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

Coney Meadow and Adjoining Areas (5 Viewers)

Med Gull

Dave
That's what you call a flood plain, just as I was thinking we were getting all the run off from the Salwarp :eek!:see you soon mateB :) John

Looking very different today - just a few wet patches (photos below).

Scrutiny of the gulls revealed a first summer Mediterranean Gull amongst 33 Black-heads. Med Gull is a new patch tick for me so I'm pretty chuffed about that. :eat: The bird had very little black on the head - just a fairly indistinct mask. It is probably one of the birds recently seen at Upton Warren. A few LBBG's and Herring Gulls also present until gunshots from a nearby wood caused all the gulls to disperse - most flying off due west.

The female Redstart showed again briefly as it perched on one of the barbed wire fences and the Spotted Flycatcher was showing extremely well in its usual place.

Other birds seen today include Common Whitethroat (6), Sedge Warbler (7), Linnets (6), Raven (1), Nuthatch (1), Grey Wagtail (1 female), Swallow (15+ including several juvs), Grey Heron (2), Greenfinch (8 including 3 juvs), Treecreeper (2), Goldfinch (10+ including 2 juvs), Goldcrest (3), Mistle Thrush (4), Jay (2), Buzzard (4), Sparrowhawk (1 female), Bullfinch (pair), Kingfisher, Long-tailed Tits (20+), Chaffinch (6), plus several Swifts, House Martins, Blackcaps, Moorhens, Mallards, Chiffchaffs, Reed Warblers, Reed Buntings (including 1 juv), Song Thrushes, Wrens, Blue Tits, Great Tits, Blackbirds, Jackdaws, Collared Doves, Wood Pigeons, Rooks and Stock Doves.

Insects seen today included Ringlets (25+), Meadow Browns (10), Green-veined White (2), Large Skipper, Small Skipper (2), Banded Demoiselles (5), Beautiful Demoiselles (3), Blue-tailed Damselflies (picture below), Southern Hawker (2), Silver Y Moth (picture below) and Six-spot Burnet Moth (picture below)
 

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Looking very different today - just a few wet patches (photos below).

Scrutiny of the gulls revealed a first summer Mediterranean Gull amongst 33 Black-heads. Med Gull is a new patch tick for me so I'm pretty chuffed about that. :eat: The bird had very little black on the head - just a fairly indistinct mask. It is probably one of the birds recently seen at Upton Warren. A few LBBG's and Herring Gulls also present until gunshots from a nearby wood caused all the gulls to disperse - most flying off due west.

The female Redstart showed again briefly as it perched on one of the barbed wire fences and the Spotted Flycatcher was showing extremely well in its usual place.

Other birds seen today include Common Whitethroat (6), Sedge Warbler (7), Linnets (6), Raven (1), Nuthatch (1), Grey Wagtail (1 female), Swallow (15+ including several juvs), Grey Heron (2), Greenfinch (8 including 3 juvs), Treecreeper (2), Goldfinch (10+ including 2 juvs), Goldcrest (3), Mistle Thrush (4), Jay (2), Buzzard (4), Sparrowhawk (1 female), Bullfinch (pair), Kingfisher, Long-tailed Tits (20+), Chaffinch (6), plus several Swifts, House Martins, Blackcaps, Moorhens, Mallards, Chiffchaffs, Reed Warblers, Reed Buntings (including 1 juv), Song Thrushes, Wrens, Blue Tits, Great Tits, Blackbirds, Jackdaws, Collared Doves, Wood Pigeons, Rooks and Stock Doves.

Insects seen today included Ringlets (25+), Meadow Browns (10), Green-veined White (2), Large Skipper, Small Skipper (2), Banded Demoiselles (5), Beautiful Demoiselles (3), Blue-tailed Damselflies (picture below), Southern Hawker (2), Silver Y Moth (picture below) and Six-spot Burnet Moth (picture below)

Dave, If you can get close up and personal with a Small Skipper, you might find it's an Essex Skipper. ;)


Des.
 
Looking very different today - just a few wet patches (photos below).

Scrutiny of the gulls revealed a first summer Mediterranean Gull amongst 33 Black-heads. Med Gull is a new patch tick for me so I'm pretty chuffed about that. :eat: The bird had very little black on the head - just a fairly indistinct mask. It is probably one of the birds recently seen at Upton Warren. A few LBBG's and Herring Gulls also present until gunshots from a nearby wood caused all the gulls to disperse - most flying off due west.

The female Redstart showed again briefly as it perched on one of the barbed wire fences and the Spotted Flycatcher was showing extremely well in its usual place.

