Upton Warren (37 Viewers)

S

Spoonbill Finder

Well-known member

• Apr 4, 2016

• #30,601

Spent a couple of hours, up until dark, at the Flashes this evening. A visit to the Hen Brook hide was rewarded with a close-up view of a Water Rail, which walked across in front of the hide. Observing the bird with the naked eye reveals how much smaller it is in comparison with a Moorhen.

Off then to the Avocet hide, where the counts were as follows:

Avocet(24), Curlew(4), LRP(3 - 5 recorded earlier in the book), Oystercatcher(2), Shoveler(23), Gadwall(11 - 5 pairs + 1), Shelduck(9), Teal(12), BHG(1000+), BHG/Med Gull hybrid, LBBG.

A Willow Warbler, seen earlier in the hedge behind the hide by someone with the initials RS, LS or CS, had also been recorded in the book. The first at the reserve this year if I'm not mistaken!

On the way back to the car I observed at least 4 Pipistrelle bats and a larger bat feeding low over the Sailing Pool, which I think might have been a Daubentons.

 

R

regor

Well-known member

• Apr 4, 2016

• #30,602

Spoonbill Finder said:

A Willow Warbler, seen earlier in the hedge behind the hide by someone with the initials RS, LS or CS, had also been recorded in the book. The first at the reserve this year if I'm not mistaken!

Click to expand...

Sorry, that scribble should say RS.
Roger
:t:

 

midlands birder

Well-known member

• Apr 5, 2016

• #30,603

Phil Andrews said:

These are the two schemes listed in cr-birding that use white rings on BHGs with 4 characters commencing with a T; neither appears to fit:

http://cr-birding.org/node/587
http://cr-birding.org/node/2842

Maybe one for the BTO?

Click to expand...

It's a Polish bird :t:

 

Phil Andrews

It's only Rock and Roller but I like it

• Apr 5, 2016

• #30,604

midlands birder said:

It's a Polish bird :t:

Click to expand...

Do you have a link to the scheme Craig?

 

Phil Andrews

It's only Rock and Roller but I like it

• Apr 5, 2016

• #30,605

Spoonbill Finder said:

Spent a couple of hours, up until dark, at the Flashes this evening. A visit to the Hen Brook hide was rewarded with a close-up view of a Water Rail, which walked across in front of the hide. Observing the bird with the naked eye reveals how much smaller it is in comparison with a Moorhen.

Off then to the Avocet hide, where the counts were as follows:

Avocet(24), Curlew(4), LRP(3 - 5 recorded earlier in the book), Oystercatcher(2), Shoveler(23), Gadwall(11 - 5 pairs + 1), Shelduck(9), Teal(12), BHG(1000+), BHG/Med Gull hybrid, LBBG.

A Willow Warbler, seen earlier in the hedge behind the hide by someone with the initials RS, LS or CS, had also been recorded in the book. The first at the reserve this year if I'm not mistaken!

On the way back to the car I observed at least 4 Pipistrelle bats and a larger bat feeding low over the Sailing Pool, which I think might have been a Daubentons.

Click to expand...

Yes Andy - first Willow Warbler of the year :t:

Alan H reported 6 LRP this morning

 

Gert Corfield

Well-known member

• Apr 5, 2016

• #30,606

Willow Warbler singing on the Moors at present

 

midlands birder

Well-known member

• Apr 5, 2016

• #30,607

Bhg- T9a7

 

Phil Andrews

It's only Rock and Roller but I like it

• Apr 5, 2016

• #30,608

Cheers Craig :t:

 

Gert Corfield

Well-known member

• Apr 5, 2016

• #30,609

Gertatron said:

Willow Warbler singing on the Moors at present

Click to expand...

Apart fro the usual suspects - Nuthatch calling in copse behind barns on the Moors & 2 Snipe and Blackcap at the Flashes. Good numbers of Tufted duck across the reserve - approx 40/50 but no doubt John will more accurately count :t:

 

upstarts1979

Well-known member

• Apr 5, 2016

• #30,610

Flashes. 3.30PM ad Med gull flew through the 1st Flash . At 4 pm a female Marsh Harrier appeared over the 3rd Flash tried to drop into the reeds but was mobbed by buzzards and slowly drifted north.

crap pic off back of my camera

 

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J

jjs

Active member

• Apr 5, 2016

• #30,611

At 4:00pm by my watch, John's female Marsh Harrier headed north over the Moors reed bed, and the North Moors. Ropey photos attached!
Also, several Lesser Redpoll, two Nuthatches and a Great Spotted Woodpecker between chestnut tree and east hide, and two snipe from the hide.
John

 

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upstarts1979

Well-known member

• Apr 5, 2016

• #30,612

A mad 30 minutes at the Flashes this afters
3.30pm - I was sitting in the cuckoo hide when a I heard a med calling. I looked up to see an adult rapidly flying north towards the sailing pool.
At 4pm something caused a commotion amongst the BHG's looking up I picked up a Marsh harrier dropping down towards the 3rd Flash reed bed. But the local buzzards prevented it from doing so and a dog fight ensued with the harrier moving off north 2 minutes later.
pic
1. The harrier
2. The Med returned at 5.45ish

 

