petirrojo Europeo / Erithacus rubecula), Wren (Chochin / Troglodytes troglodytes), Common Starling (Estornino Pinto / Sturnus vulgaris), Blackbird (Mirlo Común / Turdus merula), Great Tit (Carbonera Común / Parus major) and saw a Grey Squirrel (Sciurus carolinensis) on the fields.
Locals.
On the far side of the brook on my way to the Wood I had views of a fine male Yellowhammer (Escribano Cerillo / Emberiza citronella) sat on top of an Hawthron hedge, a pair of Linnets (Pardillo Común / Carduelis cannabina), Pied Wagtail (Lavandera Blanca / Montacilla yarrellii), Meadow Pipit (Bisbita Pratense / Anthus pratensis), a flock of 10 or so Goldfinch (Jilguero / Carduelis carduelis), singing Skylarks (Alondra Común / Alauda arvensis) and Common Kestrel (Cernicalo Vulgar / Falco tinnunculus).
Goldfinch (Jilguero / Carduelis carduelis).
I reached the wood and there was a very good show of Common Bluebell (Hyacinthoides non-scripta) which I spent a few minutes taking some shots of. In the woods I also saw and heard Rook (Graja /  Corvus frugilegus), Raven (Cuervo / Corvus corax), Nuthatch (Trepador Azul / Sitta europaea), Long-tailed Tit (Mito / Aegithalos caudatus), Barn Swallow (Golondrina Común / Hirundo rustica), Jay (Arrendajo / Garrulus glandarius) and on the bank Common Daisy (Bellis perennis), Hairy bittercress (Cardamine hirsuta), Red Campion (Silene dioica) and in one of the sunny periods a male Common Orange-tip (Anthocharis cardamines).
Common Bluebell (Hyacinthoides non-scripta).
Common Bluebell (Hyacinthoides non-scripta).
I continued on along Woodhouse Lane and then took another track back towards Pebble Brook, as I passed the farm gardens I heard a Goldcrest (Regulus regulus) singing and had a Song Thrush (Zorzal Común / Turdus philomelos) fly across the path.
Common Bluebell (Hyacinthoides non-scripta).
Common Bluebell (Hyacinthoides non-scripta).
Other birds on my back to the brook included Pheasant (Faisán Vulgar / Phaisanus colchicus), Stock (Paloma Zurita / Columba oenas) and Collared Dove (Tórtola Turca / Streptopelia decaocto), Carrion Crow (Corneja Negra / Corvus corone), Dunnock (Acentor Común / Prunella modularis) and Greenfinch (Verderón Común / Carduelis chloris).
Garlic Mustard (Alliaria petiolata).
As I reached the Brook again I could see a nice show of Wood Anemones (Anemone nemorosa) but behind a barbed wire fence.
White Dead Nettle (Lamium album).
In the same area there was a  Great Spotted Woodpecker (Pico Picapinos / Dendrocopos major), lots of Lesser Celendine (Ranunculus ficaria) and Rabbit (Conejo / Oryctolagus cuniculus).
Pheasant (Faisán Vulgar / Phaisanus colchicus).
On my way back towards the house I also saw Mistle Thrush (Zorzal Charlo / Turdus viscivorus), Mallard (Anade Azulón / Anas platyrhynchos), another pair of Common Buzzards, Cuckoo Flower (Cardamine pratensis), Red-tailed bumblebee (Bombus lapidarius), Peacock (Aglais io) and Small Tortoiseshell (Aglais urticae).
Lesser Celendine (Ranunculus ficaria).
Cuckoo Flower (Cardamine pratensis).
Cuckoo Flower (Cardamine pratensis).














Thursday, 16 April 2020

Humphreston Farm area and in the Garden, Albrighton, Shropshire.

Out along the lanes for a quiet early morning stroll.

European Brown Hare (Lepus europaeus)-
I started off and once over the by-pass started to hear a few of the newly arrived summer migrants including Blackcap (Curruca Capirotada / Sylvia atricailla), Common Chiffchaff (Mosquitero Común / Phylloscopus collybita) and Willow Warbler (Mosquitero Musical / Phylloscopus trochillus). I continued on up to a gate way seeing Blue Tit (Herrerillo Común / Parus caeruleus), Carrion Crow (Corneja Negra / Corvus corone), Wren (Chochin / Troglodytes troglodytes), Robin (Petirrojo Europeo / Erithacus rubecula) and Common Chaffinch (Pinzón Vulgar / Fringilla coelebs).
Common Drone Fly (Eristalis tenax).
Common Drone Fly (Eristalis tenax).
From the gate I scanned the distant crop edges and found several European Brown Hares (Lepus europaeus), Woodpigeon (Paloma Torcaz / Columba palumbus), Blackbird (Mirlo Común / Turdus merula), Jackdaw (Grajilla / Corvus monedula) and Dunnock (Acentor Común / Prunella modularis).
Greylag Goose (Ansar Común / Anser anser).
I continued on passed the farm and down to the brook, on the way there were loads of insects in the sunny areas including this and many more Common Drone Flies (Eristalis tenax) and another species which remains unidentified.
Blackthrorn (Prunus spinosa).
In the same area I also had a small flock of Greylag Geese (Ansar Común / Anser anser) out on the fields and down by the brook Song Thrush (Zorzal Común / Turdus philomelos), Long-tailed Tit (Mito / Aegithalos caudatus), Great Tit (Carbonera Común / Parus major), Collared Dove (Tórtola Turca / Streptopelia decaocto), Common Magpie (Urraca / Pica pica) and several Common Chiffchaffs
Peacock (Aglais io).
I turned round and retraced my way back along the lanes to the village, on the way had a singing Goldcrest (Regulus regulus), Pheasant (Faisán Vulgar / Phaisanus colchicus), Stock Dove (Paloma Zurita / Columba oenas), Goldfinch (Jilguero / Carduelis carduelis), Common Buzzard (Busardo Ratonero / Buteo buteo), Nuthatch (Trepador Azul / Sitta europaea), Common Starling (Estornino Pinto / Sturnus vulgaris) and House Sparrow (Gorrión Común / Passer domesticus).
Unidentified.
I also had a male Common Orange-tip (Anthocharis cardamines), Peacock (Aglais io), Common Daisy (Bellis perennis), Wild Cherry (Prunus avium), Garlic Mustard (Alliaria petiolata),  White Dead Nettle (Lamium album), Coltsfoot (Tussilago farfara), Blackthrorn (Prunus spinosa), Green Alkanet (Pentaglottis sempervirens), Grey Squirrel (Sciurus carolinensis) and Rabbit (Conejo / Oryctolagus cuniculus).
Holly Blue (Celastrina argiolus).
Once I was back at the house I set myself up in the Garden and added Small White (Pieris rapae), Small Tortoiseshell (Aglais urticae), Holly Blue (Celastrina argiolus), Brimstone (Gonepteryx rhamni), Raven (Cuervo / Corvus corax), Sparrowhawk (Gavilán Común / Accipiter nisus), House Martin (Avión Común / Delichon urbica), Green Woodpecker (Pito Real / Picus viridis) heard, Coal Tit (Carbonero Garrapinos / Parus ater) and Black-headed Gull (Gaviota Riedora / Larus ridibundus).

Peacock (Aglais io) in the garden.
Blackbird (Mirlo Común / Turdus merula).
Woodpigeon (Paloma Torcaz / Columba palumbus).