Other birds seen today include Common Whitethroat (6), Sedge Warbler (7), Linnets (6), Raven (1), Nuthatch (1), Grey Wagtail (1 female), Swallow (15+ including several juvs), Grey Heron (2), Greenfinch (8 including 3 juvs), Treecreeper (2), Goldfinch (10+ including 2 juvs), Goldcrest (3), Mistle Thrush (4), Jay (2), Buzzard (4), Sparrowhawk (1 female), Bullfinch (pair), Kingfisher, Long-tailed Tits (20+), Chaffinch (6), plus several Swifts, House Martins, Blackcaps, Moorhens, Mallards, Chiffchaffs, Reed Warblers, Reed Buntings (including 1 juv), Song Thrushes, Wrens, Blue Tits, Great Tits, Blackbirds, Jackdaws, Collared Doves, Wood Pigeons, Rooks and Stock Doves.

Insects seen today included Ringlets (25+), Meadow Browns (10), Green-veined White (2), Large Skipper, Small Skipper (2), Banded Demoiselles (5), Beautiful Demoiselles (3), Blue-tailed Damselflies (picture below), Southern Hawker (2), Silver Y Moth (picture below) and Six-spot Burnet Moth (picture below)

Great stuff Dave, perseverance paid. Now back to Upton for the Autumn8-P
 
Dave, If you can get close up and personal with a Small Skipper, you might find it's an Essex Skipper. ;)


Des.

Hi Des,

Got close and they weren't - but I have had an Essex Skipper here once before - last year - I posted a photo of it on this forum thread.

Tried to photograph the Small Skippers today but they flew off just at the wrong time. Got a photo of the Large Skipper but, unfortunately it came out blurred.
 
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Two Hobbies gave a superb display over Coney Meadow this evening before flying off down the valley. Five Ravens and two Buzzards, 20+ Swallows, 5 Sand Martins and a few Swifts. Whitethroat and Blackcap also.

Two Spotted Flycatchers west of the Village showing occasionally plus male Kestrel, 2 Grey Wagtails and one Goldcrest.

Just a few Gulls in the flooded fields further along - LBBG, Herring and Blackheads.

1 Green Wodpecker (adult female) showing well in the churchyard.
 
A Willow Warbler was in trees along the canal near Ladywood this morning. Two adult Spotted Flycatchers were west of Salwarpe village and a Raven flew over. Also 2 Whitethroats, juvenile Buzzard plus 3 adults, Goldcrest, House Sparrows, Reed Warblers, Blackcaps, Treecreeper and Pied Wgtail plus many Swallows and Swifts.

Insects included 2 Red Admirals, 2 Small Tortoiseshells, 3 Commas, Large White, Ringlets, Meadow Browns, 2 Large Skippers, 3 Small Skippers, Silver Y Moth, Burnet Moths, Blue-tailed Damselfly, Beautiful Demoiselle, Banded Demoiselle and several Hornets.

Plants in flower include Toadflax, Great Willowherb and the very striking Clustered Bellflower.
 

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Excellent news! The Spotted Flycatchers have managed to fledge at least 3 young and were busily feeding them in the plantation this morning. Given the weather we've had this summer I wasn't confident they would even get any to this stage.

Also, 2 adult Grey Wagtails carrying food (picture below) and a Reed Warbler juvenile being fed by its parent.

Willow Warblers were present between Salwarpe and Ladywood and in Coney Meadow. A Mute Swan flew over, 2 Linnets dropped in, 3 Sedge Warblers, 3 Whitethroats and a Water Rail called from the reedbed.

Mistle Thrush, Coal Tit and Goldcrest were seen around the village.
 

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A pair of Mute Swans with 5 well-grown cygnets on the canal this evening. Otherwise, very quiet - even the Reed Warblers weren't singing much - just one female Grey Wagtail seen, a couple of Blackcaps and Goldcrests and 2 Ravens.
 

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this evenings walk we saw ;couple of L.T.tits 4 swift,2 housemartin, song thrush, grey wagtail,3 treecreepers on same tree.enjoyable stroll along salwarpe & canal:t:
 
this evenings walk we saw ;couple of L.T.tits 4 swift,2 housemartin, song thrush, grey wagtail,3 treecreepers on same tree.enjoyable stroll along salwarpe & canal:t:

Hi Gladys

I hear you got some good views of the badgers last week and even managed to get some video footage. I wouldn't mind seeing that. :t:
 
I was browsing through the new Canal & River Trust website (old British Waterways), and found this appeal, (one of many!) http://canalrivertrust.org.uk/get-involved/appeals/create-a-wildlife-habitat-in-coney-meadow
We feel inclined to support them as we make use of it fairly regularly these days, weather permitting and it's a fabulous area.

Thanks Mary,

I'll certainly support that and I'll be helping Mark Robinson to increase the diversity of the site.

