Upton Warren (100 Viewers)

[Phil Andrews]

Hi John - would confirm that the Lapwing count is the highest since late February. Also of note was 19 Greylag Geese on the Sailing Pool. Was the Mandarin seen later in the afternoon?

Phil

 

[upstarts1979]

Hi John - would confirm that the Lapwing count is the highest since late February. Also of note was 19 Greylag Geese on the Sailing Pool. Was the Mandarin seen later in the afternoon?

Phil

No apparently some geazer with his girlfriend sitting in his grey car wearing glasses and answers to the name of Phil flushed it :-C
But it came back:-O:-O
yes was the answer at 3.15ish anyway. mind you there was a lot of activity on the pool canoes etc.
8-PJohn

 

[Phil Andrews]

For "flushed" read "gently pushed it out from the corner of the Sailing Pool into the centre of the lake where all could see it". :flyaway:

 

[wheatearlp]

... "gently pushed in out from the corner of the Sailing Pool into the centre of the lake where all could see it". :flyaway:

In out from? What sort of expression is that

 

[warrener]

No apparently some geazer with his girlfriend sitting in his grey car wearing glasses and answers to the name of Phil flushed it :-C
But it came back:-O:-O
yes was the answer at 3.15ish anyway. mind you there was a lot of activity on the pool canoes etc.
8-PJohn

Hi John

Thanks to Steve Payne I was able to snap the sometimes elusive Mandarin on the sailing pool today.

Links below to a couple of pics.

See you at the work party tomorrow.

Stuart

http://stuartandrews183.fotopic.net/p68200650.html
http://stuartandrews183.fotopic.net/p68200623.html

 

[upstarts1979]

Hi John

Thanks to Steve Payne I was able to snap the sometimes elusive Mandarin on the sailing pool today.

Links below to a couple of pics.

See you at the work party tomorrow.

Stuart

http://stuartandrews183.fotopic.net/p68200650.html
http://stuartandrews183.fotopic.net/p68200623.html

How un-real does that look, amazing . The drab underwing doesn't go with the rest of the body . Great shots Stuart see you tomorrow, with the new ladders:t: John

 

[Phil Andrews]

The Mandarin was a good spot by Dave Jackson for this less than annual visitor. Stats for sightings since 2000 are as follows:-

2000 - 0 records
2001 - 0 records
2002 - 0 records
2003 - 1 record of 1 bird
2004 - 3 records involving 6 birds
2005 - 0 records
2006 - 0 records
2007 - 1 record of 1 bird
2008 - 3 records involving 3 birds
2009 - 1 record of 1 bird
2010 - 1 record of 1 bird

With a Caspian Gull at Westwood today and Waxwings in at least 2 locations in Worcs the next year tick shouldnt hopefully be too far away :t:

Phil

 

[timmyjones]

With a Caspian Gull at Westwood today and Waxwings in at least 2 locations in Worcs the next year tick shouldnt hopefully be too far away :t:

Phil

Plus an SEO was seen near Bittel the other day, possibly the same bird? And Water Pipit at Lower Moor, was it Water or Rock that I had over the moors the other day.

Was nice to get back to Upton the other day, gives me a chance to see what great work has been occurring on the work parties! Keep it up lads, nice to see some of you again.

 

[midlands birder]

How un-real does that look, amazing . The drab underwing doesn't go with the rest of the body . Great shots Stuart see you tomorrow, with the new ladders:t: John

i remember seeing my first mandarins along the dowles brook, we were walking up the track when another birder flushed 3 mandarin off the brook, the flew up and i was just like how is that even real!!!!!
they look so cartoony in flight, it just looked unreal...........
stunning photos as per stuart :t:
MB

 

[upstarts1979]

Tuesday's Work at the Moors

We continued pollarding the overgrown willows along the west track on the reedbed side. These trees have reached 30 feet or more and have dried the reeds out in that area and shaded the thorn hedgerow. Today we removed the trees from the lower part of the track. By working in this area for the last two weeks we have churned up the ground and the area is now very wet and small pools have formed. The stunted thorn bushes should have a chance of reforming the hedgerow that once dominated this zone. Large trees were cut back 30 yards out into the reeds however we left the hawthorn in situ. This was where our first Savi's warbler appeared in 1985.
The larger branches were used to 'plug' the gaps in the old hedge by creating a willow 'dead hedge' and will hopefully act as a support for bramble.
The previously cut branches from the car park pollarding and west track were burned on the car park bonfire.

