[UW82]

Originally Posted by upton-till-i-die

Hopefully Des and the Wednesday crew will have a veritable avalanche of good sightings today.

No such luck Phil from a much depleted crew.

FLASHES:
Green Sands (9)----------------Common Sands (2)
Dunin----------------------------Redshank
Lapwing (c80)-------------------Teal(5)
Common Tern (3)---------------B H Gull (201)
Little Owl------------------------Greylag Geese (14)
Whitethroat---------------------Peregrine
Sparrowhawk

MOORS:
Tufted Duck broods 2:3--------Water Rail
Herring Gull---------------------G C Grebve(4)
Little Grebe---------------------Sand Martin (6)
Swift

HEN POOL:
Reed Warbler (2)

For the record, AFJ saw one LRP on the 9th but did not put it in the log-book.

Des.

[Phil Andrews]

Never mind Des - the Dunlin and Redshank shows that there is some wader passage at the moment, who knows what the mixed up weather over the next few days may bring.

Just as a taster, Saturday will be the 23rd anniversary of the appearance the rarest bird in Upton Warren's history, Least Sandpiper (33 records for Britain in total, the Upton bird then only being the 23rd). Interestingly the week prior saw very little in the way of Yankee waders in the country (just one Baird's and one Stilt Sand in west Ireland) so anything is possible.

Whilst I have seen the formal description of the Least Sand and heard a few tales, would it be possible for someone to post the story about how the bird was found / identified, the news disseminated and how the twitch evolved over the next two days (pre pagers, t'interweb etc).

[PeterE]

Which hide is it?
In the Worcestershire Wildlife magazine that I have just received there is on page 26 a photograph of the Duke of Edinburgh visiting Upton Warren. However, I can't recognise the hide shown in the background. Any ideas?

Peter

[Phil Andrews]

Originally Posted by PeterE

Which hide is it?
In the Worcestershire Wildlife magazine that I have just received there is on page 26 a photograph of the Duke of Edinburgh visiting Upton Warren. However, I can't recognise the hide shown in the background. Any ideas?

Peter

It's the former East Hide at the Moors Pool that was replaced around 2001 with the new hide that was 10 metres further south and also set back. It used to take about 2.5 people and for 6 months of the year you had to wade through mud/water to reach it. Progress can be a good thing!

[UW82]

Originally Posted by upton-till-i-die

Never mind Des - the Dunlin and Redshank shows that there is some wader passage at the moment, who knows what the mixed up weather over the next few days may bring.

Just as a taster, Saturday will be the 23rd anniversary of the appearance the rarest bird in Upton Warren's history, Least Sandpiper (33 records for Britain in total, the Upton bird then only being the 23rd). Interestingly the week prior saw very little in the way of Yankee waders in the country (just one Baird's and one Stilt Sand in west Ireland) so anything is possible.

Whilst I have seen the formal description of the Least Sand and heard a few tales, would it be possible for someone to post the story about how the bird was found / identified, the news disseminated and how the twitch evolved over the next two days (pre pagers, t'interweb etc).

Upstarts1979 is your man- I was in turkey!

Des.

[UW82]

Originally Posted by UW82

Upstarts1979 is your man- I was in turkey!

Des.

Turkey!

[Phil Andrews]

Originally Posted by UW82

Turkey!

Probably cold turkey if you had known what was waiting for you back at Upton

[Spoonbill Finder]

Originally Posted by UW82

No such luck Phil from a much depleted crew.

FLASHES:
Green Sands (9)----------------Common Sands (2)
Dunin----------------------------Redshank
Lapwing (c80)-------------------Teal(5)
Common Tern (3)---------------B H Gull (201)
Little Owl------------------------Greylag Geese (14)
Whitethroat---------------------Peregrine
Sparrowhawk

MOORS:
Tufted Duck broods 2:3--------Water Rail
Herring Gull---------------------G C Grebve(4)
Little Grebe---------------------Sand Martin (6)
Swift

HEN POOL:
Reed Warbler (2)

For the record, AFJ saw one LRP on the 9th but did not put it in the log-book.

Des.

Nothing much to add to your sightings Des, other than that I did see a total of 7 Common Terns at the Flashes before you arrived. I also managed to capture an image of this male Southern Hawker at rest along the Salwarpe.

