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Upton Warren (14 Viewers)

I bet you did Des but not for the right reasons ! 3:)

Paul

I remember it well. Early in the day I had found a bearded tit in the channel in front of the cuckoo hide. Later in the day I was once again sitting in the same hide when SMW came along the track shouting that he has just found the Rustic. Unfortunately we didnt manage to see it ��
 
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I bet you did Des but not for the right reasons ! 3:)

Paul

That's right Paul. I spent the night the bunting was found creating a board, to be put at the top of the track to the car park, telling people to park at the Sailing Pool because the North Moors car park was not going to cope with the number of vehicles expected.

I've attached a reflection of the day (apologies John and SMW, but it is nearly 30 years ago) the bunting was found written on the 7th November '87.

Des.
 

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This is the full collection of our Annual reports. The 1st in 1984 was typed by my wife Sue on a petite typewriter. The 1993/94 was 3rd place in the British Birds ' annual bird report ' competition.
Many hours/days have been by spent by all the lads involved since my token gesture back in the day. Well done and many thanks to Stuart Croft. .Des Jennings Mike Wakeman and of cause Phil Andrews.
Over the last 33 years we have seen a lot of change in our avifauna. The annual documentation of what seemed to be laborious and mundane at the time, is now proving to be invaluable information. This has helped us with managing the habitat for targeted species in our attemps to replicate the habitat and condions of former times. In some cases species maybe lost for ever, such as turtle dove , others are beyond our control such as farmland birds. but I'm sure with all the data collected throughout the reports we can make a difference.
 

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finally BARN OWL, 17.28 -17.45 as previous reported it flew in front of the hide then hunted over the north end reed bed diving down on something behind the old shelduck bungalow,it was quickly pounced on by two magpies but it defended its prey next two buzzards turned up but didn't both it to much, after a few minutes carried on hunting with further attacking dives. I did manage a couple of photos of it flying but nothing that justifies the beauty of this bird and other photos only at a long distance with the bird on the floor. Barn Owl was also reported this morning in the book.
other birds. Buzzard 3, Lapwing 350c, Curlew 14, BHGs 100c Shelduck 2, teal.

Nice photos Mowdog
 

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finally BARN OWL, 17.28 -17.45 as previous reported it flew in front of the hide then hunted over the north end reed bed diving down on something behind the old shelduck bungalow,it was quickly pounced on by two magpies but it defended its prey next two buzzards turned up but didn't both it to much, after a few minutes carried on hunting with further attacking dives. I did manage a couple of photos of it flying but nothing that justifies the beauty of this bird and other photos only at a long distance with the bird on the floor. Barn Owl was also reported this morning in the book.
other birds. Buzzard 3, Lapwing 350c, Curlew 14, BHGs 100c Shelduck 2, teal.

Had the Avocets moved on Tim?
 
This is the full collection of our Annual reports. The 1st in 1984 was typed by my wife Sue on a petite typewriter. The 1993/94 was 3rd place in the British Birds ' annual bird report ' competition.
Many hours/days have been by spent by all the lads involved since my token gesture back in the day. Well done and many thanks to Stuart Croft. .Des Jennings Mike Wakeman and of cause Phil Andrews.
Over the last 33 years we have seen a lot of change in our avifauna. The annual documentation of what seemed to be laborious and mundane at the time, is now proving to be invaluable information. This has helped us with managing the habitat for targeted species in our attemps to replicate the habitat and condions of former times. In some cases species maybe lost for ever, such as turtle dove , others are beyond our control such as farmland birds. but I'm sure with all the data collected throughout the reports we can make a difference.

I guess they make interesting reading . My early Upton days predate the first report by 4-5 years and I'm beginning to regret my 30+ year hiatus... but I did have turtle dove from about 1979/1980
 
Spent nearly 3 hours at the North Moors this morning. Birding mostly and also looking over and photographing the work that will be done next week. The work is to link the two channels along the east side. These were dug out as part of last year's major contract work. Photos later.
I started birding close to the proposed hide site. I was trying to get a feel of what the views would be like and what tweeking of the habitat would be needed.
From here I stood in front of the yew plantation. There was passerine activity all along the east side as well as on the pool.
Species count North Moors :
Little grebe. Mallard 8. teal pr. tufted 4. coot 2. water rail calling. Stock dove pr fighting a pr of jackdaw over the rights to the barn owl box. Kingfisher. Green woodpecker. treecreeper. mistle thrush 3. song thrush 3 singing. coal tit 2. Cetti's Warbler singing. chaffinch 2. siskin 4. redpoll 3. bullfinch 2. Reed bunting 2 singing.
 
MOORS this Morning

A big turn out today of birders and birds.
In the East hide and about was Crofty, Bobby P, Bill B, Phil W, Andy P, Tony B, Alan H, Dave, Keith M, Sticky Steve, Tim, Terry N, Paul R, Tim Kevin H and even Paul A.
The passerines were less evident than on the North Moors, but this was made up by plenty of activity on the pools.

Species Count:
GCG, Little grebe, mute swan pr, little egret 2, Teal 22, shelduck 3, shoveler 2, Gadwall 7, pochard 21 (13 males), tufted 16, coot 150+, water rail, curlew 14, Avocet my first of the year. Oystercatcher 3 - displaying and mating, snipe 2, lapwing 250, herring gull 5, LBBG pr, BHG 200, Kestrel, buzzard 4, song thrush, cettis w 2, goldcrest singing and flycatching, reed bunting 2 singing.

