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ZEISS DTI thermal imaging cameras. For more discoveries at night, and during the day.

Upton Warren (34 Viewers)

upstarts1979 said:
A lot of passerine activity all around the Flashes literally
The hedges at the bottom of the 'brown' North field bean crop held a considerable amount of passerines. Especially finches, warblers , thrushes, tits and reed bunting. The bulk of the birds were in the two large Hawthorne, from where they were flying into the field to feed. Also holding plenty of birds were the hedges by the climbing frames, the 'confluence', the meadow hedge and the west hedgerow right of the hide where 2 redstarts were. My first wheatear for a couple of years was found by Crofty. It was perched on the stock fence gate between the 2nd and 3rd flash and then spent a good period in front of the hide. Other notnotable migration was swift moving south along with swallows and sand martin. Warblers were seemingly everywhere and in stark contrast to a year ago passerines were certainly more numerous and widespread. Waders were not as numerous as yesterday but overall the waterbirds were plentiful. There was one youngdter left from the 2nd brood of Shoveler and at least 3 of the older brood presumably the other 2 had moved off. Unfortunately the thunderstorms didn't bring the hoped for rarity..nut there's always tomorrow 8-P

Species Count FLASHES:
Little grebe 2 -3rd Flash
Little egret. Grey heron. Greylag 25. Canada's 180.
Mallard 280. Shoveler 4 juvs/ch(3:1). Teal 6. Gadwall. Coot 25. Moorhen c30 (1 ch A few days old).
Avocet 13 (9 juvs 1:1:2:4:1 - including 'runty'). Snipe. Green sand 4. Common sand 3. Black tailed godwit 7 (6 flew ff south at 9.30am).
Click to expand...

It appears that the 7 juvenile Godwits that left together yesterday were at Lower Moor today
 
dropped in on the Moors for 1/2 hour this afternoon to try out my new tripod after my old one broke.Big thanks to Brian at The Birders Store for sorting me out.As for the moors all calm, most of the coots located at the south end,a few cormorants and LBBG, 7 mute swans.
 
Andy A reports from the Flashes this morning:

Green Sand, 4 Common Sand, 3 Black-tailed Godwits, Wood Sand, Redshank
 
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Spent 8 hours at flashes today 0645-1500

Highlights...

Avocet (8)
Blackwit (3 ... departed about 9am)
Common Sand (4)
Blackcap
Common Tern (2 + juv)
Curlew (14)
Gadwall (1)
Green Sand (2)
Lapwing (c60)
Linnet (10)
Redshank (1)
Sand Martin (c12)
Swallow (4)
Teal (15)
Whitethroat
Willow Warbler (2 by SP)
Wood Sand (day 8 I think?)

Great views of Reed Warbler feeding young just outside Avocet and Cuckoo hides
 

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Today's highlights:

FLASHES*:
Wood Sand-----------------Avocet (8) including 2 adults.
Green Sand (4)------------Common Sand (3)
Snipe (1)-------------------Black Tailed Godwit (3) for 10 mins. One remained on or close to the reserve.
Curlew (15)----------------Lapwing (75)
Teal (12)-------------------Shoveler (3)
Gadwall (1)----------------Med Gull (juv) for most of the morning only.
Kingfisher------------------Swallow (3)
Swift (17)------------------Sparrowhawk
Little Grebe (1)------------Common Tern (2) + juv were joined by the remainder of the Moors birds this evening for a short time.
*The last hour this evening was covered by AW on "potential Sabine's Gull watch", after one was seen in Warwickshire today.

MOORS:
Shoveler (2)----------------Gadwall (5)
Teal (3)---------------------Little Grebe (15)
G C Grebe (1)--------------Swift (6)
Coot (102)------------------Greylag Goose (20)
Mute Swan (9)--------------Sparrowhawk
Egyptian Goose-------------Common Tern (5ad) + 2 juv)
A flock of c120 birds along the east track comprising of 50 LongTailedTits, 12 Chiffchaff, 5 Goldcrest, 1 Willow Warbler, 1 Blackcap and Great and Blue Tits.

