• Welcome to BirdForum, the internet's largest birding community with thousands of members from all over the world. The forums are dedicated to wild birds, birding, binoculars and equipment and all that goes with it.

    Please register for an account to take part in the discussions in the forum, post your pictures in the gallery and more.
ZEISS DTI thermal imaging cameras. For more discoveries at night, and during the day.

Upton Warren (18 Viewers)

Dave J's sightings from this morning:

Moors Pool - 3 Pintail, 3 Little Egrets, 8 Wigeon

Flashes - Green Sandpiper and over 5 Yellowhammer, 10 Skylark, 79 Redwing, 9 Meadow Pipit

I understand a Yellow-legged Gull was present at the Moors Pool late afternoon
 
I visited the Moors for a few hours and then arranging for the car park to kept open at the sailing pool.
The strong SSW winds kept passerines down low.
Lots of large gulls dropped on to the pool for a rest, but no sign of the presumed 'Baltic Gull'. However an adult yellow legged gull did make a brief appearance late afternoon.
MOORS: GCG 4, little grebe 9, cormorant 12, little egret 3, shoveler 69, teal 51, pintail 3, wigeon 8, pochard 12, coot 250+, water rail 2, lapwing 20, Yellow legged gull adult, LBBG c250, adults of both graellsii (pale) and intermedius (darker birds). Herring gull 65, adults of both the dark - argentatus and the paler argenteus and many 1st winter birds of all the above.
kingfisher, green woodpecker, cettis w 3 singing.

NORTH MOORS: Water rail, cettis warbler, redwing feeding on berries

Chris T had a flock of snipe land on the Broadmeadow can't remember how many, but in excess of 20.
Steve (Spike) had a yellowhammer in the hedge by sailing pool.
The female STONECHAT was in the reeds north of the concrete hide.
Lynn and Phil had the otter in front of the west hide.
Gazza had 3000 BHG and 1000 large gulls in the roost tonight.
 
Last edited:
planned visit

Am hoping to visit later on today (Monday), and does anyone know if the kingfisher is still showing well at the water rail hide, or is the one next to it better ?
Thanks
 
Am hoping to visit later on today (Monday), and does anyone know if the kingfisher is still showing well at the water rail hide, or is the one next to it better ?
Thanks

Been showing at both. Also a good show at cuckoo hide on the first flash. Often landing on new sluice gate. Worth a look.
 
Tomorrow on the reserve

TUESDAY WORK PARTY
We plan to cut back vegetation on the Broadmeadow and Amy's marsh. This will make it easier to see snipe and create suitable habitat to entice them in.

VERMIN CONTROL
If you are not aware there has been an increase in the rat numbers around the feeding station in front of the 'concrete (water rail hide). Tomorrow there will be a contractor on site to begin the eradication. This will obviously cause some disturbance, but to make your visits a more enjoyable experience, we must sort this problem out.
He will be visiting at other times, probably after the normal hours of photography. Signs to inform you of his presence will be clearly posted, so please do not enter the hide if the sign and red tape is across the path to the hide.B :)John
 
tonights roost flashes

tonight 17.15 - 18.30
about the same amount of BHG as last night, but only half the amount of large gulls 95% LBBG and 5% Herring, 1 first year Common Gull, 60+ lapwing, 8 Snipe, 15 Curlew, 1 greensand, 1 Dunlin, 10 to 20 pied wagtail and starlings, good numbers Shovelers and teal.
 
Flashes this morning. Green Woodpecker, 1 Green Sandpiper, Snipe 11, Bullfinch x1, meadow pipit x2, Grey Wagtail x1, Curlew x13, 92 Lapwing, Sparrowhawk.

Moors Pools - 2 Pintail, 3 Little Egret, 3 Pochard, 1 Chiffchaff
 
A cracking MOORS work party details later, but the new habitat should make for better birding in Amy's Marsh, from the east hide.

During the work on the 'promontory', we only flushed small numbers of sniope and 2 Jacks. The large flock of shoveler flew high, but all came back down on to the pool. A couple of water rail were in the reeds and 2 cettis sang. The only migrant was a redwing.
Species count MOORS The extremely strong W/WNW kept the waterfowl huddled up along the western reed beds.
Little egret 4, GCG 2, little grebe 11, cormorant 15, mute swan pr + 6 juvs on North Moors, shoveler 104, teal 30, wigeon 8, pintail 2, pochard 4, tufted 20+, coot 200+, water rail 3, snipe 4, Jack snipe 2, lapwing 40, BHG 500, LBBG 85, herring gull 45, cettis w 3 or 4 singing, chiffchaff,

SAILING POOL: GCG 4.

