• Welcome to BirdForum, the internet's largest birding community with thousands of members from all over the world. The forums are dedicated to wild birds, birding, binoculars and equipment and all that goes with it.

    Please register for an account to take part in the discussions in the forum, post your pictures in the gallery and more.
ZEISS DTI thermal imaging cameras. For more discoveries at night, and during the day.

Upton Warren (9 Viewers)

Birding at MOORS

Arrived at 8am on the Moors no one else there. The rain never stopped from then until when I left at 4.30pm.
I spent 3 hours in the east hide, with plenty of activity to keep me occupied. The tufted broods were spread all along the west and north sides. There were at least 5 broods of double figures and the creche of c25, totalling 150 min. Although this was reduced by 1 when a LBBG took a chick. The shoveler brood of 6 fed in front of the hide and spent all their time in the 'scrape'as did the brood of 5 gadwall chicks. The Little grebe's seem to have a resurgence in breeding. I found a fresh chick on the mothers back in the SW marsh, with the 2 half grown chicks not far away, a fledged juv was in the scrape. The 2 older fledged common terns were practicing the fishing skills by dropping a small stick in the water and retrieving it. Later the family of 2 ads and 2 juvs were at the Flashes. From in front of the hide to the east gate reed warblers were busy foraging in the hedgerows, taking food to their young in the reed beds. After visiting the Flashes I returned to scan from the west side hide.
Species count MOORS:
GCG 3, little greb 10 ads + juv + 2 broods of 1:2. greylag 2, mute swan pr + 2 cygnets, Shoveler 3 ads + 6 well grown young, gadwall 3 ads + 5 ch, mallard 125, tufted duck 45 + 19 broods, coot 165 + chicks, curlew 3, oystercatcher 2, common tern 9 + 3 juvs + 2 ch, BHG 24, LBBG 2, Hobby perched in dead alders along southern border. kingfisher, swift 6, sand martin 60+, house martin 20, cetti's w family in sluice. reed warbler c6 ads east side plus more on west. sedge w, blackcap, chiffchaff singing, several bullfinch and greenfinch at feeding station, reed bunting 5

pic of shoveler brood now 4 weeks old
 

Attachments

  • forum shovDSCF9486.jpg
    forum shovDSCF9486.jpg
    482.1 KB · Views: 107
Last edited:
Flashes

The rain although continuous and heavy at times, only wetted the channels in front of the hide and in the delta but not the overall level, which is about 0.37. The conditions were to the liking of swallows which were strangely absent from the Moors. Of interest - (well to me anyway) is the migration of Avocets from elsewhere arriving at the reserve. This is always difficult to prove unless birds have rings on. But today, 2 very recently fledged juvs (very brown on upper-parts) appeared with 2 or 3 adults. 1 of these adults was also quite distinctive, in having a sandy wash over its neck breast and upper-parts. Last Mike had 14 birds 12 ads + 2 juvs . Today there were 14/15 ads and 4 juvs. This justifies all the counting and aging of the water birds on the reserve on a regular basis ( or as I do everytime I visit).;)
The only other obvious migrant was a summer plum Dunlin.
Species Count FLASHES:
Teal 5, mallard 106 and another 2 fresh brood, tufted 2, coot 20, water rail calling from reed bed in front of cuckoo hide. greylag 3, Avocet 19 + 7 ch, LRP 5 (1 juv) + 15 day old chick, lapwing 3 (presumably others on local fields), Curlew a very heavily moulted bird dropped in early pm, this could have been a genuine migrant not part of the summer group. Oystercatcher 3, green sand 6, snipe.
common tern 5 (3 ads + 2 juvs from Moors), BHG 200+, a bird still incubating eggs and several young chicks. LBBG 3, Hobby, stock dove 12, sand martin 20, swallow 22, pied wag 3, reed warblers still singing around 1st Flash.

SAILING POOL
Arctic Tern found by Chris Thompson, common tern 5, tufted 2 half grown chicks, c45 hrundines
 
Last edited:
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/
 
Last edited:
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.
 
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.

Small movement of Sanderling through the Midlands at the moment Mike so there may be a goodie awaiting you at the Flashes
 
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
_________________
Worcester Birding
 
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
_________________
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 ?
 
