Hi Des I wonder if that is because the water is returning, it was noticeably wet on the periphery of the Flashes yesterday. The Pochard are really on the move, I wonder if this has always been the case. Numbers have not been stable from one day to the next, this adds a little bit more weight to the reserve's importance as a migration 'stop over' site. Teal have risen a fair bit almost certainly due to the increase in water levels.Today's highlights:
MOORS:
Little Egret ( present until late morning then flew off south, although seen to drop down in Sailing Pool/Flashes area but not seen again).
Pochard (11)-----------------------Teal (59)
Shoveler (9)-----------------------Snipe (3)
Cormorant (26)--------------------Kingfisher (2)
Coal Tit ----------------------------Sparrowhawk (m)
Greylag Goose (16)
FLASHES/SAILING POOL: There appeared to be a large decrease in Meadow Pipit and Linnet numbers.
Teal (15)--------------------------B H Gull (18)
Lapwing (c90)--------------------Skylark (7)
Meadow Pipit (1)-----------------Redpoll (2)
Grey Wagtail---------------------Fieldfare (2)
ED RES:
Treecreeper
Des.
Hi Des I wonder if that is because the water is returning, it was noticeably wet on the periphery of the Flashes yesterday. The Pochard are really on the move, I wonder if this has always been the case. Numbers have not been stable from one day to the next, this adds a little bit more weight to the reserve's importance as a migration 'stop over' site. Teal have risen a fair bit almost certainly due to the increase in water levels.
B John
Hi John,
Mike has posted you're email about the work parties on the uni conservation page, I have also chipped in requesting help, so lets keep our fingers crossed and hope some lazy a**e students show 8-P Oh I've also told Mike to get himself along, I await for his response with baited breath :t:
Just been told (Tony H) that there are monsoon conditions over Upton at the moment.... going down just to see the tide come into the Flashes8-P
Mind you its going to take a week of this to get back to spring level.
B John
Smethwick! Too close to Sandwell for my liking! But the rain news is good and welcome!
There was hell of a downpour over Smethwick around 1.30, I wandered if it had touched The Warren
Just backed from the real mecca (well it is almost back to being so.)
Moors very quiet, water up about 1cm. only very briefly birded from east hide
nothing of note 5 shoveler, 4 pochard, 2 kingfisher.
Excitedly I dashed down to the Flashes with Tony H, not knowing what to expect. Immediately we knew that there would be some water on the Flashes, as the hen brook was almost overflowing its banks.
Arriving at the 1st Flash hide...yes it was back big time. On Tuesday (1st Nov) there was a shallow covering around the main islands. But now the water was on the 'marker' which hadn't seen water on it since mid August. The marker was at 0.26 this is the same as on the 7th August. This meant we have had at least 7cm in the last 24 hours on the Flashes.
What's even better is that the birds have returned as well. The lapwing flock had increased to 230, and Teal 38 also 4 snipe, 105 BHG roosted and little owl calling.
With tomorrow's forecast of more heavy rain, what was the problem8-P told you it would be back:smoke:
Just backed from the real mecca (well it is almost back to being so.)
Moors very quiet, water up about 1cm. only very briefly birded from east hide
nothing of note 5 shoveler, 4 pochard, 2 kingfisher.
Excitedly I dashed down to the Flashes with Tony H, not knowing what to expect. Immediately we knew that there would be some water on the Flashes, as the hen brook was almost overflowing its banks.
Arriving at the 1st Flash hide...yes it was back big time. On Tuesday (1st Nov) there was a shallow covering around the main islands. But now the water was on the 'marker' which hadn't seen water on it since mid August. The marker was at 0.26 this is the same as on the 7th August. This meant we have had at least 7cm in the last 24 hours on the Flashes.
What's even better is that the birds have returned as well. The lapwing flock had increased to 230, and Teal 38 also 4 snipe, 105 BHG roosted and little owl calling.
With tomorrow's forecast of more heavy rain, what was the problem8-P told you it would be back:smoke:
That's great news John. Hopefully we won't need to wait weeks. Good to see the expertly dug channels full of water 8-P
Yes you got that right mate.
If we don't get too much rain, there is still scope to dig out others as well.
B John
Hi John - can you pull the plug out again so we can complete the island and channel works on Sunday? :-O
It does make you wonder what would have been recorded over the last four months given how quickly the birds have moved back to the Flashes as soon as there is some water in it.