Upton Warren (20 Viewers)

[Skeleton man]

A bit of a performance this morning about 6.30.
The Oyc parents were flying the chick from East to West towards the concrete hide and the youngster crashed and burned into the water in front of the reeds. It managed to scramble ( Appears they don't swim too well? ) to the bank in front of the hide until the parents flew in to help it. They all seemed well when i left :t:

1. Parent before crash
2. Chick in state of shock
3. Mother coming to the rescue
4. Mother and child reunion

 

[Rocketian]

Peregrin perhaps ??

High over the Moors at about 4pm on Wednesday.

Is there enough in the pics for an ID. Shots were hand held with the equivalent of a 900mm lens and are heavily cropped - it really was high up - spooked all the "white" birds and caused a mass take off

 

[upstarts1979]

update from the Moors

Dunlin summer plumaged On pool island.
Terns brods of1;1;2;2; and a single one hatched todsy on new raft.
Oyc 2 chicks not quite fledged in front of concrete hide.
Tufted 10 broods incl one of 18.
Little grebe at least 3 different broods totalling 4 at least

 

[discors]

Raptor ID.
High over the Moors at about 4pm on Wednesday.
Is there enough in the pics for an ID.

Female Sparrowhawk

 

[wheatearlp]

A briefer visit last night than anticipated as I was side-tracked by the regional T20 final at Bromsgrove CC where Barnt Green comfortably beat Redditch by 8 wickets (sorry Neil |:d|)

I therefore only went to the Flashes, arriving at 21.00 and leaving at about 22.20 (yes there was still birding light). I manged eight species of wader: Avocet 35 adults & fledged juvs plus three broods of 4:2:1+; Oystercatcher pair plus one chick and another pair in to roost; LRP 2 adults and one fledged juvenile from elsewhere; Lapwing 4, Curlew 11, Green Sandpiper 8, Common Sandpiper 1; Snipe 1. The 1+ brood of Avocets was the one along the gulley, an adult was brooding for the whole time I was there and I only saw one chick briefly.
There were four Shelducks, which still seemd to be indulging in territorial disputes and a single Teal plus uncounted Mallard. the lateness of the hour meant little else was noted apart from a small BHG roost of about 310 and, as I was about to leave, two adult Common Gulls that appeared to want to roost but the Avocets had other ideas so they left to the north after a couple of circuits. On the Sailing Pool the pair of GCGs and their three juveniles were still present.

 

[Rocketian]

Raptor ID.
High over the Moors at about 4pm on Wednesday.
Is there enough in the pics for an ID.

Female Sparrowhawk

For my education - What are the clues

 

[keithr]

Peregrine wings longer and more pointed for one...
Keith :t:

https://www.flickr.com/photos/68459774@N05/12565187694/

 

[upstarts1979]

Stayed in East hide from 8.45am until 2pmish
Mostly to check on the breeders.
I have mentioned the main species in my previous post. But warblers were very active, foraging and some were singing. Sedge warbler singing and parachuting on the promontory. reed warblers singing and feeding in the hook, Chiffchaffs were calling along the whole length of the east track. While blackcap and whitethroat sang close to the hide.
A moderate movement of swift early on, involved about 60 birds as well as a few swallows and house martins. A few birds for the month were green and great sp woodp, kestrel and a couple of greylags.
The Terns again were at the centre of the action, constantly calling, either repelling large gulls or coot or coming in with fish to feed the chicks. The only chick missing was the well grown one on the new raft. It is the same age as the two broods on the small rafts, but there was no trace of it. I seem to remember it being a bit lethargic on Tuesday, so something has happened between now and then. I will ask Des if he saw it on Wednesday. The other bird sitting on the new raft hatched a chick today and was still incubating the other 2 eggs. On the main shingle island the brood of 2 chciks were ok and the bird sitting on the top SE area was still there. At least 2 others were scraping and holding territory , but you never know what they will do next. On the vegetated North Island a pair was holding territory on the northern tip. In all 14 adults were present at one time. Thus 6 chicks/juvs in total.
Species count MOORS
GCG 4, Little grebe 5 ads + 5 juvs ( presumably birds are still on Broadmeadow pool but didn't see them today), Shoveler 4 ads + 10 well grown chicks (29 days min), Tufted at least 45 ads and at leats 10 broods totalling 70 birds (min), some now quite large while others have recently hatched. shelduck, gadwall 2, coot 98 adults + 40 large and small chicks, water rail juv in swampy bottom and in seasonal pool at North Moors. Oystercatcher pr + large chicks + adult, lapwing 20+, dunlin, avocet 3 ( ad + 2 juvs) from Flashes, herring gull 2, LBBG 5, BHG c200, Buzzard 3, kestrel, sparrowhawk 2, song thrush,

