[upstarts1979]

Originally Posted by beyonder

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

Hi Paul secret car park..where's that

The Broadmeadow pool is the pool in the middle of Amy's marsh, that is the area in front of the Moors east hide (lapwing hide). See #6490 above, it could affect all water areas if it is not sorted. It would render all muddy shorelines 'waderless'
even more so than no water.
John

[Woodchat]

Originally Posted by beyonder

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

The Broadmeadow Pool is the almost isolated pool around the southern edge of the moors pool best viewed from the east hide. The one which has reeds around its southern edge - slightly west of the artificial sand martin box.

[upstarts1979]

Dave is it raining in Malvern...I have just checked met office, should be hail and thunderstorms over the next 24hours in Malvern. Hopefully there will also be some 20 miles north at upton

[forgetfulelephant]

Originally Posted by upstarts1979

Dave is it raining in Malvern...I have just checked met office, should be hail and thunderstorms over the next 24hours in Malvern. Hopefully there will also be some 20 miles north at upton

Raining at UW now.

Rob

[forgetfulelephant]

Originally Posted by upstarts1979

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

I have also seen where black plastic has been used but obviously doesnt biodegrade. The hessian was aslo used underwater. Pinned or weighted down & the native plants grew through it. Did see some photos but cant remember where. I, will put a link up if I find it again.

Rob

[upstarts1979]

Originally Posted by forgetfulelephant

Raining at UW now.

Rob

Are you sure Rob ..it just never rains at Upton
John

[beyonder]

Originally Posted by upstarts1979

Hi Paul secret car park..where's that

The Broadmeadow pool is the pool in the middle of Amy's marsh, that is the area in front of the Moors east hide (lapwing hide). See #6490 above, it could affect all water areas if it is not sorted. It would render all muddy shorelines 'waderless'
even more so than no water.
John

Sorry, realised now what you meant. I'd been watching the little grebes on the pool by the Moors car park which I think is the North Moors pool(?) so I got confused and therefore thought you meant water quality not invasive weed.

Must remember not to post in haste while I'm meant to be working.

[forgetfulelephant]

Originally Posted by upstarts1979

Are you sure Rob ..it just never rains at Upton
John

Yes I'm sure, as sure as I am that it stopped soon after!!! Fingers crossed for more tonight. The Kingfishers keep hitting their heads cos the water's too shallow!

[UW82]

Today's highlights on a curtailed visit.

FLASHES:
Green Sand (7)-----------------Common Sand (1)
Curlew (4)-----------------------Lapwing (40)
Shelduck (Ad + 2 imm)--------BH Gull (c150)
Teal (18)

MOORS:
Hobby---------------------------Raven (2)
Whitethroat---------------------Little Grebe
Pochard (3)---------------------Shoveler (9)
Common Tern------------------ Teal (2)
Green Sand

Des.

[Phil Andrews]

Juvenile Med Gull at the Flashes this afternoon - we await John's rundown of his "all-dayer" with interest!

[woodwolf]

Thanks go to Gavo for alerting me Spotted Fly was at the flashes late fternoon

Having only seen one this year, I was keen to see again before they all go, and it was also potentially an UW all time tick

So I dashed over and whilst scanning for it got totally distracted by 2 Peregrines raising hell. First they hawked over the flashes putting everything up, one took a Wood Pigeon and settled for tea in the opposite cereal field. It's mate sat close by ( providing the best Peregrine views I have enjoyed) until it shot up and over towards the sewage works where it flushed a Buzzard. Both Peregrins took part in an airborne bombardment for a couple of minutes, until the cheeky buzzard dropped onto the dead Pigeon and started his tea.
The 2 Peregrins made numerous coordinated fly past attempts to dislodge it but it resisted the pestering.

I returned my attentions to the SW corner and the Spotted Fly appeared !!


Coming up to a year since my 1st visit.. UW still rocks

[Phil Andrews]

Originally Posted by woodwolf

Thanks go to Gavo for alerting me Spotted Fly was at the flashes late fternoon

Having only seen one this year, I was keen to see again before they all go, and it was also potentially an UW all time tick


I returned my attentions to the SW corner and the Spotted Fly appeared !!


Coming up to a year since my 1st visit.. UW still rocks

Hi Mark - whereabouts was the Spot Fly at the Flashes?

