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ZEISS DTI thermal imaging cameras. For more discoveries at night, and during the day.

Upton Warren (11 Viewers)

upton-till-i-die said:
Wow! What a month; hardly time to catch one’s breath with the flurry of excellent sightings and records being broken left right and centre. In the 14 years I have been coming to Upton I am struggling to think of another period of sustained top-notch birding to rival what we have just experienced in April.

The usual monthly update will be appearing shortly but I thought it was worthwhile drawing together the highlights in a month when 116 species were recorded:-

Bluethroat – one at the Hen Pool on the 26th and 27th – second record for the reserve and third for the County; first sighting in the West Midlands region of the White-spotted form.
Spoonbill – one at the Flashes on the 22nd – second record for the reserve.
Hoopoe – one over the Moors Pool on the 9th - third record for the reserve.
Little Gull – two at the Moors Pool on the 9th; eight at the Moors Pool on the 18th – record count for the reserve
Bar-tailed Godwit – one at the Moors Pool (then the Flashes) on the 30th; a flock of 27 flew over the Moors Pool late on the 30th – record count for the reserve.
Sandwich Tern – one at the Moors Pool on the 18th.
Osprey – one over the Moors Pool on the 18th.
Wood Sandpiper – one at the Flashes from the 29th to 30th; a further two at the Moors Pool on the 30th.
Marsh Harrier – female over the Flashes on the 25th, female flew out of the Education Reserve on the 29th, female flew over the Moors Pool on the 30th.
Arctic Tern – one at the Moors Pool on the 24th, two at the Sailing Pool early on the 29th, one at the Flashes late on the 29th and two at the Moors Pool on the 30th.
Avocet – new reserve (and regional) record count of 19 at the Flashes on the 9th.
Red Kite – one seen three times over the reserve on the 9th; a different bird was over the Moors Pool on the 10th.
Mediterranean Gull - a second summer was present from early March until the 14th April, the longest staying individual recorded; a first summer was at the Flashes on the 22nd.
Whimbrel – one at the Flashes from the 29th to 30th.
Greenshank – one at the Flashes on the 29th and 30th.
Yellow Wagtail – noted on the 5th April at the Moors Pool and on a further eight dates.
White Wagtail – noted at the Moors Pool on the 7th and on a further eight dates.
Whinchat – one at the Flashes on the 17th.
Wheatear - a female was at the Flashes on the 10th, a pair at the Flashes on the 14th, a male at the Flashes on the 17th, a female at the Flashes on the 19th and a female at the Moors Pool on the 22nd (with presumably the same bird later the same day at the Flashes)
Redstart – one at the Flashes on the 12th.
Common Tern – first returning bird at the Moors Pool on the 3rd was the earliest ever return date
Pink-footed Goose – longest ever staying individual present from the 9th January until the 7th April.
Black-tailed Godwit – one at the Flashes on the 2nd.
Grasshopper Warbler – one reeled in several locations across the reserve from the 15th to 17th.
Merlin – one flew through the Moors Pool on the 7th.

The scary thought is that May has traditionally been more productive for rare birds at Upton .....
Click to expand...

This a credit to all you guys who have spent many years and even more hours making this a reserve to be very proud of, I am glad to be a very samll part of such a fantastic bunch cheers B :)
 
Woodchat said:
Got a text from Craig to say he'd seen a flock of 27 Bar-tailed Godwits fly over the moors - so, perhaps, another record broken(?). More to come tomorrow perhaps.

The female Marsh Harrier made my day.

A selection of today's photos below:
Click to expand...

Dave, as promised links below to pics taken yesterday at the Flashes to compliment yours.

Images include Avocet and Lapwing chicks, Yellow and White Wag, Barwit and a distant Whimbrel.

Stuart

http://www.stuartandrews.net/p647831818
http://www.stuartandrews.net/p976898535
http://www.stuartandrews.net/p441481257
http://www.stuartandrews.net/p737824636
http://www.stuartandrews.net/p877780154
 
A pleasant morning at the Moors 9-12 am, Oyc chicks observed, a LLB caused a kerfuffle for 10 minutes with the BHG's. All raptors were scrutinised ABAP, and the little grebes showed right in front of the east hide.

The Peg showed well, and it seemed the LRP and Lap have abandoned the nests on the small island infront of the hide ( I stand to be corrected)

The Common Tern continued to fly around pretty well minus it's back end ....Could this be an evolutionary moment ??

Happy but tickless I was returning to the car, just before reaching the car park a Reed Warbler sang very close...squatting down and peering through the hedge towards the small pool, into the reeds I got my bins on the target !!..not a tickless morning afterall :t:
 
Two ringed Black-headed Gulls have been observed as part of the nesting colonies in recent days. Their histories are as follows:

EW55072 N 1 02/06/08 Cokes Pit, Somerford Keynes, Gloucestershire
2H72 R 1 Recaptured 10/06/08 Cokes Pit, Somerford Keynes, Gloucestershire (8 days)
S 4 Sighted 29/04/11 Upton Warren, Worcestershire (73 km, N, 2 yrs 331days)

EW55122 N 1 22/06/09 Slimbridge WFT, Gloucestershire
2N22 S 4 Sighted 30/04/11 Upton Warren, Worcestershire (68 km, NNE, 1 yr 312days)
 
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Red-eyed Damselfly

Not exactly a bird either ;) I spotted this flying alongside the sailing pool. It looked different to any other damselfly I've ever seen - so I decided to take a photograph of it. It looks like a Red-eyed Damselfly to me - female or teneral male. Apparently they're not common - first recorded only a couple of years ago at UW.

