Upton Warren (137 Viewers)

[keithr]

Keith
did you see the 22 'gliders'!!! soaring high in a tight flock above the transmitter masts. I have seen 1 or 2 before but never that number, its just a pity they weren't storks or cranes. But it shows the potential we have for 'kettling' raptors in the area.

No John...I bet they were the "vultures" sneaking in to raid the Villa for their "stars".....one hang glider would have done 8-P

Keith :t:

 

[Spoonbill Finder]

Hi Andy
For the record was it just 1 ringed plover and was it(/them) a 'tundra' race.
Mike had 3 on Thursday 23rd May, there weren't any on the 24th May. Thus a bit of late wader movement.
:t:John

It was just the one. It may have been a tundra - I had to look through scope to be sure it was a ringed. I will try and post a pic later.

 

[Janner Falcon!]

Hi Andy
For the record was it just 1 ringed plover and was it(/them) a 'tundra' race.
Mike had 3 on Thursday 23rd May, there weren't any on the 24th May. Thus a bit of late wader movement.
:t:John

There was 1 Ringed Plover when Andy pointed it out. These very record shots were taken at the time -25th May, 07:59. Does this help at all?

Margaret

 

[lesser kestrel]

Last year, after several attempts, two LRP chicks hatched. This was on a Thursday evening. They didn't last 15 hours. The following morning the reserve was flooded.

Phil - do the LRP's @ UW lay anything other than a clutch of 4 eggs?

Laurie:t:

 

[upstarts1979]

There was 1 Ringed Plover when Andy pointed it out. These very record shots were taken at the time -25th May, 07:59. Does this help at all?

Margaret

Thanks Margaret.
They look like Tundra ringed plover - smaller, darker, proportionately more like LRP, looking longer and more attenuated, due to longer primary projection. Generally these late moving ringed plovers refer to the tundra race. Although you can't discount those displaced nominate race birds.B John

 

[rollingthunder]

Last year, after several attempts, two LRP chicks hatched. This was on a Thursday evening. They didn't last 15 hours. The following morning the reserve was flooded.

That means that 2 chicks hatched, not neccesarily the clutch size - it is almost universally 4 in waders but not all spp. As you probably know, the young are precocious, the clutch is laid until it is complete then incubation takes place so that the hatching is synchronised, the hatched young are then feathered and able to hide/skulk.

When i was involved in breeding wader surveys in North Norfolk Ringed Plover, Oystercatcher and Redshank were almost without exception 4 eggs, Incidentally so was the Kentish Plover nest that i found as well:eek!:

I was just wondering whether the UW LRP's were any different

Laurie:t:

 

[wheatearlp]

That means that 2 chicks hatched, not neccesarily the clutch size - it is almost universally 4 in waders but not all spp. As you probably know, the young are precocious, the clutch is laid until it is complete then incubation takes place so that the hatching is synchronised, the hatched young are then feathered and able to hide/skulk.

When i was involved in breeding wader surveys in North Norfolk Ringed Plover, Oystercatcher and Redshank were almost without exception 4 eggs, Incidentally so was the Kentish Plover nest that i found as well:eek!:

I was just wondering whether the UW LRP's were any different

Laurie:t:

No different as far as we know Laurie. It's just that sometimes when we get out to cage we find that there isn't a full clutch yet in place.

 

[Spoonbill Finder]

When at the Moors this morning a chap told me that he had seen a flycatcher near the tin huts at the Sailing Pool. He was no more specific than that. May be worth checking out if anybody reading this is visiting the reserve this afternoon.

 

[upstarts1979]

That means that 2 chicks hatched, not neccesarily the clutch size - it is almost universally 4 in waders but not all spp. As you probably know, the young are precocious, the clutch is laid until it is complete then incubation takes place so that the hatching is synchronised, the hatched young are then feathered and able to hide/skulk.

When i was involved in breeding wader surveys in North Norfolk Ringed Plover, Oystercatcher and Redshank were almost without exception 4 eggs, Incidentally so was the Kentish Plover nest that i found as well:eek!:

I was just wondering whether the UW LRP's were any different

Laurie:t:

All our oystercatchers have only ever had 3 chicks max. After studying our Avocets for the last 10 years, they incubate immediately after laying the 1st egg. We have had the 4th chick hatch, 3 days after the first one on several occasions. All our lapwings and LRP have had 4 egg clutches.

 

[upstarts1979]

Jarad has just had 2 summer plumaged Meds land on the MoorsB
also Phil has had an arctic tern at 2pmish

 

[upstarts1979]

sanderling at the flashes - per Terry H

 

[Joeturner11]

And some more snaps...
Keith :t:

1...A bloody big 'un
2-5 Mrs King with juniors supper.

Lovely Set of Images Keith! :t: Still after one myself!!

 

[upstarts1979]

Tuesday work party

Tomorrow,we have planned to launch the tern rafts at the Moors. They will be anchored just north of the 'pool island'. This will make future maintenance much easier. The rafts are in front of the east hide so we should be able to complete the mission in a very short period of time. B John

 

[Phil Andrews]

Monday 27th May - morning

SAILING POOL
16 Mallard, 4 Canada Geese, 2 GC Grebe, 3 Tufted Duck, 5 Coot + 1 brood of 3 young.

