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

Upton Warren (19 Viewers)

Me too. To be honest they're not worth wasting time thinking about, but it is another set-back in what seems, so far, to have been a year littered with them.

Anyway, on to more interesting things - the all-dayer. I've attached a check-list and I will have a few copies with me on Saturday. Any stats will have to wait until tomorrow or Friday (unless you want to look back in this thread to this week last year or 2010).

Cheers
Mike
 

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I think the owl is waiting for me to leave before venturing out. Common sandpiper here on the Moors, if that's worth mentioning?
 
Greetings from sunny..............Tangier!

Having been birding in Northern Maroc for 2 weeks it's the final night and a chance to catch up, courtesy of WiFi, with what's been happening back in Blighty.................

Despite the crap weather that we have'nt missed there has been Cranes and Storks galore, the latter photographed from the cab of a tractor according to what i have read! How long before the farmers get a grant for photographing scarce birds?

Nice regional passage of Arctic Terns and Little Gulls, pity that Worcestershire did'nt jam in on the action if it's any consolotation i have'nt seen either species over here. Not the done thing to 'grip off' online, so i wo'nt. Suffice to say that my last 'real' bit of birding this morning at a local 'Oued' (river) yielded 8 species of Hirundine and Swift, say no more!

I am sorry to hear about Arthur - back in 1979 i paid my first visit to Upton Warren with my uncle and he, literally, was the first person i bumped in to. Even the Upstart must have been a newbie? RIP to a gentleman-birder and an all-round modest 'good-egg'.

As for the hide-burning miscreants 'what goes round comes round' - fingers crossed!

It's nice to see that, despite the weather, and no doubt due to the all-hours coverage that UW is still pulling stuff in........

Laurie -:t:
 
Des wont be posting until late so he has texted me today's highlights:

2 Whimbrel, 5 Dunlin, 3 Yellow Wagtail, Garden Warbler, Common Whitethroat, Lesser Whitethroat, 3 Common Terns.

No sign of SE Owl (yet) today and still no Cuckoo!! :eek!:
 
I sometimes think hides are more hassle than they are worth .....

As John alluded to earlier, whilst this is hugely disappointing, there may be a silver lining. This gives us an opportunity to review the North Moors and consider what species we are trying to attract, what locations give the best views of the pool and reedbed, if there is an opportunity to create a shoreline etc etc. Obviously this may not be something that can be achieved at the drop of a hat but its worth looking at the opportunities. If there is to be a replacement hide its construction will need to be carefully thought out as this is the second hide we have lost to arson in this location.
 
Hide burnt down

Sy V said:
Scumbag b4st4rds!
Let's hope the Trust's insurance covers this and that this unfortunate development has no impact on the planned new West Moors hide construction. :C
Click to expand...

This is very distressing news! I think it's worth mentioning something Guy and I witnessed on Sunday morning during the storm, which may, or may not be related to the hide burning down.

We were sat in the East Hide @ Moors Pool at around 11:30 in the morning when there was a massive 'explosion' just to the left and behind the north hide - we can only assume it was the overhead power cables arcing in the wind. There were sparks and smoke about 20 feet in the air. The noise put everything up from the water. This then reoccurred again half an hour later. I remember saying at the time, bl**dy hell, you wouldn't want to be in the other hide with that going on - it's going to catch fire!

Now it might just be coincidence, but what if the same thing happend last night? I think it's definitely worth the Trust investigating what we witnessed and whether it may be the culpritt?

Just a thought.

Cheers,

Si
 
Out of the Ashes rises the Phoenix

Although it is very sad about the NM hide being burnt down, we have to take a positive from it.
Over the last couple of years I have discussed improvements to the North Moors reed bed with many birders and work party participants. The overwhelming consensus is that the reed bed is less than vigorous in places and for the most part in need of some remedial action. The extent of the reed bed is less than it was 15 years ago, so we had put in place some expansion plans. Which have been submitted to the trust and work could well be done in the next 12 months. However in light of today's incident, these plans could well be of more significance than previously. I always thought the hide was too close to the car park and even more so since the car park was expanded. The future plans would incorporate a 'concrete' hide built into the spoil bank on the west side.
The rationale is to increase the size and quality of reed beds and also create ideal cettis warbler habitat. At present much of the west side is dry and sterile, this because the land is covered in debris from the 'scrape' of several years previous. Much of the new proposed work was from a plan back in 1988 that myself and Stuart C had spoken about. What do you think:t:

The Three diagrams are
1. The present state
2. The action needed
3. The END result.
 

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No time to comment now John. But you've obviously given the matter some thought. Hairy Si's comments are interesting!
Will throw my tuppence worth in, from work, tomorrow.

SJV
 
Si Hairy one
This is possibly what you heard . It was a tree along out track to the Swan Inn that fell on to the power lines and destroyed the telegraph pole as well.
Must have been a bang:storm:
 

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Record shot of a warbler seen in the bushes behind the East Hide this afternoon / early evening. I'm not great at some warbler IDs unless I can hear them calling... is this a garden warbler?
 

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Duck_Pond said:
Record shot of a warbler seen in the bushes behind the East Hide this afternoon / early evening. I'm not great at some warbler IDs unless I can hear them calling... is this a garden warbler?
Click to expand...

Looks good to me - note the dark eye, short but heavy bill (for a warbler), grey legs, the relatively non-descript plumage and the grey to the side of the neck. Will be interesting to see if Des's sighting was of this bird or one elsewhere on the reserve.
 
Duck_Pond said:
Record shot of a warbler seen in the bushes behind the East Hide this afternoon / early evening. I'm not great at some warbler IDs unless I can hear them calling... is this a garden warbler?
Click to expand...

Great pic Pete, of a pretty skulking species. Grey side of neck is diagnostic.B :)John
 
Thanks for the ID :t: I think someone reported one singing down near the horse chestnut tree earlier in the day.
 
Better late than never. Today's highlights.

FLASHES:
Whimbrel (2)-----------------Dunlin (3)
Avocet (10)-------------------LRP (5)
Common Sand (2)-----------Lapwing (2)
Shelduck---------------------Gadwall (pr)
Common Gull (2nd S)-------Linnnet (5)
L Whitethroat reported near Sailing Centre.

MOORS:
Dunlin (2)---------------------Yellow Wagtail (1) +3 reported
Common Sand----------------Oystercatcher (4)
Little Grebe-------------------Common Tern (3)
Kestrel------------------------Buzzard (5)
Peregrine---------------------Cormorant (1)
Whitethroat-------------------Garden Warbler opposite 'Lifestyles'
Teal (2 fem)------------------Tufted Duck (30)
Snipe (1 reported to right of east hide in wet area)

N MOORS:
Willow Warbler

SAILING POOL:
Grey Wagtail-----------------G C Grebe (8)


Des.
 

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