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Upton Warren (13 Viewers)
- Thread starter andythomas
- Start date
Phil Andrews
It's only Rock and Roller but I like it
None mentioned by Dave J either
Gavo
Well-known member
There was an adult Med Gull on the Flashes yesterday, til at least 2.30 when I left
Birder Gladys
Well-known member
Heard of a report of a Med Gull on the Flashes Yeserday,but didn't spot one either Saturday or Sunday roost.
MedGull
Phil.
There was a med gull on the moors yesterday afternoon at about 2.00 along with a sub adult common gull.
Phil.
Phil Andrews
It's only Rock and Roller but I like it
44 Avocet at the Flashes this morning as per Chris Thomson
Phil Andrews
It's only Rock and Roller but I like it
Osprey northwest over the Moors Pool at 4pm as per JTB
Gavo
Well-known member
Is that 100 for the year Phil? If so what a beauty to bring up the ton 👍
upstarts1979
Well-known member
Today's work party at Moors
What a great finale .
Managed to complete the majority of the seasons schedule which was purely as a result of the increase in volunteers.:t:
Thanks to all 22 of the Crew today and thanks to all those Vols that have helped since September.
Today's crew Alan D. Bob O. Bobby P. Bob R. Charles. Dave H. Graham L. Ian Jos. Jim B. Julie W. Kim W. Nick F. Paul M. Peter E. Ray C. Roger S. Sue and Steve T. Stuart. Terry W. Tony B. and meB
Today we cleared the Secret Garden of overgrown and rank vegetation. We set about opening up this area c6 years ago from a ' leggy' blackthorn thicket wildlife free zone into a short vegetated open sun trap full of biodiversity. Willow warbler returned to breed and plenty of grassland butterflies appeared. Today we cut back hundreds of alder and willow saplings, strimmed the bramble and remaining grasses. The Secret Garden Extension is wetter and has a different flora. This was also strimmed and hopefully in the coming months some migrants will be finding plenty of insects here. We piled up the cuttings to form large habitat piles.
Screen fencing panels were added to the North side of the new hide not as easy a task as you would think. We will be adding a panel to the south side in due course.
Several nest boxes were installed mostly in the North Moors plantation and a few elsewhere.
Two lots of House Martin boxes were installed on the East and West tower hides.
Thanks to Julie W who kindly cleaned out all 7 hides.
Mesh was put over the two tern rafts that have been left in situ This is to stop BHG from taking them over and the mesh will be removed in late May when the hopefully return.
Pics later john
What a great finale .
Managed to complete the majority of the seasons schedule which was purely as a result of the increase in volunteers.:t:
Thanks to all 22 of the Crew today and thanks to all those Vols that have helped since September.
Today's crew Alan D. Bob O. Bobby P. Bob R. Charles. Dave H. Graham L. Ian Jos. Jim B. Julie W. Kim W. Nick F. Paul M. Peter E. Ray C. Roger S. Sue and Steve T. Stuart. Terry W. Tony B. and meB
Today we cleared the Secret Garden of overgrown and rank vegetation. We set about opening up this area c6 years ago from a ' leggy' blackthorn thicket wildlife free zone into a short vegetated open sun trap full of biodiversity. Willow warbler returned to breed and plenty of grassland butterflies appeared. Today we cut back hundreds of alder and willow saplings, strimmed the bramble and remaining grasses. The Secret Garden Extension is wetter and has a different flora. This was also strimmed and hopefully in the coming months some migrants will be finding plenty of insects here. We piled up the cuttings to form large habitat piles.
Screen fencing panels were added to the North side of the new hide not as easy a task as you would think. We will be adding a panel to the south side in due course.
Several nest boxes were installed mostly in the North Moors plantation and a few elsewhere.
Two lots of House Martin boxes were installed on the East and West tower hides.
Thanks to Julie W who kindly cleaned out all 7 hides.
Mesh was put over the two tern rafts that have been left in situ This is to stop BHG from taking them over and the mesh will be removed in late May when the hopefully return.
