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Upton Warren (24 Viewers)

Visited the east side of Moors this morning intending to continue the breeding survey. However heavy showers mid morning forced me into the east hide.
From there I found 2 almost fully grown little grebe chicks in the broadmeadow pool. The GCG family are down to one chick. After another rain shower an immature wheatear (1st summer) appeared on the nearest island for less than a minute and then flew north.
One of the 4 pairs of common terns have two small chicks. In the BHG colony there are a minimum of 50 chicks of all ages some just starting to fly. A very late snipe fed in the broadmeadow, at this time of year they should be on the breeding grounds... maybe it is:smoke: Interestingly a garden warbler was foraging next to the secret garden while another one was singing along the west path. This would almost constitute a breeding record - which if I am correct has not happened before to my knowledge.
Species counts at Moors
GCG 11 + 1 chick, Little Grebe 5 ( incl 2 chicks), Cormorant 3, Greylag 7, Gadwall pr, Shelduck pr, Tufted 25+, Oystercatcher 3 ( incl 1 chick) the other pair and chick must have left. LRP, Snipe, Common Tern 8 + 2 chicks. Cuckoo calling from south side, Swift 150, Sand Martin 20, Swallow 1, House martin 12, Many of the warblers were actively feeding but several chiffchaff, garden warbler and reed warblers sang. Song thrush at least 3 singing,
There appaars to be a complete failure by moorhens to raise any young and coot have very few young...don't know why as yet.
 
Visited the east side of Moors this morning intending to continue the breeding survey. However heavy showers mid morning forced me into the east hide.
From there I found 2 almost fully grown little grebe chicks in the broadmeadow pool. The GCG family are down to one chick. After another rain shower an immature wheatear (1st summer) appeared on the nearest island for less than a minute and then flew north.
One of the 4 pairs of common terns have two small chicks. In the BHG colony there are a minimum of 50 chicks of all ages some just starting to fly. A very late snipe fed in the broadmeadow, at this time of year they should be on the breeding grounds... maybe it is:smoke: Interestingly a garden warbler was foraging next to the secret garden while another one was singing along the west path. This would almost constitute a breeding record - which if I am correct has not happened before to my knowledge.
Species counts at Moors
GCG 11 + 1 chick, Little Grebe 5 ( incl 2 chicks), Cormorant 3, Greylag 7, Gadwall pr, Shelduck pr, Tufted 25+, Oystercatcher 3 ( incl 1 chick) the other pair and chick must have left. LRP, Snipe, Common Tern 8 + 2 chicks. Cuckoo calling from south side, Swift 150, Sand Martin 20, Swallow 1, House martin 12, Many of the warblers were actively feeding but several chiffchaff, garden warbler and reed warblers sang. Song thrush at least 3 singing,
There appaars to be a complete failure by moorhens to raise any young and coot have very few young...don't know why as yet.

Did'nt Garden Warbler breed on the Eddy some years ago?

Des.
 
At the Flashes this afternoon.
The Avocet chicks are still as previous days, most of them having sorties around the lagoons but some need to practise their landing skills. The lone lapwing chick is now fully fledged. The two, 20 day old LRP chicks are just days from flying.
Although we are only in June 'Autumn' wader passage is already under way and the Green sandpipers are the first to return. The females are the first arrive from the northern forests where the males are left to tend to the young.
Also today a redshank appeared. The linnet flock is as numerous as I have seen before in front of the hide . This may be as a result in the increase in the saltmarsh plants that provide ample food at this time of year.
A feature of today was the amount of young passerines about. Also at the Flashes were many swift and a few sand and house martins. Another Cuckoo called to the south of the reserve.
Species counts for the Flashes
Mallard 200 (incl young), Gadwall 2, Tufted 12, Coot 8 plus 1 or 2 young, Avocet 28 (16 young), LRP 10 (2 young) , Lawping 4 (1 juv), Green Sand 3, Redshank, BHG 200 (22 young), LBBG 5, Grey Heron 3, cuckoo,
The next time you are at Flashes in the middle of the day, take your time and stop every few yards especially by the bench. The overgrown vegetation is providing large amounts of food so put up with the slight inconvenience of it along the board-walk. The scrub management is starting to pay dividends already, with good numbers of juv warblers exceeding previous years.
B :)John
 
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Did'nt Garden Warbler breed on the Eddy some years ago?

Des.

