upstarts1979
Well-known member
do You mean look for? if so I don't stop looking8-P
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Upton Warren (21 Viewers)
- Thread starter andythomas
- Start date
do You mean look for? if so I don't stop looking8-P
wheatearlp
Well-known member
Kittiwake came in at 2pm, with a small group of BHG's. It preened briefly and then swam on to the 1st Flash, before flying off west. Luckily I managed to get 3 other birders on to it. Although one birder did sigh at my excitement, stating that he sees 100's at the coast.. He did however appreciate it after I explained the scarcity of the species at the reserve.
Obviously doesn't 'do' lists, or at least not an Upton list, or a county list, or a West Mids list...
Freezing and wet after a gorgeous sun rise. Highlights at the flashes, 2 redpoll in tree behind the hide, several redwing in trees behind the hide and loads of redwing and fieldfare in trees behind the gate in the corner. Cuckoo hide mistle and song thrush along with 2 goldcrest and masses of long tailed tit.
upstarts1979
Well-known member
Hard work at Upton today, just had text off Dave J
Moors:
jack snipe, pintail 4, gadwall 2, little egret and 2 redpoll
Moors:
jack snipe, pintail 4, gadwall 2, little egret and 2 redpoll
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upstarts1979
Well-known member
Birded from 1pm till 5.15 this evening.
The heavy continuous rain finally broke the banks of the Salwarp in the SW marsh. Not a lot to add to Dave's earlier sightings.
Moors: GCG 2. little grebe 4, cormorant 16, greylag 4, mute swan 5 juvs, shoveler 45 - 50, teal 75, pintail 3, wigeon 1, gadwall pr, tufted 14, little egret, snipe 25 ish, lapwing 85, curlew 13, common gull ad over, kestrel very infrequent as of late. buzzard 3 all together, fieldfare 25 over, redwing 14,
FLASHES:
The Hen brook had risen above the bridge to the Hen pool as I was leaving. However the new sluice held back the water, with water flowing out of the Flashes at 3pm. But when I was walking back at 5.15 pm the hen brook was just flowing back into the Flashes. The water had risen 3 or 4cm since yesterday. This probably caused the exodus of many water birds. The large flock of snipe had all but disappeared and maybe yesterday's birds were migrants. The gull roost had declined since Tuesday, but at dark a 100 or more large gulls (mostly Herring) descended on to the Flashes to roost. A sparrowhawk flew through at 4pm ish and caused havoc, not only with the water birds but also the surrounding farmland birds. Making for an exciting spectacle with 100's of pigeons/doves, jackdaws, starlings, gulls and lapwing frantically calling and circling the Flashes.
Species count FLASHES:
Teal 45, mallard 80, coot 16, moorhen 40+, Little Egret, Canada's geese 280, greylag 34, curlew 13, lapwing 120, snipe 10 max, roosting gulls - BHG 850 , common gull ad, LBBG 35, Herring gull 80,
jackdaw 350, raven 2, wood pigeon 120, stock dove 25, starling 120, fieldfare 25, redwing 5, pied wag 30 roosting in 1st flash reed bed, grey wag
3, cettis warbler singing,
The heavy continuous rain finally broke the banks of the Salwarp in the SW marsh. Not a lot to add to Dave's earlier sightings.
Moors: GCG 2. little grebe 4, cormorant 16, greylag 4, mute swan 5 juvs, shoveler 45 - 50, teal 75, pintail 3, wigeon 1, gadwall pr, tufted 14, little egret, snipe 25 ish, lapwing 85, curlew 13, common gull ad over, kestrel very infrequent as of late. buzzard 3 all together, fieldfare 25 over, redwing 14,
FLASHES:
The Hen brook had risen above the bridge to the Hen pool as I was leaving. However the new sluice held back the water, with water flowing out of the Flashes at 3pm. But when I was walking back at 5.15 pm the hen brook was just flowing back into the Flashes. The water had risen 3 or 4cm since yesterday. This probably caused the exodus of many water birds. The large flock of snipe had all but disappeared and maybe yesterday's birds were migrants. The gull roost had declined since Tuesday, but at dark a 100 or more large gulls (mostly Herring) descended on to the Flashes to roost. A sparrowhawk flew through at 4pm ish and caused havoc, not only with the water birds but also the surrounding farmland birds. Making for an exciting spectacle with 100's of pigeons/doves, jackdaws, starlings, gulls and lapwing frantically calling and circling the Flashes.
