Upton Warren (31 Viewers)

upstarts1979 · Apr 13, 2016

There's no doubt that the last two weeks have seen some real visible migration and this is by far the most interesting and exciting period on the birding calander.

We are always looking at the weather conditions throughout this time. We ideally would want SE winds with a mixture of drizzly showers, misty mornings and sharp heavy bursts of rain . Easterlies can also be good and Tomorrow has some of these ingredients. So as Thursday is usually a very underwatched day, if you get change give it a try . If you do see anything good or are witnessing some visible migration please contact one of us or at least post on here. Good luck:t: john

Peregrine Trousers · Apr 13, 2016

upstarts1979 said:
There's no doubt that the last two weeks have seen some real visible migration and this is by far the most interesting and exciting period on the birding calander.
We are always looking at the weather conditions throughout this time. We ideally would want SE winds with a mixture of drizzly showers, misty mornings and sharp heavy bursts of rain . Easterlies can also be good and Tomorrow has some of these ingredients. So as Thursday is usually a very underwatched day, if you get change give it a try . If you do see anything good or are witnessing some visible migration please contact one of us or at least post on here. Good luck:t: john

Going for a long day tomorrow...

Phil Andrews · Apr 13, 2016

Following Dave J's record count of 120 Tufted Duck on Sunday, the attached chart shows how the last few years have seen an explosion in numbers for this species, no doubt added by series of successive productive breeding seasons.

John Sirrett · Apr 13, 2016

Nice weather but one suspects that once early morning mists cleared migrants passed high overhead. We only saw one hirundine, a single Swallow.

Flashes
Avocet 22 (only one sitting), Curlew 2, Lapwing 7 sitting (Moorhen took egg from Lapwings nest nearest the main hide), LRP 5 (watched Female make scrape in front of main hide just beyond large cage, two males then tried to mate, before all three were chased off by a Black Headed Gull) Oystercatcher 2 (also on sailing pool), Green Sandpiper 1 this evening
Gadwall 3m, 3f, Shelduck 6, Shoveler 8pr, Tufted Duck 6, Teal 1m
Little Egret 1 (of 2 on Reserve also seen on North Moors) Raven 2 around nest, Peregrine 1, Kingfisher 1, Hybrid Med Gull sitting, 2s Med Gull coming and going, 1s Common Gull
Lesser Whitethroat 1, Willow Warbler 1, Blackcap 2, Cetti's Warbler 2, Goldcrest singing in Larches

Sailing Pool
Common Redstart 1 (possibly 2)male behind Canoe Pool, Great Crested Grebe 4, Mute Swan 2, Tufted Duck 14, Blackcap and Goldcrest singing, Greylag Goose 1

North Moors
Teal 1m,1f, Tufted Duck 4, Willow Warbler 3 singing, Sedge Warbler 1 singing/elusive, Reed Warbler 1 singing/elusive, Little Egret 2 (one chased the other off), Sparrowhawk, Water Rail 1

Moors
Lapwing 2, Oystercatcher 4, Curlew 1 (I think 3 in total)
Great Crested Grebe 2, Mute Swan 2, Shelduck 4, Shoveler 8pr, Tufted Duck 60,
Lesser Redpoll 2, Siskin 3, Nuthatch, Mistle Thrush pr, Little Grebe 5 pr, Snipe 1, Gadwall 3m, 2f (11 in total)

Phil Andrews · Apr 13, 2016

Despite perceptions that Shoveler numbers have been higher than usual over the last few months, the statistics tell a different storey based on the average half-monthly maxima since 1998. Clearly if the reserve establishes a regular (and growing) breeding population then the distribution curve will change again.

upstarts1979 · Apr 14, 2016

Phil Andrews said:
Despite perceptions that Shoveler numbers have been higher than usual over the last few months, the statistics tell a different storey based on the average half-monthly maxima since 1998. Clearly if the reserve establishes a regular (and growing) breeding population then the distribution curve will change again.

I think the perception is due to them being more numerous on the Flashes than in previous years. :t:

Phil Andrews · Apr 14, 2016

upstarts1979 said:
I think the perception is due to them being more numerous on the Flashes than in previous years. :t:

Quite possibly - having crunched the numbers I will teach then for the rest of the year. The chart shows quite a fall off in the second half of April; will be interesting to see of that is replicated this year.

geoffw1946 · Apr 14, 2016

Afternoon visit and none of the expected rain showers happened. The 2nd summer Med Gull was on the flashes as was 5 LRP, 22 Avocet and a Sparrowhawk, 4 Buzzard were soaring.
The Hen Pool is looking good with the new cut channels, a Water Rail was seen down to 6 ft and a Cetti's Warbler and Sedge Warbler were also showing well there.
Yesterday 3 Little Egret flew over North Moors.

