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

Upton Warren (15 Viewers)

In addition to John's sightings there were also 30 Moorhen at the Flashes.

MOORS POOL 3:00-5:15
4 Grey Heron, 11 Cormorant, 2 Little Grebe, 3 GC Grebe (+1 on Sailing Pool), 1 Wigeon, 1 Teal, 1 Pochard, 10 Tufted Duck, 46+ Shoveler, 25 Greylag Geese, 440 Canada Geese, 5 Moorhen, 156 Coot, 1 Lapwing, possible adult Yellow-legged Gull briefly, 4 adult Mute Swan + 3 cygnets (+ a 5th adult on the Sailing Pool)
 
Sunday 16th September

Please note that there is a fishing competition at the Sailing Pool tomorrow and birdwatchers and photographers viewing the Osprey are requested not to stand beyond the temporary sign on the southern shore. Views can be obtained from the car park or of the bird perched up down on the Flashes.

Can I ask that everyone respects this request to ensure the ongoing relationship between the Sailing Centre and the reserve / its visitors is maintained
 
Half way through September now and the month's list has crept up to 93. We are stll missing any terns (Common, Arctic, Black, Sandwich), Little Egret, Garganey, Whinchat, Wheatear, Spotted Fly, Skylark, Yellowhammer, Red Kite, Marsh Harrier, Common and YL Gulls and a variety of waders (LRP, Ringed Plover, Little Stint, Wood Sand, Curlew Sand, Ruff, Blackwit etc).
 
verification of flashes redstart

Dave J was already at the Flashes, so I decided to hit the Hen pool. Immediately a dark shape below the hide turned into an adult water rail a second bird was chased away but it too ended up being an adult water rail. Still nice to see though, but I was hoping for something rarer as Gazza had just texted that he had seen the Baillon's in London.

Onto the lagoons where several snipe and green sands fed in the saucer, gulley and central area. Another water rail (juv) fed by the insect tent and an adult was in front of the oaktree. Most of the waterfowl, gulls and roosting waders had already departed from their roost. But there was still a scattering of duck, mostly teal. As the sun rose birding was difficult and most birds on the lagoons were in silhouette.
It's now that 'hedge watch' comes in to its own, as the sun warms up the bushes and the associated insects appear. Reed buntings are intent on chasing everything that moves and a game of tig ensues amongst all the other species.
Today's warm settled conditions, were less than favourable for any 'vis mig'. However a few meadow pipits did sneak through with a few stopping off to feed in the long vegetation and even perch in the scrub. A few swallows and the odd sand martin also moved through but this was as good as it got.
A few warblers still frequented the scrubby areas, namely blackcap and chiffchaff, with sedge and reed warblers in the reeds.
The pick of the birds was the juv redstart that appeared on the fox fencing' and then became elusive. Fortunately it appeared a couple of hours later on the post in front of the hide, that had just been vacated by a posing kingfisher. Oh yes the Osprey continued to bring fish back to its perch.
Not a bad 9 hours that were spent entirely at the Flashes and listed 60 species at least.
Species count (highlights)
Teal 130, gadwall, pintail, shoveler 5, tufted 5 juvs and an adult, Osprey, Buzzard 9, kestrel 2, water rail 5 min, lapwing 30+, snipe 12, green sand 11, common sand, curlew 6, dunlin, stock dove 50+, little owl, kingfisher 2, green and great spotted woodpecker, swallow 12, sand martin , house martin 30+, reed warbler, sedge warbler 2, blackcap 4, chiffchaff 3, Redstart, meadow pipit 10+, grey wag, pied wag 10+, starling 12, goldfinch 40+, linnet 18 (several juvs), bullfinch, reed bunting 20+.
B :)john
also at least 5 red admirals and lots of dragonflies.

On John's insistence, here are two photos of said redstart, with kingfisher and green sand for good measure.

Here's hoping as this is my first postDSC_1651a.jpg

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Here are a few of my Kingfisher Pics from my visit on 18/08/2012 hope you enjoy

Kind Regards

Adrian
 

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On John's insistence, here are two photos of said redstart, with kingfisher and green sand for good measure.

Here's hoping as this is my first postView attachment 404762

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Thanks Phil, they are great mate.
These pics were taken on SY V's post and branch in front of the hide in the hide channel.
Unfortunately my battery failed and luckily Phil was on hand :t: John
What was interesting was the redstart landing on the post just seconds after the kingfisher flew. Well Sy at last your post came into its own.
 
