Long Mynd Grouse

I finished work at lunchtime on friday so headed off to Shropshire to spend the weekend with my Girlfriend, after beating the friday afternoon traffic and once refreshed we headed out for a drive in the gorgeous late afternoon sunshine. Having not explored the area to much in the last year, I had a rough idea of which direction we wanted to head in, so headed up the rather adventurous single track road, signposted unsuitable in Autumn & Winter, Over the Long Mynd which stands between the Stiperstones to the West and the Stretton Hills to the East.

With the car scraping the tarmac on a few occasions and the gear-stick not leaving first, it was pretty reminiscent of a Scottish mountain pass, the view wasn't to bad either as we rose to around 1500ft. A quick pit stop at the top of the hill to watch a Glider take off from the Midland Gliding Club who are based on the top, before a leisurely drive along the Spine of the hills, windows wound down in anticipation of something interesting. Im sure during certain times of the year the heath-land is brimming with Moorland wildlife but as the clock ticked round to 5.15pm it didn't seem to be present. (Usually the effect I have on places) When finally, with the late afternoon sunshine bathing the Heather in an orange glow, movement caught my eye. A Cock Pheasant miles from any trees or hedgerows, popped out on to the road swiftly followed by Buzzard swooping low over the brow to our left, soon vanishing from sight.

Nearing the end of the range I was beginning to get a little annoyed, 5 or 6 miles we had driven along the top of a quiet, peaceful natural wonderment and nothing moved for miles around, and then approaching the last bend before the decent into Church Stretton a bright red comb appeared out of the heather a mere 30 yards from the road. Ditching the car in the nearest pull in, I stalked back up the road and managed to get a load of shots of a pair of Red Grouse - another newbie for the 2012 list. But by this time the light was fading pretty fast so had to get a little closer and lower to shoot with the sky as the backdrop. The birds didn't seem bothered by my presence mooching about on the ground till a 5 Raven fly-by flushed them to the bank and thicker cover on the opposite side of the road.

Red Grouse Male

Red Grouse Male 

Red Grouse Male

Red Grouse Female

Red Grouse Male

Red Grouse Male

Red Grouse Female