Peregrine Trousers · Apr 14, 2016

Well the 'all-dayer' was 0630-1700 today...curtailed by the pending thunderstorm (which never actually happened!)...redstarts and sandpipers seem to have moved on, but I did get Sedge Warbler for #pwc2016...and some good views of Blackcap and Cetti's

Flashes 0630-1000
Avocet (22)
Shelduck (2)
Shoveler (6)
LRP (3)
Oystercatcher (2)
Little Egret (1)
Sedge Warbler (1)*
...no Gadwall, but there was a pair on SP at 0630

Moors 1030-1500
Cetti's (3)
Blackcap (5/6 m, 1f ...NM)
Little Grebe (5)
Teal (1 pr)
Snipe (2)
Shoveler (1 pr)
Shelduck (5)
Gadwall (5m 3f)
Tufted (c50)
Nuthatch
Buzzard (8 at back of lifestyles...rising on thermals )
Sparrowhawk

Flashes 1515-1700
Gadwall (1 pr...none on SP)...otherwise usual stuff

lickey1 · Apr 14, 2016

Some photo's from today

Spoonbill Finder · Apr 14, 2016

A record shot of what I think is probably a White Wagtail which flew into the Flashes at about 1130 yesterday morning:

keithr · Apr 14, 2016

lickey1 said:
Some photo's from today

Brill Kestrel shots..

Spoonbill Finder · Apr 15, 2016

2s Med Gull at Flashes again this morning.

Phil Andrews · Apr 15, 2016

Common Tern at the Sailing Pool as per Bob Williams, first of the year.

Phil Andrews · Apr 15, 2016

Spoonbill Finder said:
A record shot of what I think is probably a White Wagtail which flew into the Flashes at about 1130 yesterday morning:

Looks OK to me based on that one image

Birder Gladys · Apr 15, 2016

ok good photos and info ladies and gents making me quiet jealous.as I'm in my sick bed please keep the posts coming in 8-P

geoffw1946 · Apr 15, 2016

Phil Andrews said:
Yesterday's Sandwich Tern occurrence was the earliest date the species has been recorded at Upton Warren, surpassing one that passed through the Flashes then the Moors Pool last year on the 10th April. It is also only the second instance from the 30+ accepted records of an occurrence greater than two birds but falls a long way short of the reserve's record flock of 28 birds present at the Moors Pool, then the Flashes, before heading south on the 29th September 1988 (a record of three birds in 2008 was unfortunately not submitted to the County Recorder).

Hi Phil, I wonder if you've got my record of 3 Sandwich Terns which dropped into the flashes around 0630 am on the 11th July 1978, it was always one of my highlights for UW. It's hard to believe it's nearly 38 years ago!

upstarts1979 · Apr 15, 2016

Spent a good 8 and a half hours on the reserve today with Crofty and Andy P . Bobby P, Peter E, Jim B, Keith M, John R , Jarad and Wako late on were the only birders on site today.
the west - NW winds and almost continuous rain didn't bring in a lot other than regular drop ins of all 3 hirundines. and not until 5pm did anything else drop in namely a dunlin. Later possibly 4 new birds in total joined appeared (per Crofty).
The original bird was different to the bird on Tuesday which was a winter plumaged individual.
Moors: GCG 2. little grebe 6. Shoveler 8. teal pr. gadwall pr. Shelduck 6. TUFTED 125 min these all gathered in the southern part of the Moors when the Otter appeared.
Oystercatcher 4. lapwing pair. Snipe 3.
kestrel. swallow 70. sand martin 60. house martin 20. Cetti's Warbler 3 singing. willow warbler 2. chiffchaff 5. sedge warbler 3. Reed warbler. blackcap 2. lesser redpoll 3. mistle thrush 2. treecreeper singing.

NORTH MOORS : Little grebe. Little egret. teal pr. tufted 8. Cetti's Warbler. willow warbler. sedge warbler 2. goldcrest 2 singing.

Sailing pool : GCG 4. tufted 18. Swallow 25.

Flashes : Teal 2. Shoveler 6. gadwall 2. Shelduck 6. Tufted 8. Avocet 22. Lapwing 10. oystercatcher 2. dunlin 4. min. LRP 3. Med Gull 2nd sum. herring gull 2. Water rail 2 hen pool. Kestrel. raven 2. Jay. Cetti's. sedge warbler 3. chiffchaff 3. blackcap 2. goldcrest 2.

Tufted 125 + 12 min - 16
Total 137 -141

wheatearlp · Apr 15, 2016

Only things I can add to the above are: 1st summer Common Gull dropped in briefly at c.17.45. Two or three Sedge Warblers and one Water Rail on Hen Pool.

Phil Andrews · Apr 16, 2016

Early morning at the Flashes - JTB reports:

20 Avocet, 2 LRP, 1 Curlew, 14 Lapwing, 1 Common Sandpiper, 4 Dunlin, 4 Gadwall, 6 Shoveler, 1000+ BH Gull, second summer Med Gull, a biting NW wind and SNOW!

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