Pics later john
upstarts1979
Well-known member
Birding reserve today
Arriving at 8am it was immediately apparent that spring was here with singing birds all the way from the car park to the East hide.
Water rails were singing in the causeway reed bed, North Moors and east marsh. Little grebes trilled all around the edge of the pool. In the scrub by the new hide goldcrest and redpoll sang as well as two Cetti's, chaffinch and numerous reed bunting.
Duck numbers apart from Tufteds were decreasing as expected. A couple Dunlin Fed on the Pool island alongside an adult MED Gull. But otherwise all as recently.
After the work party I spent a fair time in the New hide at North Moors where there was a good show of species and plenty of songsters including cetti's, water rail, mistle and song thrushes, chaffinch , bullfinch and 3 reed bunting.
On the water were teal 2. Tufted 6. Coot 3. and a little egret flew over.
From 3.30pm I was in the East hide where a decent sized flock of sand martin fed low over the water. All was quiet when for some reason all the Martin's took to the sky in a tight flock alarm calling the gets too were unsettled. This is normally the response when a sprawk flys through. I saw a distant sprawk and assumed that maybe the cause. But then I noticed a large mixed flock of starling and winter thrushes panic over the A38 rapidly followed by an even more frantic flock of wood pigeon racing to the sky. My indistinct was that this must be a peregrine! to cause this much havoc. These flocks just wouldn't settle so the bird must be soaring above them. By now I was frantically scanning the sky to the NW of the hide. Then I picked up a 'raptor' flying away from me. It's wings were long and drooping down but I couldn't judge it's size well not until a local buzzard mobbed it . It was certainly larger than the buzzard and then it banked revealing its white body contrasting with its clean grey/brown uppers. I managed to get good prolonged scope views, then realised thst the bird was struggling against the strong oncoming NW wind. This kept the bird in view for about three minutes and was my first OSPREY for three years at the reserve.
After this I moved on to the the Flashes for just over an hour. Not a lot of change from my last visit on Saturday.
MOORS COUNTS:
GCG 2. Little grebe 10. Little egret. Shoveler 16. Gadwall 4. Shelduck. Pochard 9. Tufted 42 . Coot 25. Water rail 3. Lapwing 3. Snipe 4. Oystercatcher 4. Dunlin 2.
Med Gull ad. Herring gull 3.
OSPREY. Kestrel pair. Sparrowhawk. Buzzard 3.
Kingfisher 2. Sand Martin 22.
Fieldfare 20. Redwing 30. Song thrush 3. Mistle thrush.
Starling 60. Cetti's w 2. Chiffchaff 2. Goldcrest 2.
Redpoll 5. Bullfinch 6. Chaffinch 5. Goldfinch.
Reed Bunting 12+
FLASHES Count:
Teal 4. Gadwall 4. Shoveler 2, Shelduck 5.
Curlew. Oystercatcher 2. Avocet 44. Dunlin 2. Snipe. Lapwing 13 (2 sitting).
Med Gull ad
Stock dove 15. Raven.
Treecreeper.
Arriving at 8am it was immediately apparent that spring was here with singing birds all the way from the car park to the East hide.
Water rails were singing in the causeway reed bed, North Moors and east marsh. Little grebes trilled all around the edge of the pool. In the scrub by the new hide goldcrest and redpoll sang as well as two Cetti's, chaffinch and numerous reed bunting.
Duck numbers apart from Tufteds were decreasing as expected. A couple Dunlin Fed on the Pool island alongside an adult MED Gull. But otherwise all as recently.
After the work party I spent a fair time in the New hide at North Moors where there was a good show of species and plenty of songsters including cetti's, water rail, mistle and song thrushes, chaffinch , bullfinch and 3 reed bunting.
On the water were teal 2. Tufted 6. Coot 3. and a little egret flew over.