[Gavo]

You're welcome Mark, I feel slightly redeemed for surpressing the Hobby

[upstarts1979]

Hi All
Well we can safely say autumn has sprung in more ways than one.
Weather:- at last they got it right. Heavy overnight rain topped up the 2nd Flash a little with a quarter of it covered in very shallow water as well as a couple of the 'delta' channels. Throughout the day there were several heavy showers including about 7pm tonight. The wind veered round from the south west this morning to a moderate SE this evening all this in-dispersed by a warm sunny mid afternoon.
I arrived at the Flashes at 6am, where many of the green sands were feeding on the freshly wetted mud in the SE first flash, it was good to see all the lapwing a few teal and BHG feeding on the 2nd flash (unfortunately much of the wet areas had soaked away by the end of the day). I was soon joined by Gert and Oriole Boy, who arrived just after Gert had found 2 wheatear perched on a telegraph pole, unfortunately they soon moved off SE. A ringed plover was the only new wader joining the 8 green and 2 common sands. There was some vis mig going on with c50 swallow (later totalling 150 on the Moors), 200 Starling, house martin and a few sand martin. Good numbers of warblers were located around the hen pool scrub which included lesser whitethroat, whitethroat, willow warbler (2), chiffchaff 6 (including an adult feeding large fledged young, reed warblers in the hen pool. A spotted flycatcher showed briefly opposite the Hen pool.
Later we worked the education reserve where a large mixed flock contained goldcrest, willow warbler(2), coal tit, blackcaps. whitethroat, lesser whitethroat (2), as well as plenty of tits.
Moving onto the Moors the weather warmed up and birding was less fruitful. We did pick up water rail calling on the north moors and Amy's. waders on Amy's included 3 common (5 or 6 on reserve) and a green sand, 2 kingfisher, Raven, whitethroat, reed warbler, checking the ploughed field revealed a flock of 9 chaffinch (not a common species at this time. We had a call from Israel to say he had a juv Med back at the Flashes, unfortunately this was in the middle of cake and tea time which isn't stopped for anything (well maybe a crippler ). Other lads on site today included discors, woodwolf, gavo, wheatearp and Dave H, all had the same thoughts as us, that at last this was autumn. Back to the Flashes we checked out the west hedgerow where a spotted fly, imm redstart, 2 lesser whitethroat, blackcap and chiffchaffs all fed in a very small area of hawthorn.
The pair of peregrine were causing havoc amongst the waders and gulls, but luckily the very small juv Med gull showed in between bouts of panic. After nearly 14 hours I called it a day. The day got better after Blues won 3-0 all in all not a bad day after weeks of crap.
over to someone else for the next couple of days

[oriole boy]

Originally Posted by upton-till-i-die

Juvenile Med Gull at the Flashes this afternoon - we await John's rundown of his "all-dayer" with interest!

John looked very weary when he left, so I have taken the liberty to summarise the day. Obviously I arrived at the Flashes a good hour and a half after Mr Belsey, whereupon Gert immediately put me on to a couple of Wheatear - nice image and a great start to the day along with a Ringed Plover. With the overnight rain adding a film of water to the 2nd flash, hopes were high for a good day. Flasks were opened early on with the promise of cake if we worked hard enough. Hedge-watch by the confluence produced singing Willow Warbler and Chiff-Chaff still feeding young (a scraggy looking adult feeding a pristine juv twice its size). Loads of activity along the tall hedgerow opposite the bridge, kept us interested and our patience was rewarded with a brief Spotted Flycatcher that frustratingly disappeared as quick as it appeared. A thrash around the education gave us
a Lesser Whitethroat and a bonus Coal Tit.
Over to the Moors and things were fairly quiet, with highlights being c100+ swallow over the pool, 2 Kingfishers, Kestrel, 2 Raven and some splendid Carrot Cake, washed down with the amber nectar (thats tea, not Fosters)
Back to the Flashes and having missed the earlier reported Med Gull, probably flushed by the pair of marauding Peregrines that were making a nuisance of themselves all day, attentions were turned to the hedgerows once again. Almost immediately, the, or another, Spotted Flycatcher appeared much to the relief of Mr B who failed to connect earlier. Lesser Whitethroat also showed well, then a flash of rusty tail added Redstart to the tally - The hedgerows,especially by the Hen Pool hide and at the back and side of the tower hide, are producing the goods this year, so please take the time out to give them a good grilling, who knows what might pop out.
12 hours in and we were struggling to maintain the enthusiasm - however, Mikes arrival with some dubious looking ''trifle cakes"' spurred us on and we eventually located the Med Gull (quite a skinny innocuous-looking Juv/1st winter)
Notable omissions included, Song Thrush, Snipe & Sedge Warbler which gave us a rather under-whelming total of 64, some way off the 80+ that I was dreaming of last night!

[woodwolf]

Originally Posted by upton-till-i-die

Hi Mark - whereabouts was the Spot Fly at the Flashes?