FLASHES: The gull roost was much reduced tonight, with only 70 large gulls although another 40 dropped in as I was leaving the hide. The wind subdued the usual passerine activity, with lower numbers of both starling and pied wags. However the shoveler numbers were up and a good total on the reserve as a whole.
Species count FLASHES:
Teal 110, shoveler 47 (151 in total), greylag 29, snipe 15, green sand, curlew 18, lapwing 95, BHG 2000 roosted, Herring gull 8, LBBG 62, + 40 large gulls unknown species too dark, common gull adult,
pied wags 40+, starling 60 some roosted in reeds of 3rd Flash,
 
FLASHES: The gull roost was much reduced tonight, with only 70 large gulls although another 40 dropped in as I was leaving the hide. The wind subdued the usual passerine activity, with lower numbers of both starling and pied wags. However the shoveler numbers were up and a good total on the reserve as a whole.
Species count FLASHES:
Teal 110, shoveler 47 (151 in total), greylag 29, snipe 15, green sand, curlew 18, lapwing 95, BHG 2000 roosted, Herring gull 8, LBBG 62, + 40 large gulls unknown species too dark, common gull adult,
pied wags 40+, starling 60 some roosted in reeds of 3rd Flash,

Hi John - are you happy there was no duplication in Shoveler numbers; this would be the second highest count ever, only surpassed by 168 in November 1977.
 
Hi John - are you happy there was no duplication in Shoveler numbers; this would be the second highest count ever, only surpassed by 168 in November 1977.

Hi Kid. yes I had counted 104 at Moors when I was told there were plenty at the Flashes, so I dashed over 5 minutes after my count. The Moors birds were well tucked into the western periphery at that time , so they looked pretty settled. I did the Flashes count from cuckoo hide, where birds were feeding in the SE 1st Flash. At no point did any birds fly in or out. 100% 151 min. B :)
 
work party at Amy's MARSH

Today 13 of us opened up Amy's marsh.
The Scrape - the area in front of the East hide, is where most of the wintering snipe gather. With a good growing season, the peripheral vegetation had completely overwhelmed the prime habitat. These being the snipe island, promontory and the promontory spit. All these were strimmed and the cuttings piled up and for the most part burned. We have also opened up some new areas, 1. west of the sand martin box.
2. the east bank shore line in front of the hide and the 'hook' to right of the hide.
This work should provide suitable habitat for jack and common snipe, water rail, teal and water loving passerines.
On the promontory - (opposite bank of the scrape) we have left clumps of sedge /juncus to provide safe roosting sites for snipe, as we have also done on 'snipe island'.
Photo
1. The whole SCRAPE - before work
2. Scrape After the work
3. The promontory as viewed from the gate opposite sand martin box - before work.
4. Promontory after the work.
5. Promontory SPIT after work
 

Attachments

  • 1.AMYS B4 wrk DSCF2996 (2).JPG
    1.AMYS B4 wrk DSCF2996 (2).JPG
    297.7 KB · Views: 100
  • 2.afta wrk . afgDSCF3011 (2).JPG
    2.afta wrk . afgDSCF3011 (2).JPG
    331.7 KB · Views: 89
  • 3. B4 wrk prom from east gate DSCF2999 (2).JPG
    3. B4 wrk prom from east gate DSCF2999 (2).JPG
    318.6 KB · Views: 75
  • 4. afta wrk promontory DSCF3002 (2).JPG
    4. afta wrk promontory DSCF3002 (2).JPG
    367.4 KB · Views: 111
  • 5. promon spit afta wrkDSCF3020 (2).JPG
    5. promon spit afta wrkDSCF3020 (2).JPG
    487 KB · Views: 94
A couple of more pics
1. The north section of scrape from east hide, showing the 'hook' in foreground right , after work.
2. Snipe island and east bank after work , viewed from east hide.
 

Attachments

  • 6. The scrape afta wrkDSCF3008 (2).JPG
    6. The scrape afta wrkDSCF3008 (2).JPG
    354.8 KB · Views: 78
  • 7. snipe Is and east bank aftaDSCF3010 (2).JPG
    7. snipe Is and east bank aftaDSCF3010 (2).JPG
    380.1 KB · Views: 76
Last edited:
Flashes Closed - Work Today

Unfortunately the FLASHES ARE CLOSED TODAY. Contractors are carrying out work on fallen trees. But they were not due to do this until November. However they (the Contractors) did not contact the Trust to carry out the work Today. They did not seek permission from the Sailing Centre either to access their land, so apologies to Tractor John and the Staff.
As soon as I hear anything about the Flashes being open I will let you know.
:-C John
 
Flashes Cettis calling in reeds in between cuckoo and main hide, roost at 18.22 gulls 2500c,70/30 BHG/Large gull,but the most adult LBBG I've seen at upton. Adult Common Gull also juv common gull reported.
 

Users who are viewing this thread

Back
Top