Des.
 
A good few hours on the moors and flashes this evening,
Moors,(Cows) Water Rail calling from 2 places in front on the east hide and from the north end.
Flashes,(No Cows) Heron on 3rd flash.Wood, Common and Green sandpipers.1 blackwit. Lapwings.200 BHGs.
pic 1. good numbers of Little Grebes.
pic 3, gulls going to the circus 3:)
pis 4, trying out my new clamp The Birders Store again.
pic 5,as I left this flew low over the flashes low, putting up most of the birds. I saw the curlews leave don't know what else:-C
 

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Birder Gladys said:
A good few hours on the moors and flashes this evening,
Moors,(Cows) Water Rail calling from 2 places in front on the east hide and from the north end.
Flashes,(No Cows) Heron on 3rd flash.Wood, Common and Green sandpipers.1 blackwit. Lapwings.200 BHGs.
pic 1. good numbers of Little Grebes.
pic 3, gulls going to the circus 3:)
pis 4, trying out my new clamp The Birders Store again.
pic 5,as I left this flew low over the flashes low, putting up most of the birds. I saw the curlews leave don't know what else:-C
Click to expand...

I am not sure I understand the logic of moving the cattle from the Flashes to the Moors Pool after the end of the breeding season with several weeks of growth still remaining for the phragmites and grassland.
 
Birder Gladys said:
A good few hours on the moors and flashes this evening,
Moors,(Cows) Water Rail calling from 2 places in front on the east hide and from the north end.
Flashes,(No Cows) Heron on 3rd flash.Wood, Common and Green sandpipers.1 blackwit. Lapwings.200 BHGs.
pic 1. good numbers of Little Grebes.
pic 3, gulls going to the circus 3:)
pis 4, trying out my new clamp The Birders Store again.
pic 5,as I left this flew low over the flashes low, putting up most of the birds. I saw the curlews leave don't know what else:-C
Click to expand...

Also reported yesterday by Tim and Paul R:

Moors Pool - Treecreeper by car park, 12 Mute Swan, Buzzard, Sparrowhawk

Flashes - 2 Common Sand, 2 Green Sand, 15 Curlew, 134 Lapwing, 6 Avocet, Garden Warbler, Willow Warbler, Kingfisher, 3 Common Tern (2 juveniles)
 
Wood Sand still at the Flashes and 2 Blackwits; male Redstart in the transmitter field hedge as per Andy P.

Some details about long staying Wood Sand tomorrow.
 
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Friday 11th August 1400-1800

MOORS POOL
9 Black-tailed Godwit, 2 Lapwing, 2 Shoveler, 6 Gadwall, 26 Tufted Duck, 1 GC Grebe, Little Grebe - an explosion of numbers with 26 adults / fledged juveniles + 3 chicks (including a tight knot of 10 in the lee of one of the islands), c80 Coot, 13 Moorhen, Water Rail, 1 Grey Heron, 3 Cormorant, 31 Greylag Geese, c30 Canada Geese, 12 Mute Swan, 6 Common Tern (4 adults + 2 juveniles), 2 LBB Gull, Jay, GS Woodpecker, c10 Swift, c100 hirundines (all 3 species), Buzzard, Sparrowhawk, juvenile Cetti's Warbler calling along east track.

SAILING POOL
4 GC Grebe, 1 Tufted Duck, c75 Canada Geese, 2 Moorhen, 6 Coot, Goldcrest in trees on southern shore

FLASHES
Juvenile Wood Sandpiper (mainly keeping to the far side of the second Flash), 4 Green Sand, 4 Common Sand, 8 Avocet (2 adults + 6 juveniles), 16 Curlew, 11 Black-tailed Godwit (this morning's two birds plus the nine from the Moors Pool), c110 Lapwing, 25 Teal, 3 Gadwall, 3 Shoveler, 26 Moorhen, 16 Coot, 1 Little Grebe on third Flash, 10 Canada Geese, 2 Grey Heron, 3 LBB Gull, Herring Gull, juvenile Common Tern, 2 Raven, Buzzard, Goldcrest.