FLASHES
15 Canada Geese, 2 Mute Swan, 7 Shelduck, 5 Coot, 14 Tufted Duck, 17 Mallard, 1 Gadwall (male), 5 LBB Gull, 4 Oystercatcher (third pair now sitting), 6 LR Plover, 2 Lapwing, 27 adult Avocet + 7 broods totalling 21 young

27 is a new peak count of Avocet for the reserve although I understand John and Terry first achieved this figure yesterday. The Avocet broods were as follows (starting in front of the hide and working anti-clockwise):-
4 : 3 (latest brood off the second Flash island; adult still incubating the final egg) : 2 (lost one overnight) : 3 : 4 : 3 : 2.

MOORS POOL
2 Mute Swan + 5 cgynets, 27 Canada Geese, Ross's Goose, 1 Shelduck, 1 Grey Heron, 3 Cormorant, 24 Mallard, 27 Tufted Duck, 41 Coot, 1 Little Grebe (Broadmeadow - no sign of any young), 8 GC Grebe + 4 young in Amy's Marsh (no sign of northern chick), 1 Gadwall (male), 1 Ringed Plover on east island (tundrae), 2 Lapwing (1 still sitting in Amy's Marsh; no sign of any young on the Broadmeadow but an adult was hanging around the telegraph pole on the southern boundary.....), 3 Oystercatcher (1 chick on domed island and remainder of clutch still being brooded; family party from the Broadmeadow hidden on the promontory), Garden Warbler, Cetti's Warbler, 150-200 Swift, 2 Common Tern, Arctic Tern, 250+ BH Gull (many hawking insects over the water)

 

[Phil Andrews]

Jarad has just had 2 summer plumaged Meds land on the MoorsB
also Phil has had an arctic tern at 2pmish

Arctic Tern was about 12:45; I just surpressed it :eek!:

 

[Phil Andrews]

That means that 2 chicks hatched, not neccesarily the clutch size - it is almost universally 4 in waders but not all spp. As you probably know, the young are precocious, the clutch is laid until it is complete then incubation takes place so that the hatching is synchronised, the hatched young are then feathered and able to hide/skulk.

When i was involved in breeding wader surveys in North Norfolk Ringed Plover, Oystercatcher and Redshank were almost without exception 4 eggs, Incidentally so was the Kentish Plover nest that i found as well:eek!:

I was just wondering whether the UW LRP's were any different

Laurie:t:

As Mike has already mentioned it is not a very scientific approach as we can never be sure that the female has finished laying the clutch when we cage; however four does seem to be the most commonly encountered number. Obviously we never go back out to confirm as the intention is to limit disturbance as much as possible.

Laurie - just out of interest what year was your Kentish record?

 

[wheatearlp]

In addition to Phil's sightings during my visit from 15.00-18.30

Sailing Pool - 3 GCGs

Moors Pool - One male Gadwall, four Common Terns, c.50 House Martins. The northern GCGs seem to have moved to the south-west corner, presumably to shelter from the winds this afternoon. Broadmeadow Oystercatchers are down to two chicks, each shadowing one of the parents on the east bank of Broadmeadow Pool. The single chick 'fell off' its island and struggled to get back up on to the island due to the steep sides and the attentions of a few of the adjacent BHGs. There was also a third pair of Oystercatchers in the south-west corner.

Flashes - two, or possibly three, Ringed Plovers. All 22 Avocet chicks were still present and there was a minimum of 73 BHG chicks. Also two male Gadwall and nine Shelducks. One male Linnet.

Finally two guys came briefly into the hide with two dogs, not on leads. They left after a few seconds and the 30 seconds later everything got up. We were looking for raptors, but it was the two guys walking out from the hide towards the public footpath. I called them back and both Andy P and I asked them what they were doing. There followed a few exchanges along the lines of "What's it got to do with you?" but they did return along the boardwalk... and then hopped over the fence into the transmitter field and accessed the footpath from there :C. Hopefully they've got the message, but they did say they'd walked that way before so I guess they will again if there's no one there or they're not challenged.

 

[Phil Andrews]

Did the Oyk chick make it back onto the island Mike? Would be better off swimming to the mainland when it has enough strength. Did you see a young GC Grebe in the south-west marsh?

I remember when we used to have quite an obvious barrier to prevent people walking from the rear of the hide over to the public footpath until the Trust went all woven wicker barriers and 3 foot high fences with gates ...

 

[upstarts1979]

Finally two guys came briefly into the hide with two dogs, not on leads. They left after a few seconds and the 30 seconds later everything got up. We were looking for raptors, but it was the two guys walking out from the hide towards the public footpath. I called them back and both Andy P and I asked them what they were doing. There followed a few exchanges along the lines of "What's it got to do with you?" but they did return along the boardwalk... and then hopped over the fence into the transmitter field and accessed the footpath from there :C. Hopefully they've got the message, but they did say they'd walked that way before so I guess they will again if there's no one there or they're not challenged.

I think its also a case of the Trust getting the signs up and running asap. As recommended by the Policec, stating that the site is a - Private nature reserve etc etc.

It is also strange what people expect of the site. A couple turned up yesterday went to the Flashes saw the avocets etc, went around the Moors. When asked if they were members- they replied , that they expected a visitor centre and more facilities:eek!:. We told them we have got one ......its Webbs garden centre8-P no pleasing some people::smoke: Some people would do anything not to pay £3:kiss:

 

[wheatearlp]

Oyk chick made it back up after a few minutes, just as I was contemplating getting the boat out to give it a hand o

Think we need better barriers, both behind the hide and at the public footpath end.