From 3.30pm I was in the East hide where a decent sized flock of sand martin fed low over the water. All was quiet when for some reason all the Martin's took to the sky in a tight flock alarm calling the gets too were unsettled. This is normally the response when a sprawk flys through. I saw a distant sprawk and assumed that maybe the cause. But then I noticed a large mixed flock of starling and winter thrushes panic over the A38 rapidly followed by an even more frantic flock of wood pigeon racing to the sky. My indistinct was that this must be a peregrine! to cause this much havoc. These flocks just wouldn't settle so the bird must be soaring above them. By now I was frantically scanning the sky to the NW of the hide. Then I picked up a 'raptor' flying away from me. It's wings were long and drooping down but I couldn't judge it's size well not until a local buzzard mobbed it . It was certainly larger than the buzzard and then it banked revealing its white body contrasting with its clean grey/brown uppers. I managed to get good prolonged scope views, then realised thst the bird was struggling against the strong oncoming NW wind. This kept the bird in view for about three minutes and was my first OSPREY for three years at the reserve.
After this I moved on to the the Flashes for just over an hour. Not a lot of change from my last visit on Saturday.
MOORS COUNTS:
GCG 2. Little grebe 10. Little egret. Shoveler 16. Gadwall 4. Shelduck. Pochard 9. Tufted 42 . Coot 25. Water rail 3. Lapwing 3. Snipe 4. Oystercatcher 4. Dunlin 2.
Med Gull ad. Herring gull 3.
OSPREY. Kestrel pair. Sparrowhawk. Buzzard 3.
Kingfisher 2. Sand Martin 22.
Fieldfare 20. Redwing 30. Song thrush 3. Mistle thrush.
Starling 60. Cetti's w 2. Chiffchaff 2. Goldcrest 2.
Redpoll 5. Bullfinch 6. Chaffinch 5. Goldfinch.
Reed Bunting 12+
FLASHES Count:
Teal 4. Gadwall 4. Shoveler 2, Shelduck 5.
Curlew. Oystercatcher 2. Avocet 44. Dunlin 2. Snipe. Lapwing 13 (2 sitting).
Med Gull ad
Stock dove 15. Raven.
Treecreeper.
Phil Andrews
It's only Rock and Roller but I like it
Yes Gav, that's the century up and without the need to resort to yellow sticky tape ....
Phil Andrews
It's only Rock and Roller but I like it
After a series of sightings in the final two days of March over the years, the above becomes the earliest ever record of Osprey at Upton Warren.
Phil Andrews
It's only Rock and Roller but I like it
Woodcock again at the Flashes as per Andy Pitt
Phil Andrews
It's only Rock and Roller but I like it
Andy P further reports from the Flashes:
34 Avocet, 3 Curlew, 2 Dunlin, 2 Oystercatcher, 15 Lapwing, 5 Shelduck, 4 Shoveler, Teal, 2 LBB Gull, hybrid Med x BH Gull.
34 Avocet, 3 Curlew, 2 Dunlin, 2 Oystercatcher, 15 Lapwing, 5 Shelduck, 4 Shoveler, Teal, 2 LBB Gull, hybrid Med x BH Gull.
UW82
Well-known member
Today's highlights after continuous rain between 08.00 and 11.30.
FLASHES/SAILING POOL*:
Curlew (3)------------------Snipe (3)
Dunlin (2)------------------Oystercatcher (2)
Avocet (34)----------------Lapwing (15). Including sitting bird.
Med Gull (ad)--------------Med Gull/B H Gull
Sparrowhawk--------------Peregrine
Kestrel---------------------Teal (21)
Shoveler (3)---------------Shelduck (5)
B H Gull (c1200)----------G C Grebe (8)*
Chiffchaff (1) (1)*
MOORS/N MOORS*:
Cetti's Warbler*-----------Chiffchaff
Shoveler (18)-------------Pochard(8)
Teal (6)--------------------Gadwall (4)
Tufted Duck (38)----------Shelduck (1)
Little Grebe (2)-----------G C Grebe (3)
Lapwing (2)---------------Snipe (3)
Oystercatcher (4)---------Sand Martin (3)
Cormorant (3)------------Greylag Goose (2)
Herring Gull (ad)----------B H Gull (115)
Des.
