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

Upton Warren (15 Viewers)

Dean

A fine idea for the Flashes, but given the evidence of undesirable activity I've recently witnessed on the eastern Moors pool hide early on Saturday mornings, maybe not as good an idea for there!
Right, up and at 'em - I'm off down the Flashes and ringing at Grimley tomorrow.

SJV
 
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Upton Warren today saw a stream of swallows, house martins and sand martins pushing their way back to Africa. Hobbies seemed to be following: one perched obligingly by the Moors Pool and darted out for insects. Another laboured over the hide with some unidentifiable feathered victim in its talons.

Birds of prey, in general, appeared to be on the move, too. I saw several buzzards, one of which looked distinctly osprey-like with long, straight, fingered wings. The light was appalling and I was trying to see through trees, so I had to write it off as yet another that got away. I heard later that a marsh harrier had passed at about that time but I would never have put my bird down as any sort of harrier.

No rarities, then. But some damn fine birds all the same.
 
Hi Senator I notice you said a few redshanks - we haven't had any for a few weeks how many were there only its a good record this time of year.
Thanks John

Hi John,

I and two other birders saw three, two at the back near where the Curlews usually are and one to the right of the hide in one of the channels which appeared to have a bad leg (the bird not the channel).

Max.
 
Myself and John witnessed the breaking up of the Flashes roost and a glorious sunrise this morning. We also saw a hobby perched atop one of the reserve fences - when I left at about 11:00 I think the all-dayers were up to about 62 species seen at both pools.
I'm going to process my species shots later, but here are some scenery/mood pictures (none of these have been 'doctored', just resized from RAW for posting).

SJV
 

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Upton Warren today saw a stream of swallows, house martins and sand martins pushing their way back to Africa. Hobbies seemed to be following: one perched obligingly by the Moors Pool and darted out for insects. Another laboured over the hide with some unidentifiable feathered victim in its talons.

Birds of prey, in general, appeared to be on the move, too. I saw several buzzards, one of which looked distinctly osprey-like with long, straight, fingered wings. The light was appalling and I was trying to see through trees, so I had to write it off as yet another that got away. I heard later that a marsh harrier had passed at about that time but I would never have put my bird down as any sort of harrier.

No rarities, then. But some damn fine birds all the same.

Hi Starin
Have you any details on the marsh Harrier time etc. Only a handful of us were on the reserve most of the day
cheers John
 
Autumn 'All-Dayer'

Started at 5.30am (simon) until 8.10pm (Me)
A very evocative start at the Flashes with at least 2500 birds (mostly wildfowl and gulls) gathered in a noisey throng prior to leaving their roost.
By 6.30am most had departed leaving the few remaining waders - Green Sand (6), LRP, and 180 Lapwing also there were 44 Teal and 23 Shoveler and an early rising Hobby perched on the perimeter fence.
As the sun rose viewing was difficult over the pools, so we concentrated on the hedgerow and weedy strip to the right of the hide. The sun at this time enticing passerines to go insect hunting along the hedge which included 3 Whitethroat and 5 chiffchaff amongst the tit flock whilst a flock of at least 80 Goldfinches fed on the thistles. A yellow wagtail and 3 Meadow pipits were in the field behind the hide. Other migrants include a single swift, plenty of Sand martin, House Martin and 15 swallows all heading south.
Peregrine Raven, Willow Warbler and a fly over coal tit at the Moors were the highlights until the Bittern appeared in front of the concrete hide.
A full 12 hours after the start we returned to the Flashes where a Dunlin had appeared and once again the night time roost began to form. The Curlews peaked at 39 and 1900 BHG's gathered. Most obvious migrants was the large flock of more than 150 swallows frantically feeding on the masse of hatching insects for ten minutes before rapidly moving south.
The day come to a close and 75 poss 76 species were listed
Cheers John
 
Bittern!!!!!!

Had a super visit to Upton Warren today!! We were lucky enough to view the Bittern out and about in front of the Bittern hide for just over 20 minutes....we couldn't believe it!!! My Mom (Pam_m) initially spotted the Bittern launch itself from one set of reed beds to another left to right over the channel, it must have been watching the fish that were very active seemingly jumping out of the water for insects! About 5 mins later we were lucky enough to view the Bittern move from the right side of the reeds, across the front of the hide and past the cage feeder before flying off past the Water Rail hide and in to the reeds! This was our best sighting of the Bittern yet and it was really interesting to see its different mannerisms and beautiful plumage! As luck had it a Kingfisher had landed on the perch just before the Bittern appeared and at one point it was almost as if the two birds were looking at each other, as you can see in my pic below!!

Also saw the Hobby over the Moors and it was also nice to see the smaller birds back around the feeders!

Went to the Flashes later on but it was fairly quiet with the usual suspects out on the water!
 

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Had a super visit to Upton Warren today!! We were lucky enough to view the Bittern out and about in front of the Bittern hide for just over 20 minutes....we couldn't believe it!!! My Mom (Pam_m) initially spotted the Bittern launch itself from one set of reed beds to another left to right over the channel, it must have been watching the fish that were very active seemingly jumping out of the water for insects! About 5 mins later we were lucky enough to view the Bittern move from the right side of the reeds, across the front of the hide and past the cage feeder before flying off past the Water Rail hide and in to the reeds! This was our best sighting of the Bittern yet and it was really interesting to see its different mannerisms and beautiful plumage! As luck had it a Kingfisher had landed on the perch just before the Bittern appeared and at one point it was almost as if the two birds were looking at each other, as you can see in my pic below!!