Species count FLASHES:
Teal 45, mallard 80, coot 16, moorhen 40+, Little Egret, Canada's geese 280, greylag 34, curlew 13, lapwing 120, snipe 10 max, roosting gulls - BHG 850 , common gull ad, LBBG 35, Herring gull 80,
jackdaw 350, raven 2, wood pigeon 120, stock dove 25, starling 120, fieldfare 25, redwing 5, pied wag 30 roosting in 1st flash reed bed, grey wag
3, cettis warbler singing,
Phil Andrews
It's only Rock and Roller but I like it
Providing its not too wet tomorrow I will do a "Snipe walk" at the Flashes as part of the monthly Wetland Bird Survey (WeBS) count and post the results here.
upstarts1979
Well-known member
Be careful, watch out for the bulls:t:
I think the water level would have dropped by then. It might be worth tying up with Dave J.
upstarts1979
Well-known member
Pics
1 . some of the 70 snipe at the Flashes yesterday
2. The area where all the snipe landed, the saucer (top) and in the centre left the 'grassy knoll'
3. The flooding along the Hen brook behind hen pool. Showing the recent pollarding by contractors
4. The 'confluence'. The channel to the right leads to the sluice, this channel was dug out by the sluice contractors.
5. the new sluice - holding back the flood. It would have inundated the Flashes with the old sluice. Viewed looking back to the confluence
1 . some of the 70 snipe at the Flashes yesterday
2. The area where all the snipe landed, the saucer (top) and in the centre left the 'grassy knoll'
3. The flooding along the Hen brook behind hen pool. Showing the recent pollarding by contractors
4. The 'confluence'. The channel to the right leads to the sluice, this channel was dug out by the sluice contractors.
5. the new sluice - holding back the flood. It would have inundated the Flashes with the old sluice. Viewed looking back to the confluence
Attachments
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Phil Andrews
It's only Rock and Roller but I like it
The cattle are still there?! Are you able to advise what the Trust's intentions are for grazing at both the Flashes and Moors over the next five months?
Thought you promised not to mention our S&M inclinations
upstarts1979
Well-known member
The cattle are still there?! Are you able to advise what the Trust's intentions are for grazing at both the Flashes and Moors over the next five months?
I know Ben the grazier has tried to get them out and move them to the Moors. He was feeding them tonight and trying to 'de-wild' them|:S| is there such a word
Thought you promised not to mention our S&M inclinations
:-O3
Spoonbill Finder
Well-known member
Phil W and I stayed at the Moors till dusk today (5pm) and there was no sign of the Bittern.|=(|
Percy Pratincole
New member
A Bittern has been seen a few times at Hewell Grange. Could this be the bird seen at Upton it's not too far away?
The water wasn't that high when I left at 10 yesterday. That looks a good 5 inches higher to me.
upstarts1979
Well-known member
Yes way up Rob....even in the 2 hours I was there it had risen a good few inches.
upstarts1979
Well-known member
Dave J. Has had a bit of migration this morning at the Moors. A dunlin flew around briefly. Pochard 2. wigeon 3. pintail 3. redpoll. 27 fieldfare. 10 skylark. 4 meadow pipit. 3 or 4 singing cettis warbler. at last 8 water rail. He has had 60 species so far. he also reports that the water has risen a lot since yesterday.
upstarts1979
Well-known member
Dave J has got a Jack snipe on the Flashes, 8 snipe a dozen teal and a few shoveler.
Surprisingly the water is lower than last night...now at 0.46. This is almost certainly due to the new, more efficient sluice, that can remove water more rapidly.