Sailing Pool: GCG 5, little grebe, tufted 23,
 
Flashes Today

Stayed from 1.30 till 6pm. Spent 3 hours in the cuckoo hide. I know I keep on about it but the range of habitat available from here is much wider than from the Avocet hide. Admittedly the birds aren't as close but its certainly worth a session in here on route to the Avocet hide. It was was certainly worthwhile today. The stonechat was seen before we arrived, unfortunately not by Crofty and me. But we did see plenty of other stuff. 3 Chiffchaffs fed along the Hen Brook as did 3 little egrets, occasionally perching in the dead oak tree and hawthorns. A cetti's sang close by as did reed buntings and song thrush. For the last hour and a half I moved on to the Avocet hide. The gulls were gathering and the lapwing numbers hadn't dropped by much. At 5.35 the Barn owl finally showed appearing from the 3rd Flash area and then gave a good show for 5 minutes or more. Its hunted mostly over the southern meadow, until a buzzard attacked it without inflicting any harm. The curlew flock had grown by 1 and the increase in the coot flock is another harbinger of spring.
Species count FLASHES:
Little Egret 3, Teal 20+, gadwall 2 males, mallard 10, shelduck 3 (from Moors), Greylag 31 feeding on transmitter field, coot 10, moorhen 20, water rail, Buzzard 4, peregrine, Curlew 16, lapwing 640, snipe 3, Oystercatcher, Green Sand 4 roosted, BHG 450 roosted, LBBG 2 roosted, Raven 4, stock dove 6, green woodp 2, BARN OWL, fieldfare 5, redwing 5, song thrush 2, starling 30, cetti's warbler, goldcrest pr by bridge in pines, chiffchaff 3, grey wag, pied wag 2, bullfinch 2, reed bunting 2 singing,
 
This is the full collection of our Annual reports. The 1st in 1984 was typed by my wife Sue on a petite typewriter. The 1993/94 was 3rd place in the British Birds ' annual bird report ' competition.
Many hours/days have been by spent by all the lads involved since my token gesture back in the day. Well done and many thanks to Stuart Croft. .Des Jennings Mike Wakeman and of cause Phil Andrews.
Over the last 33 years we have seen a lot of change in our avifauna. The annual documentation of what seemed to be laborious and mundane at the time, is now proving to be invaluable information. This has helped us with managing the habitat for targeted species in our attemps to replicate the habitat and condions of former times. In some cases species maybe lost for ever, such as turtle dove , others are beyond our control such as farmland birds. but I'm sure with all the data collected throughout the reports we can make a difference.

By way of a contrast, page 5 of the attached Birmingham Bird Cub annual report for 1941 contains some of the earliest records for Upton Warren.
 

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Monitoring the nest boxes at the Moors: an appeal

We hope this year to give a full report on the 35+ nest boxes at the Moors, the North Moors and along the Salwarpe. As it is very easy for us to miss birds coming and going at the boxes we are appealing to UW birders to report any tell-tale activity indicating breeding and feeding. For obvious reasons we would not want that information posted on this forum but if you see Bob Potter, John Belsey or me around the reserve you can let us know what you have observed and where; alternatively I would be very happy to receive a PM.

Many thanks,

Peter
 
Stayed from 1.30 till 6pm. Spent 3 hours in the cuckoo hide. I know I keep on about it but the range of habitat available from here is much wider than from the Avocet hide. Admittedly the birds aren't as close but its certainly worth a session in here on route to the Avocet hide. It was was certainly worthwhile today. The stonechat was seen before we arrived, unfortunately not by Crofty and me. But we did see plenty of other stuff. 3 Chiffchaffs fed along the Hen Brook as did 3 little egrets, occasionally perching in the dead oak tree and hawthorns. A cetti's sang close by as did reed buntings and song thrush. For the last hour and a half I moved on to the Avocet hide. The gulls were gathering and the lapwing numbers hadn't dropped by much. At 5.35 the Barn owl finally showed appearing from the 3rd Flash area and then gave a good show for 5 minutes or more. Its hunted mostly over the southern meadow, until a buzzard attacked it without inflicting any harm. The curlew flock had grown by 1 and the increase in the coot flock is another harbinger of spring.
Species count FLASHES:
Little Egret 3, Teal 20+, gadwall 2 males, mallard 10, shelduck 3 (from Moors), Greylag 31 feeding on transmitter field, coot 10, moorhen 20, water rail, Buzzard 4, peregrine, Curlew 16, lapwing 640, snipe 3, Oystercatcher, Green Sand 4 roosted, BHG 450 roosted, LBBG 2 roosted, Raven 4, stock dove 6, green woodp 2, BARN OWL, fieldfare 5, redwing 5, song thrush 2, starling 30, cetti's warbler, goldcrest pr by bridge in pines, chiffchaff 3, grey wag, pied wag 2, bullfinch 2, reed bunting 2 singing,

Good to see Curlew numbers creeping up further.

John - usual question regarding duplication of birds across both sides of the reserve:

Gadwall - 7 Moors Pool + 1 Flashes = 8?
Oystercatcher - 3 Moors Pool + 1 Flashes = 4?
Little Egret - 2 Moors Pool + 3 Flashes = 5?
 

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