[Gertatron]

Popped into the Flashes this morning;

1 Dunlin
5 Green Sandpiper
1 Common Sandpiper
1 Redshank
1 LRP
c70 Lapwing
Willow Warbler in song
Reed Warbler
Peregrine shuffled the pack

Cheers

Gert

[upstarts1979]

Originally Posted by Gertatron

Popped into the Flashes this morning;

1 Dunlin
5 Green Sandpiper
1 Common Sandpiper
1 Redshank
1 LRP
c70 Lapwing
Willow Warbler in song
Reed Warbler
Peregrine shuffled the pack

Cheers

Gert

Wilkommen mein heir (spelling ? I did do deutsch at school- but wasn't sehr gut) aufwierdesehen

[upstarts1979]

Originally Posted by UW82

Upstarts1979 is your man- I was in turkey!

Des.

Well it was a long time ago, but I will do my best.
I remember getting a phone call from SC to say that someone had got a little stint at the flashes and he was going to check it out. Within the hour SMW phoned to say he thought it was a least sand. I had been to Texas the previous year where I saw 100's and he said can I confirm it before we get the news out (remember no mobiles in those days and the nearest phone was half a mile away). A few minutes later, I had arrived on site and views through my bins revealed this was not a little stint and within a short time we were about to embark on the most historic ornithological event on the reserve.
I will sort out my note books and come back with more on this event.John

[israel]

Originally Posted by Sy V

Blimey, I bet it's been a while since this thread went >24hrs without an update. Is this a reflection of a lull before the autumnal migratory storm...?

No Sy,i've been out birding yesterday and today, at Upton and Bittell, and can confirm its the lull before the lull.

Chris. T.

[Gertatron]

Originally Posted by upstarts1979

Wilkommen mein heir (spelling ? I did do deutsch at school- but wasn't sehr gut) aufwierdesehen

Dankeshoen mein Freund! I'll be listing birds in German at this rate..

[Phil Andrews]

Originally Posted by Gertatron

Dankeshoen mein Freund! I'll be listing birds in German at this rate..

Something like this?

1 Alpenstrandlaufer
5 Waldwasserlaufer
1 Flussuferlaufer
1 Rotschenkel
1 Flussregenpfeifer
c70 Kiebitz
Titis
Teichrohrsanger
Wanderfalke das pack geshuffle

[Gertatron]

Originally Posted by upton-till-i-die

Something like this?

1 Alpenstrandlaufer
5 Waldwasserlaufer
1 Flussuferlaufer
1 Rotschenkel
1 Flussregenpfeifer
c70 Kiebitz
Titis
Teichrohrsanger
Wanderfalke das pack geshuffle

Not bad Phil.
By the way, just having a bit of a Twitter chat about Swifts. Looks like they've mostly gone? I think a special effort to look out for them this weekend would be good

[wheatearlp]

A very quiet 2.5 hours at the Flashes led to much discussion with John about nothing in particular, punctuated by regular (JTB) or occasional (me) scans over an almost completely dry second flash. In addition to the Green Sandpipers (10 I think John counted before I arrived) and two Common Sandpipers there were singles of Redshank, Dunlin and Ringed Plover, 29 Curlews in the roost along with about 650-700 BHGs. There were seven Teal present and three Common Terns (1 adult & 2 juvs) and, briefly, three LBBGs (2 adults & 1 juv), as was the fox on the far shore of the second flash. JTB also heard a Willow Warbler earlier.

Mike

[upstarts1979]

At the Moors From the east hide.
Initially was all quiet, until something (poss mink) spooked all the wildfowl from the lagoon and islands, after which they all gathered at the north end of the main pool.
Numbers were GCG 7, Little grebe juv, Mallard 410, Teal 3, Tufted 11 ads and 4 broods of chicks (4:4:3:2) Canadas 120, Greylag 15, Coot c200, mute swan 3, Lapwing c40, BHG c300, LBBG c25, Herring gull ad,
also a Kingfisher perched in the scrape. Small numbers of all 3 hirundines but NO swifts. Passerines were very quiet with only reed warbler and chiffchaff heard.
At the FLASHES
First of all I couldn't believe how low the water has gone I'll post photos tomorrow, suffice to say the 2nd Flash will be dry by Sunday if we don't have any rain by then. All the waders were feeding along the east shore of the 1st Flash and only occasionally did green sand or the redshank feed in the 2nd flash.
Totals: Teal 7, Mallard c300 (many from the Moors), Green Sand 8, Common Sand 2, Redshank (juv), Curlew 29, Lapwing 75, Dunlin (ad summer plum), Ringed plover (juv), BHG 650, LBBG 3, Grey heron 2, Stock dove c20, Willow warbler, chiffchaff
John
One thing we didn't discuss was who was going to post on here tonight ..I think we have just crossed over

[Phil Andrews]

Originally Posted by upstarts1979

At the FLASHES
First of all I couldn't believe how low the water has gone I'll post photos tomorrow, suffice to say the 2nd Flash will be dry by Sunday if we don't have any rain by then.

