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Upton Warren (22 Viewers)

Whiskered Tern:………. Tim Jones
Green-winged Teal:…. Trevor Jones
Red-necked Grebe:….. Mike Wakeman
Glossy Ibis:…………………Andy Gibb
Ring-billed Gul:……….. Stuart Croft
Wryneck:…………………..Craig Reed
Cattle Egret:……………. Dave Walker
Common Rosefinch:… Des Jennings

Night-heron:……………. Phil Andrews
Long-billed Dowitcher: Gert Corfield
Lesser Yellowlegs:……. John Belsey
Cirl Bunting:…………….. Simon Vickers
Black-throated Diver:. Roger P
Spotted Sandpiper:…. Andy Warr
Caspian Gull:………….. Kay D
Aquatic Warbler:……… Phil Quiney
Bean Goose:…………….. Graham LaB
Red Footed Falcon:….. Andy Pitt
Marsh Sandpiper:……. Mark Peacock
Purple Sandpiper:……. Terry Hinett
Great Reed Warbler:…Gary Prescott

Little Bittern.............Mike Wheeler
Common crane..........Jon shhh
Up-dated 11th May 2011
Those in red have paid ...note when updated,

Haven't checked the list in the east hide. If anyone is there today could they let me know if there are any additions

Other predictions from the east hide list.

1. Penduline Tit--- Mike Inskip
2. Common Crane--John Ridley as indicated in an earlier post this evening.

Des.
 
Now that has surprised me as I found that bird but didn't realise it was a first for the reserve.

It was a stroke of luck seeing that bird as I was flying out to Majorca later that day and decided at the last minute to drop down to UW for a couple of hours first.

John

Hi John

The annual report for 1997 credits John Belsey and Graham La Boucherderie with finding the Nightingale. This was just before I started coming to Upton Warren so I dont know the history - it may be worth having a PM exchange with Upstarts to establish the circumstances of each of your sightings.

Cheers
Phil
 
Please find below a chronological list of when species were specifically first noted at Upton Warren:

10th April 1941 - Black-necked Grebe
23rd April 1941 - Black Tern
...
...
1st October 2007 - Great White Egret
14th November 2009 - Twite

Phil

There are some interesting omissions, such as Snipe, Brambling and Goldcrest - presumably too common to be of note?

Also, some interesting inclusions, such as Greylag Goose and Sparrowhawk, presumably more common now than they were back when they were first noted?
 
Last night........Moors............Gadwall; terns active. Water rail from concrete hide.
Flashes...........14 green sandpipers; one was ringed.
2 common sandpipers
6 LRP's
23 curlew
2 oystercatchers
The avocets were flightly; between 18 and 20.
 
Hi Phil

I was at Upton early that morning and saw it fly in from towards the radio masts. It flew into the bushes at the side of the river about 50 yards before the feeder station and I reported it on RBA straight away.

There is a chance it had been there earlier than I had seen, and been seen by those two, then flew out then back again in time for me to see it but certainly my report was the first to go onto RBA.

I can't remember the time of the sighting though as this is over 16 years ago. All I know was that it was quite early in the morning because I was catching a flight to Majorca from Birmingham in the afternoon.

John

Hi John

The annual report for 1997 credits John Belsey and Graham La Boucherderie with finding the Nightingale. This was just before I started coming to Upton Warren so I dont know the history - it may be worth having a PM exchange with Upstarts to establish the circumstances of each of your sightings.

Cheers
Phil
 
Hi Phil

I was at Upton early that morning and saw it fly in from towards the radio masts. It flew into the bushes at the side of the river about 50 yards before the feeder station and I reported it on RBA straight away.

There is a chance it had been there earlier than I had seen, and been seen by those two, then flew out then back again in time for me to see it but certainly my report was the first to go onto RBA.

I can't remember the time of the sighting though as this is over 16 years ago. All I know was that it was quite early in the morning because I was catching a flight to Majorca from Birmingham in the afternoon.

John

From memory the bird was found more or less at first light as that was the day of that year's all -dayer. I was still playing cricket in those days, so didn't arrive that early - c.7.00 am - and was informed it was there then.
 
