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ZEISS DTI thermal imaging cameras. For more discoveries at night, and during the day.

Coney Meadow and Adjoining Areas (4 Viewers)

Rufous female Cuckoo plus a male Cuckoo at Coney this evening.
Hobby over.
Grasshopper Warbler singing intermittently well right of the screen.
4 Swallows and a Sand Martin.
Water Rail calling
Cuckoos this morning at Porter's Mill and Tapenhall- Mildenham.
2 Lapwings and a Grey Partridge in bare field near Tapenhall by Hunt Green cottages.
Gadwalls, Lesser Whitethroats and usual warblers.
Willow Warbler still singing near Linacre bridge.
Yellowhammers in fields around Knight's Grove.
Swifts over Hawford and Droitwich.
2 RavenSwifts over Porter's Mill.
 
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7 Lapwings in field between Tapenhall and Chatley.
Singing Willow Warbler along canal at Tapenhall. One still singing near Linacre bridge.
Cuckoos at Ladywood and Chatley - Mildenham.
1 Tufted Duck near Hawford.
A very showy Lesser Whitethroat near Mildenham Mill.
 
A Grasshopper Warbler started reeling at 9:24 pm this evening. Male Cuckoo in trees along the Salwarpe. Water Rail singing.

7 Swifts over towards Droitwich.

Cuckoos earlier in the evening at Porter's Mill and Tapenhall. 5 House Martins and 10+ Swallows in the area.

Tawny Owl calling from Salwarpe village first thing this morning.
 
This morning I saw something I've never seen before - a female Cuckoo at Tapenhall performing a 'raptor flight'. This is so different to its normal flight that I first misidentified it as a Sparrowhawk. Luckily it landed and called. During the flight it used exaggerated windbeats above the horizontal and even made its wings appear wider at the tips by spreading the feathers. I was pretty amazed by how it transformed its appearance. After perching, it performed the flight for a second time. I googled it and found a 1965 'British Birds' article describing it exactly!

Male Cuckoos also present in the area.

2 Greylags over Hawford. Several Gadwall also.
5 Lapwings in bare field between Tapenhall and Chatley.
Grey Partridge again at Chatley
 
A Little Grebe on the small pool between Chatley and Hawford plus drake Tufted. One Yellow Wagtail over calling.

2 Cuckoos around Salwarpe this morning and one at Tapenhall so far.
 
Triturus said:
Lapwing flying low around the 'maize maze' field off Copcut Lane (Salwarpe) this morning around 8.30am.

Also you may be interested to see the following is likely to come up for planning soon.

https://plan.wychavon.gov.uk/plandisp.aspx?recno=93794

A 39ha solar farm on fields in flood plain west of river (and reedbed) and then rising up towards Ombersley Road.
Click to expand...

Is this the same operator who tried a similar proposal between Upton Warren and the M5?
 
Triturus said:
Lapwing flying low around the 'maize maze' field off Copcut Lane (Salwarpe) this morning around 8.30am.

Also you may be interested to see the following is likely to come up for planning soon.

https://plan.wychavon.gov.uk/plandisp.aspx?recno=93794

A 39ha solar farm on fields in flood plain west of river (and reedbed) and then rising up towards Ombersley Road.
Click to expand...

Looks like it is the field currently sown with barley to the north-west of the bridleway. If so, currently an area of little ecological value.

May not be aesthetically pleasing though - especially for those living in the conversions that back on to that field.
 
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2 Lapwings in bare field near Tapenhall this morning - 5 there yesterday.

Male and female Cuckoos near Mildenham.

Common Whitethroats, Lesser Whitethroats, Reed Warblers, Sedge Warblers, Chiffchaffs, Blackcaps, 2 Gadwall near Salwarpe, Kingfisher, Grey Wagtails, House Martins , Swifts, Swallows, Green and Great Spot Woodpeckers, Sparrowhawk, Buzzards, Yellowhammers at Chatley and Jacob's Ladder.
 
