[toadoftoadhall]

while the builders are there on Monday, could they possibly fix the windows on the Flash hide so they can be opened; or will we see them closed for months or permanently closed.

[Phil Andrews]

Originally Posted by toadoftoadhall

while the builders are there on Monday, could they possibly fix the windows on the Flash hide so they can be opened; or will we see them closed for months or permanently closed.

The builders were only contracted to do the Moors Hide; as far as I am aware their input is over and they have returned to Norfolk.

Unfortunately the issue at the Flashes is one of health and safety, deriving from a ill-conceived design ie the weight/angle of the windows when raised not reaching a vertical position. The only solution is to replace the large windows with ones of a similar height to the existing opening windows. This will require amendments to the external cladding. At th same time it is mooted to change the current window mountings so they sit snuggly in proper window frames which will also reduce the current sizeable gap between windows. Thursdays meeting will hopefully bottom out timescales but being realistic due to the level of disturbance involved it wont be until mid autumn at the earliest.

[Phil Andrews]

FLASHES 0530-1045
3 Common Sand, 15 Green Sand, 1 Snipe, 1 juv LRP, 24 Curlew, 78 Lapwing, 5 Shoveler, 28 Teal, 1+ Gadwall, 2 Mute Swan, 21 Greylag G, Ross's Goose, 1Grey Heron, 22 Moorhen, 5 Coot, 150+ Canada G, 450+ Mallard on Flashes and harvested field, juv Water Rails in first and second Flash reedbeds, Raven, 9 Rook, Kingfisher, several Swift through, 2 female Tufted Duck with 2 broods (11 +1 young), Hobby

Good numbers of passerines in hedgerows incl many Chiffs, 1 Willow Warbler + 1 Lesser Whitethroat.

[Phil Andrews]

Juv Redstart in hedgerow along public footpath at rear of Flashes hide + 3 Lesser Whitethroat. Little Grebe on first Flash

[Bob O.]

Originally Posted by forgetfulelephant

A couple of views of the new hide. The West track is now open right through but the new hide won't be open until passed by Building Control. Early next week hopefully. The doors are locked so please do not try to go in.

Rob

Didn't they do well! Well done to all concerned!

[binus1963]

Originally Posted by forgetfulelephant

A view of the stairs.

Rob

nice pic of the steps rob.

[Phil Andrews]

MOORS POOL 1100-1245
1 Lapwing, 5 Cormorant, 4 GC Grebe (+1 on Sailing Pool), 5 Shoveler, 5 Moorhen, 12 Tufted Duck, 5 Mute Swan, same goose flock as reported at the Flashes - 1 Ross's, 20 Greylag + 210 Canada, 107 Coot, Willow Warbler on North Moors trail.

Lots of gulls to-ing and fro-ing from the islands (including quite a few large gulls) - wel worth keeping an eye on this flock for something unusual.

[forgetfulelephant]

Originally Posted by binus1963

nice pic of the steps rob.

Thanks Trace. I took steps to make sure I got that right.

Rob

[not quite so hairy birder]

found a young chiffchaff trying to have a barbecue at the sailing pool this morning!!

[forgetfulelephant]

Originally Posted by not quite so hairy birder

found a young chiffchaff trying to have a barbecue at the sailing pool this morning!!

Sure it's not a Coal Tit?

Well rescued.

[upstarts1979]

Originally Posted by not quite so hairy birder

found a young chiffchaff trying to have a barbecue at the sailing pool this morning!!

Guy was that after I saw you. It hasn't been out the nest too long, judging by the extent of its gape. Did it fly off?
John

[not quite so hairy birder]

haha, nice one rob

hi john, yes we found him after we'd seen you, and he flew off surprisingly strongly into some bramble. cheers

[Phil Andrews]

Mid August traditionally sees significant counts of Mallard at Upton Warren, particularly at the Flashes. These numbers are particularly high when the crop fields surrounding the Flashes have been recently harvested, leaving large areas of stubble on which the Mallard (and geese) feed. When flushed, the sight of a combined flock of nearly 700 birds swirling around is quite a spectacle.

This (early) morning's count of 450 is starting to approach the reserve record of 500 which has been achieved four times - at the end of August 1994, late August 1995, 21st August 2000 and most recently, 13th August 2011.