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upstarts1979

Well-known member

• Apr 5, 2016

• #30,613

work party at Moors Today

No pics today
Spring cleaning and tying up the loose ends.
Cleaned out the tool shed
took tern raft materials to East hide
burned the debris pulled of last weeks log jam in the salwarp.
clearing rubbish along the river salwarp
created a channel along the dam-bank in front of the west hide

Many thanks to 13 of us today
Bob O, Bob P, Bob R, Dave H, Hugh, Jim B, John C, Paul M, Peter E, Ray C, Terry W, Tony B and me.,
and special thanks to Bill Box (Glynis and Grandson), Bobby P, Tony B and Tim Owens for the incredible cakes today...7 varieties:eat::eat::eat::eat:B

 

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Last edited: Apr 5, 2016

upstarts1979

Well-known member

• Apr 5, 2016

• #30,614

Birding Moors Today

Over the last few weeks the North Moors has been attracting good numbers of birds. Little egret is regularly seen in the shallows and today fishing in front of the northern viewing screens. An indication that there must be plenty of fish is the regular appearance of both Little and great crested grebes. Maybe last years contract work is paying dividends:t:

North Moors: Gadwall pr, Teal 6, Tufted 10, Little egret, grey heron, little grebe at least 1, GCG, water rail 2, coot 3, cetti's, chiffchaff 4 or 5, blackcap 2 per Dave Hull

Moors: GCG 2, Little grebe 8, teal 4, gadwall 4, shelduck 4, tufted 44, Little egret 2 (1 from NM), Oystercatcher 4, lapwing pair, snipe, herring gull 1st winter,
Raven, collared dove, sand martin 5, swallow 2, chiffchaff 6, willow warbler west track singing opposite bench, cetti's w 3 singing, lesser redpoll.

Otter seen in middle of pool at 9am

 

upstarts1979

Well-known member

• Apr 5, 2016

• #30,615

Birding at the Flashes

The adult Med approached the female Hybrid but she rejected him in no uncertain terms. With the presence of a Med Gull and its constant calling, the gull colony is now a bit more of a classy assemblage:smoke:
The Avocet are certainly not in a rush to make babies and the BHG's seem to be occupying the premier sites.:eek!: The lapwing meanwhile are certainly forming a colony in the meadow. Shoveler are spending more time than normal on the Flashes for the time of year. Any worries we had about the low water in the autumn/winter affecting the food supply are in my opinion groundless. The avocets are catching food with every sweep of their bills, the shoveler too are feeding well.
Species count Flashes:
Teal 7, gadwall 6, shoveler 20, shelduck 7, Tufted 8, Coot 18, Marsh Harrier female, Buzzard 2, Avocet 23, curlew 2, LRP 5, Lapwing 14 - 16, Oystercatcher 2, Med Gull ad male, BHG 900, LBBG 2, Raven 2, Rook, stock dove 5, cetti's w, chiffchaff 2, song thrush, red bunting

 

Phil Andrews

It's only Rock and Roller but I like it

• Apr 5, 2016

• #30,616

Any Tufty count from the Sailing Pool John?

 

P

Phil Owen

Well-known member

• Apr 5, 2016

• #30,617

Good views of the Med Gull at the flashes, the hybrid Med x Black headed Gull was also present. 4 Little-ringed Plovers chasing each other around. On our way back to the car, myself and Andy (The Spoonbill finder) scanned the boating lake and saw the Daubenton's Bat flying over the water. A pleasant evening!

 

upstarts1979

Well-known member

• Apr 6, 2016

• #30,618

Phil Andrews said:

Any Tufty count from the Sailing Pool John?

Click to expand...

Not many due to sailing and canoeing.

 

J

John Sirrett

Well-known member

• Apr 6, 2016

• #30,619

Heavy showers and a biting NNWesterly.

Flashes
Avocet 22, Curlew 2, Lapwing 8, LRP 3/4, Oystercatcher 2 (sometimes moving to sailing pool)
Gadwall 3m, 2f, Shelduck 6, Shoveler 10m,9f, Teal 2m, 1f, Tufted Duck 2
Raven 2 ranging over whole reserve, Kingfisher 1, Hybrid Med Gull, (Adult Med Gull reported 10.00am briefly)

Sailing Pool
Great Crested Grebe 4, Mute Swan 2, Tufted Duck 15, male Blackcap singing

North Moors
Great Crested Grebe 0/1, Gadwall 1m, 1f, Teal 2m,1f, Tufted Duck 2

Moors
Lapwing 2, Oystercatcher 4
Great Crested Grebe 1/2, Mute Swan 2, Shelduck 4, Shoveler 5m,5f, Teal 1m, 1f, Tufted Duck 45 (early evening Tufted Count on moors rose to 62, which was the total seen on all four areas of water earlier in the day)
Little Egret 2, Cormorant 5, Sparrowhawk, Lesser Redpoll 2

Sand Martin 15+, Swallow 8+, House Martin 3+, numbers varying across the Sailing pool and Moors pool either the same birds or more likely small parties passing through.

 

P

Phil Owen

Well-known member

• Apr 6, 2016

• #30,620

7pm-7.40pm at the Flashes.

30+ Swallows, 1 House Martin brought down over the sailing lake by the weather front. Mediterranean Gull present along with the Hybrid Med x Black headed Gull . 2 Oystercatchers over the Pylon field and a single Goldcrest flitting in the conifer on the way to the hide.