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

Upton Warren (18 Viewers)

Gert has already alluded to it , but thanks to everyone for a great job. John H at the education centre was well pleased. I think we have now opened the door to have a say in how the reserve looks in the future.
Thanks to all 10 of us
Gavo, beyonder, woodchat, gert, puckle, graham, binus1963, wheatearlrp, and special thanks to Geoff williams for abandoning Middleton for the day.
B :)John
The 3 pics show before and after the work and a bit of action.
 

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cheers dave just looked light under chin so i thought i'd better check it.

No probs mate - the pale patch is pretty typical. Worth taking photos of Swifts though (especially at Upton;)) as Pallid is probably an overlooked species inland in the UK. Features to look for are contrasting dark around eye, giving a 'masked effect', subtly broader head, body and wings with bluntish tips. Photos taken in good light may show paler ground colour with pale feather fringes giving scaly appearance to body and two-tone overall effect. You need to be really lucky to get views showing all these features though and there are some pitfalls with pale Common Swifts in the autumn (eg. ssp. pekinensis)
 
Gert has already alluded to it , but thanks to everyone for a great job. John H at the education centre was well pleased. I think we have now opened the door to have a say in how the reserve looks in the future.
Thanks to all 10 of us
Gavo, beyonder, woodchat, gert, puckle, graham, binus1963, wheatearlrp, and special thanks to Geoff williams for abandoning Middleton for the day.
B :)John
The 3 pics show before and after the work and a bit of action.

Hi John, It made a nice change, your all doing a good job on the reserve. It was also good to talk to Arthur Jacobs over at the Moors earlier.
Geoff
 
Birding today at the Moors
a bit quiet on the duck front. Shoveler 23, Teal 70 ish, NO Pochard at all:eek!:
Tufted c30, Little grebe 2, GCG 4 also a few birds were feeding on the apple tree nest to the large horse chestnut, including redwings and a male Blackcap
Snipe 12
At Flashes: water looks great but from low down you get a totally different perspective of the area and the birds looked crammed in.
The staling flocks circled and performed a few 'bee swarming motions' 2000+( I don't know if that's what I mean , but aho ere we go 8-P). They were also taking evasive action at times which split the flock up, with half of them moving to the Moors.
The BHG's streamed in late on, with at least 1000 looking like a giant sheet of snow. Also 18 curlew and 400 lapwing roosted. & lesser redpoll fed in the hen pool silver birches.
The hide will hopefully be open in two weeks:t:
B :)John
 

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Bird I.D

can you check these for me, wondering with the swift because of pale throat and i think the other is a juvi wheatear could someone confirm either way, cheers in anticipation.

Yes look's likes juv Wheatear, not long fledged and what I can see from the pictures suggests common Swift.

Where did you see these birds and date.

Regards, John
 
Flashes work party - Sunday 4th December

Building on the fantastic turn-out to November's work party and the additional event undertaken yesterday in the Education Reserve, next Sunday's work party will concentrate on some further scrub management, building on our success from earlier in the year.

First tasks will being shingling the islands / spits / delta area with our remaining shingle (this shouldnt take too long) and checking the channels to ensure they have all been dredged / dug out.

In terms of scrub management the areas to be reviewed are the scrub around the feeding station, the large willows by the hide, the hedge line between the feeding station and Hen Pool hides, possibly the "hidden triangle" set back from the Hen Pool and, if the Sailing Centre are OK about it, the bramble scrub by the steps.

The aims will be very similiar to last year - removing leggy / woody growth that is preventing light getting in at low level and promoting new growth at a variety of heights. This will assist with Willow Warbler, Blackcap, Common and Lesser Whitethroat etc but will also be a benefit to insects (esp butterflies) and flowers.

Usual 10:00am start - please bring old clothes, boots / wellies and a pair of gloves. Light refreshments (squash and a selection of superior biscuits) will be provided by the catering department :t:

Hope to see as many of you there as possible.

