Upton Warren (31 Viewers)

Sy V · Jul 27, 2011

I see that yesterday's birthday boy "Deutschland, Deutschland uber alles" has had the Redstarts and a Spotted Fly this morning. Assuming that the 'starts were in their (now) customary position, it'll be fascinating to know if the Spotted Fly was anywhere other that where Dave had it last week; in the Education Centre.

UW82 · Jul 27, 2011

Will post a full report later tonight , but I am going to a work reunion **** up. There were ,however , 3 Spot Flys at the Flashes.

Des.

Phil Andrews · Jul 27, 2011

UW82 said:
Will post a full report later tonight , but I am going to a work reunion **** up. There were ,however , 3 Spot Flys at the Flashes.

Des.

Hi Des - if you have managed to see 3 Spot Flys at the Flashes you deserve a few pints! Got a feeling it may have been a few years since the last multiple sighting. Hopefully they will hang on for a few days.

Phil

Spoonbill Finder · Jul 27, 2011

UW82 said:
Will post a full report later tonight , but I am going to a work reunion **** up. There were ,however , 3 Spot Flys at the Flashes.

Des.

Thanks again Des for pointing me in the direction of the Spotted Flycatcher(s) - an Upton Warren life tick for me and number 117 on my year list for the reserve.

I was pretty sure that I had seen at least 2 birds in the brief time I was there, but wasn't quite sure due to the fact that they were quite distant. It was only when the one bird flew over my head and landed in a tree quite close to me that I was able to be absolutely 100% positive as to its identity. Thanks for confirming my initial thoughts.:t:

UW82 · Jul 28, 2011

Yesterday's highlights including a varity of insect images during a quiet period.

FLASHES:
Spotted Flycatcher (3) mainly on transmitter field side of hedge.
Green Sands (11)--------------------LRP (3)
Curlew (30)---------------------------Lapwing (58)
Little Owl-----------------------------Willow Warbler
Common Tern (3)--------------------Peregrine
Sparrowhawk (m)--------------------Kingfisher (Henbrook)
BH Gull (c250)

MOORS:
Raven---------------------------------Water Rail
Common Sand-----------------------Tufted Duck broods of 4:7:2

Des.

UW82 · Jul 28, 2011

Some more images from yester day.

Des.

Brian Stretch · Jul 28, 2011

Year lists now updated (to the best of my knowledge) here: http://www.uptonwarrenbirding.co.uk/upton_warren_year_listing_45.html.

Brian
________________________________________
Birding Today Midlands Birding Review June 2011

abagguley · Jul 28, 2011

Blimey, Des - the S. Hawker & Black Tailed Skimmer shots are excellent. What lens are you using for shots like this? I keep seeing macro-lenses for sale on BF for 200-300 quid, but I'm not sure what kind of focal length I should get for the the best Odonata/Bee/Butterfly pics - I'm guessing that whatever you've got is probably what I'm looking for..

Adrian

Phil Andrews · Jul 28, 2011

Med Gulls

One feature of this summer is the lack of Med Gull records. The most recent bird was observed on the 27th June but normally they have been recorded in the roost at the Flashes from the second week of July onwards. Whether the low water level of the Flashes or the number of loitering Black-heads following a record breaking breeding season is putting them off I dont know.

Attached is a chart showing the cumulative daily totals for Med Gull at Upton since they were first recorded in 1987. Records for the first half of the year are shown in blue (note the recent explosion of sightings) whilst the second half of the year is denoted in red (I am mising the stats for 1996):

UW82 · Jul 28, 2011

upton-till-i-die said:
One feature of this summer is the lack of Med Gull records. The most recent bird was observed on the 27th June but normally they have been recorded in the roost at the Flashes from the second week of July onwards. Whether the low water level of the Flashes or the number of loitering Black-heads following a record breaking breeding season is putting them off I dont know.

Attached is a chart showing the cumulative daily totals for Med Gull at Upton since they were first recorded in 1987. Records for the first half of the year are shown in blue (note the recent explosion of sightings) whilst the second half of the year is denoted in red (I am mising the stats for 1996):[/QUOTE

The following is taken from the 1996 UW Report Phil. All at the Flashes except for one sighting. 1st S 13-14/7. Juv 15/8. Juv 23-25/8. Juv 6/9. A single bird (not aged in the report) at the Moors 12/10.

Des.