[upstarts1979]

Originally Posted by Phil Andrews

MOORS POOL 1100-1245
1 Lapwing, 5 Cormorant, 4 GC Grebe (+1 on Sailing Pool), 5 Shoveler, 5 Moorhen, 12 Tufted Duck, 5 Mute Swan, same goose flock as reported at the Flashes - 1 Ross's, 20 Greylag + 210 Canada, 107 Coot, Willow Warbler on North Moors trail.

Lots of gulls to-ing and fro-ing from the islands (including quite a few large gulls) - wel worth keeping an eye on this flock for something unusual.

Another willow warbler was in the Secret Garden. Several swifts moved south.
Noticeable like elsewhere on the reserve there were plenty of chiffchaffs emitting their single note contact call.

[ADRIANS PHOTOGRAPHY]

Had a great day at the reserve today arrived around about 8.25am and went straight to the Flashes had a good mornings birding and then went over to the Moors the New hide is looking great a much improved hide on the one at the Flashes.

Today’s sightings list is as follows –
Black Headed Gull, Blackbird, Blue Tit, Bull Finch, Buzzard, Canada Goose, Canada/Greylag Goose, Carrion Crow, Collared Dove, Common Sandpiper, Coot, Cormorant, Dunnock, Gold Finch, Great Crested Grebe, Great Tit, Green Sandpiper, Green Woodpecker, Greylag Goose, House Sparrow, Jackdaw, Kingfisher, Lapwing, Lesser Black Backed Gull, Lesser Whitethroat, Linnet, Little Ringed Plover, Long Tailed Tit, Magpie, Mallard, Moorhen, Mute Swan, Pied Wagtail, Redstart, Reed Warbler, Robin, Ross’s Goose, Sedge Warbler, Song Thrush, Starling, Stock Dove, Swallow, Teal, Tufted Duck, Willow Warbler & Wood Pigeon

[upstarts1979]

Originally Posted by Phil Andrews

FLASHES 0530-1045
3 Common Sand, 15 Green Sand, 1 Snipe, 1 juv LRP, 24 Curlew, 78 Lapwing, 5 Shoveler, 28 Teal, 1+ Gadwall, 2 Mute Swan, 21 Greylag G, Ross's Goose, 1Grey Heron, 22 Moorhen, 5 Coot, 150+ Canada G, 450+ Mallard on Flashes and harvested fielf, juv Water Railsl in first and second Flash reedbeds, Raven, 9 Rook, Kingfisher, several Swift through, 2 female Tufted Duck with 2 broods (11 +1 young), Hobby

Good numbers of passerines in hedgerows incl many Chiffs, 1 Willow Warbler + 1 Lesser Whitethroat.

Add
little grebe juv, I counted 40 swift at one time and there were birds moving south all the time. So it is conceivable that several 100's would have passed through during the hours of low cloud and showers, small numbers of swallow and sand martins with several house martins also moved south. I checked out Webb's garden centre and the colony is still present.Reed warblers were also in good numbers in all the reed beds.

[CorvusCorax]

Spent a couple of hours having a ramble around the North Moors trail this afternoon, mostly on the lookout for insect life. There was loads, here's a list of what I saw: red-tailed bumblebee; small white; green-veined white; red admiral (my first this year); common darter; brown hawker; gatekeeper; common blue; holly blue; blue banded demoiselle; beautiful demoiselle; meadow brown; common blue damselfly; peacock; dingy footman; shaded broad bar; a sun fly and hoverfly ssp. Myothropa florea. Got a few pictures of the more obliging creatures - most of them were too flighty and active in the midday sun. Really enjoyed the walk and it's good to see the area developing so well. A treecreeper was the main bird of note, with seemingly endless numbers of chiffchaffs giving their single-note call.

Phil

[CorvusCorax]

Oh, and the new hide looks brilliant.

Phil

[toadoftoadhall]

spent a pleasant couple of hours yesterday evening watching the birds come in for the night, and saw this Curlew? It was far side of the flashes, on its own for quite a while, only later did another 24 fly in together and settle in front of this one, which didnt join the 24. Was too far away for me and my bins, and only have a poor photo, but it is a Curlew, yes? that would make 25.