Also saw the Hobby over the Moors and it was also nice to see the smaller birds back around the feeders!

Went to the Flashes later on but it was fairly quiet with the usual suspects out on the water!


no bloody way,i spent an hour and a half looking for him(of her) on saterday but no sign,but what great photos.
my birds were the same as johns for sat,were you the one that called the huge load of swallows over the reedbed at the flashes.
but had 2 hobby's at the moors which gave good views as they crossed the reedbed in front of the bittern hide one flew off north and the other lnded somewhere in the ed.reserve.also 9 greylag geese flew over the moors twice and then landed on the 3rd flash at c8:40(but it doesent beat the huge nomber of 18 we had on 13/06/09 on the sailing pool/flashes)
MB
 
my birds were the same as johns for sat,were you the one that called the huge load of swallows over the reedbed at the flashes.MB

Yes Craig that was the largest flock of swallows I've seen for years. Did you come into the hide with your dad about 7pmm disappointing on the wader front still. With the amount of of roving tit flocks on the reserve I spent a bit more time than I would normally do finding most of the warblers this way. Something we should do more often looking for the rarer passerines.

Emmas your views and good pictures of the bittern were exactly how the Bittern performed for us the day before. The bird appearing at about 1pm then over the next hour or so worked its way to the sluice area reed bed
cheers John
 
Yes Craig that was the largest flock of swallows I've seen for years. Did you come into the hide with your dad about 7pmm disappointing on the wader front still. With the amount of of roving tit flocks on the reserve I spent a bit more time than I would normally do finding most of the warblers this way. Something we should do more often looking for the rarer passerines.

Emmas your views and good pictures of the bittern were exactly how the Bittern performed for us the day before. The bird appearing at about 1pm then over the next hour or so worked its way to the sluice area reed bed
cheers John

yes that was me.just look for the dark blue anorack i always wear(got a rip under left arm,quite visible,but its lucky amd has helped me get a lot of good stuff)
i spent about 20 mins staring into a tit flock along the path to the west hide,tons of birds in there but nothing really amazing,sorry but did anyone mention the common tern which me and my dad first 'found' at the moors then later roosted at the flashes,im sure i saw a meadow pipit on the field but the views were bad and into the light,nice with the yellow wag,havent got it on my upton list yet.
MB
well the bittern wasent seen at the sluice area from 5pm untill 6:45 when having seen a water rail,good views and the hobbys we went to the flashes to note not much more i'd say but a huge number of b h gulls even more flew in after you left putting the flock over 2000:-O
a bit of extra news a swift was seen over the moors,not huge but a noteworth bird for september
 
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Had a super visit to Upton Warren today!! We were lucky enough to view the Bittern out and about in front of the Bittern hide for just over 20 minutes....we couldn't believe it!!! My Mom (Pam_m) initially spotted the Bittern launch itself from one set of reed beds to another left to right over the channel, it must have been watching the fish that were very active seemingly jumping out of the water for insects! About 5 mins later we were lucky enough to view the Bittern move from the right side of the reeds, across the front of the hide and past the cage feeder before flying off past the Water Rail hide and in to the reeds! This was our best sighting of the Bittern yet and it was really interesting to see its different mannerisms and beautiful plumage! As luck had it a Kingfisher had landed on the perch just before the Bittern appeared and at one point it was almost as if the two birds were looking at each other, as you can see in my pic below!!

Also saw the Hobby over the Moors and it was also nice to see the smaller birds back around the feeders!

Went to the Flashes later on but it was fairly quiet with the usual suspects out on the water!

Wonderful views of a very confiding Bittern we had, Emma!:t: Love the images you took today, especially the Kingfisher and Bittern photo! Not often the two birds could be captured together in one photo I would imagine!

Glad you didn't add the pic of 'Ratty' in the cage feeder!o:D
 
Wonderful views of a very confiding Bittern we had, Emma!:t: Love the images you took today, especially the Kingfisher and Bittern photo! Not often the two birds could be captured together in one photo I would imagine!

Glad you didn't add the pic of 'Ratty' in the cage feeder!o:D

that stupid thing was there on sat too,anyone got a bb gun:-O,ill volentere to 'put it down':smoke:,we will proberbly need a silencer too so not to scare the bittern i want to see him next weeks:t:
MB
 
Thank you all for your kind comments about our Bittern sighting yesterday, we were absolutely amazed to see it out in the open for so long! Thanks to my Mum as well for reminding me that the Kingfisher was also there and prompting me to take a piccie of both birds together!!:t:

Pete & Max, you would both have been in your element yesterday with the close encounter with the Upton Bittern!! Just imagine the brill pics you would have got with your cameras!!;)o:D
 
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I think I'm right in stating that there's an Upton Warren work party scheduled for later this month.
If so, is it our/your intention to post the timings, intentions and perhaps rendezvous place on the Forum?
Speaking to Fergus Henderson and now knowing what reed beds have been ringed in the past for Cetti's, there is considerable thinning/coppicing to be done if that area is to be used again for similar success.
Fergus is a busy man, and I know that those of you who know him, would welcome him if I could get him to come up and visit to coincide with a future work party. It would be nice to see if our joint plans (maintenance and ringing) could be amended to work together and pull in the same direction... what are the thoughts of the UW hardcore/wardens?
 

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