Upton Warren (57 Viewers)

upstarts1979 said:

Yesterday I opened both sluices.
MOORS: Here we intend to drop the level by an inch or so over the next few days. This will allow a muddy area in Amy's marsh scrape to appear. This will aid lapwing and dabing duck rearing and wader feeding.

FLASHES: Here I opend the sluice for 4 hours and dropped the level by half a cm. Muddy patches formed in the delta and saucer where lapwing chicks are feeding.
Levels Moors 0.79 & Flashes 0.47....if you visit today or tomorrow could you let me know what the levels are. B john

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Moors level still 0.79.

Des.

Redshank on the Flashes

upstarts1979 said:

Hi Ivan
a reed warbler mate:t: john

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thanks John!

Today's highlights:

FLASHES/HEN POOL*
Black-t-Godwit (2)------------------Redshank
LRP (3)------------------------------Oystercatcher (2)
Lapwing (8) + 3:2:1 chicks---------Avocet (29) + 22 chicks
Shoveler (2prs)+ 3 chicks----------Shelduck (8)+ 8 chicks
Gadwall (f)--------------------------Cuckoo (2)
Greylag Goose (17)-----------------Cetti's Warbler*
Kestrel

MOORS/ N MOORS*
Common Tern (6)-------------------Med Gull (2s) still taking material to a nest.
Oystercatcher (3) + 1 chick--------Lapwing (1)
G C Grebe (2) + 1 chick------------Shoveler (m) + m*
Little Grebe (2)---------------------Whitethroat (2)
Kestrel------------------------------L Whitethroat (2)*

ED RES/SAILING POOL:
Cetti's Warbler----------------------House Sparrow (m+f)
G C Grebe (3) + chick--------------Greylag Goose (2) + 4 chicks

+ Painted Lady (RWP)

Des.

Great Photos

bob's_retired said:

A windy afternoon at the flashes and a quck visit to the Moors pools afterwards. The Avocet and Shelduck chicks have really grown since my last visit but it was good to catch the Lapwing and Oystercatcher chicks this time. Also got a Cuckoo, my first of the year. Always good people to chat with too.
1. Lapwing chick
2. Cuckoo
3. Cuckoo
4. Black Tailed Godwit
5. Pair of Little Ringed Plover leading a Black Headed Gull away from the nest.

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Great photo's I like the Cuckoo :-O

The 1st LRP chick has hatched at the Flashes. plus a least 4 lapwing chicks per Paul A
at Moors Oyc chick ok + 2 common tern sitting per Bobby P

bob's_retired said:

A windy afternoon at the flashes and a quck visit to the Moors pools afterwards. The Avocet and Shelduck chicks have really grown since my last visit but it was good to catch the Lapwing and Oystercatcher chicks this time. Also got a Cuckoo, my first of the year. Always good people to chat with too.
1. Lapwing chick
2. Cuckoo
3. Cuckoo
4. Black Tailed Godwit
5. Pair of Little Ringed Plover leading a Black Headed Gull away from the nest.

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The Black Tailed Godwits, number 4, is a stunning photograph. Respect.

Peter McF

A round up of chicks seen this evening:
Moors - Oystercatcher 4, Lapwing 1, GCG 1
Flashes - Avocet 22, Lapwing 6, LRP 1
The only slight surprise was the Curlew that dropped in as I was leaving at 9.20.

upstarts1979 said:

Thanks for posting Bob...good to see you yesterday mate.

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No problem, it's a fair trade - I usually come away having learned something new from somebody. It was also the first time I have ever seen distraction tactics like that.

upstarts1979 said:

Went to Suffolk for the weekend with Sue and met up with Gazza. He's looking well and up for the challenge, managed to get a picture of him in action then I ambushed him from a lay-by.
https://www.justgiving.com/gary-prescott/

https://www.facebook.com/bikingbirder2015

https://twitter.com/garybrianpresco?lang=en-gb

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Gary is now in north Lincolnshire with 229 species under his belt. Just to highlight the scale of his challenge from a birding perspective (notwithstanding the physical side) here is my best guess of the 71 species he needs to get to the hallowed grounds of 300 - daunting even with a car:


