Upton Warren (12 Viewers)

[upstarts1979]

Gazza' got no internet, so this is from him
After I left, Vern and Gazza had a spotted flycatcher at the southern border of the Flashes and 3 Black Tailed godwits flew over.

 

[upstarts1979]

had a good afternoon on the mecca
took a few shots today not many but had the clouded yellow butterfly and the spotted flycatcher thanks to gaz (Biking Birder) got a few snaps of the juv cuckoo cant seem to upload snaps as yet but i have put one of the clouded yellow on my flickr if you wish to see it links underneath. i will try again later

great shot of a species possibly never photographed before.B

 

[UW82]

had a good afternoon on the mecca
took a few shots today not many but had the clouded yellow butterfly and the spotted flycatcher thanks to gaz (Biking Birder) got a few snaps of the juv cuckoo cant seem to upload snaps as yet but i have put one of the clouded yellow on my flickr if you wish to see it links underneath. i will try again later

Great shot Vern. It looks like we are in for a bumper August of Clouded Yellows.

Des.

 

[Phil Andrews]

Many thanks to the observer who recorded that one of the six Black-tailed Godwits at the Flashes on Saturday morning (20th July) was colour ringed - Green Yellow Green on its right leg, Orange Green Orange on its left leg.

These combinations indicate that it came from a ringing scheme based at Iken Marsh Nature Reserve, Alde, Suffolk that was operating between August 2007 and October 2008. I will see if I can get any more details on the individual.

As promised please find attached the history of the colour-ringed Black-tailed Godwit recorded at the Flashes on the 20th July:

29-Aug-08 - Iken, River Alde, Suffolk, E England (ringed in the nest)
21-Mar-09 - Orfordness, Suffolk, E England
13-Aug-09 - RSPB Harvegate Island, Suffolk, E England
13-Aug-09 - RSPB Harvegate Island, Suffolk, E England
14-Aug-09 - RSPB Harvegate Island, Suffolk, E England
07-Aug-10 - Orfordness, Suffolk, E England
08-Aug-10 - Orfordness, Suffolk, E England
11-Sep-10 - RSPB Harvegate Island, Suffolk, E England
12-Sep-10 - RSPB Harvegate Island, Suffolk, E England
13-Sep-10 - RSPB Harvegate Island, Suffolk, E England
14-Sep-10 - RSPB Harvegate Island, Suffolk, E England
15-Sep-10 - RSPB Harvegate Island, Suffolk, E England
12-Jul-11 - RSPB Harvegate Island, Suffolk, E England
22-Jan-12 - Hollesley Marsh RSPB reserve, SE of Woodbridge, Suffolk, E England
27-Jan-12 - Hollesley Marsh RSPB reserve, SE of Woodbridge, Suffolk, E England
25-Aug-12 - Orfordness, Suffolk, E England
08-Jan-13 - Botany Marshes, west of Snape bridge, Suffolk, E England
20-Jul-13 - Upton Warren NR, Worcestershire, C England

Looks like it only ventured out of Suffolk once in five years!

 

[Abbeybirder]

Full review of my visit today with species counts can be found on my blog link to follow

I would like to thank everyone today for the banter and for helping me id birds and for pointing me in the right direction so as to see some of the species, also it was nice to put some faces to names and it was very nice to chat too.

Link as promised -

http://abbeybirder.wordpress.com/2013/08/08/upton-warren-nature-reserve-visit-08082013/

 

[Periwinkle]

Was the Godwit a Continental bird as opposed to Icelandic as it was born in Suffolk? Would be a very rare midlands record.

 

[timmyjones]

As promised please find attached the history of the colour-ringed Black-tailed Godwit recorded at the Flashes on the 20th July:

29-Aug-08 - Iken, River Alde, Suffolk, E England (ringed in the nest)
21-Mar-09 - Orfordness, Suffolk, E England
13-Aug-09 - RSPB Harvegate Island, Suffolk, E England
13-Aug-09 - RSPB Harvegate Island, Suffolk, E England
14-Aug-09 - RSPB Harvegate Island, Suffolk, E England
07-Aug-10 - Orfordness, Suffolk, E England
08-Aug-10 - Orfordness, Suffolk, E England
11-Sep-10 - RSPB Harvegate Island, Suffolk, E England
12-Sep-10 - RSPB Harvegate Island, Suffolk, E England
13-Sep-10 - RSPB Harvegate Island, Suffolk, E England
14-Sep-10 - RSPB Harvegate Island, Suffolk, E England
15-Sep-10 - RSPB Harvegate Island, Suffolk, E England
12-Jul-11 - RSPB Harvegate Island, Suffolk, E England
22-Jan-12 - Hollesley Marsh RSPB reserve, SE of Woodbridge, Suffolk, E England
27-Jan-12 - Hollesley Marsh RSPB reserve, SE of Woodbridge, Suffolk, E England
25-Aug-12 - Orfordness, Suffolk, E England
08-Jan-13 - Botany Marshes, west of Snape bridge, Suffolk, E England
20-Jul-13 - Upton Warren NR, Worcestershire, C England

Looks like it only ventured out of Suffolk once in five years!

Are there any photos of this bird?

Presumably a limosa and also presumably a first for the reserve?

 

[Phil Andrews]

Flashes' work parties

I know you all like to plan ahead so here is the programme for the work parties at the Flashes in the forthcoming months. As is traditional the work parties will be held on the first Sunday of each month with tools and refreshments provided:

6th October - dredge silted up wader feeding channels (scale dependent on water level)
3rd November - refurbish the feeding station
1st December - rejuvinate peninsular (defending the northern shoreline with stones to prevent further erosion and gravelling up the now bare area to the grass to provide further Lapwing / LRP / Avocet nesting opportunities)
5th January - first stage of a rotational cut of the reeds in the Hen Pool (similar to that adopted at the Moors)
2nd February - scrub manangement between feeding station and steps / start preparation of foreshore and breeding islands
2nd March - preparation of foreshore and breeding islands ready for the Spring, including a thorough check of the fox fence

There will be further ad hoc tasks with tree pruning / scrub management / river clearance, plus any assistance that the Trust may require with their projects (replacement of the screening, grazing, sluice installation etc).

The Trust have taken the responsibility for managing the sewage meadow and the encroachment of the reed-beds. This will primarily be tackled through the deployment of livestock at the Flashes (as happened up to the late 1990s). To facilitate this there will need to be some works to ensure the welfare of the animals (stock fencing, supply of fresh water etc) and I understand these will commence on Sunday 18th August. John will post further details when the exact timescale is known.

 

[Phil Andrews]

Was the Godwit a Continental bird as opposed to Icelandic as it was born in Suffolk? Would be a very rare midlands record.

Are there any photos of this bird?

Presumably a limosa and also presumably a first for the reserve?

Hi Tom and Tim - the simple answer is I dont know. The bird was seen by Mr Westwood (Wayne Dutton, not Brett ) and I am sure he would have mentioned it. If anyone is in contact with Wayne perhaps they could pose this question to him?

 

[Periwinkle]

Don't think adult Blackwits in autumn are easy to id to subspecies.

 

[timmyjones]

Hi Tom and Tim - the simple answer is I dont know. The bird was seen by Mr Westwood (Wayne Dutton, not Brett ) and I am sure he would have mentioned it. If anyone is in contact with Wayne perhaps they could pose this question to him?

As far as I'm aware its only limosa that breed in the UK so a record of a bird ringed as a nestling in the UK would indicate that it was a limosa, could be easily overlooked

 

[Phil Andrews]

As far as I'm aware its only limosa that breed in the UK so a record of a bird ringed as a nestling in the UK would indicate that it was a limosa, could be easily overlooked

The interesting point here was that it was part of a flock of six birds - perhaps the whole party was displaced from East Anglia (we will never know)

 

[timmyjones]

The interesting point here was that it was part of a flock of six birds - perhaps the whole party was displaced from East Anglia (we will never know)

True, but a quick email to the ringer could confirm that this bird was at least a limosa

 

[Woodchat]

As far as I'm aware its only limosa that breed in the UK so a record of a bird ringed as a nestling in the UK would indicate that it was a limosa, could be easily overlooked

I think I read islandica breed in northern Britain in BB RBBP annual report. They may even outnumber limosa these days as a UK breeder.

I will check my facts tomorrow.

