Upton Warren (29 Viewers)

2 Lesser Redpoll seen in a silver birch near the new hide at the Moors Pool this morning by Bob Oakley, Alan Hambury and I. I think this may be the first sighting of this species this year!

Also at the Moors Pool:

Lapwing 65, Snipe 12, Pochard 26, Teal 25, Shoveler 21, Gadwall 5, Shelduck, Little Egret, Coal Tit on feeders near new hide.

Flashes:

Lapwing c800, Curlew 11, Green Sand, Snipe, Teal 36, Mipit 3, Grey Wagtail, Cetti's Warbler, Little Egret.

Little Egret and 6 GC Grebe at Sailing Pool.

Lesser Redpoll (79) is new for the year - still awaiting Siskin

6 Little Egret dropped into the Moors Pool just as per Tim

Its good to celebrate successes as and when they do occur and Gadwall certainly falls into that category. In addition to the recent breeding records there has been a notable increase in both the size and frequency of occurrences, as demonstrated by the following list of half-monthly maxima counts, most of which appear in the last couple of years:

J1 - 13 (2018)
J2 - 15 (2018)
F1 - 13 (2017)
F2 - 14 (2017)
M1 - 22 (2017)
M2 - 22 (2017)
A1 - 20 (2017)
A2 - 13 (2017)
M1 - 12 (2017)
M2 - 15 (2017)
J1 - 18 (2009)
J2 - 15 (2015)
J1 - 8 (2017)
J2 - 11 (2008)
A1 - 10 (2017)
A2 - 16 (2018)
S1 - 14 (2018)
S2 - 13 (2018)
O1 - 12 (2018)
O2 - 8 (2004)
N1 - 10 (2002)
N2 - 7 (2003)
D1 - 6 (2017)
D2 - 10 (1999, 2016)

In stark comparison, the 1984 annual report included reference to only two birds present on three separate dates!

I had a perception that winter occurrences of Green Sandpiper are larger now that historically was the case so I have run a similar exercise to the above; I think it partially supports such a view:

J1 - 8 (2019)
J2 - 6 (2000)
F1 - 4 2016)
F2 - 4 (2015, 2016)
M1 - 3 (1991, 2016, 2018)
M2 - 5 (2003)
A1 - 5 (1996)
A2 - 3 (1984, 1985, 1998, 2007, 2008, 2015)
M1 - 3 (1996)
M2 - 1 (2001, 2004)
J1 - 9 (1988)
J2 - 15 (1987)
J1 - 24 (2003)
J2 - 24 (2003)
A1 - 27 (2004)
A2 - 31 (2001)
S1 - 17 (2002)
S2 - 15 (2012)
O1 - 10 (2012)
O2 - 10 (2000)
N1 - 6 (2012, 2016)
N2 - 7 (2018)
D1 - 7 (2018)
D2 - 4 (2000, 2018)

Barn owl present 7.45 for about 10 mins in field towards barn before flying over the flashes past the hide and off towards sailing pool.

Phil Andrews said:

6 Little Egret dropped into the Moors Pool just as per Tim

Click to expand...

Carl J further reports from the Moors Pool:

11 Curlew, 23 Snipe, 1 Little Egret, Kingfisher, Cetti's Warbler

From the Moors Pool this morning Dave J reports:

2 Little Egret, 2 Shelduck, 47 Pochard, 7 Gadwall, 7 Curlew, 5 Snipe, 30+ Fieldfare

Dave J reported from the Flashes this morning:

Little Egret, 600+ Lapwing, 4 Meadow Pipit

Annie Edwards and Janette additionally reported from the Moors Pool this afternoon:

Coal Tit, Pheasant, still 2 Little Egret

Also Chiffchaff still at the Flashes as per John Layj

Work party Tuesday 15th January

Tomorrow we are at the MOORS. One of the tasks is pollarding the large willows in the SW marsh. Bob G is allowed to use chainsaws so this will make it easier for us. Plenty of other stuff on the list..hopefully you can make it. :t:
John

Today's work party Moors POLLARDING

A brilliant day today and probably the hardest task so far this season..Thanks to all 22 of the crew and Bobby P for the cake.

