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

Upton Warren (23 Viewers)

Mark

I had tried to delve in to layering over a period of about 30 months, but like you, I couldn't follow the tutorials. Then someone at work suggested I search on youtube or utube (whatever it's called) and, low and behold the second clip I looked at showed me what I wanted to do perfectly. The nice thing being, you could run the software whilst watching, rewinding and replaying the on-line clip.

Being as I'm away in Cambridge this weekend, let me be the first to forecast a confirmed Bittern sighting at UW, before I can get back down there...
 
Mark

I had tried to delve in to layering over a period of about 30 months, but like you, I couldn't follow the tutorials. Then someone at work suggested I search on youtube or utube (whatever it's called) and, low and behold the second clip I looked at showed me what I wanted to do perfectly. The nice thing being, you could run the software whilst watching, rewinding and replaying the on-line clip.

Being as I'm away in Cambridge this weekend, let me be the first to forecast a confirmed Bittern sighting at UW, before I can get back down there...

Cheers Sy/ Pete I will have a look at You tube
 
Sharpening in elements

Hi Woodwolf, have you tried the high pass filter for sharpening? I find it pretty easy though you do have to be careful not to over sharpen.

This youtube link shows how, but there are loads of other videos. I use elements 8. I'm sure it'll be in 9 too.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BO2QqpPwr6g

I recently purchased photo elements 9..it's around £50..but I have only used the guided editing to sharpen , and adjust contrast etc and crop.

The problem, like with a lot of software applications and electronic equipment nowdays is the instructions are utter rubbish.:C

I have ended up purchasing a book for Photo Element's called ' The Missing Manual', and pencilled in the dark nights of the coming months to get to grips with it..However I would welcome a heads up from those with the knowledge on getting to grips with basic layering.
 
http://www.birdforum.net/showthread.php?t=214750 I was reading through this thread earlier and the term UDV was being used a lot. It's obviously a TLA ;) for some twitching term, but what does it mean guys?
Uninterrupted Direct Views?

Hi Sy - in the context of the linked thread its a play on the term UTV (UnTickable Views) ie you saw the bird in question but not enough to be able to identify the bird yourself unless you have been told what it was.
 
saw these three on beach at yarmouth monday is the front one a golden eye, noticed it was larger than the teal so it caught my eye, once again does'nt seem to tie up with owt in my books, cheers in anticipation.

cheers for that lads pleased at that ain't had a goldeneye on this years list yet, as they say in tesco every little helps!
 
My first update live from the field - Little Egret at the Moors Pool on Amys Marsh.

Funny that one was seen at earlswood flying south (westwish??) over the lakes there at 9:50 am, could the egret have made it from earlswood to upton in about 30 mins?? Good chance it being the same bird?
MB
 
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Saturday 29th October

I will let John update you all later with the results of his morning's "Vis Mig" watch at the Flashes but in the meantime:

MOORS POOL
Little Egret briefly 1025 to 1029 then flew off south-east, 3 Grey Heron, 20 Cormorant, 6 GC Grebe, 2+ Little Grebe, 8 Shoveler, 43 Teal, Gadwall (m), 25 Tufted Duck, 9 Pochard (Dave Jackson had 10 earlier), 5 Moorhen, 267 Coot, 14 Greylag Geese, 106 Canada Geese, 6 Mute Swan, 5 Snipe, 54 Lapwing, Grey Wagatil, 2 very active Kingfishers, 1 LBB Gull, 1 Common Gull (2nd winter).

Dave Jackson had 1 Green Sand earlier and Yellowhammer, Siskin and Lesser Redpoll over.

FLASHES
13 Teal (total of 70 reported across the reserve earlier today), 3 Moorhen, 146 Lapwing, 30+ Lesser Redpoll near the Hen Pool.
 
I will let John update you all later with the results of his morning's "Vis Mig" watch at the Flashes but in the meantime:

MOORS POOL
Little Egret briefly 1025 to 1029 then flew off south-east, 3 Grey Heron, 20 Cormorant, 6 GC Grebe, 2+ Little Grebe, 8 Shoveler, 43 Teal, Gadwall (m), 25 Tufted Duck, 9 Pochard (Dave Jackson had 10 earlier), 5 Moorhen, 267 Coot, 14 Greylag Geese, 106 Canada Geese, 6 Mute Swan, 5 Snipe, 54 Lapwing, Grey Wagatil, 2 very active Kingfishers, 1 LBB Gull, 1 Common Gull (2nd winter).

Dave Jackson had 1 Green Sand earlier and Yellowhammer, Siskin and Lesser Redpoll over.

FLASHES
13 Teal (total of 70 reported across the reserve earlier today), 3 Moorhen, 146 Lapwing, 30+ Lesser Redpoll near the Hen Pool.

