Have I been asleep for two days and its Saturday already craig 8-PAn hour at the moors tonight,
highlight being 3 COMMON GULL (1 AD, 2 2nd win) perched on ice for about 20 mins before being flushed and flew off south towards westwood, a sparrowhawk on the concree hide, showing very well. 4+ water rail potterig about infront of the hide, 80-80% of the pool was frozen so the lack of ducks was obvious, only 31 teal and smaller numbers of shoveler, pochard and tuftie.
it felt good gettin back onto upton soil again after almost a month away.........
MB
Between 26 and 28 April (incl) this year we recorded sightings of:
Gropper
2 Hobbies
Med Gull
5 Ring Plovers
2 Dunlin
Now, I don't know whether this has been drawn to everyone's attention yet (and those of you who own firms or are self-employed won't thank me for this either) but, given that next year we will have Good Friday on 22 April, Easter Monday on 25 April, Royal Wedding on 29 April and Mayday Bank Holiday on 2 May, if you were to book 26-28 April (incl) off you'll get 11 consecutive days of birding for the cost of only 3 days holiday. Booked mine yesterday!
Never mind an all-dayer, we could do an all-weeker!
Sod that I'm having the year off8-P
No Dave, I meant I'm having the year off work and birding all the time,Nah! I know you woudn't miss an upton spring all-dayer - it's the highlight of your year!:t:
Personally, given the holiday situation, I'm gonna bring my tent down. Can't wait!
No Dave, I meant I'm having the year off work and birding all the time,
8-P
...Personally, given the holiday situation, I'm gonna bring my tent down. Can't wait!
..... even a Cetti's was following/mobbing them it was rung with blue right and white over red left...
Have I been asleep for two days and its Saturday already craig 8-P
you only go on Saturdays:-O
Today's sighting of 25 by myself and Dave in flight over the Sailing Pool (viewed from the East Hide at the Moors Pool) was a reserve record.
Started this morning at Moors Pool which was around 90% frozen. The main highlight was 2 Bitterns which showed well on and off in the reedbed on the north shore. All the ducks were crammed into the small unfrozen area; encouraging to see 23 Shoveler, including the circling feeding flock behaviour which has been largely absent this autumn. Also present were 9 Tufted Duck, 15 Pochard, 243 Coot and 8 Teal. A Green Sandpiper stood somewhat forlonly at the edge of the ice whilst 1 Snipe flew over. There were also 4 Grey Heron, 3 Cormorant, 14 Moorhen (many at the feeding station), 1 GC Grebe and 8 Mute Swans. A flock of 25 Greylag Geese were noted in flight over the Sailing Pool. The Flashes was very quiet with a further 2 Grey Herons; Dave had a fly-over Dunlin earlier.
There was a notable movement of LBB Gulls northwards throughout the morning with a few accompanying Herring Gulls. There were good numbers of Redwing and Fieldfare although not in one major flock; birds were distributed right across the reserve.