• 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 (51 Viewers)

woodwolf said:
I would just like to support ( as a birder new to Upton 2 years ago) the general sentiment from JTB, MB and Rob et al

I think it has to be one of the easiest places to get info on, and make contact with like minded people anywhere in the birding world. It's pretty much like most things in life, you get out of it what you put in, and to steal Gary Player's observation on golf ( ''the more I practice, the luckier I
get'' ) ...the more I bird/ observe nature..the more I seem to see and find and the more I get out of it.. B :)
Click to expand...

Hear Hear!


Rob
 
A few photos from today:

1. The proud mother
2. Ringed Plover on flashes
3. RP defending itself from attacks from its diminutive 'cousin' - just look at the size difference between the RP and LRP!

As for the 'debate' - it's all about give and take. Go out, find a few birds, post them on here (or wherever) - soon find yourself receiving news off other people. :t:
 

Attachments

  • Cygnets Moors 140512.jpg
    Cygnets Moors 140512.jpg
    223.4 KB · Views: 62
  • Ringed Plover.jpg
    Ringed Plover.jpg
    201.4 KB · Views: 87
  • Ringed Plover and LRP.jpg
    Ringed Plover and LRP.jpg
    144.5 KB · Views: 92
As you know people talk and some feel that they are missing out on some of the news of birds at Upton.Which you text amongst yourselves and a lot of members maybe not finding out for some 48 hours or so after the bird has flown. Others feel it’s becoming more of a private club for the few, in fact have you not seen that some members no longer go to Upton, whereas others are no longer members of the trust.
Now you and the others do a dam good job at Upton and no one should take that away from you all.
Regards??

In an ideal scenario how would you like to receive the information. When you refer to members no longer in the Trust or visit Upton who are these people. Surely going out to discover your own species is a better experience, maybe this is indicative of society where people demand instant gratification. What ever happened to simple pleasures and a chilled out attitude...I must be getting old.8-P.
 
Woodchat said:
A few photos from today:

1. The proud mother
2. Ringed Plover on flashes
3. RP defending itself from attacks from its diminutive 'cousin' - just look at the size difference between the RP and LRP!

As for the 'debate' - it's all about give and take. Go out, find a few birds, post them on here (or wherever) - soon find yourself receiving news off other people. :t:
Click to expand...

Alan - great pics - Dave, careful mate you're on 'tog' territory with those pics 8-P Nice action shot with the Plovers there :t:
 
Last edited:
We all have personal friends and I can say I've made many good friends at Upton over the years. If and when I find something interesting I tend to text my friends about it first. Is there really anything strange about that? Does that make me cliquey? - just because my friends take some precedence over people who I don't even know? Of couse not - that is perfectly normal and everyone does it. I would consider it strange if they didn't.

The fact that most of us also choose to disseminate our bird news to a wider audience (via BF or other channels) is a bonus that should not be taken for granted. Nobody has a God-given right to receive free news and information - surely that is within the gift of the finder. We may choose to spread news but the fact is we have absolutely no obligation to do so - and neither do we expect to receive free news from others. Personally, I can say that if I do receive news from others then I am very grateful for it.

Everyone has the opportunity to join the grapevine and / or contribute to this forum. Thereby, they will find themselves being the receiver of news by being part of a wider network. Maybe those who feel that a 'private club' exists or that they are outside the network should examine their own attitude before alienating themselves from it.
 
Last edited:
I have only been birding at UW for just over a year now, and I have found most people there to be extremely civil and will point out any birds that are about, I agree with Dave (Woodchat) wholeheartedly in that obviously if a bird drops in then you let your friends know first, quite how this could be perceived to be cliquey by anybody is beyond me.
If anyone feels they are missing out then maybe they should sign up to Brians service or (god forbid) actually attempt to make conversation with people.
There are many faces I have seen there who have never even acknowledged my existence, I assume it was one of these people who is trying to stir up a hornets nest?
At the end of the day NOBODY has a divine right to be informed of anything, I for one do not expect people to jump straight on the phone to let me know a spoonbill has dropped in, and like Dave I am extremely appreciative if/when they do.
 