Bean Goose, Bewick's Swan, Green-winged Teal, Storm Petrel, Leach's Petrel, Sooty Shearwater, Balearic Shearwater, Capercaille, Ptarmigan, Corncrake, Spotted Crake, Quail, Little Stint, Long-billed Dowitcher, Pec Sand, Buff-breasted Sand, Jack Snipe, Green Sand, Baird's Sandpiper, Grey Phalarope, Golden Eagle, White-tailed Eagle, Honey Buzzard, Red-footed Falcon, Rough-legged Buzzard, Arctic Tern, Black Tern, White-winged Black Tern, Caspian Gull, Arctic Skua, Great Skua, Long-tailed Skua, Pomarine Skua, Puffin, Little Auk, Long-eared Owl, Short-eared Owl, Rock Dove, Alpine Swift, Bee-eater, Shorelark, Citrine Wagtail, Olive-backed Pipit, Red-rumped Swallow, Ring Ouzel, Bluethroat, Subalpine Warbler, Barred Warbler, Marsh Warbler, Blyth's Reed Warbler, Dusky Warbler, Radde's Warbler, Arctic Warbler, Greenish Warbler, Wood Warbler, Yellow-browed Warbler, Pallas's Warbler, Red-breasted Flycatcher, Crested Tit, Golden Oriole, Rose-coloured Starling, Red-backed Shrike, Woodchat Shrike, Serin, Common Rosefinch, Scottish Crossbill, Brambling, Mealey Redpoll, Arctic Redpoll, Snow Bunting, Lapland Bunting

wheatearlp said:

A round up of chicks seen this evening:
Moors - Oystercatcher 4, Lapwing 1, GCG 1
Flashes - Avocet 22, Lapwing 6, LRP 1
The only slight surprise was the Curlew that dropped in as I was leaving at 9.20.

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I take it that is 3 Oyk chicks from the Broadmeadow Pool pair?

PeterMcF said:

The Black Tailed Godwits, number 4, is a stunning photograph. Respect.

Peter McF

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Much appreciated

Phil Andrews said:

I take it that is 3 Oyk chicks from the Broadmeadow Pool pair?

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It is. They swam to island from east mainland, which was the only reason I saw them.

A migrant free zone today on the reserve,. but plenty of breeding activity as compensation. The weather looked promising clouding over and a threat of rain, but it quickly burned off. But as I write this from home the weather is looking good...so get over if you can.

MOORS: GCG 3 ads + chick, little grebe 4 ads, mute swan pr + 2 cygnets, cormorant, mallard c30 several small broods, tufted 35, coot 40. water rail involved in verbal combat with another adult on the North Moors side of the causeway. Lapwing 3 + chick, Oystercatcher 4 ads plus large chick on snipe island and the other brood were out of site on the Broadmeadow, but food was being taken to them. Med Gull 2nd summer, LBBG and herring gulls continued to remove BHG chicks, common tern 6, kestrel, sparrowhawk with prey, hobby, buzzard, stock dove 2, swallow, cettis w, sedge w 4, reed w 5 east side. blackcap, chiffchaff 2,
reed bunting 4 males east side and 3 NW reed bed.

NORTH MOORS: : Shoveler 3 (pr + male), Mallard 2 broods, Tufted 6, coot brood of 1, water rail calling by causeway, common tern 2 over, singing warblers - cetti's w, reed w 6, whitethroat, blackcap, chiffchaff 2. bullfinch, reed bunting.

FLASHES: Even more crowded in front of the main hide , now the 6th brood of lapwing have hatched. All 4 chicks are feeding in the short saltmarsh of the western 'spit', with 3 in the hide channel and another 2 in the delta plus all the avocets and LRP the area within 30 metres of the hide is totally rammed. This doesn't include the mallard broods, shelduck chicks and the very small coots that drift in and out. Although the BHG tend not to venture too close which will hopefully aid the smaller waders. I personally think that many of the waders nest close to the hide for extra protection afforded by the human's.
Shoveler pr, shelduck 8 + 8 chicks, tufted 15, greylag 17 grazing the meadow - as good as the cattle at this time of year. coot 2 broods in front of hide 1:5. Avocet 28 + 22 chicks, Oystercatcher 2 adults in the meadow have been very fidgety today, so I would expect to be seeing chicks soon, Lrp 5 ads + 1 chick, Lapwing 14 + 10 chicks (4 broods), Kestrel pr, stock dove 5, raven, linnet 5.