Des, can you confirm my suspicions? (I think the red eyes are a giveaway8-P)
 

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Waders seen at Upton Warren today (not all by me):

1. Greenshank
2. Redshank
3. Curlew
4. Whimbrel
5. LRP
6. Ringed Plover (GLaB per Worcesterbirding)
7. Lapwing
8. Wood Sandpiper (4 or 5 birds)
9. Green Sandpiper
10. Common Snipe
11. Common Sandpiper
12. Avocet
13. Dunlin
14. Oystercatcher
15. Bar-tailed Godwit

Also, a notable increase in the numbers of Swift with at least 7 over the moors. Hobby seen during the afternoon plus 17 Common Terns. I didn't see them but an even bigger flock of Commic Terns passed through briefly (27+).
 
Can't add a lot to the others sightings other than a water rail calling several times this evening in front of the North moors hide. A cuckoo also called from the end of the 'secret garden'.
B :)John

some counts for today
Moors: GCG 11, Little Grebe 3, Tufted 27, Lapwing 5 (3 fems), Oycs 4 + chicks , BHG 52 nests, Swifts 6, Sand Martin c20, Willow warbler 2 singing
Flashes: Shoveler 4 (3 males) unusual to get passage birds at this time of year. LRP 11, Snipe 2 poss 3, Lapwing 7, Common Sand 3,
 
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a computer generated picture of the 'Boy' thanks to Andy Warr
 

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  • Bluethroat computer generated painting, Upton Warren, April 2011, by Andy Warr...jpg
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Woodchat said:
Not exactly a bird either ;) I spotted this flying alongside the sailing pool. It looked different to any other damselfly I've ever seen - so I decided to take a photograph of it. It looks like a Red-eyed Damselfly to me - female or teneral male. Apparently they're not common - first recorded only a couple of years ago at UW.

Des, can you confirm my suspicions? (I think the red eyes are a giveaway8-P)
Click to expand...

Hi Dave. It certainly is a Red-eyed Damselfly and may have been photographed last Wednesday by another observer in the same area (his image is not as conclusive as yours). They are widespread in Worcs. but fairly new to UW.

I have attached an image of a male Brown Argus (orange lunes on forewing fade away unlike female) which I saw today on the way to a Treecreeper site along the Salwarpe. It was suspected late last summer that there might be a colony on the reserve and this sighting goes some way to confirming that suspicion.


Des.
 

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to continue the non-bird theme
A hornet in the North Moors hide tonight..they seem to be quite common on the reserve this year.
 

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woodwolf said:
A pleasant morning at the Moors 9-12 am, Oyc chicks observed, a LLB caused a kerfuffle for 10 minutes with the BHG's. All raptors were scrutinised ABAP, and the little grebes showed right in front of the east hide.

The Peg showed well, and it seemed the LRP and Lap have abandoned the nests on the small island infront of the hide ( I stand to be corrected)

The Common Tern continued to fly around pretty well minus it's back end ....Could this be an evolutionary moment ??

Happy but tickless I was returning to the car, just before reaching the car park a Reed Warbler sang very close...squatting down and peering through the hedge towards the small pool, into the reeds I got my bins on the target !!..not a tickless morning afterall :t:
Click to expand...

Well done Mark on getting your Reed Warbler:t:. I recall offering you some advice as to the best place to see the species on the reserve what must have been just minutes before you saw the bird. Mine was a tickless but, nevertheless, enjoyable day in the company of some great characters. I have also had to reduce my year list by 1:C, as I had included Feral Pigeon in my total - a bird that Mr. Stretch does not wish to see included on anyone's list apparently. My UW year list has been subsequently revised and now stands at 107.
 
nickgmay said:
Not exactly a bird but I saw this grass snake from the East hide about 2pm today
Click to expand...

I also had a Grass Snake from the East Hide yesterday evening. This is the third I have seen on the reserve this year (including a dead one which Gavo and I saw on the causeway). In 8 years of visiting the reserve I had never encountered the species before, which would suggest that their numbers are on the up:t:.
 
wheatearlp said:
Sy,

I can probably manage some time tomorrow afternoon after 2 pm if that's any good.

Cheers
Mike
Click to expand...

Mike

Thanks for the offer but, I may have problems getting it loaded at my end. I'll have to see how things go but please don't hang about waiting for the raft's arrival today.
 
Woodchat said:
Waders seen at Upton Warren today (not all by me):

1. Greenshank
2. Redshank
3. Curlew
4. Whimbrel
5. LRP
6. Ringed Plover (GLaB per Worcesterbirding)
7. Lapwing
8. Wood Sandpiper (4 or 5 birds)
9. Green Sandpiper
10. Common Snipe
11. Common Sandpiper
12. Avocet
13. Dunlin
14. Oystercatcher
15. Bar-tailed Godwit

Also, a notable increase in the numbers of Swift with at least 7 over the moors. Hobby seen during the afternoon plus 17 Common Terns. I didn't see them but an even bigger flock of Commic Terns passed through briefly (27+).
Click to expand...

Thanks Dave - this has surely got to be a record species of wader species on a single day; can John / Des / Mike confirm?

Andy Pitt has reported a Ringed Plover at the Flashes this morning.

Is there a query over the number of Wood Sand - there was the bird on the deck at the Flashes, JHWR's 3 fly-over birds at the Moors and .... ?

Shame no one could get onto that large flock of terns; did your 17 include the resident birds at the Moors?
 

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