Yes, a slightly bedraggled Cetti's Warbler - can't really see the rounded tail but note the warm rufous upper-parts
Many thanks
Yes, a slightly bedraggled Cetti's Warbler - can't really see the rounded tail but note the warm rufous upper-parts
... and a gape-line making it one of this year's juveniles
Quiet tho morning at the Moors Pool with weather being colder and wetter than predicted. Unfortunately this doesn't appear to have brought in anything new other than an Avocet, and that may only have flown from the Flashes 😉 Overhead were 40+ Swifts, 25+ Sand Martins and 15+ House Martins. The six juvenile Shovelers are all still present as are the juvenile GCG and Little Grebe. Reed Warblers are feeding in the vegetation around the NM pools, many of them juveniles. Lots of Tufted broods that I haven't yet counted.
One of the most important publications every year to birders is the annual Rare Breeding Birds Panel report. Des has kindly shared with me the 2013 report which has just appeared in British Birds; the status of species with an Upton Warren flavour are as follows:
Shoveler
Status: Amber
391-964 breeding pairs (5 year mean average of 974 breeding pairs)
Performance in nearby counties: Shropshire - 1 pair suspected of breeding, Staffordshire - 1 pair of confirmed breeding and 3 pairs of suspected breeding, Warwickshire - 1 pair of confirmed breeding and 3 pairs of suspected breeding, West Midlands - 1 pair suspected of breeding, Worcestershire - 1 pair of confirmed breeding (I assume this relates to the breeding attempt at the Flashes?)
Water Rail
Status: Green
Minimum of 145 breeding sites; minimum of 1,627 territories (5 year mean average of 1,315 breeding pairs)
Performance in nearby counties: Gloucestershire - 1 site with 3 territories; Shropshire - 3 sites with 5 territories; Staffordshire - 4 sites with 19 territories; Warwickshire - 5 sites with 10 territories; Worcestershire - 4 sites with 10 territories pairs (5+ pairs bred at Upton Warren)
Avocet
Minimum of 1,715 breeding pairs at 115 sites
Performance in nearby counties: Gloucestershire - 1 site with 3 pairs (Slimbridge?), Leicestershire - 1 site, Nottinghamshire - 5 sites with 14 pairs, Worcestershire - 1 site with 13 pairs (Upton Warren)
Little Ringed Plover
Status: Green
545 confirmed and probable breeding pairs (5 year mean average of 614 breeding pairs)
Performance in nearby counties: Gloucestershire - 3 pairs; Herefordshire - 8 pairs; Shropshire - 8 pairs; Staffordshire - 25 pairs; Warwickshire - 10 pairs; West Midlands - 3 pairs; Worcestershire - 6 pairs (3 pairs nested at Upton Warren with no success)
Mediterranean Gull
Status: Amber
895 to 926 breeding pairs at 46 sites (5 year mean average of 878 breeding pairs)
Performance in nearby counties: the only record for the entirety of the Central England region was one pair that raised three young at Wood Lane NR, Shropshire (several birds recorded at Upton Warren during the spring but none lingered)
Cetti's Warbler
Status: Green
1,556 singing males / territories (5 year mean average of 1,733 breeding pairs)
Performance in nearby counties: Gloucestershire - 22 singing males / territories; Staffordshire - 14 singing males / territories; Warwickshire - 16singing males / territories; West Midlands - 1 singing males / territories; Worcestershire - 6 singing males / territories (Upton Warren had 2 singing males with at least 1 family party)
Previous years' reports are available on line: http://www.rbbp.org.uk/
Interesting stats Phil. It makes me wonder how reliable they are. For example, 6 pairs of LRP in the whole of Worcs? At least double that surely.
Brian
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Worcester Birding
The 2013 report for the WMBC has yet to be published but the previous year reported 7 pairs for Worcestershire. As an ex County Recorder is this the route the RBBP use to gain their information ?
Yes, Phil. I guess there is an understandable reluctance to withhold records from certain sites, particularly gravel workings where disturbance from egg collectors could go unnoticed.
Brian
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Worcester Birding
Dave J reports as follows from the reserve this morning:
Moors Pool
2 Common Sandpiper, Common Gull ➡ SE, Pochard, 50 Sand Martin, 3 Gadwall, 3 Common Tern chicks, 17 Tufted broods
Flashes:
12 Avocets + 7 juvs, 4 Green Sandpipers, Snipe, 2 juv Shelduck, 2 Roe Deer (doe and fawn)