From memory the bird was found more or less at first light as that was the day of that year's all -dayer. I was still playing cricket in those days, so didn't arrive that early - c.7.00 am - and was informed it was there then.

I can confirm your facts Mike. I can't remember how contact was made between the Flashes and the Moors, but I was there very early and as you say, the bird was heard at least at first light by John and Graham.


Des.
 
First visit in nearly 3 weeks and what a change after the heavy rain the other night everything is so green and wet the water levels are higher the vegetation has grown so much all over the reserve and the insects are everywhere.

so here we go with a little ditty from the big guy.

I arrived around 7.20am as usual and again straight to the Sailing Pool and as usual not a lot to report on my first visit so off to the Flashes I went with a little rain in the air just by the bridge in SWAMPY CORNER (as I have decided to call it until a official name is forth coming) I heard a Song thrush calling for all it’s worth and then to my surprise a family of Goldcrest appeared in the conifer and undergrowth to the left of the path as you look from the bridge, on the bridge itself sat a young Wren happily singing away well until I aimed my camera at it and off it went.

On the Flashes itself there was a definitely a decline in numbers of birds with quite a few BHG numbers well down also the Avocet numbers were well down from my last visit, but numbers for the Green sandpiper and LRP were up.

Also noticed that the Green sandpiper were going over to the third Flashes I would say that there were a few birds I couldn’t count over there as they were out of sight as the person in the hide told me that they had been doing that all morning.

I was very surprised not to see any Tufted duck or Curlew on the Flashes this time as I had started to become accustomed to seeing both of these around the Flashes of late.
Onto the insect side of the reserve along the path to the main hide I did manage to see large white, Peacocks, Tortoiseshell, small white & comma butterflies.

Back to the Sailing pool now and again still not to report as the pool was being used by groups of children but did manage to catch a Sand Martin flying low over the pool and the usual suspects were still hanging around close to the sides and out of the way of the children groups.

Just as I was leaving the car park a Skylark suddenly shot up from Webb’s grassed area by the car park and flew over the Sailing Pool so I will be putting this down as seen at the Sailing Pool if that’s OK.

Now onto the Moors Pools just as I walked into the Salwarpe walk through I heard a Woodpecker tapping away n the right as you walk in but couldn’t see what species it was did stay there for around 10 minutes trying to catch a glimpse (was hoping for a lesser) but no sighting, I did mange too see the following as I walked through the Salwarpe Walk through Blackcap in the bushes to the left in the corner where the tree’s had been cut down a family of Greenfinches along with a juvenile Robin being fed by a parent until a Sparrowhawk appeared did see the Juvenile still in the same place but didn’t see the parent again after.

On to the Moors itself now and again species numbers seemed to be down in general this could be because the youngsters have now left, did see a Kingfisher taking a fish back to where ever to the left of the new hide and it came back around a couple of times while I was in the hide.

Did see my first Wigeon at the Warren for a few months (thanks for pointing out Rob), great news on the Gadwall still having all 7 chicks hasn’t she done well, and could believe how many broods of Tufted Ducks there have been this year.

Now for my highlight of the day and it may seem a bit of a non highlight for some people but just sitting in the hides and having the privilege to watch the Common Terns fly around and dive for fish was brilliant these birds are so much better ten the Red arrows I would pay to watch them (whoooooooops sorry we do with permits).

SPECIES SEEN TODAY –


SAILING POOL –
[/B
]Mallard (18), Swift, Black headed gull (5), Canada goose, Wood pigeon, Carrion crow, Collard dove, Skylark, Blue tit, Robin & Blackbird

FLASHES POOL –

Wren, Goldcrest, Blackbird, Wood Pigeon, Blue tit, Reed bunting, Avocet (21), Green sandpiper (14+), Canada goose, Lapwing (19), Mallard (31), Black headed gull (57), Common Sandpiper (2), Lesser black backed gull (7), Little ringed plover (7), Moorhen (5), Stock dove (5), Coot (9), Green woodpecker, Magpie, Goldfinch, Swallow, Linnet, Bullfinch, Song thrush, Jackdaw, Oystercatcher (2), Sparrowhawk & Peregrine falcon