Woodchat said:
Looks like it is the field currently sown with barley to the north-west of the bridleway. If so, currently an area of little ecological value.

May not be aesthetically pleasing though - especially for those living in the conversions that back on to that field.
Click to expand...

Spot on Woodchat, the structures and operation of them are pretty neutral, in the wrong place they can lead to habitat loss but they most often are designed to retain existing features such as hedgerows and streams.

There are opportunities to do some positive management around the edges and between the rows but management is an issue for operators and in most cases a species rich seed mix will be managed with an annual cut dropping the litter behind ultimately leading to a drop in diversity. It's not a neglect issue it is just hard to do proper management of such habitats in this setting where in effect it all gets given to a local contractor. What may be interesting is to do a sacrificial seed rich crop on the field margins to promote opportunities for farmland birds.

In essence if they do it well and have a long term commitment to management it can be really positive for some fauna.

Interesting review document here - http://publications.naturalengland.org.uk/publication/6384664523046912

As for the other impacts I think the visual impact will be an issue particular in regard to the setting of the listed Mill and High Park house (with its surrounding parkland like landscape).

May not make me popular locally but may speak to landowner and suggest some positive stuff and links to some scientists who would be able to recommend and monitor the habitats. The ecologists at the Uni are working on species rich strips in cider orchards in Hereford and citrus groves in Spain and the do a lot of work on species rich (i'll call them swards rather than grasslands as they are not really traditional meadows).
 
Cheers for that info, Mike.

I would like to see some kind of legal covenant placed on organisations that make profits out of these types of schemes. For instance, this could ensure that they are committed to long term management of these sites in a way which increases biodiversity. Seed mixes aimed at increasing bird and insect populations sound like a good idea. I agree that the site is in a position which makes the visual impact very difficult to mitigate - I think it will probably be rejected on that basis but I may be wrong.
 
Last night had the (for me) unusual experience of hearing tawny owl, green woodpecker and cuckoo all calling at the same time in the evening near Salwarpe Church
 
Male and female Cuckoos at Coney Meadow, Ladywood, Tapenhall- Mildenham yesterday and today.
5 Lapwings in bare field near Tapenhall - 2 over Chatley probably from this group.
Little Owl showing in usual tree yesterday at Linacres paddocks.
Lesser Whitethroats, Common Whitethroats and other common Warblers in good numbers.
23 Swallows perched on wires in various places in a drive around the patch this morning.
Yellowhammers near Chatley (2) and Jacob's Ladder.
Swifts fairly widespread over.
Raven over Salwarpe yesterday.
Gadwalls at Salwarpe (2), Tapenhall and Hawford (4).
Many Beautiful Demoiselles on the wing.
 
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Two Common Terns over Hawford fishing pools this morning.
Little Grebe again between Chatley and Hawford on small pool.
Just one Lapwing in the large bare field between Tapenhall and Chatley.
Cuckoos at Salwarpe - Coney and Tapenhall- Mildenham and Hawford. Female at Tapenhall.
Swallows collecting nest material along the towpath near Hawford.
4+ Gadwall Hawford plus one on Tapenhall pool.
Yellowhammer along Egg Lane.
Lesser Whitethroats, Common Whitethroats, Reed Warblers, Sedge Warblers, House Martins, a few Swifts.
2 Sand Martins over Tapenhall pool.
Grey Wagtail and Kingfisher Mildenham - Tapenhall.

My first Banded Demoiselle of the year at Mildenham.
Large Red Damselflies also.
 
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Spotted Flycatcher singing and performing well in Knight's Grove woodland just up the track from the Sinton Lane entrance. Cuckoo also singing from the wood - not sure I've heard one here before.
 
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Grasshopper Warbler singing from 9:25 pm this evening in Coney Meadow. Cuckoo also.
Tawny Owl Salwarpe.

Emperor Dragonfly seen near High Park this afternoon ( an early one).
Broad-bodied Chaser in Coney Mendow.
 

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