• Welcome to BirdForum, the internet's largest birding community with thousands of members from all over the world. The forums are dedicated to wild birds, birding, binoculars and equipment and all that goes with it.

    Please register for an account to take part in the discussions in the forum, post your pictures in the gallery and more.
ZEISS DTI thermal imaging cameras. For more discoveries at night, and during the day.

Upton Warren (60 Viewers)

Phil Andrews said:
Talking about little black books, the following entry was in Arthur's note book for 27th August 1977. He did offer an identification but I thought I would see what the collective wisdom here is first before revealing:

"3 brief views of warbler flying from topmost sprigs of hedge by Moors car park. Large, grey brown, white below, long bill and low forehead - call note sparrow like chirp. Much too grey for Reed. Bold and erect shape - not right for any acro"
Click to expand...

I only had one taker for this on the ID thread who drew the conclusion of Melodious Warbler. Arthur himself wrote:

"Thought to be Icterine or Melodious - latter most likely"

I think that the call is probably the most telling factor in reaching this conclusion. There are NO accepted records of this species for Worcestershire (one each in Staffs and Warwicks).
 
Birds on the reserve today

Moors:
GCG 8, Little grebe 7, cormorant 7. greylag 25, shoveler 20, teal 8, gadwall 5, Tufted 25, pochard 8, coot 120, water rail 10 - 12, snipe 40, jack snipe, lapwing 80, herring gull 5, BHG 350, stock dove 6, great sp woodp, kingfisher 2 ( performing well in several places), skylark 20+, fieldfare 20, redwing 15, meadow pipits 30 (7 feeding in SW marsh), grey wag, Brambling called from hedge behind concrete hide, redpoll 2, chiffchaff, cettis warbler 2 singing both could be 1st year birds as their songs lacked gusto, one bird was seen feeding in the new widened channel and didn't have a red ring (of which the Alpha male did have). Starlings c100 'hawking' insects.

lots of dragons mostly migrant hawkers and 'red' darters.Also comma, small tortoishell and small copper (I think).

FLASHES:(5.30 pm - 7.20pm dark)
Teal 75, shoveler 30(50 on reserve), wigeon grazing on spit tonight, goosander imm, curlew 16, snipe 4, green sand 2 roosted, lapwing 40, BHG 450 roosted, LBBG 2 roosted, water rail 3 called, stock dove 2,
 
Flashes this evening 18:00

Thanks to JTB for pointing these out - the goosander was settled down behind vegetation on an island mostly preening or sleeping, so not too obliging and was not visible from where we were. The black-headed gull to the right of it did us a good turn by getting inquisitive and persuading it to move! It took off soon after when all the gulls and lapwings lifted.

The wigeon appeared whilst I was intent on trying to get a swim shot of the goosander and was a quick mover.
 

Attachments

  • IMG_7845a.jpg
    IMG_7845a.jpg
    178 KB · Views: 89
  • IMG_7848a.jpg
    IMG_7848a.jpg
    162.4 KB · Views: 87
  • IMG_7854a.jpg
    IMG_7854a.jpg
    203.8 KB · Views: 76
Phil Andrews said:
Could this scheme be a match? http://www.cr-birding.org/node/1630
Click to expand...

Sounds like it Phil. This from Wikipedia: Other markers

Head and neck markers are very visible, and may be used in species where the legs are not normally visible (such as ducks and geese). Nasal discs and nasal saddles can be attached to the culmen with a pin looped through the nostrils in birds with perforate nostrils. They should not be used if they obstruct breathing. They should not be used on birds that live in icy climates, as accumulation of ice on a nasal saddle can plug the nostrils.[18] Neck collars made of expandable, non-heat-conducting plastic are very useful for larger birds such as geese.[19]

I had never heard of it before.

Rob
 
forgetfulelephant said:
Sounds like it Phil. This from Wikipedia: Other markers

Head and neck markers are very visible, and may be used in species where the legs are not normally visible (such as ducks and geese). Nasal discs and nasal saddles can be attached to the culmen with a pin looped through the nostrils in birds with perforate nostrils. They should not be used if they obstruct breathing. They should not be used on birds that live in icy climates, as accumulation of ice on a nasal saddle can plug the nostrils.[18] Neck collars made of expandable, non-heat-conducting plastic are very useful for larger birds such as geese.[19]

I had never heard of it before.

