Upton Warren (50 Viewers)

Woodchat · Aug 31, 2011

Sy V said:
Spent a pleasant couple of hours at the Flashes this morning. Saw Des briefly and bumped into a few nameless faces. Apart from a 25 bird Curlew flock that landed on the Mud Flats as I arrived there was little else to report other than confirming the delivery of a nice big bar-b-que. I'll get a chain and lock to lash it to the hide legs for safe keeping.
I'll attach a few picture 'cos I can...
Curlew
Jackdaw
Common Darter
Common Hawker and a bug/fly thing that was just a touch too close to me (in HB hide) to focus on it properly... anyone know its name?

The second dragon looks like a Migrant Hawker. Common Hawkers are very rare in worcestershire.

The bug looks like it could be a kind of Ichneumon Wasp (or a Braconid).

Now I'm not too sure about the Darter - but it appears to have all black legs and could be a Ruddy Darter. Over to Des for comments on that one.

RegTelescope · Aug 31, 2011

I would definitely say those are a Ruddy Darter and a Migrant Hawker.

Sy V · Aug 31, 2011

Oh, cheers for that, Reg (and Dave)! - I stand corrected.

Woodchat · Aug 31, 2011

Worcestershire Birding Sites League

OK, here's a question for the statos (Mike and Phil) - or possibly Brian:

Leading Clifton GP patch-watcher, Adam H, asked me if Upton Warren has the largest bird list for any single site in Worcestershire??

I assume, with a list of ~235 (give or take), that it must be. The only other contenders are likely to be Bredon's Hardwick or Grimley-Holt. I think Westwood has a list of about 215.

Can anyone give any up-to-date accurate stats?

Maybe we could even start a league table. I've personally recorded just over 100 species on my local patches around south Droitwich (Coney Meadow / Salwarpe Valley / Oakley Pool) over the last 12 years which I guess is pretty mediocre. :t:

Phil Andrews · Aug 31, 2011

Woodchat said:
OK, here's a question for the statos (Mike and Phil) - or possibly Brian:

Leading Clifton GP patch-watcher, Adam H, asked me if Upton Warren has the largest bird list for any single site in Worcestershire??

I assume, with a list of ~235 (give or take), that it must be. The only other contenders are likely to be Breden's Hardwick or Grimley-Holt. I think Westwood has a list of about 215.

Can anyone give any up-to-date accurate stats?

Maybe we could even start a league table. I've personally recorded just over 100 species on my local patches around south Droitwich (Coney Meadow / Salwarpe Valley / Oakley Pool) over the last 12 years which I guess is pretty mediocre. :t:

Hi Dave - I tried to start a thread to this effect a few weeks ago but in petered out very quickly.

Brian revealed that the "Greater Grimley" list was 215+ (but then it is about 20% of Worcester - only kidding Brian! :-O).

The only stats I have to work on are the quoted leading individual's site lists from Worcesterbirding which has:

Westwood Pool - Wayne Dutton - 184
Bittell Res - Richard Harbird - 188
Bredon's Hardwick - Steve Huggins - 180
Lower Moor - Rob Prudden - 189

I am sure by chatting to Wayne or Rob it would be possible to bottom out what the site lists are for Westwood and Lower Moor relatively easily. Did Adam hint at what Clifton has reached in its relatively short existence?

UW82 · Aug 31, 2011

Sy V said:
Oh, cheers for that, Reg (and Dave)! - I stand corrected.

Did you take the Darter picture by the Hen Pool hide Sy? If you did, I took some pictures of the same dragonfly and on comparing them it looks like a Common Darter to me. The abdomen is not red enough or waisted enough for Ruddy Darter and although the legs look black in your image, the wings could be hiding the straw coloured element you see on Common Darter .Because your image is foreshortened, the body is giving a slight impression of waisting. I will post my images later.

