[forgetfulelephant]

Originally Posted by upstarts1979

Rob
Yesterday looking at the area in front of that hide made me think 'spotted crake' - I look forward to seeing your pictures anytime soon

recent Pics
1. Darter sp from Hen Pool any ideas
2. excellent muddy channel in front of water rail hide
3. cormorant from water rail hide.
4. The source of the saline lagoons at the flashes. The wet patch is where the saline mix (spring) enters the 2nd Flash.

So people keep saying, about the Crake that is, but don't hold your breath I missed the last one! =)

[forgetfulelephant]

Originally Posted by toadoftoadhall

in front of the Water Rail hide?

looks like rabbit droppings to me.

Rob

[upstarts1979]

good morning 5.45am and yes, NO Rain
surely they haven't got it wrong again. Just leaving for the Mecca.
Hopefully have something to post later.
john

[Sy V]

Originally Posted by toadoftoadhall

in front of the Water Rail hide?

I don't want to start another 'Redshank' debate but I can 'see' the beak, eye, head and shoulders of a Nightjar in this picture... On my monitor the photo is 20cm short side (deep). The eye is exactly 25mm above the left hand thistle head and the bird (with its tiny beak in silhouette) is looking photo left. I must have another one of those strange roll-ups I smoked on the way to work this morning...

[Sy V]

Bumped in to JTB at the Flashes this morning. He thanked me profusely for sending him the Met Office Yellow Warning of rain from midnight last night... suffice to say it wasn't raining, and hasn't yet rained at UW, today!
We had a number of passerines including Blackcap, Whitethroat and a possible Lesser Whitethroat seen very briefly in front of the hide. Half a dozen Green Sands and a couple of Commons with a sleeping Oystercatcher on the Salt flats... I suppose the strangest thing we had (whilst I was there) was a pair of Ravens perched in the evergreens near Sagebury Farm. Grainy photo to follow later, maybe.
I had a pair of Green Woodpeckers near the climbing apparatus and a Swift with a small flock of hirundines over the Sailing Pool on my way back to the Landie.

SJV

[Phil Andrews]

Originally Posted by Sy V

I don't want to start another 'Redshank' debate but I can 'see' the beak, eye, head and shoulders of a Nightjar in this picture... On my monitor the photo is 20cm short side (deep). The eye is exactly 25mm above the left hand thistle head and the bird (with its tiny beak in silhouette) is looking photo left. I must have another one of those strange roll-ups I smoked on the way to work this morning...

Which photo - Toady's shot from yesterday?

[Sy V]

Originally Posted by upton-till-i-die

Which photo - Toady's shot from yesterday?

Yep!

[forgetfulelephant]

Originally Posted by upton-till-i-die

Which photo - Toady's shot from yesterday?

I can see what you mean now I've looked at it closer-up in the top left corner. Only trouble is I can't see any sign of the body.

Rob

[Sy V]

Top right. Here's what I'm imagining.

The body runs away towards the tail in a 2 o'clock direction and is mostly covered in moss. Bet you all wish you were as yampy as me, eh!

[wheatearlp]

Sy, I'd stop smoking those roll-ups if I were you

[woodwolf]

Originally Posted by Sy V

Top right. Here's what I'm imagining.

The body runs away towards the tail in a 2 o'clock direction and is mostly covered in moss. Bet you all wish you were as yampy as me, eh!

Oddly I can see something but not sure it is what Sy can see..I thought there was an eye showing, I have cropped it and made it central..Sy, like myself is probably suffering a nose bleed after Sundays result

[discors]

Made it down for the work party this morning, great to get back down to the reserve and lend a hand clearing the channels in North Moors and some ragwort pulling on the Moors.

Bird highlights were 3 Raven over the sailing pool and a Nuthatch near the feeding station hide on the flashes, which I think is an Upton tick for me!

All the best for the Autumn guys, back off to York now, hopefully be back sooner rather than later!

(It's actually Tim btw just on my Dads account!)

[Sy V]

Originally Posted by woodwolf

Oddly I can see something but not sure it is what Sy can see..I thought there was an eye showing, I have cropped it and made it central..Sy, like myself is probably suffering a nose bleed after Sundays result

Well, there's something. A Woodcock and a Nightjar in one image! At least our joint imaginations have given the masses something to giggle about!

[upstarts1979]

Originally Posted by discors

Made it down for the work party this morning, great to get back down to the reserve and lend a hand clearing the channels in North Moors and some ragwort pulling on the Moors.

Bird highlights were 3 Raven over the sailing pool and a Nuthatch near the feeding station hide on the flashes, which I think is an Upton tick for me!

All the best for the Autumn guys, back off to York now, hopefully be back sooner rather than later!

(It's actually Tim btw just on my Dads account!)