We all suffer from non-communication at some time. We often read about the species seen by someone who has been good enough to enter it in the hide log, but doesn't necessarily see the need to broadcast it through other medums. There are many days when Upton warren doesn't get a mention on Worcester birding, so even the most informed regional site lacks input from the reserve. If any one has a genuine solution to the problem then bring it on. But lets not get too carried away, we don't get that many rare birds annually, in the event of the next 'biggie' this forum will surely be at the fore with the info...so just keep watching and CONTRIBUTING it is a two way thing. Those who attend work parties or are wardens are automatically in the loop as they have not only showed commitment but have also interacted with others. Membership of the WWT doesn't automatically put you on the grapevine. Communication comes in all forms and is a two way thing:smoke:.
 
Last edited:
Woodchat said:
A few photos from today:

1. The proud mother
2. Ringed Plover on flashes
3. RP defending itself from attacks from its diminutive 'cousin' - just look at the size difference between the RP and LRP!

:t:
Click to expand...

Great pics dave. Yet another sign of a late spring is nominate ringed plovers on the move, although this could well be a displaced breeder flooded out from elsewhere. At this time of year we should be getting the tundra race..these are about the size of a large LRP with less bright bare parts than the nominate form.
Dave also had 3 pochard with the tufted at the Flashes, an usual species at this time of year.B :)john
 
Last edited:
upstarts1979 said:
As you know people talk and some feel that they are missing out on some of the news of birds at Upton.Which you text amongst yourselves and a lot of members maybe not finding out for some 48 hours or so after the bird has flown. Others feel it’s becoming more of a private club for the few, in fact have you not seen that some members no longer go to Upton, whereas others are no longer members of the trust.
Now you and the others do a dam good job at Upton and no one should take that away from you all.
Regards??

Have to say I find this rather bizarre.... I'd hardly classify myself as being in any inner circle as I'm an infrequent visitor just getting down there when work permits but I've always found everyone really helpful whenever I go to the reserve. Ignore the gripes and keep up the excellent work John and all.

Mike
Click to expand...
 
IMHO this is a subject unworthy of conversation, but being as we've been invited to offer opinions...
I can't help seeing this as another attempt to undermine the work done by the VWs (past) and to try to dissipate/nullify the obvious esprit de corps that exists. Similarly, I can't help thinking that the instigators know that, due to the passion shared by the regular UW personnel, there's an easy rise/reaction to be had.
There was nothing wrong with any of the 'tog' perch arrangements/positioning.
There is nothing wrong with the maintenance/upkeep plans.
And, there's nothing wrong with the species sighting reporting either. Upton Warren is a place that we want like-minded folk to enjoy not a capability-based clique for the fun of any inner-circle members. Suppression is far outweighed by dissemination and the joy of sharing.
So come and join the fun and reap the satisfaction rather than snipe from the outside.
 
An interesting debate - I can not think of a single occasion where news of a rare bird has been surpressed only to an inner circle. I can even recall phoning Dave from Spurn to check out a pager message of a Wilsons Phal on the Flashes - phoned in by a visiting birder from the north east as it turned out. Very infrequently news doesnt get out because the finders dont know how to get the information to a wider audience (I can recall a lingering Hen Harrier at the Flashes approx 6 years ago??). However all the hide log-books carry details of people to contact to disseminate news if a rare bird is found.

If I found a rare bird, my thought process is as follows:-

(1) Is this a breeding bird and therefore a whole new approach may be required?
(2) Who do I know is on site who I can phone / text to get on it quickly?
(3) Send a text to those contact names on my phone (usually work party attendees, wardens, established birders whose finds I have twitched previously etc)
(4) Text Brian Stretch to get the local information service (Birding Today / Worcester Birding) in the loop
(5) Post details on the Forum
(6) Consider the level of rarity. Can the car parks cope with the influx? In recent years the birds have been not sufficiently rare to cause an absolute avalanche (BW Stilt, Wilsons Phal etc). If we had a Red-necked Stint or a Slender-billed Gull we would have to approach neighbouring landowners (Webbs?) to come to some sort of parking arrangement which would need negotiation / wardening i.e. time to sort.
(7) Perhaps 15 minutes later, given Stage 6 doesnt throw up any problems, give my pager company a call (thus giving local birders a head start).