Don't count 8-P. Yes you are correct on that score Des :t:
No, joking apart I think it might be the first record for our reserve though, is what I should have put.
B :)John
 
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This evening at the Flashes the first Little Egret of the year appeared on the mud in front of the sewage works and then flew south after only 1 minute on the deck.
Also 13 Curlew roosted, 28 Avocet (16 chick/juvs), 10 LRP (incl 2 chicks), 4 Lapwing (incl 1 chick), 3 Green Sands, 1 common Sand, pair of Shoveler, and 2 Gadwall plus 200ish mallard.
A male sparrowhawk took a linnet off the salt marsh.
B :)John

Little Egret is the 144th species recorded at Upton Warren in 2011.
 
.....

A feature of today was the amount of young passerines about. .................
The next time you are at Flashes in the middle of the day, take your time and stop every few yards especially by the bench. The overgrown vegetation is providing large amounts of food so put up with the slight inconvenience of it along the board-walk. The scrub management is starting to pay dividends already, with good numbers of juv warblers exceeding previous years.
B :)John

I noticed lots of juv Warblers on Sunday. A small brood of 2 fledged Chiffchaffs were being fed by their parents on Sunday in the dead-hedge between the feeding station and Hen Brook - I noted some very curious behaviour. In-between feeds, the juvs would lie over on their sides, almost as if bathing in the sunshine - pics below:

A Garden Warbler was also singing by the Hen Pool on Sunday morning - it's been a good year for them.
 

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Hi John - any Linnet counts / estimates?
Lots of small flocks come and go presumably to feed young. Its difficult to estimate as there are also groups in the sewage field. Mike mentioned to me that the salt marsh is expanding at the expense of the grassland, due to subsidence so this could be a reason for the increase.
 
I noticed lots of juv Warblers on Sunday. A small brood of 2 fledged Chiffchaffs were being fed by their parents on Sunday in the dead-hedge between the feeding station and Hen Brook - I noted some very curious behaviour. In-between feeds, the juvs would lie over on their sides, almost as if bathing in the sunshine - pics below:

A Garden Warbler was also singing by the Hen Pool on Sunday morning - it's been a good year for them.

Funny you should say that, on my patch it is the complete opposite, we usually have around 10 singing male Garden Warbler from lickhill north to blackstone, but this year we only have a single singing bird!!
I cant explain the huge decrease in a species that did so well on the patch last year.. any ideas??
MB
 
Funny you should say that, on my patch it is the complete opposite, we usually have around 10 singing male Garden Warbler from lickhill north to blackstone, but this year we only have a single singing bird!!
I cant explain the huge decrease in a species that did so well on the patch last year.. any ideas??
MB
Yes Craig they've all gone to upton8-P
 
Funny you should say that, on my patch it is the complete opposite, we usually have around 10 singing male Garden Warbler from lickhill north to blackstone, but this year we only have a single singing bird!!
I cant explain the huge decrease in a species that did so well on the patch last year.. any ideas??
MB

Interesting Craig,

According to an online article I read recently, Garden Warblers are up by 34% this year in Sweden. Maybe your birds have decided to go there instead. ;)

BTW (in case you haven't already read) there are some strange migration phenomena unfolding this year according to continental observers - especially with respect to birds migrating via the East African flyway. Some birds appear to be very late in arriving (especially Sprossers and RB Shrikes, for instance). Possibly due to weather events en route.

I visited Trench Wood on Monday evening expecting to at least hear Garden Warblers (I saw at least three singing males on territory there this time last year). On Monday I heard none. Maybe the time of my visit (evening) wasn't optimal, however. I may try again at the weekend - hopefully it'll be a different story.

Not sure whether or not site-fidelity / natal philopatry is strong in Garden Warblers. I'll have to do a bit more reading on this. Cheers.
 
Talking of late or strange migration Dave.
The little Egret was moving south possible a non-breeding bird as its feet were not striking also no obvious plumes were evident. Yesterday the wheatear a 1st summer type bird arrived in a shower on south - SE winds and then moved north. A very late date for a migrant wheatear, unless it was a 'greenland' impossible to say in that plumage. Maybe a bird in no real rush as it won't breed this year perhaps it was just going through the motions.
B :)John
 
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Interesting Craig,

According to an online article I read recently, Garden Warblers are up by 34% this year in Sweden. Maybe your birds have decided to go there instead. ;)

BTW (in case you haven't already read) there are some strange migration phenomena unfolding this year according to continental observers - especially with respect to birds migrating via the East African flyway. Some birds appear to be very late in arriving (especially Sprossers and RB Shrikes, for instance). Possibly due to weather events en route.

