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

Upton Warren (14 Viewers)

Delighted to hear this. :t: B :) Particularly after the behaviour in the Avocet hide on the last two occasions I've visited this week: All of the requests on the notices being violated. At one time hands pointing and 6 lenses waving around out of the window while people talked loudly between one end of the hide and the other.

After yesterday I was on the point of suggesting that the upper level be locked and only accessed by wardens. Doesn't matter whether people could see the birds or not the notices were clear, numerous and polite. :C:C

Thanks for the update on behaviour Roger - very disappointing. Luckily we had a positive outcome.
 
Poor field craft (hands out windows etc) isn't confined to photographers or newbies. I have experienced birders pointing with arms out of windows. There are enough natural disturbances without adding to them. I think we all get a bit excited and enthusiastic at times and the volume level increases unknowingly. I was even told by someone the other day that they could hear us in the hide from the start of the boardwalk. So we all do it , I did reprimand myself and only allowed 1 slice . f cake.. I won't do it again though. But on a serious note please remember the birds. 8-P:t: john
 
Second visit last night (Friday) to the Moors Rail hide between 6.30 and 8pm

After encountering a Kingfisher on our first visit we were very surprised to witness what we believe is a Sparrowhawk on the roof of the bird table to the right. After hearing scratching above our heads in the hide the Sparrowhawk flew from the hide roof down to the bird table. It stayed there for about 10 seconds and left. We later saw it flying over the pool left to right with something dangling in its grasp.

A Swan with cygnets were very visible coming out of the water by the hide twice, sharing the area with a Mallard and its 2 ducklings.

A Kestrel was also noted loitering over towards the Southwest of the pool between the south hide and the furthest electricity pole, being harassed by BHG's.

Plenty of Bullfinch and Greenfinch action on the feeders, with Mallards, Coot and Moorhen tidying up beneath, even a rabbit popped out.

So much more to see now the grass has been cut back, excellent job.
 

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Poor field craft (hands out windows etc) isn't confined to photographers or newbies. I have experienced birders pointing with arms out of windows. There are enough natural disturbances without adding to them. I think we all get a bit excited and enthusiastic at times and the volume level increases unknowingly. I was even told by someone the other day that they could hear us in the hide from the start of the boardwalk. So we all do it , I did reprimand myself and only allowed 1 slice . f cake.. I won't do it again though. But on a serious note please remember the birds. 8-P:t: john

Well said John........try sitting in the lower hide when the herd of stampeding Wildebeest are up top......
 
Poor field craft (hands out windows etc) isn't confined to photographers or newbies. I have experienced birders pointing with arms out of windows. There are enough natural disturbances without adding to them. I think we all get a bit excited and enthusiastic at times and the volume level increases unknowingly. I was even told by someone the other day that they could hear us in the hide from the start of the boardwalk. So we all do it , I did reprimand myself and only allowed 1 slice . f cake.. I won't do it again though. But on a serious note please remember the birds. 8-P:t: john

I thought it was "Don't Forget the Birds"? ;)
 
An extra note from this morning, I tried to count the Avocet chicks, don't know how John does it, as I kept being distracted by the Redshank chicks, I managed 25, possible 27. Could anyone confirm this, as well as 3 still sitting. The Avocet just to the left of the hide with the 3 chicks seemed to be the Redshanks biggest problem, attacking the parents as they were tying to usher the chicks to the mud on te edge. Although the Redshank both had a go back at the Avocet. The Redshank also displayed a nastier nature toward a moorhen. Another problem, one of the lapwing fledges picked a redshank chick up and threw it in the air. All was good though.
 
Redshank chick pic from me today, rest assured no lens or appendage left the confines of the hide. :t:
 

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Guess we're all guilty of something sometimes, be it noise or visual disturbance. As has been said before, think about the wildlife first.

The other week when the gent who left his notebook was looking for it upstairs in the J&A hide, he couldn't have made any more noise if he and his colleague had tried. But I'm just a newbie, so what do I know?8-P
 
Guess we're all guilty of something sometimes, be it noise or visual disturbance. As has been said before, think about the wildlife first.

To be fair when I got there this morning the BHG's started going off on one. It was only when the started swooping at me I realised it was me. It doesn't take much really.
 
Fabulous to see the redshank family bathed in sunlight in front of the Avocet Hide just before 5pm this evening. The two adults were in and out of the water while the three new chicks were foraging in the grass, pretty well camouflaged. There was a brief "aaah" moment when one of the adults puffed up its wings and two of the chicks snuggled under it.

Other birds observed from the hide included at least two Mediterranean gulls and a pair of Egyptian geese.

Walking back, there were fledgling blue tits.

I visited Henbrook Hide, but there was no sign of the water rail family. The reeds are growing fast though. I saw an adult reed warbler, but no young today.

From the bridge, I could see sedge warblers. Cetti's warblers were calling too.
 
From this morning at the Flashes Dave J reports:

38 Avocet, 3 (all second summer) Med Gulls, 2 Redshank, 3 Oystercatcher, 40 Lapwing, 4 LR Plover, Lesser Whitethroat, 8 Teal, 8 Gadwall
 

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