After that point all the national bird news services take information from each other.

In addition to rare birds (which is obviously subjective depending on the size of your list), the Forum carries detailed round-ups of numbers and sightings of commoner species (including analysis and reasoning behind developing trends), some fantastic photographs, details of the work parties and their objectives, articles on the history of the reserve and statistics on previous sightings and occurences; a real treasure trove freely accessible to all.

In my eyes news dissemination from the reserve has never been better. If people think a Twitter account will help then great but its not a medium I will be adopting.
 
Cant believe its taken until the 14th May to get our second Ringed Plover of the year. The current passage of Ringies and Dunlins is what we may expect in the third and fourth weeks of April; perhaps the big push of Wood Sand / Turnstone / Greenshank / Barwit may therefore happen in late May / early June (is there a smilie for "fingers crossed"?) :t:
 
Phil Andrews said:
An interesting debate - I can not think of a single occasion where news of a rare bird has been surpressed only to an inner circle. I can even recall phoning Dave from Spurn to check out a pager message of a Wilsons Phal on the Flashes - phoned in by a visiting birder from the north east as it turned out. Very infrequently news doesnt get out because the finders dont know how to get the information to a wider audience (I can recall a lingering Hen Harrier at the Flashes approx 6 years ago??). However all the hide log-books carry details of people to contact to disseminate news if a rare bird is found.

If I found a rare bird, my thought process is as follows:-

(1) Is this a breeding bird and therefore a whole new approach may be required?
(2) Who do I know is on site who I can phone / text to get on it quickly?
(3) Send a text to those contact names on my phone (usually work party attendees, wardens, established birders whose finds I have twitched previously etc)
(4) Text Brian Stretch to get the local information service (Birding Today / Worcester Birding) in the loop
(5) Post details on the Forum
(6) Consider the level of rarity. Can the car parks cope with the influx? In recent years the birds have been not sufficiently rare to cause an absolute avalanche (BW Stilt, Wilsons Phal etc). If we had a Red-necked Stint or a Slender-billed Gull we would have to approach neighbouring landowners (Webbs?) to come to some sort of parking arrangement which would need negotiation / wardening i.e. time to sort.
(7) Perhaps 15 minutes later, given Stage 6 doesnt throw up any problems, give my pager company a call (thus giving local birders a head start).

After that point all the national bird news services take information from each other.

In addition to rare birds (which is obviously subjective depending on the size of your list), the Forum carries detailed round-ups of numbers and sightings of commoner species (including analysis and reasoning behind developing trends), some fantastic photographs, details of the work parties and their objectives, articles on the history of the reserve and statistics on previous sightings and occurences; a real treasure trove freely accessible to all.

In my eyes news dissemination from the reserve has never been better. If people think a Twitter account will help then great but its not a medium I will be adopting.
Click to expand...

If I find a rare bird then I immediately ring Rare Bird Alert ( I haven't had a pager for many years but do subscribe to the online service, £39.99 pa. So can receive all the bird news on my phone).
I used to ring all my friends but more than likely they weren't available or couldn't get out, so it's much quicker and cheaper to ring RBA. (I've found Bird Guides are mostly a waste of time as sometimes they don't put out the news.
Geoff
 
Last edited:

Similar threads

O
Rye Harbour
Replies
2
Views
667
Original PaulE
O
JRP01
Santoña 8 to 11 december 2022
Replies
0
Views
662
JRP01
JRP01
Paul Freestone
Majorca Trip Report - September 2022
Replies
1
Views
1K
Phil Andrews
Phil Andrews
G
  • Article
Citadels And Symphonies
Replies
2
Views
212
Green Sandpiper
G
Gert Corfield
Chaddesley Woods & Surrounds
2
Replies
27
Views
3K
Ian Byrnes
Ian Byrnes

Users who are viewing this thread

Total: 52 (members: 2, guests: 50)
Back
Top