[rollingthunder]

Fuzzy foto but bill looks short enuff for Whimbrel also a bit of a 'super'?.....

Laurie

[luckyosprey4]

Spent a good morning down at the Flashes in which I recorded these birds:

Magpie, Black-Headed Gull, Mallard, Blackbird, Linnet, Lapwing, Jackdaw, Green Sandpiper, Kingfisher, Moorhen, Grey Heron, Juvenile Shelduck, Woodpigeon, Coot, Teal, Stock Dove, Carrion Crow, Goldfinch, Great Crested Grebe, Snipe, Common Sandpiper, Swallow, House Martin, Curlew, Buzzard, Lesser Black-Backed Gull, Pied Wagtail, Starling, Robin, Cormorant, Rook, Herring Gull, Little Owl and Juvenile Water Rail.

Chris

[upstarts1979]

Mike (wheatearlp)
Had a juv Med gull at the Moors flying towards the Flashes at 1.30pm

[upstarts1979]

Originally Posted by luckyosprey4

Spent a good morning down at the Flashes in which I recorded these birds:

Magpie, Black-Headed Gull, Mallard, Blackbird, Linnet, Lapwing, Jackdaw, Green Sandpiper, Kingfisher, Moorhen, Grey Heron, Juvenile Shelduck, Woodpigeon, Coot, Teal, Stock Dove, Carrion Crow, Goldfinch, Great Crested Grebe, Snipe, Common Sandpiper, Swallow, House Martin, Curlew, Buzzard, Lesser Black-Backed Gull, Pied Wagtail, Starling, Robin, Cormorant, Rook, Herring Gull, Little Owl and Juvenile Water Rail.

Chris

A good selection there Chris. If you are there for a few hours it is possible to see and hear between 55 and 60 species.
If when you scan through the birds, try counting, while doing so you might come across something. For example while counting the green sandpipers , you might come across a wood sandpiper.John

[Phil Andrews]

Originally Posted by rollingthunder

Fuzzy foto but bill looks short enuff for Whimbrel also a bit of a 'super'?.....

Laurie

Once the photo is blown up I can see the points that Laurie is refering to.

ToTH - how did it compare size-wise with the Curlews? (24 has been the regular flock for the last fortnight).

[Phil Andrews]

This morning's WeBS count produced the following results:

FLASHES
12 Green Sand, 3 Common Sand, 4 Snipe, 51 Lapwing, 31 Teal, 1 juv Shelduck, 44 Mallard, 20 Moorhen, 6 Coot, 2 Grey Heron, 1 Tufted Duck, 2 Grey Heron, 1 juv Herring Gull, 1 adult Common Gull, 2 adult LBB Gull, 158 BH Gull, 2+ Water Rail, 2 Raven, Hobby perched up, 2 Peregrine, c60 Goldfinch, Kingfisher, 4 Lesser Whitethroat. 99 Canada Geese and 1 Ross's Goose in the stubble field.

SAILING POOL
1 juv GC Grebe, 91 Mallard, 8 BH Gull, 1 Canada Goose, 2 Little Owls on Hobden Hall Farm, Willow Warbler by the steps.

MOORS POOL
1 Teal, 5 Shoveler, 10 Tufted Duck, 1 Little Grebe, 3 GC Grebe, 1 Green Sand, 1 Common Sand, 14 Lapwing, 4 Cormorant, 196 Mallard, 2 Mute Swan + 3 cygnets, 101 Coot, 7 Moorhen, 21 Greylag Goose, 260 Canada Goose, 1 LBB Gull, 13 BH Gull, Kingfisher, Coal Tit calling from the Moors residencies, Yellowhammer reported over the east side of the pool.

Spookily there was no sign of the Tufted young at the Flashes BUT a brood of 11 young shepherded by 2 females (exactly the same combination as seen at the Flashes yesterday and around the same size) were in Amy's Marsh. Could they really have swapped sides of the reserve over-night???

With the increasing numbers of Teal I would be surprised if a Garganey wasnt turned up before the Bank Holiday.

A large orange kite was being flown in the camping field at the Sailing Pool, scaring most of the wildfowl at the Flashes. I understand a similar incident also occurred on Thursday.