Hi Phil

For me it showed out of the RHS window, as you face the flashes
, on the wire fence just to the left of the gate,couple of other guys got it when I spotted it

[Phil Andrews]

Nice summaries John and Paul (where were Ringo and George?). Does the presence of an immature Redstart mean ......

With more rain forecast tomorrow I hope someone will be able to get down during the day and give us an update.

[upstarts1979]

Originally Posted by upton-till-i-die

Nice summaries John and Paul (where were Ringo and George?). Does the presence of an immature Redstart mean ......

With more rain forecast tomorrow I hope someone will be able to get down during the day and give us an update.

I don't know about george but I did have a ringo plover

[Phil Andrews]

Today's Spotted Flycatcher sightings at the Flashes appear to mirror events on Monday with birds being seen by both the Hen Pool and in the hedge by the Tower Hide - perhaps these are different birds / family parties.

[Phil Andrews]

With autumn clearly fast approaching, it is worth reminding ourselves of some of the very late dates that our smmer visitors can be recorded up until at Upton Warren:

Quail - 5th July (1987)
Red-necked Phalarope - 8th July (1972)
Marsh Warbler - 23rd July (1973)

Pied Flycatcher - 18th August (1997)

White Wagtail - 4th September (1987)
Marsh Harrier - 6th September (2000)
Wood Warbler - 12th September (1995)
Cuckoo - 15th September (1992)
Tree Pipit - 15th September (1968, 1976)
Turtle Dove - 16th September (1995)
Whimbrel - 17th September (1988)
Grasshopper Warbler - 20th September (1970)
Lesser Whitethroat - 20th September (2008, 2009)
Swift - 25th September (2004)
Little Tern - 26th September (1976)
Sandwich Tern - 29th September (1988)
Arctic Tern - 30th September (1994)

Whitethroat - 2nd October (1971)
Willow Warbler - 2nd October (1971)
Red-backed Shrike - 3rd October (1999)
Reed Warbler - 4th October (1987, 2002)
Spotted Flycatcher 4th October (1969)
Whinchat - 6th October (1973)
Wheatear - 10th October (1997)
Little Ringed Plover - 13th October (2006)
Hobby - 15th October (2000)
Sedge Warbler - 20th October (1990)
Yellow Wagtail - 20th October (1973)
Osprey - 25th October (2001)
Redstart - 29th October (2007)
Ring Ouzel - 29th October (2000)
Sand Martin - 30th October (1997)
Black Tern - 30th October (1990)

Garden Warbler - 1st November (1987)
Common Sandpiper - 5th November (2008)
Common Tern - 8th November (1997)
House Martin - 18th November (2007)
Swallow - 20th November (2006)

Garganey - 29th December (1984)

[woodwolf]

Originally Posted by Gavo

You're welcome Mark, I feel slightly redeemed for surpressing the Hobby

No Chance, never ever !

[midlands birder]

Originally Posted by upton-till-i-die

With autumn clearly fast approaching, it is worth reminding ourselves of some of the very late dates that our smmer visitors can be recorded up until at Upton Warren:

I suppose what Phill is trying to say, is if you see a summer migrant anytime for the next month or 2, put it in the log or on here
MB

[Phil Andrews]

Originally Posted by midlands birder

I suppose what Phill is trying to say, is if you see a summer migrant anytime for the next month or 2, put it in the log or on here
MB

You're stealing the thunder from my next post! You young whipper-snappers

[Phil Andrews]

OK, the last list showed the extreme dates that our summer migrants depart. Below is the average date that our more common summer visitors are last recorded, based on observations at Upton going back into the last 1930s in some cases.

Arctic Tern - 30th August
Redstart - 1st September
Garden Warbler - 2nd September
Swift - 3rd September
Little Ringed Plover - 7th September
Garganey - 10th September
Spotted Flycatcher - 11th September
Common Tern - 12th September
Lesser Whitethroat - 12th September
Wheatear - 14th September
Common Whitethroat - 14th September
Willow Warbler - 14th September
Whinchat - 18th September
Sand Martin - 19th September
Reed Warbler - 21st September
Black Tern - 23rd September
Sedge Warbler - 23rd September
Hobby - 24th September
Yellow Wagtail - 28th September
Common Sandpiper - 4th October
House Martin - 14th October
Swallow - 15th October

As MB rightly predicted, the tag line here is to ask everyone to ensure that migrants encountered from now on are recorded in the log books or on the forum (or both); you never know, yours might the final sighting of the year!

[oriole boy]

Originally Posted by upstarts1979

I don't know about george but I did have a ringo plover

At one point there was John, Paul, Gert and Gavo and come to think of it, I was sporting a bit of a mop-top.........yeah, yeah, yeah!