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

Upton Warren (26 Viewers)

Dave J updates from his early morning visit:

Flashes - 33 Avocet, 2 Common Sand, 4 LRP, Swift, Lesser Whitethroat

Sailing Pool - 2 Common Sand
 
Phil Andrews said:
Cheers Mike - can you just confirm our highest and lowest totals over the years. The long range forecast currently is predicting southerlies by the end of next week with temperatures rising to 16C by the All-Dayer itself.
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Was hoping all tabs would be visible, which would give all tho' info & more. In case not, highest total is the 92 achieved in 1994. The lowest is 72 that was 'achieved' in 2008 - a bit of a half-hearted effort after a two year break.
 
wheatearlp said:
Was hoping all tabs would be visible, which would give all tho' info & more. In case not, highest total is the 92 achieved in 1994. The lowest is 72 that was 'achieved' in 2008 - a bit of a half-hearted effort after a two year break.
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Looking on my phone I can only see 2010 onwards - will have another go on the laptop

Edit: can now see all 4 worksheets on the laptop
 
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Mike W reports two notable sightings this evening at the Flashes:

(1) The emergence of the first Lapwing brood of the year with a family of 4 young in the sewage meadow.

(2) The return of the ringed Avocet which bred last year after a tour of the West Midlands in 2014 (white "64").
 
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Highlights from a disappointing week

Having started the week on 104 species I was hoping to add a few more ticks to my Upton Warren year list as I embarked on my week off. Alas, mainly thanks to the constant northerly airflow, I failed to add to my score. I also missed a cuckoo (seen by Dave J) at the Moors Pool - I was at the Flashes at the time - and a Yelow Wagtail (Dave J & Mike W), which flew over the transmitter field whilst I was in the hide.

Nevertheless, I did get a couple of breathtaking close-up views of 2 Lesser Whitethroats and also Reed, Sedge and Cetti's Warblers. The Water Rail continued to show exceedingly well in front of the Hen Brook Hide. There were actually 2 of them this morning. It was also good to see a few Swifts coming in towards the end of the week - I saw 12 in total across the reserve yesterday.

My very best moment of the week came yesterday when scanning across the paddock at the Moors Pool I witnessed 3 Mistle Thrushes, one of which was obviously a young bird, having less browny/grey colouring on the head and nape regions. I watched in awe as the parent birds brought worms to feed their fledgling chick. I only wish I'd thought to get the camera out:C.

A disappointing week it may have been but to paraphrase a quote I heard once: "a bad week's birding is infinitely better than a good week at work." B :)B :)

Finally, a shot of one of the obliging Water Rails:
 

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April finished on 104 species with the year list advanced to 121 species, both very disappointing compared with recent years at a similar stage:

2015 - year list 128 / month list 115
2014 - 126 / 110
2013 - 134 / 118

Hopefully a more southerly element to the wind this week (starting today) and rising temperatures will improve our birding prospects. Potential additions in May - which should be racking up a monthly list in the region of 110 to 115 species - include:

Hobby, Ringed Plover, Sanderling, Greenshank, Bar-tailed Godwit, Wood Sandpiper, Ruff, Turnstone, Yellow-legged Gull, Black Tern, Arctic Tern, Wheatear, Whinchat, Spotted Flycatcher, Yellowhammer

May is also a very productive month for rarities with previous occurrences on the reserve including:

Purple Heron, Spoonbill, White Stork, Corncrake, Honey Buzzard, Quail, Black-winged Stilt, Temminck's Stint, Red-necked Phalarope, Roseate Tern, Arctic Skua, Hoopoe, Bee-eater, Alpine Swift, Red-rumped Swallow, Black Redstart, Bluethroat, Nightingale, Ring Ouzel, Savi's Warbler, Firecrest and Golden Oriole.
 
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Phil Andrews said:
Mike W reports two notable sightings this evening at the Flashes:

(1) The emergence of the first Lapwing brood of the year with a family of 4 young in the sewage meadow.