TODAYS HIGHLIGHTS:

MOORS:
Green Sand--------------------Common Sand
Snipe (3)-----------------------Lapwing (c40)
Kingfisher----------------------Little Owl
Shoveler (6)-------------------Pochard (3)
Gadwall (pr)-------------------Water Rail calling
Sedge Warbler----------------Whitethroat
Teal (12)----------------------Swift (5)
Swallow (c30)-----------------Yellow Wagtail (flew around briefly then flew south)

FLASHES:
Green Sand (3)---------------Common Sand
B H Gull (c300)---------------Teal (18)
Whitethroat-------------------L Whitethroat
Redstart ( f +m reported)---House Martin (c20)

HEN POOL:
Reed Warbler (3)

Des.

Phil Andrews · Aug 31, 2011

As a comparison, our neighbours in Staffordshire have five sites with lists of over 200 (strangely the top three are significant bodies of water, far larger than any found in Worcs):

Blithfield - 255
Belvide - 251
Chasewater - 240
Westport - 207
Doxey Marshes - 203

Phil Andrews · Aug 31, 2011

Good set of sightings Des - would be great if the likes of Little Owl, Gadwall, Snipe, Sedge Warbler, Yellow Wag and Little Owl were all still present on Satuday for the All-dayer. Was the owl in its usual place? On the worrying side the numbers of Green / Common Sand and Shoveler appear to be reducing at a rapid rate.

The BBC now now switched the rain to Sunday with Satuday predicted as cloudy with temps of around 19C and a SSW wind.

Brian Stretch · Aug 31, 2011

Hi Dave and Phil,

If it isn't Upton, then my guess would be Bittell as it is the oldest of the main sites. No idea what its total list would be though.

Off the top of my head, the only bird I've seen at Holt which I haven't seen at Grimley is Brent Goose. Having said that, the Holt/Grimley land area is still smaller than many other inland sites, ie, Blithfield, CWP, Rutland Water, Grafham Water etc.

Brian
___________
Birding Today

Sy V · Aug 31, 2011

Des, yes, on the pile of dead Phrag immediately in front of the hide.

Phil Andrews · Aug 31, 2011

Brian Stretch said:
Must be a good chance of a Curlew Sand or Little Stint on Saturday, given the widespread numbers now beginning to appear.

Year lists have now been updated here.

Brian
___________
Birding Today

Thanks for the update Brian. Interesting to compare the current numbers for the Top Five with the final positions for last year:

2011 (current)
1st - Dave Walker - 138
=2nd - Gert Corfield - 126
=2nd - Dave Jackson - 126
=2nd - Phil Andrews - 126
=5th - Mike Wakeman - 119
=5th - John Belsey - 119

2010 (final)
1st - Dave Walker - 142
2nd - Phil Andrews - 138
3rd - John Belsey - 135
4th - Dave Jackson - 134
5th - Gert Corfield - 127

Not sure if Brian's list included the Spotshank Gert saw on Sunday so Herr Corfield may have already equalled his list for last year.

Woodchat · Aug 31, 2011

upton-till-i-die said:
Thanks for the update Brian. Interesting to compare the current numbers for the Top Five with the final positions for last year:

2011 (current)
1st - Dave Walker - 138
=2nd - Gert Corfield - 126
=2nd - Dave Jackson - 126
=2nd - Phil Andrews - 126
=5th - Mike Wakeman - 119
=5th - John Belsey - 119

2011 (final)
1st - Dave Walker - 143
2nd - Phil Andrews - 138
3rd - John Belsey - 135
4th - Dave Jackson - 134
5th - Gert Corfield - 127

Not sure if Brian's list included the Spotshank Gert saw on Sunday so Herr Corfield may have already equalled his list for last year.

Hi Phil,

I think that bottom list is erroneous - should it be 2010(final)? My final tally for last year was 142. I need 143 for the all-time record - hopefully, this year.

Phil Andrews · Aug 31, 2011

Woodchat said:
Hi Phil,

I think that bottom list is erroneous - should it be 2010(final)? My final tally for last year was 142. I need 143 for the all-time record - hopefully, this year.

Thanks Dave - original post duly corrected.