 

[Phil Andrews]

True, but a quick email to the ringer could confirm that this bird was at least a limosa

Have posed the question; will let you know the answer. There have been two other records of ringed Black-tailed Godwits at Upton Warren:-

Noted on 27/07/1999 - ringed at Terrington, Norfolk on The Wash on 02/08/1996; regularly noted in Portsmouth Harbour in the winters of 1996/97, 1997/98 and 1998/99.
Noted on 04/07/2007 - ringed in Portugal of the islandica race

 

[upstarts1979]

I think I read islandica breed in northern Britain in BB RBBP annual report. They may even outnumber limosa these days as a UK breeder.

I will check my facts tomorrow.

I was told that southport breeders and the scottish birds are islandica

 

[Woodchat]

This is from the 2010 RBBP report,British Birds Vol.105 (2012), p 388:

.
Black-tailed Godwit Limosa limosa
Rare:5-yr mean 66 bp Coverage:near-complete
16 sites: 57–67 pairs.The numbers of nominate limosa remain steady,with the majority breeding
at the Ouse Washes. The number of confirmed breeding pairs of L. l. islandica (five), however, is
lower than it has been since 2005.
L.l.limosa 52–59 pairs
England, SW
One site: one pair bred, but is believed to have failed at the egg or small chick stage.
England, SE
Kent Three sites: (1) one pair bred,raising one young, one pair probably bred and two pairs possibly bred;
(2) one pair probably bred, but no more than display and copulation seen;(3) one pair probably bred, based
on agitated behaviour in mid July.
England,E
Cambridgeshire One site: 44 pairs bred and a total of 25 young fledged. Norfolk One site: four pairs bred, at
least two broods of fledged young seen. Suffolk One extensive site: a single displaying male, present for the
thirteenth consecutive spring,was seen at three coastal locations.
England,N
Lancashire & N Merseyside One site: one pair probably bred. Two males and a female were again seen displaying early in the season but no nesting took place. Yorkshire Two sites1) one pair bred. Four eggs were
laid but lost to a predator;(2) one pair bred.A female with four newly hatched chickswasseen on 21st May.
A male, caught and ringed on 29th Aprilwas of the race islandica (ID supported by biometrics), but it is not
certain that the breeding pairwas of this race.

So my facts were a bit off but islandica certainly do breed in the UK

 

[UW82]

I think I read islandica breed in northern Britain in BB RBBP annual report. They may even outnumber limosa these days as a UK breeder.

I will check my facts tomorrow.

To save you the trouble Dave, because I'm sure you are a busy man.
RBBP birds in the UK-2010.

Limosa 52-59 pairs bred in SW England (1 site), Kent, Cambridgeshire (the vast majority) and Lancashire & N Mersyside.

Islandica 5-8 pairs bred in Orkney and Shetland.

Des.

 

[UW82]

This is from the 2010 RBBP report,British Birds Vol.105 (2012), p 388:

.
Black-tailed Godwit Limosa limosa
Rare:5-yr mean 66 bp Coverage:near-complete
16 sites: 57–67 pairs.The numbers of nominate limosa remain steady,with the majority breeding
at the Ouse Washes. The number of confirmed breeding pairs of L. l. islandica (five), however, is
lower than it has been since 2005.
L.l.limosa 52–59 pairs
England, SW
One site: one pair bred, but is believed to have failed at the egg or small chick stage.
England, SE
Kent Three sites: (1) one pair bred,raising one young, one pair probably bred and two pairs possibly bred;
(2) one pair probably bred, but no more than display and copulation seen;(3) one pair probably bred, based
on agitated behaviour in mid July.
England,E
Cambridgeshire One site: 44 pairs bred and a total of 25 young fledged. Norfolk One site: four pairs bred, at
least two broods of fledged young seen. Suffolk One extensive site: a single displaying male, present for the
thirteenth consecutive spring,was seen at three coastal locations.
England,N
Lancashire & N Merseyside One site: one pair probably bred. Two males and a female were again seen displaying early in the season but no nesting took place. Yorkshire Two sites1) one pair bred. Four eggs were
laid but lost to a predator;(2) one pair bred.A female with four newly hatched chickswasseen on 21st May.
A male, caught and ringed on 29th Aprilwas of the race islandica (ID supported by biometrics), but it is not
certain that the breeding pairwas of this race.

So my facts were a bit off but islandica certainly do breed in the UK

You beat me to it!

Des.

 

[Phil Andrews]

Adrian - you refer in your write-up to an unknown gull; any photos / description?