Upton Warren (3 Viewers)

[forgetfulelephant]

Osprey images from the Flashes today:


Rob

 

[Snow-Bunting]

Pipit

Today's highlight's:

MOORS:

Osprey reported at Moors and Flashes------------------------Water/Rock Pipit reported and photographed. 'Snow Bunting' is going to post images of the bird seen for a few minutes from the east hide

Photos of today's questionable Pipit, cropped but not photoshopped.

View attachment 378426 View attachment 378427

 

[upstarts1979]

Osprey images from the Flashes today:


Rob

Brill Rob:t:

 

[Pull43]

Osprey images from the Flashes today:


Rob

Great shots Rob. But you are slipping - There's no fishing shots this time.8-P

Simon P

 

[Gavo]

Wow I was'nt aware of any of the birds at UW today, I did'nt receive a single alert from Brian, was the service down?

 

[forgetfulelephant]

Brill Rob:t:

Thanks John

 

[forgetfulelephant]

Great shots Rob. But you are slipping - There's no fishing shots this time.8-P

Simon P

Cheers Si. I'm really sorry-I'll try harder next time, promise! 8-P

Rob

 

[Pull43]

Cheers Si. I'm really sorry-I'll try harder next time, promise! 8-P

Rob

Rob i'm really jealous. Looking out of the office window thinking i could be out taking photos in the great light we've had after the p**s poor bank holiday weather. Keep up the great work.
This working for a living isn't all it's cracked up to be!!

Simon P

 

[Sy V]

Photos of today's questionable Pipit, cropped but not photoshopped.

Early Spring, Female Water Pipit.
If nothing else it may stir a debate.

 

[forgetfulelephant]

What was really nice about the Osprey saga today was that we were just coming into the hide when all the birds went up & we MISSED it! There was a chap & with a teenager with camera who had got a shot. Apparently it was their first visit to the reserve ( members of the Trust) & they get Osprey & a photo to boot. Needless to say they went away full of it.

We were bemoaning our fate when up it popped again. I've bought an extra lottery ticket being that lucky!

Rob

 

[Phil Andrews]

Early Spring, Female Water Pipit.
If nothing else it may stir a debate.

Based on what features?

 

[Sy V]

Based on what features?

Apart from the fact that someone (Snow-Bunting) relatively new to the thread has taken the time and effort to post some pictures of a dubious bird and has been ignored; appearance of greyer head than Rock Pipit, browner back and whiter underneath.

That and I fancied playing devil's advocate.

 

[Phil Andrews]

Apart from the fact that someone (Snow-Bunting) relatively new to the thread has taken the time and effort to post some pictures of a dubious bird and has been ignored; appearance of greyer head than Rock Pipit, browner back and whiter underneath.

I personally was favouring a spring littoralis Rock Pipit but am still playing around with the photos to try to draw out features; appears to have some streaking to the breast and quite a strong, dark bill. However I suspect that it cant be safely id'ed between these two tricky species.

 

[forgetfulelephant]

The feeding station hides roof was being repaired yesterday so I climbed up to take some shots.
The 1st looks west, overlooking the blackthorn thicket,
2. over looking the feeding station
3. the north sidev of the 1st Flash showing the extent of the phragmites, only 12 years ago there was no reeds at all, just reedmace and sedges.
4. The view over the 'saline lagoons'

Well that's a viewpoint that most of will never use! Interesting info John about the changing of the area over time.

Rob

 

[upstarts1979]

I think we are all being cautious as this group can be very difficult .photos of known species in this group can also appear to be something they are not. Without outer tail feathers and call that would be seen and heard in the field, it is difficult to say for sure. The bird does look robust and larger bodied than I would expect a mipit to look, which I think always have a larger head to body ratio than rock pipit do, which show a larger body to head ratio. Bill and legs look dark, slight super and broad malar stripe, with an indistinct orbital all points to it not being meadow.
From what I can make out I would say a worn winter petrosus Rock pipit.

 

[Phil Andrews]

Reed and Sedge Warblers

Further to Dave's post earlier today, the overall average return date for Reed Warbler (based on 29 records) is the 21st April whilst for Sedge Warbler its the 14th April (based on 36 records). The earliest ever Sedge was the 29th March in 1998; the earliest ever Reed was the 9th April (achieved 3 times in the last 4 years).

As Dave as previously commented, Reed Warbler return dates are advancing much quicker than those of Sedge Warbler. Looking at the most recent ten years (2002-2011), Sedge Warbler has been returning on the 16th April compared with exactly the same date (16th April) for Reed Warbler

For the 27 years that I have return data for both Reed and Sedge, Reed has returned earlier in 3 years, Sedge has returned earlier in 22 years and this year is only the second they have arrived on the same date (the other being the 9th April 2009).

 

[JHDraytonbassettpits]

Pipit

Photos of today's questionable Pipit, cropped but not photoshopped.

View attachment 378426 View attachment 378427

Looks like a Scandnavian Rock pipit to me.


Regards, John

 

[Phil Andrews]

With a bit of activity all of a sudden I hope someone can make it down to the reserve tomorrow and report their sightings.

 

[Woodchat]

Further to Dave's post earlier today, the overall average return date for Reed Warbler (based on 29 records) is the 21st April whilst for Sedge Warbler its the 14th April (based on 36 records). The earliest ever Sedge was the 29th March in 1998; the earliest ever Reed was the 9th April (achieved 3 times in the last 4 years).

As Dave as previously commented, Reed Warbler return dates are advancing much quicker than those of Sedge Warbler. Looking at the most recent ten years (2002-2011), Sedge Warbler has been returning on the 16th April compared with exactly the same date (16th April) for Reed Warbler

For the 27 years that I have return data for both Reed and Sedge, Reed has returned earlier in 3 years, Sedge has returned earlier in 22 years and this year is only the second they have arrived on the same date (the other being the 9th April 2009).

Phil - I get mean arrival for Sedge for 2002 - 2011 as 9th April. However, the two trends are convergent, as you suggest. Attached are graphs for all data points for each of the two species and the (OLS) linear trends. The strength and significance of each correlation are given as follows:

Reed Warbler: r(27) = -0.547, p = 0.002
Sedge Warbler: r(34) = -0.636, p <0.0001

Note: The closer the (modulus of the) r value is to 1, the stronger the correlation (the negative sign simply denotes the direction of the slope), the smaller the p value, the more significant it is. Both of the above correlations are considered highly significant.

 

[Brian Stretch]

I personally was favouring a spring littoralis Rock Pipit but am still playing around with the photos to try to draw out features; appears to have some streaking to the breast and quite a strong, dark bill. However I suspect that it cant be safely id'ed between these two tricky species.

Given the prominent malar patch apparent in the first pic I guess Water Pipit can be ruled out, especially at this time of the year.

It does appear littoralis like, but it could be just a greyish Meadow - plenty of them around at this time of the year and in the second pic in side profile the bill doesn't look particularly substantial.

Was it heard to call? Unless it's seen again probably best left unidentifiable.

Compare with this undoubted littoralis here.

Brian
___________
Birding Today