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Upton Warren (45 Viewers)
- Thread starter andythomas
- Start date
forgetfulelephant
Well-known member
Alan I'm not sure from that pic that it is a fish, looks more like a bit of Reedmace stem to me. But they do catch fish, I've ssen them do it many times, although none of the books i've read mention fish as a food source. Maybe only the UW ones do it!
Rob
luckyosprey4
Well-known member
lesser kestrel
Well-known member
Adult greater black backed gull on The Moors Monday evening.
lesser kestrel
Well-known member
The first illustration might be a type of 2-spot.
The second illustration might be a harlequin.
reference............Insects of Britain and Western Europe, page 279, Michael Chinery.
great field guide, worth buying (16.99)
The second illustration might be a harlequin.
reference............Insects of Britain and Western Europe, page 279, Michael Chinery.
great field guide, worth buying (16.99)
matthewlissimore
wildlife illustration & photography
Upton Warren Update 27/08/2013
Visited yesterday arrived around 7.30 and set up in the Water Rail Hide, camera and sketchbook at the ready!
Started out foggy in the morning but the sun soon broke through and the light was beautiful. Plenty of small birds on the feeding table, Bullfinch, Greenfinch, Robin and Dunnock.
As the morning went on around 8.29 two Herons flew across the water along with some Canadian Geese.
8.48 four goldfinch arrive and begin to feed on seeds provided by the plant matter in front of the hide. Got some nice sketches and photographs from them. Shortly after this a Snipe lands near by in the reed bed. It stayed for quite some time wondering around but you could only catch glimpses of it as it leaped into the air!
Then the Kingfisher arrived at 9.03 and landed on the right branch for a couple of seconds only showing it's back to me so unsure if it was male or female. Then it flew onto the branch towards the left and then further back were it was harder to observe. It fished for about two minutes then moved on.
Snipe flew away about 9.20 very quickly so must have been in the same area from about 8.48. Shortly after this the Kingfisher arrived back at 9.33 fishing on the left branch, this time we could clearly see that it was the male with his black beak. At 9.33 exactly the snipe returned through the left channel causing the kingfisher to dart off to the right! Very exciting stuff! I've included the picture to prove it!
Shortly after this the maintenance team arrived to clear and cut away over grown plant matter. This will please the photographers and bird watchers trying to get a clear view or photograph! They started work from the far right side and eventually arrived at the water rail hide when we called it a day and headed home. Beautiful place and I will return again soon! I would like to say a thank you to Rob and his team for keeping the reserve to a high standard, it makes it a very pleasant place to visit and observe wildlife.
Cheers,
Matt.
Visited yesterday arrived around 7.30 and set up in the Water Rail Hide, camera and sketchbook at the ready!
Started out foggy in the morning but the sun soon broke through and the light was beautiful. Plenty of small birds on the feeding table, Bullfinch, Greenfinch, Robin and Dunnock.
As the morning went on around 8.29 two Herons flew across the water along with some Canadian Geese.
8.48 four goldfinch arrive and begin to feed on seeds provided by the plant matter in front of the hide. Got some nice sketches and photographs from them. Shortly after this a Snipe lands near by in the reed bed. It stayed for quite some time wondering around but you could only catch glimpses of it as it leaped into the air!
Then the Kingfisher arrived at 9.03 and landed on the right branch for a couple of seconds only showing it's back to me so unsure if it was male or female. Then it flew onto the branch towards the left and then further back were it was harder to observe. It fished for about two minutes then moved on.
Snipe flew away about 9.20 very quickly so must have been in the same area from about 8.48. Shortly after this the Kingfisher arrived back at 9.33 fishing on the left branch, this time we could clearly see that it was the male with his black beak. At 9.33 exactly the snipe returned through the left channel causing the kingfisher to dart off to the right! Very exciting stuff! I've included the picture to prove it!
Shortly after this the maintenance team arrived to clear and cut away over grown plant matter. This will please the photographers and bird watchers trying to get a clear view or photograph! They started work from the far right side and eventually arrived at the water rail hide when we called it a day and headed home. Beautiful place and I will return again soon! I would like to say a thank you to Rob and his team for keeping the reserve to a high standard, it makes it a very pleasant place to visit and observe wildlife.
Cheers,
Matt.
Attachments
Gert Corfield
Well-known member
Juv LRP and juv/female Redstart at the Flashes
Gert Corfield
Well-known member
J_Caswell
Well-known member
nice one Gert:t:
Janner Falcon!