Raining heavily in Brum at the mo; hope it wont hold up England's march at the Test Match.

The BBC weather pages dont offer too much comfort rain-wise; drizzle at 4pm today, a light rain shower at 7am tomorrow and then light rain on Tuesday.

[wheatearlp]

Currently raining in Redditch, but not particularly heavily. Mind you, we have our own climate here in the 'ditch so there could be a heatwave in Upton Warren

[Phil Andrews]

With the return passage of Green Sandpiper now tailing off, it is encouraging to note that numbers have remained relatively high (peak count of 18 on the 30th July). Upton went through a 4 year spell between 2005 and 2008 where the peak annual counts were only 11 or 12 birds but numbers seem to have now recovered.

Upton remains one of the best sites in the country to observe Green Sand, often at close range and in direct comparison with Common Sands. A quick trawl through the RBA website found only a few sites that have exceeded our peak count of 18 birds this year:

Cantley Beet Factory, Norfolk - 45
Grove Ferry, Kent - 56
Elmley Marshes, Kent - 20
William Girling Res, London - 21

Phil

[Sy V]

... not bad for a small muddy scrape in one of the UK's most landlocked counties.

[Gertatron]

Ringed Plover,

Mike[/quote]

Must admit I thought it was a Ringed Plover Juv but staring into the sun yesterday morning it was difficult to make out ! I'll need to strike my report of LRP in the log book out
I am currently performing a rain dance on the Hagley Road, but can see blue lights in the distance coming my way..

[upstarts1979]

Originally Posted by Gertatron

Ringed Plover,

Mike

Must admit I thought it was a Ringed Plover Juv but staring into the sun yesterday morning it was difficult to make out ! I'll need to strike my report of LRP in the log book out
I am currently performing a rain dance on the Hagley Road, but can see blue lights in the distance coming my way..[/quote]

Not so sure about that Gert
I spoke to a couple of experienced birders from belvide, who said they had a plover but were adamant that it didn't have any wing bars. Last week a ringed plover appeared for 10 minutes and the LRP disappeared, to reappear after the RP flew off. Also yesterday Simon M (a very experienced birder) told me he had seen a reeve at the Flashes.
John

[Gertatron]

Originally Posted by upstarts1979

Must admit I thought it was a Ringed Plover Juv but staring into the sun yesterday morning it was difficult to make out ! I'll need to strike my report of LRP in the log book out
I am currently performing a rain dance on the Hagley Road, but can see blue lights in the distance coming my way..

Not so sure about that Gert
I spoke to a couple of experienced birders from belvide, who said they had a plover but were adamant that it didn't have any wing bars. Last week a ringed plover appeared for 10 minutes and the LRP disappeared, to reappear after the RP flew off. Also yesterday Simon M (a very experienced birder) told me he had seen a reeve at the Flashes.
John[/quote]

Maybe the LRP and Ringy are in cahoots to confuse us Birders! That Redshank did look at bit Ruff - see what I did there

[upstarts1979]

Originally Posted by upton-till-i-die

With the return passage of Green Sandpiper now tailing off, it is encouraging to note that numbers have remained relatively high (peak count of 18 on the 30th July). Upton went through a 4 year spell between 2005 and 2008 where the peak annual counts were only 11 or 12 birds but numbers seem to have now recovered.

Upton remains one of the best sites in the country to observe Green Sand, often at close range and in direct comparison with Common Sands. A quick trawl through the RBA website found only a few sites that have exceeded our peak count of 18 birds this year:

Cantley Beet Factory, Norfolk - 45
Grove Ferry, Kent - 56
Elmley Marshes, Kent - 20
William Girling Res, London - 21

Phil

Not too many years ago, Brandon (Warks) held the largest numbers in the West Mids in the autumn. So it would be interesting to know why there numbers have dropped so dramatically?

Perhaps our totals have increased in recent years because conditions have been ideal. This years total although still half decent, has seen a rapid drop off in recent days. Even the partially wing moulted adults have been forced to seek refuge elsewhere.
John