Today Bob Green assisted us greatly with the use of his chainsaws...We would certainly have struggled cutting up to 18 inch diameter limbs of the old pollards. Hopefully this work will help them survive and stop them from splitting and ultimately dying.
The limbs were cut and then the wrecking crew set about making them suitable for burning. Large logs were piled to create a habitat pile.
Several large limbs fell across the Salwarp and were hauled back on to the Reserve to be worked on

The whole task worked well and the high number of people certainly helped it all flow well.
We still have a fair bit to do and hopefully we will complete it next week.
Thanks to
Andy A. Bob G. Bob O. Bobby P. Bob R. Charles. Ian B. Ian J. Jim B. John C. Julie W. Keith M. Kim W. Nick F. Paul M. Ray C. Steve S. Steve T Sue T. Tony B. Tracy B and me. Good to see one of old Sunday crew back Tracy B.
:t: john

Thanks Bobby P for cake:eat:
Next week Andy A is cake making

Very annoyingly I have lost my mobile phone. If you want me to have your number please drop me a PM or text (my number remain unchanged, ending 86).

Birding Moors Today

As always on work party day I bird from first light. But was beaten to it by Bob O and Richard B.
Nothing unexpected but pochard were still in good numbers and a very large amount of starling flew out of their roost in the NW reed bed. The flock split in two moving East and West these numbers were far in excess of the murmuration I witnessed a week ago. I was toying with going to the FLASHES in the evening for the roost but this convinced me to stay at the Moors to get an accurate count. A large number of lapwing were either settled on the islands in the scrape or circling spooked by unseen raptor.
During the work nothing of note was seen or heard.
In the evening the starlings arrived but were very nervous occasionally landing in the large tree along the West track. It soon became apparent why, when the small male peregrine flew into the flock without success. Unfortunately this put pay to any murmuration as the birds literally crashed into the reeds. From where they were very audible probably to assist late comers to find the roost. I decided to go back to East hide to try and get an accurate count of all the wetland birds. Late evenings is the best time as the birds tend to gather in single species groups..I was particularly keen to get to grips with the pochard as I felt I was undercounting them as they were persistently diving throughout the day. They were still diving almost till dark but then something triggered them to form into a very tight flock in the middle of the pool and I certainly had undercounted. Unusually though both the pochard and tufted flocks flew out at dark presumably to feed elsewhere during the night.

Species count Moors:-
GCG 2. Little grebe 4. Cormorant 8. Mute swan 3. Greylag 20+. Shoveler 32. Teal 21. Gadwall 2. Shelduck. Pochard 56. Tufted 24.
Snipe c30. Lapwing 900+ (600 on the deck). Curlew 11.
BHG 300. Herring 5. No LBBG.
Water rail 2 heard. Coot 14.
Grey heron 3.
Kestrel. Peregrine. Sparrowhawk.
Stock dove 5. Great sp woodp.
Fieldfare 5. Redwing 25. Song thrush 2 singing am
Coal tit. Cetti's w 2 singing.
Chaffinch 5. Greenfinch 3. Goldfinch 8.
Grey wag. Pied wag.
Starling 1500(am) 600(pm).

We have already beaten last year's peak count of Pochard (55). Today's number was the highest count since 57 were present at the Moors Pool on the 7th February 2010, which itself was the highest count since December 2001.

Today's highlights:

MOORS/N MOORS*
Pochard (43)---------------Shoveler (22)
Gadwall (8)----------------Shelduck (2)
Teal (21)-------------------Curlew (11)
Snipe (32)-----------------Lapwing (c600)
G C Grebe (2)-------------Little Grebe (4)
Cormorant (23)------------Water Rail
Pheasant-------------------L B B Gull (26) A small party landed and remained for some time.
Herring Gull (5)------------Kingfisher
Mute Swan (2)-------------Coal Tit* at the feeding station.

EDUCATION RESERVE*/SAILING POOL
Chiffchaff (1)* Seen from the River Salwarpe flycatching in trees.
Kingfisher------------------Little Egret (5) roosting this evening.

FLASHES:
Kestrel---------------------Peregine on transmitter mast.
Teal (30)-------------------Greylag Goose (24) in the field north of the flashes.
Barn Owl. Seen @16.15 from the path flying over the 1st flash towards the Sailing Pool and not seen again.

Des.

Fencing contractor FLASHES

Nick the contractor will be on site at Flashes from 9.30 - 2.30pm today

God its nice to be back watching for birdies and the such after a long time away!!!!!!

3 beautiful Roe Deer top if the fields behind the flashes as seen from my house

67 Pochard at the Moors Pool this morning as per Alan H. That will get me scurrying for the record books and might even generate a chart ...

Into the second half of January and the monthly (and year) list presently stands on 79 species. Possible additions in the remain of the month include:

Whooper Swan, Barnacle Goose, Pintail, Merlin, Woodcock, Yellow-legged Gull, GBB Gull, Common Gull, Mediterranean Gull, Feral Pigeon, Lesser Spotted Woodpecker, Skylark, Stonechat, Blackcap, Nuthatch, Siskin, Brambling, Yellowhammer