Nice one Tim...thanks for your help mateJohn
stayed for another hour after you. Went back into the North moors where 2 water rails performed in the cleared channels a few reed warblers and that was it. Oh yeh and no rain.

[upstarts1979]

On a series note the first 3 pics show how the Broadmeadow pool has been overrun by an alien plant - New Zealand pygmy weed (I think ) whatever its name, it has completely ruined the muddy shoreline of this pool. Serious control is in the pipeline, unfortunately it has got onto most of the other islands in Amy's marsh.
It forms an impenetrable mat 8 inches thick, like a giant sponge it completely smoothers all before it.

The 4th Pic shows the Lagoon viewed from the west shore of the Broadmeadow pool. Looks good for waders unfortunately it cannot be seen from the hides that well.

[upstarts1979]

with forecasted heavy rain I was on the Flashes at 6.30am. The wind was a cold North Easterly so the rain would be a bonus. Unfortunately by 7.30am it was warming up and getting sunnier (why are they getting it so wrong?).
Instead of all dayer I left at 2.30pm totally *ist off.
Flashes- Teal 20, Shoveler, shelduck 3, Mallard 465, Green Sand 6, Common Sand 3, OYSTERCATCHER wow a new bird. Curlew, Lapwing 35, Raven 2, Blackcap 6+, Whitethroat, Chiffchaff 10+, Reed Warbler 4,Goldcrest
MOORS:- GCG 6, Teal, Shoveler, Tufted ( 3 broods of well grown chicks totalling 5), Pochard 3, Green Sand 2, Kestrel (rare these days), Herring Gull 4, Kinfisher, Water rail 2,. Reed Warbler c5, Blackcap 2, Chiffchaff c5, Sand Martin 2, Swallow 5,
Johnathon spoke to a birder who said he had a lesser pecker by lifestyles (am).
john

[Phil Andrews]

Originally Posted by upstarts1979

with forecasted heavy rain I was on the Flashes at 6.30am. The wind was a cold North Easterly so the rain would be a bonus. Unfortunately by 7.30am it was warming up and getting sunnier (why are they getting it so wrong?).
Instead of all dayer I left at 2.30pm totally *ist off.
Flashes- Teal 20, Shoveler, shelduck 3, Mallard 465, Green Sand 6, Common Sand 3, OYSTERCATCHER wow a new bird. Curlew, Lapwing 35, Raven 2, Blackcap 6+, Whitethroat, Chiffchaff 10+, Reed Warbler 4,Goldcrest
MOORS:- GCG 6, Teal, Shoveler, Tufted ( 3 broods of well grown chicks totalling 5), Pochard 3, Green Sand 2, Kestrel (rare these days), Herring Gull 4, Kinfisher, Water rail 2,. Reed Warbler c5, Blackcap 2, Chiffchaff c5, Sand Martin 2, Swallow 5,
Johnathon spoke to a birder who said he had a lesser spot by lifestyles (am).
john

Never mind John - heavy rain showers now forecast for Thursday and Friday ....

[Woodchat]

Originally Posted by upstarts1979

On a series note the first 3 pics show how the Broadmeadow pool has been overrun by an alien plant - New Zealand pygmy weed (I think ) whatever its name, it has completely ruined the muddy shoreline of this pool. Serious control is in the pipeline, unfortunately it has got onto most of the other islands in Amy's marsh.
It forms an impenetrable mat 8 inches thick, like a giant sponge it completely smoothers all before it.

The 4th Pic shows the Lagoon viewed from the west shore of the Broadmeadow pool. Looks good for waders unfortunately it cannot be seen from the hides that well.

Hi John,

This alien (Crassula helmsii) is present in the education reserve also - it needs to be tackled in all areas where it occurs or it will spread back. I alerted AH at the Trust regarding this but received no reply. Since the ed res is also designated SSSI I think the owners (sailing centre) are obliged to make sure it isn't degraded. The ed res is also completely overrun with Himalayan Balsam and it seems to me the whole area it is acting as a reservoir for invasive species to spread onto the moors pool.

Maybe you could have a word with AH about this (as he appears to have ignored my e-mail).

If he does nothing about it I will approach Natural England for advice. Cheers.

[The Hairy Birder]

Originally Posted by upton-till-i-die

Nice one Si - I can only assume these are the same birds that PeterE had by the Hen Brook bench in the morning; what time was your sighting?

Cheers
Phil

Hi Phil,

It was about 12:45. Encountered them first at the start of the hedge behind the second flash hide. Then followed them back down towards Ist flash hide.

