Phil Andrews
It's only Rock and Roller but I like it
Thanks Brian - will let you know my thoughts in the morning if any terns are still about.
Cheers
Phil
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Upton Warren (15 Viewers)
- Thread starter andythomas
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Thanks Brian - will let you know my thoughts in the morning if any terns are still about.
Cheers
Phil
Phil Andrews
It's only Rock and Roller but I like it
Juv Arctic Tern at the Moors Pool this morning; 3 Yellow Wag, Common Whitethroat and Sedge Warbler at the Flashes.
upstarts1979
Well-known member
An early start today at the Flashes by 5.45am. After checking out the wetland birds and a brief but heavy shower passed, I turned right to check the 'hedge'.
Hedge Watch
The sun broke through and the temperature had risen from the 19 degrees at 5am, although the strong SSW wind persisted. There was a lot of chasing going on, which invariably involved reed buntings bullying everything else. It was difficult to see what they were chasing, but then for no apparent reason the majority of passerines came out of the hedge to perch on the 'fox fencing'. Surprisingly the list included meadow pipit, sedge warbler, 2 chiffs, 2 juv whitethroats and even more interestingly an adult yellow wagtail. I continued to grill the hedge for at least another hour, with totals as follows.
Yellow Wagtail 3 (ad + 2 juvs), Meadow pipit 2, Reed bunting 6, goldfinch 40, linnet 3, sedge warbler, chiffchaff 3, blackcap2, whitethroat 2, blue and great tits and great spotted woodpecker. The hedge's main attraction for birds at this time of year are the elder and black berries. The sylvia warblers are especially dependent on these for building up their fat reserves. The south facing aspect is also important in the morning for warming up the insect prey, that form the diet of many passerines at the Flashes.
Another scrub area worth looking at, is the area to the left of the 'oaktree' looking straight out over the 2nd Flash. Here were whitethroat, lesser whitethroat, blackcap (3), chiffchaff (2) and willow warbler,. as well as a few reed bunting , robin, blackbirds and tits. This is the area where a Ring Ouzel was found a few years back. With the wader habitat now diminished, we can spend more time looking for passerines.
Wetlands species counts were: Little Grebe (3rd Flash) Teal 26, Mallard 383, Curlew 30, Lapwing 35, Green Sand 3, BHG c350, LBBG 5, Herring gull, A juv Tern roosted on the mud but flew off before any decent light, in silhouette it showed short legs, and long wings and was obviously the juv arctic later seen at the Moors. Kingfisher and grey wagtail, Also a small southerly passage of swallows (10)
It is also pleasing to report that Dave J had a cettis warbler in full song at the Moors this morning
Hedge Watch
The sun broke through and the temperature had risen from the 19 degrees at 5am, although the strong SSW wind persisted. There was a lot of chasing going on, which invariably involved reed buntings bullying everything else. It was difficult to see what they were chasing, but then for no apparent reason the majority of passerines came out of the hedge to perch on the 'fox fencing'. Surprisingly the list included meadow pipit, sedge warbler, 2 chiffs, 2 juv whitethroats and even more interestingly an adult yellow wagtail. I continued to grill the hedge for at least another hour, with totals as follows.
Yellow Wagtail 3 (ad + 2 juvs), Meadow pipit 2, Reed bunting 6, goldfinch 40, linnet 3, sedge warbler, chiffchaff 3, blackcap2, whitethroat 2, blue and great tits and great spotted woodpecker. The hedge's main attraction for birds at this time of year are the elder and black berries. The sylvia warblers are especially dependent on these for building up their fat reserves. The south facing aspect is also important in the morning for warming up the insect prey, that form the diet of many passerines at the Flashes.
Another scrub area worth looking at, is the area to the left of the 'oaktree' looking straight out over the 2nd Flash. Here were whitethroat, lesser whitethroat, blackcap (3), chiffchaff (2) and willow warbler,. as well as a few reed bunting , robin, blackbirds and tits. This is the area where a Ring Ouzel was found a few years back. With the wader habitat now diminished, we can spend more time looking for passerines.
Wetlands species counts were: Little Grebe (3rd Flash) Teal 26, Mallard 383, Curlew 30, Lapwing 35, Green Sand 3, BHG c350, LBBG 5, Herring gull, A juv Tern roosted on the mud but flew off before any decent light, in silhouette it showed short legs, and long wings and was obviously the juv arctic later seen at the Moors. Kingfisher and grey wagtail, Also a small southerly passage of swallows (10)
It is also pleasing to report that Dave J had a cettis warbler in full song at the Moors this morning
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upstarts1979
Well-known member
Great shots chris, It shows well how the colours (mantle and forewing) change at different angles. ie when banking and in straight flight.
B
John
Phil Andrews
It's only Rock and Roller but I like it
In addition to John's sightings, this afternoon I had:
FLASHES
Med Gull (juv moulting into 1st winter), 33 Teal, 22 Curlew, 1 Green Sand, Raven over this afternoon (Dave J had 7 this morning), 6 Moorhen.