Birds seen at the Moors today:
GCG 5, Little grebe 3, Shoveler 7, Teal 5, Pochard 15, Tufted c12, Coot 220 +, Water rail all over the place especially in front of the feeding station. and 20 cormorants
Meadow pipit 6 over, redpoll and siskin also flying over.
On Amy's 10+ Curlew.
B John

 

[Phil Andrews]

Hi John - sounds like another very productive Moors Pool work party. Did you get a chance to see if the Mandarin was still on the Sailing Pool?

Cheers Phil

 

[upstarts1979]

Hi John - sounds like another very productive Moors Pool work party. Did you get a chance to see if the Mandarin was still on the Sailing Pool?

Cheers Phil

Hi Phil several people had looked for it but no go. Just a dunlin on the Flashes

are you going Saturday see you there if so.
Yes work looks really good and moving on a pace
B John

 

[Phil Andrews]

Hi John - will be down on Saturday morning unless the Marsh Hawk is tied down in Norfolk.

 

[Sy V]

Between 26 and 28 April (incl) this year we recorded sightings of:
Gropper
2 Hobbies
Med Gull
5 Ring Plovers
2 Dunlin

Now, I don't know whether this has been drawn to everyone's attention yet (and those of you who own firms or are self-employed won't thank me for this either) but, given that next year we will have Good Friday on 22 April, Easter Monday on 25 April, Royal Wedding on 29 April and Mayday Bank Holiday on 2 May, if you were to book 26-28 April (incl) off you'll get 11 consecutive days of birding for the cost of only 3 days holiday. Booked mine yesterday!

Never mind an all-dayer, we could do an all-weeker!

 

[Woodchat]

Between 26 and 28 April (incl) this year we recorded sightings of:
Gropper
2 Hobbies
Med Gull
5 Ring Plovers
2 Dunlin

Now, I don't know whether this has been drawn to everyone's attention yet (and those of you who own firms or are self-employed won't thank me for this either) but, given that next year we will have Good Friday on 22 April, Easter Monday on 25 April, Royal Wedding on 29 April and Mayday Bank Holiday on 2 May, if you were to book 26-28 April (incl) off you'll get 11 consecutive days of birding for the cost of only 3 days holiday. Booked mine yesterday!

Never mind an all-dayer, we could do an all-weeker!

Sy, I'm way ahead of you on that score - I'm no royalist but when Wills and Kate set their wedding date for the end of April it was music to my ears! :t: Other people can watch the wedding if that's their bag but I'll be out birding thanks very much. I like the sound of an 'all-weekender' - especially as the day after 'all-dayers' tends to turn up some cracking birds (viz. Red Kite and Arctic Tern this spring).

 

[Sy V]

Great minds Dave. I had a wee trawl through the old pages and during the entire corresponding period from earlier this year we had (amongst others): Swift, Whitethroat, Lesser Whitethroat, Redshank, Whimbrel, Sandwich Tern, Meadow Pipit, Common Gull, Common Tern, Wheatear, Sedge Warbler, Reed Warbler, Blackcap, Ruddy Shellduck, Arctic Tern, Garden Warbler and Red Kite!

 

[woodwolf]

I was busy at work yesterday morning sending these dates in, having spotted the week and a day for the price of 3, when I realised there was the May bank holliday tagged on as well :-O

It's a win win cause the Mr.s will be glued to the TV and will want me out the way:t:

Blesss them Royals, golden Jubileee 2011 so a double bank holiday that year tooB

 

[Reader]

I booked my three days off the day I heard it was going to be a bank holiday. I may book the four days before or after and make it a real long holiday. I will have a spare flexi day by then so will only use 6 days holiday for having 17 days off.

Now I wonder what I could do with all that time off.:-O:-O:t:

John

Now, I don't know whether this has been drawn to everyone's attention yet (and those of you who own firms or are self-employed won't thank me for this either) but, given that next year we will have Good Friday on 22 April, Easter Monday on 25 April, Royal Wedding on 29 April and Mayday Bank Holiday on 2 May, if you were to book 26-28 April (incl) off you'll get 11 consecutive days of birding for the cost of only 3 days holiday. Booked mine yesterday!

Never mind an all-dayer, we could do an all-weeker!

 

[Phil Andrews]

Am planing to be off from Good Friday (22nd April) and not going back until Wednesday 4th and suspect that I will be giving the reserve a good grilling during this time. National rarities / scarcities that have turned up at Upton during this range of dates include the first Montys Harrier, Temminck's Stint, Hoopoe and Red-rumped Swalllow.

Stealing the thunder of an article I am writing for the 2010 annual report, the period most likely to turn up a national rarity / scarcity on the reserve is the 11th to 28th May.

 

[Phil Andrews]

With this level of potential coverage for the reserve in Spring 2011, to (mis)quote Roy Schieder "You're gonna need a bigger log-book" :-O:-O