Dave has just finished the day with 66 species a good total for this time of year. To add to his Flashes list - he saw another water rail, cettis warbler, a few more skylarks and mipits.
Surprisingly the water is lower than last night...now at 0.46. This is almost certainly due to the new, more efficient sluice, that can remove water more rapidly.
Dave has just finished the day with 66 species a good total for this time of year. To add to his Flashes list - he saw another water rail, cettis warbler, a few more skylarks and mipits.
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wheatearlp
Well-known member
Nothing much to add in four hours or so from 13.10 this afternoon other than the half dozen Jack Snipe flushed during Phil's WeBs count - I'm sure he'll add the other numbers later. I did have a calling, but invisible, Treecreeper in the ER and a Kestrel ( I remember when those weren't noteworthy) over the Sailing Pool car park.
Phil Andrews
It's only Rock and Roller but I like it
Sunday 9th November 1325-1700
WeBS priority count date for November:
SAILING POOL
20 Mallard, 5 Coot, 2 GC Grebe, male Kestrel
FLASHES
6+ Jack Snipe and 30 Common Snipe flushed (only walked as far as the channel right of the oak tree), 1 Curlew, 119 Lapwing, 15 Teal, 6 Mallard, 2 Shoveler, 9 Coot, 41 Moorhen, 26 BH Gull, Rook, Raven, Peregrine Falcon, c25 Linnet, Meadow Pipit, Skylark, Cetti's Warbler behind third Flash
Water level still 0.46 - water still draining in along east shore
MOORS POOL
3 Pintail (eclipse male + 2 female), 3 Wigeon (adult male, immature male + female), 20 Shoveler, 37 Teal, 90 Mallard, 2 Pochard (male + female), 8 Tufted Duck, 1 GC Grebe, 5 Little Grebe, 1 Grey Heron, 1 Little Egret, 13 Cormorant, 32 Greylag Geese (including leucistic bird), c240 Canada Geese, no Mute Swan, Dunlin > north, c20 Snipe, 42 Lapwing, 195 Coot, 5 Moorhen, Water Rail, 1 LBB Gull, 1 Herring Gull, 35 BH Gull, Kingfisher, Sparrowhawk, Grey Wagtail, 2 male Cetti's Warblers singing + many contact calls at dusk. No sign of Bittern by 5pm :-C
Mike had Treecreeper in the Education Reserve
WeBS priority count date for November:
SAILING POOL
20 Mallard, 5 Coot, 2 GC Grebe, male Kestrel
FLASHES
6+ Jack Snipe and 30 Common Snipe flushed (only walked as far as the channel right of the oak tree), 1 Curlew, 119 Lapwing, 15 Teal, 6 Mallard, 2 Shoveler, 9 Coot, 41 Moorhen, 26 BH Gull, Rook, Raven, Peregrine Falcon, c25 Linnet, Meadow Pipit, Skylark, Cetti's Warbler behind third Flash
Water level still 0.46 - water still draining in along east shore
MOORS POOL
3 Pintail (eclipse male + 2 female), 3 Wigeon (adult male, immature male + female), 20 Shoveler, 37 Teal, 90 Mallard, 2 Pochard (male + female), 8 Tufted Duck, 1 GC Grebe, 5 Little Grebe, 1 Grey Heron, 1 Little Egret, 13 Cormorant, 32 Greylag Geese (including leucistic bird), c240 Canada Geese, no Mute Swan, Dunlin > north, c20 Snipe, 42 Lapwing, 195 Coot, 5 Moorhen, Water Rail, 1 LBB Gull, 1 Herring Gull, 35 BH Gull, Kingfisher, Sparrowhawk, Grey Wagtail, 2 male Cetti's Warblers singing + many contact calls at dusk. No sign of Bittern by 5pm :-C
Mike had Treecreeper in the Education Reserve
upstarts1979
Well-known member
Phil, how high was the water level at the Moors. It appears that there has been an exodus of dabblers possibly as a result of the increased level or dirty water from the Salwarp.
