[upstarts1979]

Amongst other projects for the coming season , we discussed the sighting of a new North Moors (NM) hide. This will be incorporated into a raised spoil bank along the west side of the trail. The bank would start just where the old burnt out hide was and would end just before the power cables cross the path.
The 3 diagrams show
1. the present state of the NM
2. the proposed work
3. the end result.
Photo the view of the area from the opposite side of the NM (from the bench)
The area concerned, stretches from the left side of the tree in the middle/right of the photo running to the left along the back hedgerow to below where the 3 poplar trees (in the background) are.
Only a proposal at present, but it has already been mentioned to the Trust.
5. is what a bittern ditch looks like (RSPB)

[Curates egg]

Originally Posted by UW82

The Brown Argus was on the open area of the Education Reserve, but you had better be quick. I was surprised to find one today, it was looking quite faded. In the same area were Small Copper, Comma and Common Blue.

Des.

Thanks Des. Weather forecast not looking good for Butterflies. I'll check the area out next time I'm there. Fingers crossed we get some warm sunny weather again soon.

[ADRIANS PHOTOGRAPHY]

Welcome and hello Yibble hope you enjoy the banter and information on here (what a name love it)

[biking birder 2010]

Gladys!

Couple of pressure for you

Usual place

Atb

[upstarts1979]

Originally Posted by discors

Monday-
On the subject of permits I feel that being asked to show your card is a good thing its a way of welcoming people to the reserve and gives the opporunity to ask whats about. . I bet the Osprey has generated a lot of extra memberships on its own and raised the profile of the reserve within the Trust, we need another icon species since loosing Cetti's perhaps we could put a nest platform up at the North Moors to attract this bird back next year!

In the last 2 years or so £3000 has been raised from Permits. This has been spent on a range of tools, which includes:
strimmers X3 (approx £1200), silky saws c£500, wolf loppers £200, rakes x4 polyprophene durable £100, puncture-less solid wheelbarrow wheels £100, fox fencing £150, ladders £70, wadersx2 £50, hand tools, power drill £100, brush cutter services, parts and repairs £150, oil, petrol, shingle and cobbles £100, replacement blades, etc etc
we never go to the Trust for anything, so their money is not spent at Upton and can be spent at other reserves. Unfortunately the tool shed was broken into and all the good tools were stolen. We now have to take the tools home for safe keeping.
The income has dropped dramatically as more permit visitors join the trust. So you can see that asking for permits did pay and was worth the hassle.

However the Osprey did not generate the money that you would have expected, mostly because many people stayed around the Sailing pool, in fact only £50 by the wardens and whatever the sailing centre collected (which I will collect this week).
The money collected does help with the running of the reserve and tools break and wear out so they will have to be replaced and strimmers need petrol. So please don't be resentful when you next have to pay the £3, it does go to a good cause.

we did also receive donations from several individuals and Phil's CD sales of the birds of UW also generated funds.
Maybe if the Trust had appeared and set up a stall they could have generated new memberships, lost opportunity on their part.

[biking birder 2010]

Oops

Pressies Gladys

[Birder Gladys]

Originally Posted by biking birder 2010

Oops

Pressies Gladys

can't get there till 16;00hrs tomorrow,will let Gladys know,many thanks tim

[rollingthunder]

That's a very impressive list of tools and materials John and it shows the monies being well spent directly on management of the reserve, just out of interest, were they insured? Or was this not feasible for such a remote location?

BTW i spent some time at the Aiguamolis de Emporda Marshes in Catalonia (Aiguamolis is Catalan for marsh) a few years ago, the emblem is a male Purple Gallinule (much better than Swamphen IMO).

If your little bit of proposed Catalan marsh gets one of these that'll be 3 quid well spent Either way the proposed work looks good for resident and migrant alike......

Laurie

[upstarts1979]

Originally Posted by rollingthunder

That's a very impressive list of tools and materials John and it shows the monies being well spent directly on management of the reserve, just out of interest, were they insured? Or was this not feasible for such a remote location?

BTW i spent some time at the Aiguamolis de Emporda Marshes in Catalonia (Aiguamolis is Catalan for marsh) a few years ago, the emblem is a male Purple Gallinule (much better than Swamphen IMO).

If your little bit of proposed Catalan marsh gets one of these that'll be 3 quid well spent Either way the proposed work looks good for resident and migrant alike......

Laurie

yes we were insured but still waiting for the replacements.
off to the mecca now well in an hour

[Gertatron]

Originally Posted by Curates egg

Some stunning images on your lovely Blog! Favourites too numerous to list here, but the 5th pic down of a Swallow drinking...magic! Osprey pics amazing! Love the one of it stretching.
On a walk today by the river Teme, I saw 200+ Swallows and House Martins all feeding...swooping low over the river and surrounding fields. Good to see and hear. They'll all be gone soon. Light was too poor for photography...so just stood in wonder, watching them.

Thanks Angie, and John

[CorvusCorax]

Originally Posted by upstarts1979

Amongst other projects for the coming season , we discussed the sighting of a new North Moors (NM) hide. This will be incorporated into a raised spoil bank along the west side of the trail. The bank would start just where the old burnt out hide was and would end just before the power cables cross the path.
The 3 diagrams show
1. the present state of the NM
2. the proposed work
3. the end result.
Photo the view of the area from the opposite side of the NM (from the bench)
The area concerned, stretches from the left side of the tree in the middle/right of the photo running to the left along the back hedgerow to below where the 3 poplar trees (in the background) are.
Only a proposal at present, but it has already been mentioned to the Trust.
5. is what a bittern ditch looks like (RSPB)

This looks pretty sweet to me...

