Upton Warren (39 Viewers)

Phil Andrews said:

Just had a response from the ringing co-ordinator regarding this Black-headed Gull.

It was ringed as a nestling on the 22nd June 2013 at Kaunas, Lithuania (an inland site about 70km WNW of the capital Vilnius). It was recorded earlier this year (27th February) at Edgbaston Reservoir by Matt Griffiths who occasionally visits this thread.

Just like that.

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Matt Griffiths said:

Ah, I thought that code seemed familiar! According to the ringing details I received, it was ringed at Kiaulės Nugara island, Klaipėda, Lithuania. Kaunas is where the zoological museum is based.
Matt

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Kingfisher-kid said:

Someone's after a gold star and a big piece of cake :eat:8-P

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upstarts1979 said:

MOORS:
At last a normal November day. Being cold and wet, with a definite winters feel, due to the cold easterly wind. Some birds reflected this, but no more so than the massive increase in thrush numbers. The common snipe too were well represented and snipe island was overwhelmed by them. Although there were no jacks amongst them, there were at least 3 on the 'promontory'. But the one group usually associated with winter namely the wildfowl, were still not arriving. A year tick for me was nuthatch, with 2 performing in the pear tree by the east gate. Chaffinch and goldcrest appear to have increased as a result of the recent easterlies.
Species counts MOORS:
GCG, Little grebe 6, cormorant 12, greylag 1, shoveler 44, teal 45, tufted 12, coot 220+, water rail very vocal along whole of east side and swampy bottom. Common Snipe 116 (101 were on snipe island during the rail), Jack snipe 3, lapwing 55, curlew, BHG 200, very few large gulls, Kingfisher, green woodp, great sp woodp, Nuthatch 2, jay, mistle thrush fieldfare 80+, redwing 550, song thrush 3 by east gate, blackbird no count but at least 10 in a short stretch of the east track, grey wag, goldfinch 42, chaffinch 6, redpoll, goldcrest 3, cettis w 2, meadow pipit,

The Flashes were much quieter, but then again they always are at this time of year. Although things were picking up as the day progressed, unfortunately I couldn't stay until dark. A male peregrine flew through with a futile attempt to catch something, but it did cause mayhem for a couple of minutes. Andy P found a couple of Jack snipe along the southern shore, they later disappeared into the patch of stunted reeds. The now wet 'meadow', was providing food for lapwing , curlew, coot, moorhen and a crow which had caught a 'sick' BHG and was slowly dispatching it, while the bird was still alive. A large thrush of redwing landed in the eastern orchard, while a large group devoured the berries along the western hedgerow.
Species count FLASHES
Little grebe - 3rd Flash, shoveler 11, teal 18 (also 5 on hen pool), mallard 20, coot 11 min, water rail - hen pool, moorhen 40+, snipe 4, jack snipe 2, lapwing 112, curlew 13, BHG 120, LBBG, Buzzard, peregrine, redwing 300+, fieldfare 20, song thrush 2, Cettis w singing from 3rd Flash SE corner, goldcrest, chaffinch few,

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Phil Andrews said:

A few additions and higher counts to the above:

MOORS POOL
7 Little Grebe, 27 Cormorant, 15 Tufted Duck, 228 Coot, 4 Curlew, 1 Canada Goose, 8 Moorhen, 83 Lapwing, 2 Grey Heron

SAILING POOL
2 GC Grebe, 3 Coot, 1 Tufted Duck

FLASHES
8 Common Snipe, 2 Lesser Redpoll, 43 Moorhen, Skylark, 184 Lapwing, Grey Wagtail, 10 Linnet, Green Woodpecker

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upstarts1979 said:

Apologies for more pics of snipe, but I find them fascinating. Its also important from a management perspective, to see what is the ideal habitat for them. Snipe island is quite obviously a good habitat for feeding and to a lesser extent a daytime loafing site, while the promontory is an ideal daytime roost. So by observing their behaviour is not only aesthetically pleasing, but it also helps us maintain their ideal habitat and create similar type elsewhere.

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Phil Andrews said:

JTB - are you lurking amongst these portraits of your era? http://www.birdingworld.co.uk/Bryan Bland's.htm

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upstarts1979 said:

Apologies for more pics of snipe, but I find them fascinating. Its also important from a management perspective, to see what is the ideal habitat for them. Snipe island is quite obviously a good habitat for feeding and to a lesser extent a daytime loafing site, while the promontory is an ideal daytime roost. So by observing their behaviour is not only aesthetically pleasing, but it also helps us maintain their ideal habitat and create similar type elsewhere.

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Kingfisher-kid said:

John the tog 8-P greats shots looks like you had a quiet day kid (beats shopping):t:

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upstarts1979 said:

No mate...but I do know many of them and to be fair they are all very accurate, to what they looked like back in the day:t:
He wouldn't have bothered with us lot, we were a bit loud and well let's say a little boisterous :smoke:
Although he did say to me once, that when we are alone we are quite nice lads8-P
A few years after my Norfolk day's, I met Brian at Upton. He was leading a tour around the UK for a few Yank birders. He used to do this annually during the summer and would always bring them to Upton for Green sandpiper on route to Stratford for a bit of 'duding'. The last time I met him was in 2003 and he had arranged to meet me in the car park. I didn't tell him what was around until we got into the Flashes hide. His reaction to the breeding Avocets was amazing he couldn't believe it, we then reminisced about the first time they bred at Cley-next-the-sea - happy days. :t:

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upstarts1979 said:

news from Today a bit thin on the ground. Text's from Rob G and Steve (spike)

Flashes:
Dunlin , jack snipe, peregrine, raven, 2 grey wag , 100+ redwing ,

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Phil Andrews said:

JTB - are you lurking amongst these portraits of your era? http://www.birdingworld.co.uk/Bryan Bland's.htm

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