Also 8 Redpoll on Silver Birch behind the East hide on the Moors and Treecreeper. Mistle thrush over.
Cheers
 
Work Party At The Flashes

The next work party at the Flashes takes place this forthcoming Sunday (6th November). Work will include:

- raking up and removal to the boundary of the remaining cut grass / sedge / reeds
- removal of the new reed growth encroaching onto the foreshore
- relocation of the items stored under the hide to permit its demolition starting Monday 7th November
- strimming a path to assist the delivery vehicles coming in from the track on the southern boundary
- all remaining time to be spent continuing the channel digging / desilting / island creation works

Usual start time of 10:00am; drinks and biscuits to be provided (any requests?). All assistance greatly appreciated.

John will update the Forum later on the exact timescales for the erection of the new Flashes' hide.
 
VIS MIG today 29th Oct 2011

I started at 7.30. A cold S-SE force 4-5, forced me to keep the side window open for too long, the bulk of migration ended by 10am.
At 8.15am I returned to the hide after 30 minutes watch by the bench. It looked to be quiet with only occasional meadow pipits calls heard. Then coming up from the eastern horizon was a flock of wood pigeons, after a couple of minutes they got closer and headed in a SW direction. Initially I thought they had just left their roost but the flock seemed to build and stretched half way along the eastern sky. I quickly set about counting in blocks of 50 and this flock numbered at least 600 (which constituted the largest single flock I have ever seen on the reserve). I then decided to move back to the bench for a more panoramic view. Shortly afterwards another smaller flock appeared but there were still 400 in this group. After the 3rd flock appeared just minutes later, I knew that this was no normal event. After a continuous procession with flocks of 200 – 400 over the next hour or so it was more than apparent that this was the real deal – this was VIS MIG in the raw. By 9.30am the flocks were still passing over but had declined to 100 and by 10am the stragglers were in groups of 50 or so.
So in the 1hr 45 minutes there were approximately 25 groups, totaling a minimum of 5000 birds.
Today there seemed to be birds all over the sky, many distant and unidentified flocks of finch types had to be written off. Of the identified birds on Visible migration here are the totals:-
Skylark 18, Fieldfare 220, Redwing 40, Meadow pipit 10, Pied wag 10, grey wag 2, redpoll 37, goldfinch 30, chaffinch 10, greenfinch 5, linnet 35, siskin (heard), Starling 120, Yellowhammer.

There was a slight rise in the 1st Flash level which attracted 13 Teal and a male tufted the first on here for months. The lapwing and curlew roosted numbered 53 and 21 respectively, later new arrivals boosted the lapwings up to 146. Only a handful of large gulls appeared throughout the morning, which was in sharp contrast to last week’s good total. After the migrants had moved through many passerines (semi winter resident) fed around the reserve. Most notably were 300 starlings, 60 fieldfare, 50 redwing, 10 chaffinch and a male yellowhammer all feeding on the grassy bank next to the SE corner of the 3rd flash and up to the farm house. By 11am at least 65 species were recorded by myself and Dave J.
Walking back to the sailing pool we came across a flock of 35 - 40 redpoll feeding in last years coppiced blackthorn thicket, behind the hen pool hide, where there was also a treecreeper.

B :)John
 
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I will let John update you all later with the results of his morning's "Vis Mig" watch at the Flashes but in the meantime:

MOORS POOL
Little Egret briefly 1025 to 1029 then flew off south-east, 3 Grey Heron, 20 Cormorant, 6 GC Grebe, 2+ Little Grebe, 8 Shoveler, 43 Teal, Gadwall (m), 25 Tufted Duck, 9 Pochard (Dave Jackson had 10 earlier), 5 Moorhen, 267 Coot, 14 Greylag Geese, 106 Canada Geese, 6 Mute Swan, 5 Snipe, 54 Lapwing, Grey Wagatil, 2 very active Kingfishers, 1 LBB Gull, 1 Common Gull (2nd winter).

Dave Jackson had 1 Green Sand earlier and Yellowhammer, Siskin and Lesser Redpoll over.

To add to Phil's sighting at the Moors:
Little grebe 3, shoveler 13, pochard 10, curlew 20 on east island, water rail showing in front of feeding station hide also heard in front of north moors and Dave J heard a few along east side.
B :)John
 
The elevational drawings for the new hide at the Flashes (which has now received planning consent) are attached below.

Mike/Dave/John/Des/Gert - I have sent you a further email on the subject.
 

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Ladybirds

Another great day at Upton, Spotted Woodpecker and 2 Tree Creepers were highlights. Photos of neither.
There was an abundance of ladybirds however, and one caught my eye as being a bit different, is this a 2 spot melanistic harlequin? ( got name from Wiki, I'm not that clever )
 

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Another great day at Upton, Spotted Woodpecker and 2 Tree Creepers were highlights. Photos of neither.
There was an abundance of ladybirds however, and one caught my eye as being a bit different, is this a 2 spot melanistic harlequin? ( got name from Wiki, I'm not that clever )

Yes, Harlequins comes in all different colours with many different number of spots.
I saw hundreds of Harlequins today on my patch!!
MB
 

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