Phil Andrews · Jul 28, 2011

Cheers Des - amended chart below:

Spoonbill Finder · Jul 28, 2011

Blue-tailed Damselfly

An image of a Blue-tailed Damselfly I took with my new Fuji HS10 on Wednesday. I did try and upload some more images but was informed that the file was too large and needed resizing. As I have no idea how to do this I am unable to share the other pictures I took with you:C:stuck::-@

Spoonbill Finder · Jul 29, 2011

Speckled Wood

I seem to have managed to upload another image from Wednesday:t:

UW82 · Jul 29, 2011

Spoonbill Finder said:
An image of a Blue-tailed Damselfly I took with my new Fuji HS10 on Wednesday. I did try and upload some more images but was informed that the file was too large and needed resizing. As I have no idea how to do this I am unable to share the other pictures I took with you:C:stuck::-@

Hi Andy. Much depends on what software you have to alter your images. You might find that if you enlarge and crop a 5mb file, then save, the files new size is only 700kb (don't ask me why).

Des.

Phil Andrews · Jul 29, 2011

Autumn All-Day Birdwatch

Further to previous posts on the subject, in the light of no further update from the Trust regarding the definitive timescales for the replacement of the main hide at the Flashes this autumn we have decided to take a flyer and run with Saturday 3rd September for the Autumn All-Day birdwatch.

The day should hopefully see small numbers of summer visitors still present together with passage waders, returning ducks and the chance of a migrating tern / raptor / chat.

More details will be posted closer to the date but the usual occurences of the species whiteboards, a fry-up, treats (the missus has promised a round of special "birding cake"), the resumption of our dual with Belvide and the general craic on the day will all feature.

Phil

Spoonbill Finder · Jul 29, 2011

Thanks for the advice, Des. I've just tweaked this image of a Water Rail I took from the West Hide at the Moors on Wednesday and a Banded Demoiselle I captured along the Salwarpe. I also compressed the files which seems to have done the trick. Must remember how I did that:h?:

Planning to get over to UW some time this morning. When I finally get to bed!!:cat:

Phil Andrews · Jul 29, 2011

Looks like Bittel is getting all the birds at the mo - Wood Sand, 2 Knots, Whimbrel, 3 Arctic Terns and 2 Yellow-legged Gulls there today.

With these and further terns (Sandwich and Arctic) and Knots elsewhere in the West Midlands and similar overcast weather forecast tomorrow (with a light SE wind) hopefully something will turn up over the weekend.

Of course with no reports from Upton so far today anything could be lurking there ....

UW82 · Jul 29, 2011

abagguley said:
Blimey, Des - the S. Hawker & Black Tailed Skimmer shots are excellent. What lens are you using for shots like this? I keep seeing macro-lenses for sale on BF for 200-300 quid, but I'm not sure what kind of focal length I should get for the the best Odonata/Bee/Butterfly pics - I'm guessing that whatever you've got is probably what I'm looking for..

Adrian

Hi Adrian. I use a Panasonic DMC-FZ38-18X-12 Mega pixels. No big lenses. The original shots need enlarging and cropping because I am not always standing close to an object. If I have my settings set on the highest quality possible, whilst sacrificing the number of images I can get, it is possible to get good quality results.

Des.

Phil Andrews · Jul 29, 2011

Little Ringed Plover

Further to my posts a few weeks ago, I attach charts from the remaining headline breeding species at Uton Warren , starting with Little Ringed Plover.

Whilst never a prolific breeder, between 1994 and 2004 LRP had become firmly established at Upton (particularly at the Flashes) with up to 8 young fledged a year, although many chicks were losts or nests abandoned / predated. When the species failed to fledge a single youngester for five consecutive years from 2005 to 2009 it was feared that LRP may lose all affinity to Upton Warren as a breeding site. Luckily the last two years have seen a return to form with four young raised each year. Continued management work will be undertaken to ensure that LRPs have suitable nesting sites away from the pressure created by the Avocets and that there are areas of insect-rich shoreline to provide feeding grounds for newly hatched chicks:

Phil Andrews · Jul 29, 2011

Common Tern

Common Terns commenced breeding attempts at Upton Warren in 1991 but it wasnt until 1994 that the first chick was successfully raised. A number of different rafts have been provided over the last 20 years, usually resulting in the fledging of between two and five chicks a year.

The last few years have seen a change in behaviour brought on by the rapid development of the Black-headed Gull colony. Despite the delayed launching of the rafts later in Spring these are quickly occupied by the BHGs. However the terns have taken to nesting within the gull colony, almost exclusively at the Moors Pool. This resulted in the record breaking performance of 2009 when 12 of the 16 hatched chicks fledged. 2010 saw the downside of nesting in more accessible locations when all the broods were lost, presumably due to mammalian predation (foxes were regulatly seen on the islands whilst mink were also frequently sighted). This year saw four chicks fledge but three broods suddenly lost.

Future management work will see the continued provision of nesting rafts at the Flashes and the Moors should the terns wish to make use of them and a review of islands at the Moors Pool to ensure they do not develop sheer "cliff" edges and retain some areas that shelve into the water where young birds greet the adults when they flew in after successful fishing expeditions.

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