 

[UW82]

Stayed in East hide from 8.45am until 2pmish
Mostly to check on the breeders.
I have mentioned the main species in my previous post. But warblers were very active, foraging and some were singing. Sedge warbler singing and parachuting on the promontory. reed warblers singing and feeding in the hook, Chiffchaffs were calling along the whole length of the east track. While blackcap and whitethroat sang close to the hide.
A moderate movement of swift early on, involved about 60 birds as well as a few swallows and house martins. A few birds for the month were green and great sp woodp, kestrel and a couple of greylags.
The Terns again were at the centre of the action, constantly calling, either repelling large gulls or coot or coming in with fish to feed the chicks. The only chick missing was the well grown one on the new raft. It is the same age as the two broods on the small rafts, but there was no trace of it. I seem to remember it being a bit lethargic on Tuesday, so something has happened between now and then. I will ask Des if he saw it on Wednesday. The other bird sitting on the new raft hatched a chick today and was still incubating the other 2 eggs. On the main shingle island the brood of 2 chciks were ok and the bird sitting on the top SE area was still there. At least 2 others were scraping and holding territory , but you never know what they will do next. On the vegetated North Island a pair was holding territory on the northern tip. In all 14 adults were present at one time. Thus 6 chicks/juvs in total.
Species count MOORS
GCG 4, Little grebe 5 ads + 5 juvs ( presumably birds are still on Broadmeadow pool but didn't see them today), Shoveler 4 ads + 10 well grown chicks (29 days min), Tufted at least 45 ads and at leats 10 broods totalling 70 birds (min), some now quite large while others have recently hatched. shelduck, gadwall 2, coot 98 adults + 40 large and small chicks, water rail juv in swampy bottom and in seasonal pool at North Moors. Oystercatcher pr + large chicks + adult, lapwing 20+, dunlin, avocet 3 ( ad + 2 juvs) from Flashes, herring gull 2, LBBG 5, BHG c200, Buzzard 3, kestrel, sparrowhawk 2, song thrush,

The well grown one was on the new raft on Wednesday.


Des.

 

[Phil Andrews]

A bit of a performance this morning about 6.30.
The Oyc parents were flying the chick from East to West towards the concrete hide and the youngster crashed and burned into the water in front of the reeds. It managed to scramble ( Appears they don't swim too well? ) to the bank in front of the hide until the parents flew in to help it. They all seemed well when i left :t:

1. Parent before crash
2. Chick in state of shock
3. Mother coming to the rescue
4. Mother and child reunion

Interesting observation Rich. Presumably this is the second brood from the Moors Pool; was there any more than one chick?

Edit: two I take it based on Vern's post below :t::t:

 

[Stone Snapper]

:t:

A bit of a performance this morning about 6.30.
The Oyc parents were flying the chick from East to West towards the concrete hide and the youngster crashed and burned into the water in front of the reeds. It managed to scramble ( Appears they don't swim too well? ) to the bank in front of the hide until the parents flew in to help it. They all seemed well when i left :t:

1. Parent before crash
2. Chick in state of shock
3. Mother coming to the rescue
4. Mother and child reunion

great shots Rich they were still there at 930 when I got to the concrete hide both adults and both young ones they ventured to the new hide were they were feeding and washing again great shots

 

[upstarts1979]

Flashes:
The avocet colony is still almost intact with only 4 adults missing, so still 22 ads and 14 chicks. Many of the birds are sleeping and I wonder if they are going to wait for the latest broods to fledge before they move off. Well they will have another 7 weeks if they do. The three broods of: 3 (gully), 2 saucer (south west) and 4 saucer (NW) are doing well, with their parents keeping any large gulls passing over at bay. They are also a bit more tolerant of near by feeding waders. However the most conspicuous of the waders were the Lapwing, with a massive influx of at least 180 birds, mostly gathered between the 2nd and 3rd flash and on the spit, thus at least 200 birds on the reserve. But generally the waders are the same as my previous visit.
Species count FLASHES
Teal 5, gadwall 2, mallard 100, tufted 3, coot 21 only 1 juv seen, moorhen 4 broods including a fresh brood of 5 in front of main hide. Avocet 36 + 9 chicks, curlew 21, oystercatcher pr + 1 chick and still sitting, LRP 7 ( 4ads + 3 juvs), snipe, green sand 9 or 10 (incl 2 on 1st flash SW corner - viewed from cuckoo hide), common sand 1, Lapwing 180+, BHG c100 with at least 4 fresh broods of chicks, buzzard 5, stock dove 16, linnet 12, sand martin 2

 

[upstarts1979]

The well grown one was on the new raft on Wednesday.