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
_________________
Worcester Birding
 
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
_________________
Worcester Birding

Given the info in the RBBP isn't site specific and the WMBC report always has the option to describe sites loosely such as "the south of county" or similar it is a shame records are being lost and it's not possible to build a 100% accurate position for species with a tentative foothold in this country
 
While Mike and latterly Gert were at the Moors, several of us were at the Flashes early am. Martin and Rob G were there before me and Spike arrived at 7ish. On route to the Flashes by the new boardwalk a large mixed flock of passerines gathered. They were feeding on the ground, in the hedgerow & along the fence line. All the regular garden birds plus several chiffchaffs, blackcap and lesser whitethroat. Later a couple of goldcrests were in the pines and many reed bunting where feeding in the nearby wheat field. On to the Flashes hide, where no new waders had appeared. In fact the snipe, common sand and dunlin had departed. A couple of juv shelduck dropped in, but that was it really. After this I went and joined Mike in the Hen pool where 2 water rail chicks and an adult showed well.
species counts FLASHES:
Teal 2, shelduck 2 juvs, shoveler, mallard 100+, greylag 5, coot 20, water rail ad + 2 ch, avocet 16 -18 ( 2 fresh juvs that arrived yesterday), green sand 7, lapwing 108, curlew 18, oystercatcher 3, LRP 5(1 juv) + 16 day old chick, common tern 4 (2juvs), peregrine, buzzard, stock dove 25-30 - flocks are now starting to form so numbers should now start to rise, green woodp 2, swift 6, sand martin 24, swallow 2, skylark 2 singing, cetti's w, reed w a few singing, blackcap 8, lesser whitethroat, chiffchaff 8, goldcrest 2, pied wag family, linnet 10, reed bunting 12,

Sailing pool: GCG 3, tufted 2, mallard 50, common tern 4, swift 10, reed warbler 2
 
Flashes Youth Club - 23rd July

1. Proud Common Tern parents and their 2 offspring
2. The visiting juvenile LRP
3. One of two rabbit kittens munching through the grasses
4. Juvenile Goldfinch - several were feeding off the thistles near the fence to the right of the hide.
5. At least five young Goldfinches slept in this bush for some time after feeding - just occasionally waking to look around before going back to sleep.
 

Attachments

  • IMG_4567a.jpg
    IMG_4567a.jpg
    898.7 KB · Views: 93
  • IMG_4571a.jpg
    IMG_4571a.jpg
    890.1 KB · Views: 90
  • IMG_4639a.jpg
    IMG_4639a.jpg
    764.8 KB · Views: 70
  • IMG_4693a.jpg
    IMG_4693a.jpg
    717.7 KB · Views: 79
  • IMG_4711a.jpg
    IMG_4711a.jpg
    798.7 KB · Views: 82
Couple of pics from the Hen Brook hide this afternoon:

1. Reed Warbler
2. Water Rail chick (thanks Mike and Yvonne for mentioning them, they showed very well)

Also Arctic Tern at Sailing Pool and LRP chick still scampering about at Flashes.
 

Attachments

  • Reed Warbler.jpg
    Reed Warbler.jpg
    323.6 KB · Views: 103
  • Water Rail chick.jpg
    Water Rail chick.jpg
    388.1 KB · Views: 128
water rail and chick and a blurred shot of discipline being dished out.
 

Attachments

  • wrail and chick DSCF9496.jpg
    wrail and chick DSCF9496.jpg
    803 KB · Views: 97
  • wrail close up DSCF9498.jpg
    wrail close up DSCF9498.jpg
    864.3 KB · Views: 94
  • 3. blurred attack DSCF9505.jpg
    3. blurred attack DSCF9505.jpg
    387.6 KB · Views: 116
Tonight Craig had a juv Med , 800 BHG roosted and 20 Curlew at the Flashes this evening as well as the 4 blackwits & 2 gadwall.
on the Moors a hobby
 
Last edited:
Just to confirm the four black-tailed godwits at the Flashes this evening.
Just before their appearance there was a commotion as a sparrowhawk flew over, then as everything settled four godwits just seemed to appear from nowhere.
 

Attachments

  • E26E1107-2.jpg
    E26E1107-2.jpg
    82.4 KB · Views: 132
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)
 
Last edited:
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)

Bill B also reports the LRP chick still OK
 

Users who are viewing this thread

Back
Top