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A few pics from the last few days
meadow pipits can be difficult to see at Upton, as they are usually flying over in the mornings or skulking in the grass
 

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Sunday 16th September

WeBS count day produced a good variety of wildfowl:

FLASHES
13 Green Sand, 1 Common Sand, 1 Dunlin, 15 Curlew, 48 Lapwing, 12 Snipe, 1Pintail, 1 Gadwall, 84 Teal, 9 Mallard, 1 Little Grebe, 132 BH Gull, 1 LBB Gull, 32 Moorhen, Osprey, Peregrine, Grey Wagtail, steady flow of Meadow Pipits, several migrating Skylarks, House Martin, Sedge Warbler, Blackcap, good numbers of Chiffchaff still, Goldcrest by the steps and feeding station, 5+ Tufted Duck.

SAILING POOL
1 Mute Swan, 1 GC Grebe, 5 BH Gull, 47 Mallard

MOORS POOL

2 Wigeon, 2 Gadwall, 1 Pochard (male), 81 Shoveler, 178 Mallard, 520 Canada Geese, 25 Greylag Geese, 4 Grey Heron, 11 Cormorant, 4 GC Grebe, 1 Little Grebe, 15 Tufted Duck, 4 Mute Swans + 3 cygnets, 45 BH Gull, Water Rail, Kingfisher, 6 Moorhen, 57 Lapwing, 2 LBB Gull
 
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WeBS count day produced a good variety of wildfowl:

FLASHES
13 Green Sand, 1 Common Sand, 1 Dunlin, 15 Curlew, 48 Lapwing, 12 Snipe, 1Pintail, 1 Gadwall, 84 Teal, 9 Mallard, 1 Little Grebe, 132 BH Gull, 1 LBB Gull, 32 Moorhen, Osprey, Peregrine, Grey Wagtail, steady flow of Meadow Pipits, several migrating Skylarks, House Martin, Sedge Warbler, Blackcap, good numbers of Chiffchaff still, Goldcrest by the steps and feeding station, 5+ Tufted Duck.

SAILING POOL
1 Mute Swan, 1 GC Grebe, 5 BH Gull, 47 Mallard

MOORS POOL

2 Wigeon, 2 Gadwall, 1 Pochard (male), 81 Shoveler, 178 Mallard, 520 Canada Geese, 25 Greylag Geese, 4 Grey Heron, 11 Cormorant, 4 GC Grebe, 1 Little Grebe, 15 Tufted Duck, 4 Mute Swans + 3 cygnets, 45 BH Gull, Water Rail, Kingfisher, 6 Moorhen, 57 Lapwing, 2 LBB Gull

just for the record we had a water rail on the flashes just left of the oak tree at the reed bed/water edge at 12.30,tim
 
A few notable additions to Phils sightings at the Flashes this evening.
The count was easy to make, as all the wildfowl were flushed by an unseen source on to the 2nd Flash. Later, shooting near the Moors forced all the wildfowl into an aerial panic. Shortly afterwards waves of shoveler and mallard dropped on to the 2nd Flash, joining the burgeoning mass of dabblers and roosting gulls already gathered there. The waders too were increasing as the evening progressed. A bit of vis mig saw small numbers of swallow, a sand martin and meadow pipit move through.
Flashes count
Teal 145 (and still no garganey), shoveler 80+, wigeon 2 (3rd flash), Pintail, Mallard 150, tufted 5 (4 chicks), 100's of geese mostly canadas, were coming and going from the harvested fields including 24 greylag. Snipe at least 15 mostly in front of the sewage works, green sand 15, dunlin, common sand, lapwing 95, curlew 21, BHG 800+, herring c20 flew north late on. The Osprey moved off about 5.30 ish to its roost. Kingfisher, Stock dove 80 - 100. starrling 200+, pied wags c10, (A white wag was seen by Nik Barlow yesterday),

Hen pool still a reed warbler or 2 and lots of dragonflies.

North Moors
the osprey caught a fish from the pool around which 1 possibly 2 water rail s called. A small tit flock included chiffchaff and blackcap.
 
Amateur "tog"

Just wanted to share some of my first ever photos with a DSLR.
Thanks to all the "togs" who have given me help and advice - you are a great bunch of guys
 

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Hi everyone. It's been a while since I last signed on here! John, the warden asked me to post one of my Opsrey images that I took today at the car park pool, so here it is.
 

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