Des.

Thanks Des, not sure what happened there then|:S|:t:

 

[upstarts1979]

A bit of a performance this morning about 6.30.
The Oyc parents were flying the chick from East to West towards the concrete hide and the youngster crashed and burned into the water in front of the reeds. It managed to scramble ( Appears they don't swim too well? ) to the bank in front of the hide until the parents flew in to help it. They all seemed well when i left :t:

1. Parent before crash
2. Chick in state of shock
3. Mother coming to the rescue
4. Mother and child reunion

Nice shots Rich
This morning I heard a commotion coming from the west side and saw the two chicks trying to get the female to brood them. They were there for an hour or more, being joined by the male. I assumed they had flown there to practise probing, as this is one of the few short grassy areas left on the Moors at the moment. But suddenly the adults took off in a panic and one of the chicks flew very low over the water and then dropped into the water after 50 yards. It then swam to the main shingle island a good 100 meters further on, drawn in by the adults constant calling. The other chick disappeared into the long vegetation to the south. Fearing the worse, ie fox attack I was pleased to hear from Phil W that all 4 were in front of the new west hide. They were so close that Phil didn't open the windows for fear of flushing them. One of the adults later perched on the roof of the hide as a lookout. This is the first time I have seen these chicks in the 32 days of their life. They were getting lots of stick from the older brood whenever they appeared on the pool island so they have had to seek refuge hidden out of view .

In the absence of grazing the other grassy areas are well overgrown, so next Tuesday we will hopefully cut the grass between the sand martin bank and seasonal pool. :t:

 

[Skeleton man]

Interesting observation Rich. Presumably this is the second brood from the Moors Pool; was there any more than one chick?

Edit: two I take it based on Vern's post below :t::t:

I only saw one chick Phil. The other one must of caught up with them after.

Thanks Vern, I took about 40 shots but only had 4 or 5 decent ones. You'd of loved it but I was a bit slow :smoke:

Rich

 

[Phil Andrews]

Bit of a slow news day today - Craig reports 9 Green Sands at the Flashes. Hopefully some overnight rain will drop something in,

 

[Phil Andrews]

Early morning update from Dave J at the Flashes:

Red Kite →E at 07.50, 32 Avocets, 7 Green Sandpipers, 2 Common Sandpipers, 9 Little Ringed Plover

Think this is the best count of LRP so far this year; there have been some good concentrations building up in the West Midlands in recent days e.g. 37 yesterday and 40 last Sunday at Blithfield.

16 Common Scoter at Belvide and 6 at Draycote this morning so worth scanning through all those duck at the Moors Pool and Sailing Pool

 

[Phil Andrews]

The July list is already on a very respectable 87. Potential additions for the remainder of the month include:

Garganey, Pochard, Pheasant, Ringed Plover, Redshank, Ruff, Med Gull, Yellow-legged Gull, Black Tern, Little Owl, Tawny Owl, Cuckoo, Treecreeper, Nuthatch, Redstart, Spotted Fly, Coal Tit, Jay, Yellowhammer

 

[Stone Snapper]

3 Otters were on the north moors pool also showing well was a Juv Water Rail Kingfishers x3 hobby was slamming into a few Dragonflies pic of one of the Otters on my Flickr below

 

[upstarts1979]

Phil did the monthly Webs count so he will probably add a more detailed account later.
Had a walk around a very quiet North Moors. Only noting calling and sub songs from reed warblers, blackcap and chiffchaff. On the way back along the causeway I heard a crashing through the reeds, pushing all the mallard to the opposite side of the pool . Initially I thought it was a human from its intensity, but speaking to Vern shortly afterwards I realised it must have been the otter family.
We then went to the west hide, where a kingfisher and a family of tufteds appeared. And then mass panic set in amongst all the waterfowl. Coot were the first to react with a raft of them running across the water, young ducks too skated away unable to fly, the gulls and terns took off and started dive bombing an area where the ripples were intense. But me and Dave W didn't get on to what was obviously the otters returning. Vern got brief views as they swam towards the sluice, so we then ran up to the new hide. From here we saw a large splash in the sluice channel, but that was it...gone. Things settled back and I then attempted a count.
Species count Moors
GCG 3, cormorant 2 (juv + adult), shelduck 3, greylag 10, coot 90+, oystercatcher, common tern (12 ads) chicks 3(fledged) 1 chick moved from the main shingle island to the north island and 2 small chicks ( 2 and 3 days old) on the new raft. Couldn't see any sitting, which is difficult from the west side. kingfisher, Raven 2, sedge warbler juv sluice, song thrush singing,