Upton Warren (9 Viewers)

[Phil Andrews]

From the Moors Pool this afternoon Andy P further reported:

4 Whooper Swans still, 118 Teal (best count of the winter), 24 Shoveler, 15 Pochard, 34 Tufted Duck, 5 Little Grebe, 2 Mute Swan, 3 Little Egret (4 earlier as per Clive Lee), 11 Snipe, Curlew, 165 Lapwing, Kingfisher.

 

[Phil Andrews]

Also a ringed LBB Gull as per Andy Pitt - blue leg ring with orange text DPD. Bird originates from a scheme in the south of the county but don't recall it being previously recorded at Upton.

A very speedy response from Peter Stewart produces the following history for this bird:

Ringed as a juvenile on 22/11/08 at Stoke Orchard Landfill Site, Gloucestershire
Sighted on 16/07/09 at Calder Bowley, Great Harwood, Lancashire
Sighted on 03/11/09 at Grundons Landfill Site, Gloucestershire
Sighted on 14/02/13 at Albion Landfill Site, Albert Village, Leicestershire
Sighted on 05/07/17 at Murdieston Dam, Greenoch, Inverclyde, Scotland
Sighted on 28/11/18 at Upton Warren N.R., near Bromsgrove, Worcestershire

 

[Phil Andrews]

4 Whooper Swans and 2 Shelducks at the Moors Pool this morning as per Bob O.

 

[Phil Andrews]

4 Whooper Swans and 2 Shelducks at the Moors Pool this morning as per Bob O.

Also 31 Snipe, 2 Little Egrets and a Gadwall at the Moors Pool as per Bob O.

 

[Bob O.]

A couple of phone pics from today. One showing the fox fence progress and the other a nice panorama for Vern! He loves them!:t::t:

 

[Phil Andrews]

November, after a promising start, ended on a disappointing 89 species (compared with an average of 90.17). The bad news is that December is statistically the poorest month of the year with an average of only 82.80 species.

We are now entering the last chance saloon to add to the year list of 147 species, with the target of 150 so tantalisingly close. Potential 12th hour additions with varying degrees of probability include:

Bewick's Swan - noted in 11 years since 1984, last in 2002
White-fronted Goose - 9, 2011
Pink-footed Goose - 8, 2014
Barnacle Goose - 28, 2017
Red-crested Pochard - 7, 2017
Goldeneye - 33, 2016
Scaup - 13, 2017
Great White Egret - 7, 2017
Bittern - 16, 2015
Merlin - 23, 2016
Knot - 10, 2012
Great Black-backed Gull - 30, 2017
Long-eared Owl - 8, 2010
Water Pipit - 11, 2012
Waxwing - 8, 2013

 

[Phil Andrews]

An updated list of winter swan occurrences at Upton Warren following the latest record earlier this week:-

Bewick's Swan - 8 birds (6 adults & 2 juvs) - 20th January 1951
Bewick's Swan - 2 birds - 24th March 1963
Bewick's Swan - 6 birds - 15th December 1963
Bewick's Swan - 1 bird - 17th January 1968
Whooper Swan - 5 birds (reported as a family party, presumably 2 adults & 3 juvs) - 11th November 1968
Bewick's Swan - 4 birds - 3rd January 1970
Whooper Swan - 5 birds - 6th November 1970
Bewick's Swan - 14 birds - 31st January 1972
Bewick's Swan- 2 birds - 16th February1972
Whooper Swan - 4 birds (reported as family party, presumably 2 adults & 2 juvs) - 1st November 1972
Bewick's Swan - 9 birds - 27th October 1974
Bewick's Swan - 1 bird - 2nd November 1974
Bewick's Swan - 8 birds - 27th December 1974
Bewick's Swan - 3 birds - 30th November 1975
Bewick's Swan - 1 bird - 8th February 1976
Whooper Swan - 1 bird (1 adult) - 4th November 1976
Whooper Swan - 1 bird - 19th November 1977
Bewick's Swan - 11 birds - 15th January 1978 - fly-over
Bewick's Swan- 2 birds - 12th November 1978
Bewick's Swan - 28 birds - 4th March 1979
Bewick's Swan - 8 birds - 14th February 1980
Bewick's Swan - 13 birds - 26th October 1980
Whooper Swan - 1 bird - 1st November 1980 - fly-over
Bewick's Swan - 2 birds - 2nd November 1980
Bewick's Swan - 12 birds - 30th November 1980 - fly-over
Bewick's Swan - 5 birds - 31st January 1982
Bewick's Swan - 14 birds - 13th November 1983
Bewick's Swan - 12 birds - 17th November 1983
Bewick's Swan - 6 birds - 20th November 1983
Bewick's Swan - 13 birds - 1st January 1984 - fly-over
Bewick's Swan - 3 birds - 4th January 1987 - Flashes
Bewick's Swan - 9 birds - 7th November 1988 - fly-over
winter swans (probably Whooper) - 3 birds - 19th November 1988 - fly-over (Moors Pool)
Bewick's Swan - 1 bird - 29th October 1989
Bewick's Swan - 11 birds - 29th December 1989 - fly-over
Bewick's Swan - 2 birds - 13th January 1990
Bewick's Swan - 1 bird (1 adult) - 23rd to 27th March 1990
Bewick's Swan - 21 birds - 21st October 1990 - fly-over (Moors Pool)
Bewick's Swan - 1 bird - 7th December 1990
Whooper Swan - 1 bird - 23rd May 1991 (feral bird?) - Broadmeadow, Moors Pool
Bewick's Swan - 1 bird - 9th November 1991 - fly-over (Moors Pool)
Bewick's Swan - 5 birds (5 immatures) - 7th December 1991 - fly-over (Moors Pool)
Bewick's Swan - 4 birds - 1st January 1992 - fly-over
Bewick's Swan - 1 bird - 21st December 1992 - Broadmeadow, Moors Pool
Bewick's Swan - 1 bird - 23rd January 1993 - fly-over (Moors Pool)
Bewick's Swan - 1 bird - 20th March 1993 - fly-over
Bewick's Swan - 2 groups totalling 15 birds - 14th January 1996 - fly-over
Bewick's Swan - 1 bird - 17th November 1996 - fly-over
Whooper Swan - 3 birds (3 adults) - 30th December 1998 - The Flashes
Bewick's Swan - 1 bird (1 adult) - 18th October 1999 - Moors Pool
Bewick's Swan - 1 bird - 9th December 2002 - Sailing Pool
Whooper Swan - 8 birds (3 adults & 5 juvs) - 18th November 2007 - The Flashes
Whooper Swan - 1 bird (1 adult) - 16th October 2010 - The Flashes
Whooper Swan - 1 bird (1 adult) - 20th March 2011 - Sailing Pool
Whooper Swan - 4 birds (4 adults) - 19th October 2011 - Moors Pool
Whooper Swan - 2 birds (2 adults) - 20th February 2013 - Flashes
winter swans (probably Whoopers) - 2 birds - 1st January 2016 - fly-over (Moors Pool)
winter swan - 1 bird - 1st February 2016 - Moors Pool
Whooper Swan - 5 birds (2 adults & 3 juvs) - 27th February 2016 - The Flashes then over the Moors Pool
Whooper Swan - 8 birds (6 adults & 2 juvs) - 7th November 2016 - Moors Pool
Whooper Swan - 2 birds - 13th January 2017 - Moors Pool
Whooper Swan - 3 birds - 5th and 6th October 2017 - Moors Pool
winter swans (probably Whoopers) - 7 birds - 7th October 2017 - fly-over (Flashes)
Whooper Swan - 1 bird (1 adult) - 26th October 2017 to 24th February 2018 - Moors Pool
Whooper Swan - 1 bird - 25th November 2017 - Moors Pool
Whooper Swan - 3 birds - 26th November 2017 - Sailing Pool / Moors Pool
Whooper Swan - 5 birds - 24th February 2018 - Moors Pool
Whooper Swan - 3 birds - 18th to 23rd October 2018 - Moors Pool
Whooper Swan - 4 birds - 23rd October to 30th November 2018 at least - Moors Pool
Whooper Swan - 1 bird - 23rd and 24th October 2018 - Moors Pool
Whooper Swan - 8 birds (2 adults & 6 juvs) - 27th October 2018 - Sailing Pool / Flashes
Whooper Swan - 2 birds - 26th November 2018 - Moors Pool