Phil
 
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Re: Pallid Swifts -

FWIW - pay attention when you are abroad, it's the relatively easy way to get to grips with the jizz and subtle differences which readily become apparant. During their breeding season i see as many Pallid as Common in Morocco and it's good practice to keep on identifiying them - it would certainly pay dividends with a potential inland bird here. UK individuals are unlikely to be calling outside the breeding season but the call is very distinctive, a definate bi-sybillic note.

The throat on Common Swifts can be very noticeably White when extended and full of food, a pitfall for the unwary - if you suspect Pallid try and get veiws that are not in strong light.

Laurie -:t:
 
Tuesday work party at North Moors

Another great day with 13 off us almost finishing off the 'seasonal pool'. What's amazing about this is, that it is never the same 13 of us and considering the forecast for heavy rain and strong winds everyone still turns up...thats commitment:t:
Unfortunately, I had another memory lapse today, not my trousers this time, but my camera and BINS:-C. Rather have no trousers than no Bins.8-P
Thus no pics today.
Anyway, 2 very large willows were felled in the middle of the at present dryish seasonal pool and the brash used to shore up the north and north west boundary fence. A slightly smaller willow in the north east of the pool was also pollarded. Whilst clearing the brash a 'stash' of watches in their cases was found, not quite saxon treasure but nearly:smoke:
The dead hedging along the northern end of the trail continued.
Following on from last week's coppicing/pollarding of the NE blackthorn thicket, today we heavily pruned it to form an 'amphitheatre effect' within it.
Next week we will be continue in this area, hopefully a new viewing area will be created overlooking the reed bed at the northern end.B :)John
 
Birding at the Moors after the work party.
The galeforce winds and heavy rain didn't bring in anything new. However many large gulls were forced down on to the water for a while. Most birds kept their heads down, so passerines were at a premium.
Species counts:
GCG 3, Little grebe 3 all front of the east hide. Cormorant 31, greylag 9, Shoveler 16, Teal 60+, Tufted 20, POCHARD NONE:eek!:
Coot 205, water rail at least 3 heard and 1 seen at the north moors.
Snipe 15, Curlew 5, Lapwing c20
Herring gull c10, LBBG 20+
several small flocks of redwing roosted in the thickets around the north moors.
B :)John
 
Yes look's likes juv Wheatear, not long fledged and what I can see from the pictures suggests common Swift.

Where did you see these birds and date.

Regards, John
i can't honestly say when or where was just sorting through some old pics and they caught my eye so thought i'd better let someone with more idea than me double check them, cheers anyway.
 
Photos

i can't honestly say when or where was just sorting through some old pics and they caught my eye so thought i'd better let someone with more idea than me double check them, cheers anyway.

Hi, It's always best to note the date (date on camera when picture taken) and location, which can aid identification if the Swift picture was taken in Autumn more chance of being Pallid Swift. Also a juvenile Wheatear newly fledged is unlikely to have travelled far.

Regards, John
 
Today's highlights:

MOORS:
Shoveler (21)--------------Teal (58)
Tufted Duck (15)----------Little Grebe (4)
G C Grebe (3)-------------Snipe (8)
Curlew (16)--------------- Kingfisher
Cormorant (34)-----------Peregrine (3), two over the water +1 distant bird.
Blackcap (m) by feeding station near concrete hide.

ED RES:
Goldcrest (2)

FLASHES:
Redpoll (15)---------------Lapwing (c150)
Teal (6)

Des.
 
Great White Egret was reported from the Moors Pool this afternoon, seen briefly in south west bay but after 3 hours of searching over Moors, Sailing Lake and Flashes I did not manage to locate it myself. But shows the bird is still about!
 
Reported how, and where by who? South west bay seems a genuine call though.
There appears to be no mention on the usual channels. But, rest assured, bad back or not, I have a photo opportunity with that little bugger and if he's still around...
 
Sy Bird was seen to land in bay then move quickly into channel by telegraph poles observed same pattern myself on Sat. Seemed genuine birders (one local chap.) They have written obs. in East Hide note book as I did not catch there names.
 
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