Rob
Click to expand...
cheers Rob, like I always say you never stop learning with Birding. I have certainly learned something today. :t:john
 
Janner Falcon! said:
Flashes this evening 18:00

Thanks to JTB for pointing these out - the goosander was settled down behind vegetation on an island mostly preening or sleeping, so not too obliging and was not visible from where we were. The black-headed gull to the right of it did us a good turn by getting inquisitive and persuading it to move! It took off soon after when all the gulls and lapwings lifted.

The wigeon appeared whilst I was intent on trying to get a swim shot of the goosander and was a quick mover.
Click to expand...

Margaret, you did well to get a photo with the poor light we had.
I wonder if this bird has been coming back each evening to roost. We had one do this for several weeks a few years back. But that bird only ever came in at dark. Just shows the need to be birding late on.:t:
 
individual kingfishers

Two pics taken in front of the new hide at Moors yesterday.
They show a white spot on either side of the upper mandible - or is this just something it has picked up ie a speck of droppings. Just had a quick look through a few recent pics of this species and only one shows it. It would be interesting to know how many individuals there are on site.B :)
 

Attachments

  • DSCF8962 (2).JPG
    DSCF8962 (2).JPG
    159.6 KB · Views: 98
  • DSCF8963 (3).JPG
    DSCF8963 (3).JPG
    164.7 KB · Views: 89
Last edited:
upstarts1979 said:
Two pics taken in front of the new hide at Moors yesterday.
They show a white spot on either side of the upper mandible. Just had a quick look through a few recent pics of this species and only one shows it. It would be interesting to know how many individuals there are on site.B :)
Click to expand...

John, another distinguishing feature that we noted yesterday was its very blotchy chest. Trust you to notice the barely visible detail.

Peter
 
upstarts1979 said:
Two pics taken in front of the new hide at Moors yesterday.
They show a white spot on either side of the upper mandible. Just had a quick look through a few recent pics of this species and only one shows it. It would be interesting to know how many individuals there are on site.B :)
Click to expand...

I just had a look at the pictures I've got of both the male and female kingfisher and I can't see a white spot on either of them, could this be a third bird?
 
Wednesday Crew
They will not be on site today. Some on Scillies and others in Madrid, so there will be no news from them today. So if anyone is at the Reserve today, could you update us on 'what's about' please. Doesn't have to be rarities only (not that we've got any)8-P. To make it more interesting it would be great to get as many people to add their sightings, its not a competition so no prizes for the rarest species, its just for continuity. Even if it is a sighting recorded in the log book.
We don't want to be accused of being a clique:smoke: so get involved I know there are a lot of you watching who haven't posted, so register and start posting...only gentle ribbing at first:-O:-O. seriously break the ice. I am sure there is a lot you would like to say about the reserve in a constructive way. Don't be shy|:p| john
 
upstarts1979 said:
Two pics taken in front of the new hide at Moors yesterday.
They show a white spot on either side of the upper mandible - or is this just something it has picked up ie a speck of droppings. Just had a quick look through a few recent pics of this species and only one shows it. It would be interesting to know how many individuals there are on site.B :)
Click to expand...

Posssibly, though not certainly, a fish scale, or as you say John, a dropping. I've seen them before with fish scales stuck on the beak. Any KF detectives out there collecting evidence? But it could be a sub-species! ;)

Rob
 
Janner Falcon! said:
Flashes this evening 18:00

Thanks to JTB for pointing these out - the goosander was settled down behind vegetation on an island mostly preening or sleeping, so not too obliging and was not visible from where we were. The black-headed gull to the right of it did us a good turn by getting inquisitive and persuading it to move! It took off soon after when all the gulls and lapwings lifted.