The crop field is now being cut to the north east of the Flashes - once in this condition this usually attracts large numbers of duck and geese early morning and then pigeons, doves, corvids and Starlings throughout the day.

Has anyone seen any Marbled White this year?

With JTB currently on holiday the early morning shift tomorrow is vacant if someone wants to be a hero
 
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Phil Andrews said:
MOORS POOL
9 Black-tailed Godwit, 2 Lapwing, 2 Shoveler, 6 Gadwall, 26 Tufted Duck, 1 GC Grebe, Little Grebe - an explosion of numbers with 26 adults / fledged juveniles + 3 chicks (including a tight knot of 10 in the lee of one of the islands), c80 Coot, 13 Moorhen, Water Rail, 1 Grey Heron, 3 Cormorant, 31 Greylag Geese, c30 Canada Geese, 12 Mute Swan, 6 Common Tern (4 adults + 2 juveniles), 2 LBB Gull, Jay, GS Woodpecker, c10 Swift, c100 hirundines (all 3 species), Buzzard, Sparrowhawk, juvenile Cetti's Warbler calling along east track.

SAILING POOL
4 GC Grebe, 1 Tufted Duck, c75 Canada Geese, 2 Moorhen, 6 Coot, Goldcrest in trees on southern shore

FLASHES
Juvenile Wood Sandpiper (mainly keeping to the far side of the second Flash), 4 Green Sand, 4 Common Sand, 8 Avocet (2 adults + 6 juveniles), 16 Curlew, 11 Black-tailed Godwit (this morning's two birds plus the nine from the Moors Pool), c110 Lapwing, 25 Teal, 3 Gadwall, 3 Shoveler, 26 Moorhen, 16 Coot, 1 Little Grebe on third Flash, 10 Canada Geese, 2 Grey Heron, 3 LBB Gull, Herring Gull, juvenile Common Tern, 2 Raven, Buzzard, Goldcrest.

Has anyone seen any Marbled White this year?

With JTB currently on holiday the early morning shift tomorrow is vacant if someone wants to be a hero
Click to expand...

Marbled White has been seen at the Flashes and Ed Res at least.

Des.
 
Wood Sandpiper

In light of the lingering bird at the Flashes, a number of people have asked me what the record stay of a Wood Sandpiper is at Upton Warren - the answer is actually quite surprising:

1) 54 days (11th August to 3rd October 1976)
2) 44 days (14th August to 26th September 1965; up to 6 birds present *)
3) 37 days (13th July to 18th August 1985)
4) 32 days (23rd August to 24th September 1968; up to 3 birds *)
5) 20 days (4th to 23rd August 1966; up to 2 birds *)
6) 19 days (2nd to 20th August 1980; up to 3 birds *)
7) 17 days (1st to 17th September 1983)
8) 16 days (5th to 20th August 1980)
=9) 15 days (9th to 23rd May 1965 - 1 or 2 birds *)
=9) 15 days (21st August to 4 September 1971 - up to 3 birds *)
11) 11 days (1st to 11th August 2017)

Unsurprisingly birds on return passage dominate to the top places; it would be great to return to the days of the late 1960s when multiple birds lingered throughout the autumn.

* Unfortunately those records highlighted in itallics aren't detailed enough to determine in these prolonged stays whether one bird could have potential been present throughout the whole period; need to "call Bill Oddie ...."
 
Little Grebe

After a series of very poor years in the Noughties it is good to see that Little Grebe have made a marked and sustained comeback to the reserve with 27 adults / fledged young present yesterday (and a further 3+ young still to fledge).

The record count for the reserve is 38 birds seen on the Sailing Pool (at that time still a gravel pit as a result of the motorway construction) on the 18th August 1959. Other notable counts include 37 birds (mostly juveniles) in August 1995, 32 on the 21st August 1967 and 30 on the 18th August 1960 and again on the 16th August 2015. A. J. Martin’s article on Upton Warren in the Birmingham Bird Club’s 1943 report commented that up to 35 birds occurred between 1939 and 1943
 

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