(2) The return of the ringed Avocet which bred last year after a tour of the West Midlands in 2014 (white "64").
Click to expand...

As a reminder, the colour-ringed bird with white ring "64" on its left leg and a gold uncoded ring on its right leg was originally ringed on the 4th September 2008 in Zwarte Hann, Netherlands. It was subsequently recorded at Blacktoft Sands RSPB, East Yorkshire on the 8th May 2009 and at Halsham, East Yorkshire on the 3rd June 2013 before being recorded at several sites in the Worcestershire in 2014 - Clifton Pits on the 18th, 19th and 22nd April and again in early May 2014, Upton Warren's Moors Pool on the 7th May as well as at Lower Moor during the same period (it could potentially also be the colour-ringed bird distantly observed at Middleton Lakes on the 30th March and 9th April 2014).

Last year it was noted on a number of dates from the 7th April and formed half of one of the breeding pairs which hatched four young hatched from the left hand of the first Flash island of which three fledged; it has returned to exactly the same spot this year hopefully to similar success.
 
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Dave J this morning has encountered at the Moors Pool:

2 Common Terns, Common Sandpiper, LRP, Nuthatch, 6 Reed Warbler, 8 Swift

Also 5 House Sparrow in the Sailing Pool car park
 
Phil Andrews said:
Dave J this morning has encountered at the Moors Pool:

2 Common Terns, Common Sandpiper, LRP, Nuthatch, 6 Reed Warbler, 8 Swift

Also 5 House Sparrow in the Sailing Pool car park
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3 common terns and some courtship between two of them and a jay on moors, also dunlin and kestrel on flashes.
 
Late news for yesterday of a Red Kite over the Moors Pool car park as per Tony Howell. Also seen by Paul Anthony and Carl & Jackie.
 
Some of the old timers might remember my Eldest daughter Gemma on work parties in the 90"s . yesterday she married to Lewis...A bit more grown up than you probably saw her last :gh:
 

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Monday 1st May 1215-1745

Despite the wind moving round to a southerly it was still hard going as I struggled to reach 60 species over the afternoon. Hopefully a prolonged spell of winds from the south plus rising temperatures this week will see a change in fortunes.

MOORS POOL
3 Lapwing, 3 Oystercatcher (2 sitting), 1 Common Sand, 1 Shelduck, 4 Gadwall (pair & 2 males), 1 Teal (male), 4 Shoveler (female + 3 males - including one with a broken lower mandible), 1 GC Grebe, 5 Little Grebe, 63 Tufted Duck, 2 Mute Swan, 4 Common Tern, 1 LBB Gull, 1 Herring Gull, Kestrel, 5+ Swift, Lesser Whitethroat singing near car park, Common Whitethroat singing around North Moors, Sparrowhawk, 2 Mistle Thrush in the paddock.

The Otter was reported again in the morning.

SAILING POOL
2 Mute Swan, 6 Tufted Duck, 1 GC Grebe, 3 Common Sand roosting on the large platform.

FLASHES
1 Dunlin, 3 Common Sand, 29 Avocet (4 sitting), 2 Oystercatcher (still sitting in sewage meadow), 4 LR Plover, 15 Lapwing (3+ sitting plus broods of 3+1), 6 Shelduck, 2 Gadwalll (pair), 5 Shoveler (all males), 11 Tufted Duck, 1 LBB Gull, Lesser Whitethroat, 2 Raven, Kestrel.

No Willow Warbler or Snipe is slightly worrying ahead of the All-Dayer ....
 
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Just had a look at the weather forecast and IF it holds true it could be fantastic conditions for some movement on the All-Dayer on Saturday - southerlies on Wednesday and Thursday with easterlies on Friday and Saturday, light rain on the day itself and temperatures climbing to a muggy 19C ...... Fingers crossed.
 
Dave J reports from the Flashes:

32 Avocet, Common Sandpiper, 6 LRP, Yellow Wagtail ➡ N, Little Egret, 7 Swift, Whitethroat, Lesser Whitethroat, Teal
 

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