One thing Ill be doing is sowing some Yellow Rattle seeds in the meadow in the autumn. This is a semi-parasite that will reduce the vigour of the courser grasses in the meadow and thereby allow the colonisation of more herbaceous plants such as oxeye daisies and knapweeds - which are good for hoverflies and other insects.

Mark has a lot of other exciting plans that should see the birding potential of the site go from strength to strength - funds permiting.
 
A flyover Siskin this morning was highly unusual for this time of year.

A Willow Warbler was singing between Salwarpe and Ladywood and a Goldcrest was feeding fledgelings.

Also seen this morning: 3 Ravens, 7 Buzzards, 1 adult Spotted Flycatcher and a Nuthatch in the churchyard, Sedge Warblers, Reed Warblers, Reed Buntings, Swallows and Swifts.

Insects included many Skipper butterflies (2 Large, 6+ Small and at least 2 Essex), Holly Blue, lots of Ringlets, 3 Green-veined Whites, Meadow Browns, 2 Gatekeepers, Red Admiral, 2+ Brown Hawkers, 2 Southern Hawkers, Banded Demoiselle and 3 Common Darters.

Photos below include Dittander - an unassuming-looking plant but more commonly associated with coastal sites and unusual inland. It is probably present along the banks of the River Salwarpe because of its salinity.

Also below is a photo of a small Bee with striking yellow legs - any suggestions of what species it might be are welcomed. :t:
 

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A very young speckly juvenile Redstart, still with gape flanges, popped up on the hedge between Coney Meadow and the canal this morning, then flew along the hedge towards Droitwich before being lost to view. This reinforces the possibility of local breeding, given the run of sightings of adults of both sexes of this species in recent weeks.

Other birds seen today: Spotted Flycatcher (adult by churchyard), 4 Ravens, Goldcrests (4+), Swallows (25+ including 14+ juvs), 1 Sand Martin, 20+ Swifts, Whitethroats (5), Sedge Warblers (4 inc 1 juv), Grey Wagtails (2), 35 Starlings, Reed Warblers (many inc 1 juv), begging juv Buzzard + adults, juv Green Woodpecker, 2 Jays, 1 singing Willow Warbler (same place as yesterday), Treecreeper, GS Woodpecker, juvenile Robin, Blackcaps, Chiffchaffs, Stock Doves, Dunnocks, 1 Grey Heron, Bullfinch, lots of Goldfinches and Greenfinches with juvs, 30+ BH Gulls over, 1 adult Herring Gull and 10+ LBBG.

Insect highlights included my first Marbled White of the year, plenty of Ringlets, Skippers, Meadow Browns, Grasshoppers and Blue-tailed Damselfly.
 

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More Skippers

Below are photos taken today in Coney Meadow of Essex Skipper (inky black undersides of antennae) and Small Skipper (plain brownish undersides of antennae):
 

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Fantastic Hirundine Roost

A gathering of an estimated 400+ Swallows this evening provided an amazing spectacle - I've tried to capture some of the scene below but the photos don't do it justice - they were literally everywhere. If you zoom in - every dot is a bird - but only a small fraction of the flock is captured in each freehand snap (light was fading). They eventually settled in the reeds to roost

Perhaps 30 or more Sand Martins were mixed in and the gathering attracted the attentions of a Hobby - which perched on a nearby tree and on telegraph wires after swooping in a few times.

Earlier, a Kingfisher flew up the river calling and, this afternoon, a circular walk via fields opposite New Mill Cottage (on the road to Hadley) and Ladywood added singing Yellowhammer and Lesser Whitethroat to the day-list.
 

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A gathering of an estimated 400+ Swallows this evening provided an amazing spectacle - I've tried to capture some of the scene below but the photos don't do it justice - they were literally everywhere. If you zoom in - every dot is a bird - but only a small fraction of the flock is captured in each freehand snap (light was fading). They eventually settled in the reeds to roost

So that's where they all are! We were at the other end today, Egg Lane to the Severn, and commented on an almost total lack of swallows about. Last time, a couple of months ago, there was/were (!) loads.
 
So that's where they all are! We were at the other end today, Egg Lane to the Severn, and commented on an almost total lack of swallows about. Last time, a couple of months ago, there was/were (!) loads.

Hi Mary,

Similar numbers roosted in Coney Meadow reedbed this evening and, once again, a Hobby swooped in. Once they were safely in their roost, the bats came out - at least 22 Noctules feeding on the swarming insects.

Earlier, 2 Mistle Thrushes, Goldcrest, Bullfinch, 4 Ravens, 1 Grey Wagtail, 3 Pied Wagtails, Kingfisher, Willow Warbler and Sparrowhawk.

More Marbled Whites, Southern Hawker, Brown Hawkers and Common Darter.
 

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