My first painted lady at the Moors this morning.
water levels Moors - 0.78 dropped 1cm since Tuesday at Flashes dropped 2 cm since 2nd June.

upstarts1979 said:

FLASHES: Even more crowded in front of the main hide , now the 6th brood of lapwing have hatched. All 4 chicks are feeding in the short saltmarsh of the western 'spit', with 3 in the hide channel and another 2 in the delta plus all the avocets and LRP the area within 30 metres of the hide is totally rammed. This doesn't include the mallard broods, shelduck chicks and the very small coots that drift in and out. Although the BHG tend not to venture too close which will hopefully aid the smaller waders. I personally think that many of the waders nest close to the hide for extra protection afforded by the human's.
Shoveler pr, shelduck 8 + 8 chicks, tufted 15, greylag 17 grazing the meadow - as good as the cattle at this time of year. coot 2 broods in front of hide 1:5. Avocet 28 + 22 chicks, Oystercatcher 2 adults in the meadow have been very fidgety today, so I would expect to be seeing chicks soon, Lrp 5 ads + 1 chick, Lapwing 14 + 10 chicks (4 broods), Kestrel pr, stock dove 5, raven, linnet 5.

My first painted lady at the Moors this morning.
water levels Moors - 0.78 dropped 1cm since Tuesday at Flashes dropped 2 cm since 2nd June.

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Were the Shoveler pair still on the third Flash (without any ducklings)?

Lapwing Breeding Update

Brood F1 - hatched 4 young south of the second Flash on 17/05; not definitively seen since but regular adult activity in the area plus the appearance of 2 larger chicks in right of the reeds on 28/05 indicate they may have potentially survived
Brood F2 - hatched 4 young on the right hand side of the sewage meadow on 19/02; reduced to 2 on 27/05 with both still present on 30/05 but only 1 from early June onwards
Brood F3 - hatched 1 young on the left hand side of the sewage meadow on 22/05; not seen subsequently
Brood F4 - hatched 4 young to the right of the hide near the delta from 24/05; reduced to 2 on 27/05 with both still present today
Brood F5 - hatched 4 young in from the main hide from 28/05; reduced to 3 young on 29/05 with 3 still present today
Brood F6 - hatched 4 young in front of main hide on 05/06
Brood M1 - hatched 4 young in the Broadmeadow from 22/05; relocated to Amy's Marsh with only 1 young seen from 29/05 onwards

In total to date six pairs have produced 25 young of which at least 11 were still present today

This is now the most productive year in terms of hatched young beating the 22 from 1996, albeit we won't surpass that year's figure of 13 progressing to fledge.

upstarts1979 said:

Hi Ivan
a reed warbler mate:t: john

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thanks John

Phil Andrews said:

Were the Shoveler pair still on the third Flash (without any ducklings)?

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The female Shoveler with chicks was on the second flash Friday lunchtime.:t:

Update from the Flashes...5.15 start
all chicks ok thats 22avocets. 10 lapwing. 1 LRP & 8 shelduck...oystetcatcher almost certainly have chicks in meadow as it is chasing away coots. No sign of shoveler chicks though.
Hobby just flown through south. Med gull 2nd summer,
A slight influx of lapwing with at least 15 adults, the LRP and lapwings were constantly attacking each other in front of the hide. The 3 lapwing chicks feeding in the hide channel were left alone for long periods. It appears that only the male is guarding them and is less attentive than the neighbouring females with their broods. The avocets seem to have met their match as they are very wary of the lapwing families and back off before too much confrontation.
Species count FLASHES
Shoveler 3 (pr + m), shelduck 8 ads + 8 ch, gadwall male, tufted 30, greylag 17, mute swan pr, coot 20 + broods of 1:5. Avocet 28 + 22 ch, lapwing 15 + 10 ch, LRP 4 + 1 chick, Oystercatcher pr + chick?, Med Gull 2nd sum, Hobby , buzzard, raven 2, stock dove 12, swift 150+ seen from Flashes flying over the Moors pool, skylark, sand martin 2, house martin 15, cetti's warbler singing, reed warbler 5, sedge w, chiffchaff 2, blackcap, linnet 8, goldfinch 12, reed bunting 5 singing.
at least 4 Avocet chicks can now fly at 33 days old

SAILING POOL: GCG 2 + half grown chick, tufted 22, great sp woodp, swift 6, cetti's warbler singing,

The LRP chick
pics courtesy of
1. Mike& Yvonne T
2. Rob G
B