I visited Trench Wood on Monday evening expecting to at least hear Garden Warblers (I saw at least three singing males on territory there this time last year). On Monday I heard none. Maybe the time of my visit (evening) wasn't optimal, however. I may try again at the weekend - hopefully it'll be a different story.

Not sure whether or not site-fidelity / natal philopatry is strong in Garden Warblers. I'll have to do a bit more reading on this. Cheers.


Cheers for the info dave, i had heard about the slow migration on the continent and as you say, this would also effect their arrival time here, and as you also say, hopefull they will come later (but any later and it might be hard for them to breed)

I did have a peak count of 4 birds (only 1 singing tho) but that was for one day, so all migrants, and after having large numbers for the last 8 years i have 'worked' the patch, its just seems really unusual, exp' since last 2 years as both have been very good years on the patch, with i think the maximumn was 20+ Birds including juvs.

As i take it you know quite a bit about migration, do both C. Whitethroat + Garden Warbler come from the same wintering area or from differnent areas, because the whitethroat population seems to be normal :t:

Lets hope the straglers arrive soon :)
MB
 
Talking of late or strange migration Dave.
The little Egret was moving south possible a non-breeding bird as its feet were not striking also no obvious plumes were evident. Yesterday the wheatear a 1st summer type bird arrived in a shower on south - SE winds and then moved north. A very late date for a migrant wheatear, unless it was a 'greenland' impossible to say in that plumage. Maybe a bird in no real rush as it won't breed this year perhaps it was just going through the motions.
B :)John

Yeah, I thought that was very unusual when I read your report yesterday. I wonder if statos (Mike or Phil) have any info / data relating to previous June records at Upton.
 
Cheers for the info dave, i had heard about the slow migration on the continent and as you say, this would also effect their arrival time here, and as you also say, hopefull they will come later (but any later and it might be hard for them to breed)

I did have a peak count of 4 birds (only 1 singing tho) but that was for one day, so all migrants, and after having large numbers for the last 8 years i have 'worked' the patch, its just seems really unusual, exp' since last 2 years as both have been very good years on the patch, with i think the maximumn was 20+ Birds including juvs.

As i take it you know quite a bit about migration, do both C. Whitethroat + Garden Warbler come from the same wintering area or from differnent areas, because the whitethroat population seems to be normal :t:

Lets hope the straglers arrive soon :)
MB


Unfortunately, I don't know too much about it but I find it fascinating and want to learn more. Ringers might be able to explain further.

From what I understand, some species, such as Garden Warblers, migrate on a 'broad front' from sub-saharan Africa whereas others are very specific in their migration patterns. RB Shrikes, for example, migrate only via the eastern flyway and enter Europe virtually exclusively through the eastern Mediteranean (they are extremely rare at Gibralter for instance, even though many thousands of breeding pairs exist in northern Spain).

From what I understand, species that are able to take a more westerly route have, by and large, returned on time this year (presumably assisted by favourable weather in the west). Those that are coming from the east may have been blocked by weather conditions and / or affected by possible drought in the sub-saharan staging posts (eastern Sahel). The causes of these conditions are thought to be linked to cyclic meterological variations such as 'El Nino Southern Oscillation / Indian Ocean Dipole" and others. Whether these conditions are abnormal this year I don't know. I do know, however, that parts of Eastern Europe experienced cold weather / prolonged northerly winds this spring.

It would be interesting to find out the relative proportion of the UK Garden Warbler population that migrate through the eastern Med (and, therefore, could be late) versus the west. I guess only ringing studies would answer that question.

As far as I understand, Lesser Whitethroats also enter Europe via the eastern route and I don't think they were particularly late this year.

For me, these anomalies make the miracle of migration even more interesting and mysterious.:t:
 
And a good reason to read Ian Newtons Bird migration (new naturalist)
:t:John as we and Gert have already done

Agreed - it's a great read. I got up to about chapter 8 before spring arrived and I got side-tracked. I'll resume reading it during the summer lull - if I get a chance.:t:
 
And a good reason to read Ian Newtons Bird migration (new naturalist)
:t:John as we and Gert have already done

Hi John, I don't know of that, is it a book or journal?

I am totally fascinated by migration and would love to learn as much as I can, with regards to early/late arrivals I understand Ospreys on the whole were slightly early this year 2/3 days on average, whether these were birds that winter in southern Spain is not known to me.

Like Dave referred to ringing/geolocating is the only real way we will ever learn about the migration patterns of our passage/breeding birds. Hopefully in the next few years the data collected will show us much more about the passage taken as well as the birds movement during winter, it was only recently that we discovered where Ospreys prefer to winter.
 

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