 

[Phil Andrews]

From the Flashes Mike W reports:

91 Teal, 570 Lapwing (best count of the winter), 8+ Snipe; 50+ Rooks and 75+ Jackdaws in the transmitter field.

Also Little Egret and 4 Great Crested Grebe on the Sailing Pool.

 

[Phil Andrews]

Two Common Darters reported at the Moors Pool!!

 

[Phil Andrews]

4 Whooper Swans and 20+ Snipe at the Moors Pool early morning as per Sue H.

 

[Phil Andrews]

From the Moors Pool Dave J reports:

4 Whooper Swans, 40 Pochard, Shelduck, Gadwall, 10 Curlew, 30 Snipe, Meadow Pipit

 

[Phil Andrews]

Great White Egret at the Moors Pool from 11:30 as per Bill Box and Tracey Binks but not seen for at least an hour.

 

[upstarts1979]

Great White Egret reported at the Moors Pool at 11:30 - observer unknown.

Seen by Bill Box and Rita ..Tracy Bunks has got some pictures. Nice one Bill that's the first of the year:t::t: John

 

[Phil Andrews]

Bunks! ��

 

[binus1963]

g w e c/o mr bunks

sparrow hawk put everything up a few times, kestrel about as well.

 

[Phil Andrews]

Nice conclusive capture Trace.

 

[Phil Andrews]

Great White Egret at the Moors Pool from 11:30 as per Bill Box and Tracey Binks but not seen for at least an hour.

One flew north over Throckmorton at 9:20am - presumably the same bird?

 

[Phil Andrews]

7 Little Egret roosted at the Sailing Pool this evening as per Andy P but still no further sign of the Great White Egret

 

[Phil Andrews]

Potential 12th hour additions with varying degrees of probability include:

Bewick's Swan - noted in 11 years since 1984, last in 2002
White-fronted Goose - 9, 2011
Pink-footed Goose - 8, 2014
Barnacle Goose - 28, 2017
Red-crested Pochard - 7, 2017
Goldeneye - 33, 2016
Scaup - 13, 2017
Great White Egret - 7, 2017
Bittern - 16, 2015
Merlin - 23, 2016
Knot - 10, 2012
Great Black-backed Gull - 30, 2017
Long-eared Owl - 8, 2010
Water Pipit - 11, 2012
Waxwing - 8, 2013

Good to see some degree of vindication of my predictions list - hopefully a few more will materialise over the course of the month.

GWE seem to be increasingly a winter bird at Upton.

 

[upstarts1979]

Work party Tuesday 4th December Moors

We will be back at the Moors this Tuesday.
Work includes:-
Painting interior of North Moors hide. This is to lessen the 'light' effect when people move about inside the hide that causes birds to be spooked. We are painting it a darker colour..not sure what colour over to you Bob O.
Pruning willow along causeway per Bobby P.
Causeway reed bed cutting 3year rotational scheme.
Meet at Moors 8.45ish:t: John