MOORS POOLS –

Blackcap (sw), Robin (sw), Sparrowhawk (sw), Greenfinch (sw), Mallard (29), Mute swan (7), Kingfisher, Chaffinch, Bullfinch, Dunnock, Wood pigeon, Reed bunting, Black headed gull (49), Common Tern (11),Reed warbler, Lesser black backed gull (8), Great tit, Moorhen (14), Call duck (1), Oystercatcher (4), Coot (80+), Great crested grebe (3+3 ), Blue tit, Magpie, Tufted duck (no count), Wigeon (2), Teal (1), Little grebe 2+2), Stock dove, Buzzard, Grey heron & Swallow

Didn’t see or hear any Sedge warblers today and only saw or heard the one reed warbler from the west hide on the Moors pools it was very quiet around the Hen brook area today as if all the warblers had gone hope not though as I love these little birds
 
Avocet Question

Hi all,
Just out of curiosity. Does anyone know where 'our' Avocets go once they leave Upton?

Cheers
Tom
 
Picked up a copy of The Birds of Upton Warren 2012 yesterday. Congratulations and well done to all involved in its publication. Best yet.
John

Thanks John - you are very kind |:$| Its a pleasure to be able to share the year's sightings in this way (and raise some money for the reserve).
 
As I said I was there very early because of my my flight to Majorca and when I saw it there was no one else around so I couldn't tell anyone other than RBA.

That call (if they keep records that long) will be documented. Whether or not I was the first to see it is not important but if it was known about before I got there why wasn't there other birders there with such an important bird on site, not only for UW but for Worcs in general.

John

From memory the bird was found more or less at first light as that was the day of that year's all -dayer. I was still playing cricket in those days, so didn't arrive that early - c.7.00 am - and was informed it was there then.
 
Phil

There are some interesting omissions, such as Snipe, Brambling and Goldcrest - presumably too common to be of note?

Also, some interesting inclusions, such as Greylag Goose and Sparrowhawk, presumably more common now than they were back when they were first noted?

Hi John - unfortunately prior to the publication of the first annual report in 1984 information for the reserve and its bird life is "patchy" to say the least. I have scoured all the annual reports of the West Midland Bird Club (and predecessor bodies) for references to Upton Warren which tend to focus on rare birds, breeding records and late/early migrant dates. There were a series of sightings in the early 1940s with no signifcant reports until the area was "rediscovered" by Bill Oddoe and co in the early 1960s. I suspect that Sparrowhawk was notable due to impact of chemicals on the hawk population in the post war issues whilst Greylag are far more commonplace now than they were in yesteryear.

PS Have you picked up a copy of 2012's report?
 
As I said I was there very early because of my my flight to Majorca and when I saw it there was no one else around so I couldn't tell anyone other than RBA.

That call (if they keep records that long) will be documented. Whether or not I was the first to see it is not important but if it was known about before I got there why wasn't there other birders there with such an important bird on site, not only for UW but for Worcs in general.

John

Unfortunately RBA's online records only go as far back as 2001.
 
Hi all,
Just out of curiosity. Does anyone know where 'our' Avocets go once they leave Upton?

Cheers
Tom
Hi Tom

As none of our birds are ringed we can only guess.
Outward movement
A couple of years ago 7 birds (4 juvs and 3 ads) left upton, a couple of days later this same combination appeared at Branston GP, this is NE of Upton in Staffs. It could be that they were moving to the Humber or the Linconshire Wash.. These are areas where birds gather in the autumn before moving south for the winter.
Spring influx
During the spring, birds arrive in the Slimbridge area and close by on the Severn estuary. Shortly afterwards we get our first influx and these birds could have been wintering on the Exe estuary.
B :)John
 
Today's Goldcrest and Redshank took the July list to 95 species. With a few days left there is still time to add a couple more, say Greylag Goose, Black Tern or Coal Tit. I attach a comparsion of the monthly totals between this year and last and also how the year's list has progreessed compared to 2012.
 

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