MOORS POOL
300 Canada Geese, 1 Barnacle Goose, 3 Pochard, 1 Shelduck flew in mid afternoon, 29 Shoveler, 12 Teal, 16 Tufted D, 171 Coot, 5 GC Grebe, 5 Moorhen, 8 Cormorant, 8 Grey Heron, 1 Dunlin (juv), 1 Green Sand, 1 Common Sand, 2 Curlew flew south, 83 Lapwing, juv Arctic Tern still, 2 LBB Gull, 1 Herring Gull, all three hirudines
FLASHES
Med Gull (juv moulting into 1st winter), 33 Teal, 22 Curlew, 1 Green Sand, Raven over this afternoon (Dave J had 7 this morning), 6 Moorhen.
MOORS POOL
300 Canada Geese, 1 Barnacle Goose, 3 Pochard, 1 Shelduck flew in mid afternoon, 29 Shoveler, 12 Teal, 16 Tufted D, 171 Coot, 5 GC Grebe, 5 Moorhen, 8 Cormorant, 8 Grey Heron, 1 Dunlin (juv), 1 Green Sand, 1 Common Sand, 2 Curlew flew south, 83 Lapwing, juv Arctic Tern still, 2 LBB Gull, 1 Herring Gull, all three hirudines
Gert Corfield
Well-known member
Excellent pics and confirm without doubt an Arctic and number 129 for me.:t:
Phil Andrews
It's only Rock and Roller but I like it
Three Shags reported today in Staffs; wished I had looked closer at the Cormorants at the Moors Pool now .....
Woodchat
Cogito ergo sum
No Shags at upton today - I checked the all out - only Cormorants
Phil Andrews
It's only Rock and Roller but I like it
It is potentially the type of bird that could slip through the net as many (probably myself included) readily assume without a second glance that all phalacrocorax present are Cormorants.
upstarts1979
Well-known member
One should check all the birds including common ones ...the raries don't arrive with a fan fare and a flag8-P
Belvide has now got a manx shearwater :eek!:
Phil Andrews
It's only Rock and Roller but I like it
upstarts1979
Well-known member
Did you check all 383 Mallards yesterday for a potential Black Duck?
No I checked all 385:smoke: did mean to put 385 in my original post.:t:
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Woodchat
Cogito ergo sum
11/09/11
Got to the flashes just after 6am. Very quiet wader-wise - a couple of Green Sandpipers, a Snipe and 15 Curlews. The highlight was 3 Yellow Wagtails which perched in the hedge. 2 Common Whitethroats, 2 Grey Wagtails, 4 Blackcaps and 3Meadow Pipits and 2 Ravens over.
On the Moors, the Cetti's Warbler was pretty vocal with sub-song heard at least half a dozen times on the moors side of the causeway. The singing seemed to come from two areas so there could even be more than one bird present.
The juvenile Arctic Tern was still present plus a Common Sandpiper. A Yellowhammer, two Peregrines and five Siskins flew over.
Record shots of two of the Yellow Wags attached:
Got to the flashes just after 6am. Very quiet wader-wise - a couple of Green Sandpipers, a Snipe and 15 Curlews. The highlight was 3 Yellow Wagtails which perched in the hedge. 2 Common Whitethroats, 2 Grey Wagtails, 4 Blackcaps and 3Meadow Pipits and 2 Ravens over.
On the Moors, the Cetti's Warbler was pretty vocal with sub-song heard at least half a dozen times on the moors side of the causeway. The singing seemed to come from two areas so there could even be more than one bird present.
The juvenile Arctic Tern was still present plus a Common Sandpiper. A Yellowhammer, two Peregrines and five Siskins flew over.
Record shots of two of the Yellow Wags attached:
Attachments
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upstarts1979
Well-known member
Dave the 1st pic looks like a different bird to the one's I saw yesterday.
Thus maybe a little bit of movement, although 3 on each day would indicate the same birds but none of the birds except the male had as much yellow.:t: John
Phil Andrews
It's only Rock and Roller but I like it
Male pale phase Honey Buzzard over the Education Reserve at 3:45pm then flew towards The Swan reported by Graham LaB (via Brian S).
Could someone try to confirm that these 2 Terns are a Juv Artic Tern (First 2 shots) and a Juv Common Tern. Sorry about the quality of the shots they are heavily cropped in bad light and rain. The shots were taken at the Moors Pool today.
Thanking you in anticipation
Simon P :t:
Thanking you in anticipation
Simon P :t:
Attachments
Brian Stretch
Well-known member
They're all Arctics: juvenile in pics 1 & 2, juvenile & adult in pic 3, adult in pics 4 & 5.
The adult is in winter plumage.
ps: nice pics by the way!
Brian
___________
Birding Today
The adult is in winter plumage.
ps: nice pics by the way!
Brian
___________
Birding Today
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Phil Andrews
It's only Rock and Roller but I like it
Simon P (Pull43) - did you have more than 2 terns together at any point?
Cheers
Phil
There were also some Raptors flying around the reserve today. The Hobby was around for over an hour at distance. There was a Peregrine flyby late afternoon. Early evening looking from the car park hide there was what looked like a Buzzard that i snatched some shots of before the light failed.
Simon P :t:
Simon P :t:
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