Ah, that brings back happy memories of me and @jannerbirder.bsky.social #UNSBS sewage farm tour a few years ago! 🥲

Thanks Matt! Perhaps we could turn this into a #UNSBS tour with @jannerbirder.bsky.social and you could be our guide?!

If we can get the stars to align, we could all do this as a #UNSBS - perhaps on Shawbury Heath?

#UNSBS

A tiny canal boat moored at Gronwith Wharf on the Montgomery Canal between Maesbury Marsh and Crickheath.

In other news, I also discovered my dream waterborne des. res. on today's #UNSBS walk along the Montgomery Canal. Along the way, @jannerbirder.bsky.social and I also met a very beautiful Whippet and I've now decided I need a dog in my life! 🐶

#Shropshire ⛴️

Lift bridge in open position across the Montgomery Canal near Crickheath

Contemplative canalside ambience in Maesbury Marsh - a pair of Bullfinch were calling from the trees in the middle distance 💕

Information board detailing the considerable industrial heritage to be found around the Crickheath area of northwest Shropshire

The Unofficial North #Shropshire Bird Survey made a return visit to the Montgomery Canal today, as @jannerbirder.bsky.social and I explored the cut between Maesbury Marsh and Crickheath. Birding highlights included Redwing, Water Rail, Teal, Bullfinch and, possibly, a Marsh Tit!

#UNSBS 🪶💦☕

The Unofficial North #Shropshire bird survey began its autumn tour today as @jannerbirder.bsky.social and I visited the 'tamed wildness' of #Selattyn Hill. Birding highlights included numerous redwing, a redpoll, a pair of red kites and a buzzard being mobbed by soon-departing swallows!

#UNSBS 🍂🪶

'Golden Hour' Robin's Pincushion gall in a hedgerow on Nook Lane, Prees Heath taken on last night's Unofficial North Shropshire Bird Survey visit to the Hawkstone Hills. A quiet night but @jannerbirder.bsky.social and I spotted well over 100 Hirundines and several Brown Hares:

#UNSBS #Shropshire 🪶

A gateway on a well-marked footpath through one of the many Barley fields at Yeaton Peverey Farm

The River Perry at Fitz Mill

On the driveway to Yeaton Peverey Farm

The Unofficial North #Shropshire Bird Survey was in the Perry Valley last night as @jannerbirder.bsky.social and I toured the footpaths around Grafton, Fitz and Yeaton. Birding highlights included a Grey Wagtail, Swifts overhead, and Blackcaps and Whitethroats singing from the hedgerows:

#UNSBS 🪶

Bridleway on Eyton Lane, Baschurch with the snow-covered Shropshire hills in the background

The War Brook

Seasonal flooding on pasture near Eyton

The Unofficial North #Shropshire Bird Survey was out and about around Baschurch, Eyton and Fenemere today as @jannerbirder.bsky.social and I traversed the mysterious War Brook. Birding highlights aplenty, including various wildfowl, waders and a large flock of Black-headed Gulls.

#UNSBS 🪶💦

A lunar landscape of quarried rockfaces and an undulating quarry floor that has been reclaimed by nature.

A bright yellow warning sign that reads DANGER STEEP DROPS AND ROCKFALLS SERIOUS RISK OF INJURY OR DEATH

The view from the top edge of the quarry overlooking the main quarry area and then across fields to the distant hills.

Looking along a sheer cliff face viewed from the vegetation at the top of the quarried area. The landscape of the low-lying farmland and distant hills is just visible. In the foreground is a blossoming gorse bush that was being pollinated by a bumblebee. I've highlighted it in orange as I was a metre away from a 50 metre drop so didn't reach across the void to get closer...

The wonderful Llanymynech Rocks hosted the first Unofficial North Shropshire Bird Survey of 2024 today for @marcpetty.bsky.social and me. It's a fascinating landscape with great views, birds, flora and, later in the year, inverts. We did see an early bumblebee (highlighted).

#UKBirding
#UNSBS

The Unofficial North Shropshire Bird Survey was on duty for its first outing of 2024 today, as @jannerbirder.bsky.social and I traversed the England/Cymru border at the stunning #Llanymynech Rocks. Highlights included Peregrine, Raven and and some very noisy Jackdaws!

#UNSBS #Shropshire #Cymru 🪶

Looking south down the old Wellington-Crewe mainline towards Hodnet. A shallow, disused railway cutting, the track bed now a grassy footpath with a 3-metre tall Hawthorn in the foreground, and in the distance a brick bridge that takes the lane east from the village.

A partially flooded grass field with view across to woodland 150 metres away. Just visible is a gate leading to a footbridge that takes the footpath over the River Tern to the Wetlands.

The far end of the River Tern footbridge, looking down the steps to the flooded footpath of the Wetlands, flanked by inundated shrubs and trees. I estimated the water to be more than a metre deep, with a 2 mph current running across it.

An open landscape with a big sky, blue apart from with the edge of a line of white clouds. The view is across harvested maize fields (stalks and mud)with tractor tracks, shining silver with water, heading into the distance across a vegetated ditch with two tall Hawthorns to the left.

Met with @marcpetty.bsky.social for an Unofficial North #Shropshire Bird Survey along the old Wellington-Crewe mainline from Hodnet, with the aim of checking Wollerton Wetlands for migrant wildfowl, but the River Tern is still in flood and the wetland end of the bridge was belt buckle deep!
#UNSBS

And here it is: the first Unofficial North #Shropshire Bird Survey post on Bluesky! 🎉🎊🎆 Today, @jannerbirder.bsky.social and I visited the former Wellington -Crewe mainline at #Hodnet and attempted (and failed) to access a very soggy #Wollerton Wetlands!

#UNSBS 🤽