Upton Warren (115 Viewers)

[Woodchat]

Certainly looks small and attenuated, so could be. I'll consult some literature. :king:

I certainly think photos can be a help in trying to ID potential sub-species, although I'm sure there will be someone making a case made for taking notes ...

I've got plenty of other photos of it if necessary. Both this and the bird the other day were quite small / slim IMO. I'd suggest they probably are tundrae or northerly breeders leapfrogging more local breeders which moved earlier - cf. the one I photographed on the flashes on 20th February.:t:

 

[Phil Andrews]

I've got plenty of other photos of it if necessary. Both this and the bird the other day were quite small / slim IMO. I'd suggest they probably are tundrae or northerly breeders leapfrogging more local breeders which moved earlier - cf. the one I photographed on the flashes on 20th February.:t:

Would agree that the RP earlier in the week wasnt obviously much larger / bulkier than the accompanying LRPs.

 

[Woodchat]

Compare these two birds:

1. Ssp. hiaticula flashes 20/02/11

2. Possible ssp. tundrae flashes 05/05/11

As you say, bird 2 definitely looks slimmer with longer primaries /more attenuated to me.

 

[upstarts1979]

Of note today were:
at the Moors Common Tern 7, Lapwing 7 (5 fems and 2 male), LRP 2, after the brief heavy shower 40 swift and 30 sand martins appeared.

At The Flashes: Shoveler pr, Gadwall pr, Shelduck 3, Mallard 67 adults and at least 5 broods, Common Sand 2, Ringed Plover , LRP 8, Lapwing 9 + 3 small chicks and 2 sitting, After the rain myriads of insects were gobbled up by ducks and wader chicks alike. Also seen were kingfisher and cuckoo.
On the reserve there are 89 BHG nests (52 Moors and 37 Flashes).
B John

 

[Phil Andrews]

Just looked at Steve N's Belvide blog - they had 12 wader species today and Gropper :C. Forgot Feral Pigeon, we may need to do a UK400-style split with White Wagtail.:-O

 

[Phil Andrews]

Weather forecast now less favourable on Saturday for birds dropping in - some rain overnight on Friday but Saturday itself will be dry but cloudy, southerly winds and temps of around 20C.

 

[Sy V]

Sy
Wont we need gravel on top before we float it/them,
Can float it next Tuesday, will get some chain/metal cable and a bucket of cement ,
re your mate not a problem mate anybody helping with habitat creation is welcome.
JohnB

Hi John

I was going to bring gravel with me, but I agree, your chain option is better than my parachute chord. I'll fetch the chord anyway and put it in front (out of site) of the FS Hide. If someone with keys can stash it in the tool shed - great. It'll come in handy for something, I'm sure. If capable (of carrying it along the boardwalk) we'll put the raft next to the boat and scarper pronto.
Pete (retired art teacher) will be chuffed. He's been wondering why I keep bangin' on about the Flashes for ages!

 

[Phil Andrews]

Hi John

I was going to bring gravel with me, but I agree, your chain option is better than my parachute chord. I'll fetch the chord anyway and put it in front (out of site) of the FS Hide. If someone with keys can stash it in the tool shed - great. It'll come in handy for something, I'm sure. If capable (of carrying it along the boardwalk) we'll put the raft next to the boat and scarper pronto.
Pete (retired art teacher) will be chuffed. He's been wondering why I keep bangin' on about the Flashes for ages!

Not another former teacher frequenting the reserve - may need to approach DEFRA re a cull!

Many thanks Sy for your time and effort (and that of your friend Pete) in constructing the raft; you might be lucky enough for the new tern species discovered at Upton (the No-tail Tern - quite a sight at the Moors Pool :eek! to use it.

 

[upstarts1979]

Weather forecast now less favourable on Saturday for birds dropping in - some rain overnight on Friday but Saturday itself will be dry but cloudy, southerly winds and temps of around 20C.