Woodchat · Aug 31, 2011

upton-till-i-die said:
As a comparison, our neighbours in Staffordshire have five sites with lists of over 200 (strangely the top three are significant bodies of water, far larger than any found in Worcs):

Blithfield - 255
Belvide - 251
Chasewater - 240
Westport - 207
Doxey Marshes - 203

Leading Bittel patch-lister, Rob W, has just informed me that Bittel has 233 (±) species on its list. Seems UW may only have a very slight edge. It's certainly been a while since we added a new species. I believe Common Rosefinch is still pending and a description is still awaited.

Phil Andrews · Aug 31, 2011

Woodchat said:
Leading Bittel patch-lister, Rob W, has just informed me that Bittel has 233 (±) species on its list. Seems UW may only have a very slight edge. It's certainly been a while since we added a new species. I believe Common Rosefinch is still pending and a description is still awaited.

When I wrote the opus the UW list stood at 235. Since then we have only added Twite with the Rosefinch yet to be submitted.

Presumably the Bittell recording area includes several of the large fields bordering onto the reservoir.

Woodchat · Aug 31, 2011

upton-till-i-die said:
When I wrote the opus the UW list stood at 235. Since then we have only added Twite with the Rosefinch yet to be submitted.

Presumably the Bittell recording area includes several of the large fields bordering onto the reservoir.

Since we count anything seen on or from the reserve (including the ed res and surrounding fields) I think it's only fair that other sites can count adjoining fields (within reason).

I don't know why but I must admit I initially overlooked Bittell.

UW82 · Aug 31, 2011

upton-till-i-die said:
Good set of sightings Des - would be great if the likes of Little Owl, Gadwall, Snipe, Sedge Warbler, Yellow Wag and Little Owl were all still present on Satuday for the All-dayer. Was the owl in its usual place? On the worrying side the numbers of Green / Common Sand and Shoveler appear to be reducing at a rapid rate.

The BBC now now switched the rain to Sunday with Satuday predicted as cloudy with temps of around 19C and a SSW wind.

Hi Phil. The Little Owl was in its usual place, but viewed from the Moors. I think that fly-overs might be the order of the day in the case of a number of species.

Des.

upstarts1979 · Aug 31, 2011

upton-till-i-die said:
Thanks for the update Brian. Interesting to compare the current numbers for the Top Five with the final positions for last year:

2011 (current)
1st - Dave Walker - 138
=2nd - Gert Corfield - 126
=2nd - Dave Jackson - 126
=2nd - Phil Andrews - 126
=5th - Mike Wakeman - 119
=5th - John Belsey - 119

2010 (final)
1st - Dave Walker - 142
2nd - Phil Andrews - 138
3rd - John Belsey - 135
4th - Dave Jackson - 134
5th - Gert Corfield - 127

Not sure if Brian's list included the Spotshank Gert saw on Sunday so Herr Corfield may have already equalled his list for last year.

121 now for me, spot fly and spotshank:t: spotted crake soon:smoke:

rollingthunder · Sep 1, 2011

That Orange Balsam is also known as 'Jewelweed' - try holding the leaves underwater and it can look quite pretty! - same 'cluster-bomb' approach to seed dispersel but not considered as invasive as Himalayan, comes from North America, the specific name of 'capensis' is a misnomer as it was thought to have originated from South Africa.

The 'bug' is in fact a Hymenoptera, an Iichneumon Wasp one of the many parasitic types, i think it is one of the larger, more common spp but the name escapes me at present....:t:

Laurie -

Brian Stretch · Sep 1, 2011

Phil's August Birding Review now online here.

Brian
___________
Birding Today

Upton Warren (50 Viewers)

Cogito ergo sum

Who was breaking away from the pack.

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Cogito ergo sum

It's only Rock and Roller but I like it

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It's only Rock and Roller but I like it

It's only Rock and Roller but I like it

Well-known member

Well-known member

It's only Rock and Roller but I like it

Cogito ergo sum

It's only Rock and Roller but I like it

Cogito ergo sum

It's only Rock and Roller but I like it

Cogito ergo sum

Well-known member

Well-known member

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