Phil

http://www.philmumby.blogspot.co.uk

[Woodchat]

Upstarts reports a Tree Pipit over the north moors this morning. Over to Phil A for the stats......

[steve_zodiac]

Might get something at Upton this weekend, the wind is swinging round to the east

[shhh]

Originally Posted by upstarts1979

Amongst other projects for the coming season , we discussed the sighting of a new North Moors (NM) hide...Only a proposal at present, but it has already been mentioned to the Trust.

thanks for the info john - when do you think the work would be started/finished if given approval?

jon

[shhh]

Originally Posted by shhh

thanks for the info john - when do you think the work would be started/finished if given approval?

jon

...and why is the gate 'controversial'? is it going to be locked at times?

thanks

[Jason K]

Originally Posted by upstarts1979

off to the mecca now well in an hour

Bit early for bingo isn't it John?

[John Layj]

Originally Posted by rollingthunder

BTW i spent some time at the Aiguamolis de Emporda Marshes in Catalonia (Aiguamolis is Catalan for marsh) a few years ago, the emblem is a male Purple Gallinule (much better than Swamphen IMO).



Laurie

For some bizarre reason I know a bit of Catalan. Aiguamolis actually means Water Mill.

[Phil Andrews]

Originally Posted by Woodchat

Upstarts reports a Tree Pipit over the north mors this morning. Over to Phil A for the stats......

John had the another Tree Pipit (or perhaps the same bird again) later in the morning.

[UW82]

Some news I meant to give earlier. A dog Otter, possibly from Upton, was found dead on Tuesday close to the reserve on the A38. Apparently Otter's have been seen on the road a number of times. The WWT and The Sailing Centre have more information.


Des.

[upstarts1979]

Originally Posted by shhh

thanks for the info john - when do you think the work would be started/finished if given approval?

jon

Hi Jon
I hope in next years budget, things don't move that fast . I originally mooted this idea in 1989 , with a few tweaks here and there
However I resurrected it in light of the hide and decreasing reed bed in the North moors.
The rationale: is that the reed bed will increase in size and quality, with it an increase in reed warblers water rail and other associated species, that will reach there maximum carrying capacity, which should be double what we have at present in this area (NM). So from 10 pairs of reed warblers to 20. If the cettis return the habitat should also be ideal for them as well as wintering Bittern and roosting swallows. john

[upstarts1979]

Originally Posted by shhh

...and why is the gate 'controversial'? is it going to be locked at times?

thanks

I think it might cause logistic problems, for example people forgetting their key or the combination lock etc.

[upstarts1979]

Just back from my little stint 8.50am - 3pm.
Started at the North Moors where mother nature got the best of me whilst sorting that, I had a low flying Tree Pipit calling overhead flying south (come to have look).
I ran back to the car park to arouse (not sure I have the right word there) Rob and Alan H but the bird had gone through.
It or another later (9.30) flew along the east path heading south, this was the prelude to a more sustained southerly movement. This involved a constant stream of low flying swallows that totalled 200 birds in about 4 waves. Also meadow pipits were on the move with at least 10 in a short period of time.
The low cloud and a generally cold NW wind, had forced birds down low, I dare say if I had got there earlier there would have been a lot more on show.
The east hide in the morning is ideal to witness vis mig, due to its westerly view that covers the whole of the Moors from north to south. However there were also swallows going over the hide, so it sometimes worth standing on the balcony for short periods. By 10.30 most of the action had ceased.
A Lynx helicoptor flew low over the Moors and flushed all the ducks from their roost which made it easier to count once they had settled.
Species counts at the Moors:
GCG 2, little grebe, shoveler 84, teal 2, wigeon 2 (pr), Mallard 50, Tufted 10 , pochard 2 (pr), greylag 24, canadas 100's, coot 160+, water rail heard, mute swan 7 (4 ads + 3 juvs), cormorant 3, snipe 2, lapwing 70, BHG 100, LBBG, Herring gull, Sparrowhawk, buzzard 2, kestrel 2, kingfisher, green woodp 2, great spotted woodp, swallow c200, house martin 20, blackcap 2, chiffchaff 5 (NM), grey wag 2, Tree Pipit 1 poss 2, meadow pipit 10+, chaffinch 5, bullfinch 2, goldcrest (NM), reed bunting 5,
Flashes laterJohn
There were several red admirals about, and the north of the North Moors held a few dragonflies, here it felt much warmer than elsewhere due to its south facing aspect and slightly sheltered position.

[upstarts1979]

The Flashes - water level 0.38 - 0.37
heavy showers freshened up the dried out areas. The green sand were mostly gathered in a flock in the 'central area', whilst the majority of snipe were concentrated in front-right of the hide in the 'delta'. Here also a couple of meadow pipits flew over and a flock of 70 hirundines fed above the lagoons.
species count for Flashes:
Teal 130, shoveler 15, pintail, mallard 60, tufted 4, water rail the 'tailless juv', coot 1, moorhen 25, snipe 16, green sand 9, common sand juv, curlew 6, lapwing 2,BHG 80, peregrine, buzzard, kestrel, swallow 10 , house martin 60, pied wags, meadow pipit 2, chiffchaff 3, goldcrest, linnet 6, goldfinch 40.

[Sy V]

A Lynx helicopter! What was that doing over the Reserve? At least you can't blame the Royal Air Force for that one - only the Army Air Corps and the Royal Navy fly them.

That sounds like the second dog Otter found dead locally in a week. Not good news!

[jjs]

Originally Posted by Sy V

That sounds like the second dog Otter found dead locally in a week. Not good news!

Is this not the same incident? I presumed it was! Shocking news if not....

John