Sometimes we have had perfect conditions and nout has appeared. But I still feel optimistic here are a couple of weather links for tomorrow. Get the morning singers and wait for the rest to appear :smoke:
http://www.xcweather.co.uk/GB/forecast
http://www.metoffice.gov.uk/weather/uk/wm/bromsgrove_forecast_weather.html
B John

 

[upstarts1979]

Hi John

I was going to bring gravel with me, but I agree, your chain option is better than my parachute chord. I'll fetch the chord anyway and put it in front (out of site) of the FS Hide. If someone with keys can stash it in the tool shed - great. It'll come in handy for something, I'm sure. If capable (of carrying it along the boardwalk) we'll put the raft next to the boat and scarper pronto.
Pete (retired art teacher) will be chuffed. He's been wondering why I keep bangin' on about the Flashes for ages!

Yep great effort Sy.
Paul re-floated the 3 rafts at the Moors on Tuesday and 2 have been occupied by BHG and the other Common Tern
B John

 

[upstarts1979]

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-hereford-worcester-13279794

see the link re Lapwings , this could account for our increase

 

[Sy V]

I hope you're mob-handed on Tuesday John. Pete and I walked the boardwalk route having unloaded the raft and negotiated the steps, to see what dropping it at the FS Hide entailed.
There was much Anglo-Saxon vernacular that seemed to rhyme (nearly) with 'buck rat for a game of boulders'...
He was inquiring about membership when we left the Flashes... seems to have cast its spell on someone else then!

 

[woodwolf]

Holy Moly !! Osprey catching a fish at Upper Bittel this afternoon !!...imagine that on the all dayer at the Moors tomorrow :eek!:

 

[upstarts1979]

I hope you're mob-handed on Tuesday John. Pete and I walked the boardwalk route having unloaded the raft and negotiated the steps, to see what dropping it at the FS Hide entailed.
There was much Anglo-Saxon vernacular that seemed to rhyme (nearly) with 'buck rat for a game of boulders'...
He was inquiring about membership when we left the Flashes... seems to have cast its spell on someone else then!

Great stuff Sy nice one re raft and your mate joining.:t:
been out and bought cement mix and heavy duty lashing kit for the anchor
pic of your anchor signed8-P
B John

 

[Gavo]

Holy Moly !! Osprey catching a fish at Upper Bittel this afternoon !!...imagine that on the all dayer at the Moors tomorrow :eek!:

OMG that's a huge holy moly, I imagine it's an unattached non breeding bird, possibly on it's first return north, I feel within 20 yrs there is going to be breeding Ospreys outside Rutland, and I also think they will be spreading through west Wales.

 

[Brian Stretch]

Free refreshments will be available to all participants of the All Dayer tomorrow between 10am and 4pm, courtesy of The Birders Store.

They will be available at the sailing centre in the first classroom on the right. So please come and help yourself!

Brian
____________________
www.birdingtoday.co.uk

 

[woodwolf]

Looks like everyone is off up the wooden hill to Bedfordshire early doors :-O

I'll be over early ( for me 8-P)

Have a great day everyone :t:

 

[upstarts1979]

Looks like everyone is off up the wooden hill to Bedfordshire early doors :-O

I'll be over early ( for me 8-P)

Have a great day everyone :t:

about time you were as well:gn:

 

[woodwolf]

If I stay up another hour, then I'll pretend to be dropping off and get the red card

 

[Phil Andrews]

Weather forecast is now looking more promising (thunder is rumbling in Brum as I type this):

Overnight - warm with rain showers, including thunder; winds S. Temp 15C
Morning - cloudy with sunny intervals; winds SE. Temp 18C
Afternoon - heavy rain showers; winds SE. Temp 18C
Evening - further heavy rain; winds SE. Temp 16C

Think its a case of scanning at first light to see what has dropped in, thrashing all corners in the morning to tie down the singing birds and then just waiting to see what the rain brings in later.