The wigeon appeared whilst I was intent on trying to get a swim shot of the goosander and was a quick mover.
Click to expand...

great shots marg :t: love the goosander never seen one at upton thanks for sharing :t:
 
forgetfulelephant said:
Posssibly, though not certainly, a fish scale, or as you say John, a dropping. I've seen them before with fish scales stuck on the beak. Any KF detectives out there collecting evidence? But it could be a sub-species! ;)

Rob
Click to expand...

Hi Rob just talking to Vern and he said the same, he has a pic of a k/f with a fish scale on. So maybe after its next dive the white spot would have disappeared.8-P
As so many people are still fascinated by them (k/f not white spots)I wonder if it would be worth trying to ID all the K/f's in a month, by pooling all the pics. Just to see how many individuals we actually get on the reserveB :). john
 
Good moaning

I was pissing by your forum and I knitted a shat of a Pochard with a rung on its bell. This bard was wronged in the simmer near Laval in north-waste France (between Nantes and Le Mans).

With apologises to Officer Crabtree
 
Last edited:
Gannet

Despite being strictly a maritime bird, Gannet are recorded inland after gales but strangely also during calmer weather, suggesting possible overland migration between their breeding grounds in the North Atlantic and their winter feeding grounds (which stretch across both Atlantic oceans). Upton Warren has an extremely good track record for Gannet for an inland site, possibly with birds being channelled up through the River Severn, and has four accepted records prior to Sunday's sighting:-

16th August 1970 - unaged bird - fly-over
4th-5th October 1997 - juvenile - Moors Pool
1st November 2004 - 3 birds (all 1st winter / juveniles) - The Flashes (fly-over)
27th September 2007 - juvenile - south-west over the Moors Pool

The 1970 bird flew on to the reserve during a gale and left shortly afterwards to the north-west. The 1997 bird spent most of its first day immobile on the eastern shore of the Moors Pool and it became apparent that it was either sick or injured so it was taken into care at midday on the following day. Despite this intervention it unfortunately later died; an autopsy revealed that the cause of death was necrotising enteritis. The 2004 record represents only the second multiple record in the West Midlands area, the first being four birds over Wilden in 1983 and John Belsey’s account of this unusual sighting from The Birds of Upton Warren 2004 is reproduced below:

“At 1:20 pm my attention was drawn to three large birds flying westwards at an altitude of approximately 150 feet and 200 metres to the south east of the main Flashes hide. I immediately raised my bins and I was astonished to see juvenile Gannets. Although I have seen thousands of these birds on the coast, to see them totally out of context in the middle of Worcestershire was a sight to behold. Quickly I tried to compose myself and get the other birders present on to the birds, which fortunately they all managed. This generated more excitement as all enjoyed this short lived event as the birds did a left turn and headed off in a south westerly direction

Description - Large size, larger and heavier bodied than Cormorant, and generally grey-brown in colour, appearing streaky with extremely long and at times stiff wings. Front and rear projected equally beyond the wings, the rear tapering to a wedge whilst the front projection was formed by a thick neck, large dark head contrasting with a silvery broad-based triangular tail. The flight at times appeared shearwater like with straight stiff wings twisting as they went, interspersed with heavy flapping and gliding. The whole encounter lasted no longer than 30 seconds.”

A record of three juvenile birds seen over the Sailing Pool on the 3rd October 2006 was unfortunately not submitted to the County Recorder.

The 1997 bird was photographed by Keith Stone; whilst I had his consent to use it in the opus I am not sure I am stretch it to also posting on here
 
Last edited:

Similar threads

O
Rye Harbour
Replies
2
Views
667
Original PaulE
O
JRP01
Santoña 8 to 11 december 2022
Replies
0
Views
662
JRP01
JRP01
Paul Freestone
Majorca Trip Report - September 2022
Replies
1
Views
1K
Phil Andrews
Phil Andrews
G
  • Article
Citadels And Symphonies
Replies
2
Views
212
Green Sandpiper
G
Gert Corfield
Chaddesley Woods & Surrounds
2
Replies
27
Views
3K
Ian Byrnes
Ian Byrnes

Users who are viewing this thread

Total: 61 (members: 0, guests: 61)
Back
Top