FLASHES/SAILING POOL*:
Curlew (3)------------------Snipe (3)
Dunlin (2)------------------Oystercatcher (2)
Avocet (34)----------------Lapwing (15). Including sitting bird.
Med Gull (ad)--------------Med Gull/B H Gull
Sparrowhawk--------------Peregrine
Kestrel---------------------Teal (21)
Shoveler (3)---------------Shelduck (5)
B H Gull (c1200)----------G C Grebe (8)*
Chiffchaff (1) (1)*
MOORS/N MOORS*:
Cetti's Warbler*-----------Chiffchaff
Shoveler (18)-------------Pochard(8)
Teal (6)--------------------Gadwall (4)
Tufted Duck (38)----------Shelduck (1)
Little Grebe (2)-----------G C Grebe (3)
Lapwing (2)---------------Snipe (3)
Oystercatcher (4)---------Sand Martin (3)
Cormorant (3)------------Greylag Goose (2)
Herring Gull (ad)----------B H Gull (115)
Des.
upstarts1979
Well-known member
What a great finale .
Managed to complete the majority of the seasons schedule which was purely as a result of the increase in volunteers.:t:
Thanks to all 22 of the Crew today and thanks to all those Vols that have helped since September.
Today's crew Alan D. Bob O. Bobby P. Bob R. Charles. Dave H. Graham L. Ian Jos. Jim B. Julie W. Kim W. Nick F. Paul M. Peter E. Ray C. Roger S. Sue and Steve T. Stuart. Terry W. Tony B. and meB
Today we cleared the Secret Garden of overgrown and rank vegetation. We set about opening up this area c6 years ago from a ' leggy' blackthorn thicket wildlife free zone into a short vegetated open sun trap full of biodiversity. Willow warbler returned to breed and plenty of grassland butterflies appeared. Today we cut back hundreds of alder and willow saplings, strimmed the bramble and remaining grasses. The Secret Garden Extension is wetter and has a different flora. This was also strimmed and hopefully in the coming months some migrants will be finding plenty of insects here. We piled up the cuttings to form large habitat piles.
Screen fencing panels were added to the North side of the new hide not as easy a task as you would think. We will be adding a panel to the south side in due course.
Several nest boxes were installed mostly in the North Moors plantation and a few elsewhere.
Two lots of House Martin boxes were installed on the East and West tower hides.
Thanks to Julie W who kindly cleaned out all 7 hides.
Mesh was put over the two tern rafts that have been left in situ This is to stop BHG from taking them over and the mesh will be removed in late May when the hopefully return.
Pics later john
Also we put wooden panels in the East bank gate below the East hide. This will stop disturbance to the birds in the scrape if anyone walks in the East field or we are working on the tern rafts. The gate was also FOX proofed.
The feeders were also modified to make them a little more squirrel proof.
Pics
1. Secret Garden after strimming
2. the secret garden extension
3. habitat pile..made of grasses and cut willow and alders
4. the screening of the new hide north side.
Attachments
Last edited:
Phil Andrews
It's only Rock and Roller but I like it
Yesterday at the Flashes Phil W reported:
2 Med Gulls, Med Gull × Black-headed Gull hybrid, 30 Avocet, 1 Redshank, 2 Oystercatcher, 8 Teal, 2 Curlew, 1 Snipe, 2 Shelduck.
2 Med Gulls, Med Gull × Black-headed Gull hybrid, 30 Avocet, 1 Redshank, 2 Oystercatcher, 8 Teal, 2 Curlew, 1 Snipe, 2 Shelduck.
Phil Andrews
It's only Rock and Roller but I like it
From the Flashes this morning Dave J reports:
28 Avocet, Mediterranean Gull, Little Egret, Redshank, Little Ringed Plover, 4 Curlew, 2 Oystercatcher, 6 Shelduck, 2 Gadwall, 3 Teal, 2 Meadow Pipit
28 Avocet, Mediterranean Gull, Little Egret, Redshank, Little Ringed Plover, 4 Curlew, 2 Oystercatcher, 6 Shelduck, 2 Gadwall, 3 Teal, 2 Meadow Pipit