Well-known member
UW82
Well-known member
Today's highlights:
FLASHES:
Ruff----------------LRP(juv)
Green Sand (7)-----Common Sand (3)
Snipe (4)-----------Curlew (15)
Shoveler (5)--------Gadwall (f)
Teal (146)----------Lapwing (68)
Grey Wagtail--------Peregrine
Raven--------------Whitethroat
L Whitethroat-------Willow Tit
Redstart (m) in hedge of transmitter field
B H Gull (c 100)
MOORS:
Spotted Fly (in trees on east side fronting the pool)
Willow Tit (on feeders and considered to be Flashes bird)
Whitethroat---------------Sedge Warbler
Reed Warbler (4)----------Water Rail
Pochard (2)---------------Kestrel
Little Grebe (8)------------G C Grebe (4+2 juvs)
Teal (15)------------------Shoveler (6)
Common Sand (1)----------Greylag Goose (24)
Snipe (2)
Des.
FLASHES:
Ruff----------------LRP(juv)
Green Sand (7)-----Common Sand (3)
Snipe (4)-----------Curlew (15)
Shoveler (5)--------Gadwall (f)
Teal (146)----------Lapwing (68)
Grey Wagtail--------Peregrine
Raven--------------Whitethroat
L Whitethroat-------Willow Tit
Redstart (m) in hedge of transmitter field
B H Gull (c 100)
MOORS:
Spotted Fly (in trees on east side fronting the pool)
Willow Tit (on feeders and considered to be Flashes bird)
Whitethroat---------------Sedge Warbler
Reed Warbler (4)----------Water Rail
Pochard (2)---------------Kestrel
Little Grebe (8)------------G C Grebe (4+2 juvs)
Teal (15)------------------Shoveler (6)
Common Sand (1)----------Greylag Goose (24)
Snipe (2)
Des.
Sy V
Well-known member
Moses... FAILS!
Last edited:
Janner Falcon!
Well-known member
Met this little chap half way down the track from the east hide gate.
About 30+mm long, very sleek and very shiny.
The nearest description and picture of a beetle I can find is that of the Tiger Water Beetle Dytiscus marginalis.
Any ideas?
(P.S. No beetle was injured in the making of the second picture - it climbed over the hide clamp and fell off. Turned over safe and sound)
About 30+mm long, very sleek and very shiny.
The nearest description and picture of a beetle I can find is that of the Tiger Water Beetle Dytiscus marginalis.
Any ideas?
(P.S. No beetle was injured in the making of the second picture - it climbed over the hide clamp and fell off. Turned over safe and sound
)Attachments
Phil Andrews
It's only Rock and Roller but I like it
Yet another good selection of birds Des - the Teal numbers (161 across the reserve) seem very impressive and yet still no sniff of a Garganey. A couple of Black Terns down the road at Hewell Grange may find their way over the reserve.
UW82
Well-known member
Regarding the Teal figures, there was a discussion about whether the current numbers are abnormally high for late August and a quick look at recent annual reports indicate that 60 would be more like a typical figure.
Des.
Phil Andrews
It's only Rock and Roller but I like it
The Birds of Upton Warren opus indicates that the average peak count for the second half of August is in the high 70s (chart attached for PeterE's approval). When I re-write the opus for publication in early 2018 hopefully there will be a bigger pool of stats that will iron out any rogue data.
Attachments
Where Bird
Well-known member
For record purposes -
Flashes 12.54 pm the Canadas landed - on their third approach from the Moors direction - into the transmitter field. Second shot is the whole crew and both shots include the Ross's Goose.
Buzzard had been in dead tree to right of hide for quite some time and was still there when we left.
Moors 15.24 there was one visible snipe in the pool of Pool Island. Three shots of the bird. One shot reminiscent of the John Cleese sketch - I look up to him...
Actually - I look up to him because he's bigger than me.
I don't care - I can run faster than both of them!
Phil
Flashes 12.54 pm the Canadas landed - on their third approach from the Moors direction - into the transmitter field. Second shot is the whole crew and both shots include the Ross's Goose.
Buzzard had been in dead tree to right of hide for quite some time and was still there when we left.
Moors 15.24 there was one visible snipe in the pool of Pool Island. Three shots of the bird. One shot reminiscent of the John Cleese sketch - I look up to him...
Actually - I look up to him because he's bigger than me.
I don't care - I can run faster than both of them!
Phil