Cheers,

Si

[forgetfulelephant]

Originally Posted by Woodchat

Hi John,

This alien (Crassula helmsii) is present in the education reserve also - it needs to be tackled in all areas where it occurs or it will spread back. I alerted AH at the Trust regarding this but received no reply. Since the ed res is also designated SSSI I think the owners (sailing centre) are obliged to make sure it isn't degraded. The ed res is also completely overrun with Himalayan Balsam and it seems to me the whole area it is acting as a reservoir for invasive species to spread onto the moors pool.

Maybe you could have a word with AH about this (as he appears to have ignored my e-mail).

If he does nothing about it I will approach Natural England for advice. Cheers.

Simon P was telling me about this a couple of weeks back & as I had never heard of it did some research online. There is another plant that it can be confused with apparently see here for info: http://www.erccis.co.uk/Resources/ER...0smallerid.pdf
Although I suspect someone will have already Id'd it. From a bit of reading it seems that it's not a good idea to chop it back as it regrows from very smalll bits. There are herbicide controls available I think but I did come across a method that has been used in Scotland where it was covered with bio-degradable hessian sheeting which deprives it of light but allows other plants to grow through.

Some info here:http://www.snh.gov.uk/protecting-sco...nz-pygmy-weed/

Apologies if I'm telling you stuff you already know just thought more info might be useful.

Rob

[rollingthunder]

Originally Posted by upstarts1979

Rob
Yesterday looking at the area in front of that hide made me think 'spotted crake' - I look forward to seeing your pictures anytime soon

recent Pics
1. Darter sp from Hen Pool any ideas
2. excellent muddy channel in front of water rail hide
3. cormorant from water rail hide.
4. The source of the saline lagoons at the flashes. The wet patch is where the saline mix (spring) enters the 2nd Flash.

Got the shock of me life when i booted up the PC - the thumbnail of the Cormorant and............unidentified Darter sp - i thought, African or Indian? until i realised it referred to the Odanatoid! Don't frighten me like that agen John...Fingers crossed for a bit of rain, it might not add to the volume much but it might bring a goodie down........

Laurie -

[Woodchat]

Originally Posted by forgetfulelephant

Simon P was telling me about this a couple of weeks back & as I had never heard of it did some research online. There is another plant that it can be confused with apparently see here for info: http://www.erccis.co.uk/Resources/ER...0smallerid.pdf
Although I suspect someone will have already Id'd it. From a bit of reading it seems that it's not a good idea to chop it back as it regrows from very smalll bits. There are herbicide controls available I think but I did come across a method that has been used in Scotland where it was covered with bio-degradable hessian sheeting which deprives it of light but allows other plants to grow through.

Some info here:http://www.snh.gov.uk/protecting-sco...nz-pygmy-weed/

Apologies if I'm telling you stuff you already know just thought more info might be useful.

Rob

Cheers Rob, that's useful info re the hessian control method.

[upstarts1979]

Originally Posted by forgetfulelephant

Simon P was telling me about this a couple of weeks back & as I had never heard of it did some research online. There is another plant that it can be confused with apparently see here for info: http://www.erccis.co.uk/Resources/ER...0smallerid.pdf
Although I suspect someone will have already Id'd it. From a bit of reading it seems that it's not a good idea to chop it back as it regrows from very smalll bits. There are herbicide controls available I think but I did come across a method that has been used in Scotland where it was covered with bio-degradable hessian sheeting which deprives it of light but allows other plants to grow through.

Some info here:http://www.snh.gov.uk/protecting-sco...nz-pygmy-weed/

Apologies if I'm telling you stuff you already know just thought more info might be useful.

Rob

Nice one for that Rob ..we could use that advice and cover the Broadmeadow shoreline with hessian and then shingle on top, kill two birds with one stone (pardon the pun). Joking apart that would suppress a lot of unwanted vegetation and create better wader habitat. Amy's marsh was designed primarily with waders in mind. Unfortunately only oystercatcher have been successful in recent years. Looking at the Broadmeadow pool it is surprising that anything survives in there, ironically Little grebe bred in there for the first time this year.
John

[upstarts1979]

Originally Posted by rollingthunder

Got the shock of me life when i booted up the PC - the thumbnail of the Cormorant and............unidentified Darter sp - i thought, African or Indian? until i realised it referred to the Odanatoid! Don't frighten me like that agen John...Fingers crossed for a bit of rain, it might not add to the volume much but it might bring a goodie down........

Laurie -

Hi Laurie
without any rain I don't see anything appearing. Saying that 'Oriole Boy and myself are doing an 'all-dayer' tomorrow. There is a rumour that rain might appear this evening, so who knows what might happen, if we don't go then we will never know.

[beyonder]

Originally Posted by upstarts1979

... Looking at the Broadmeadow pool it is surprising that anything survives in there, ironically Little grebe bred in there for the first time this year.
John

Pardon my ignorance but where is Broadmeadow pool (is it the one by the secret car park) and what's wrong with it?