Upton Warren (33 Viewers)

Early start FLASHES

Did an early today 5.15am instead of my normal Saturday.
A cool northerly for most of the morning made the 9 degrees feel much colder.
No migrants of note but the strange phenomena of numerous sedge warblers bursting into song late in June continued today. I personally think these birds arrived from further south and are probably arriving to breed for a second time this year. They may have bred in Europe earlier in the spring and like Quail move North to have a second brood. The reason I think this as opposed to our birds having a second brood , is that no sedge warbler have bred in this area this year. Many other warblers were singing and plenty of young passerines were everywhere.
On the water there were fewer duck especially teal and as yet no tufted chicks yet.
Another interesting occurrence was the early build up of rooks. At good flock of them were feeding in the archery field and perching in the Hen pool birches.
My second visit to the Flashes in the afternoon added a family of raven and a slight increase in lapwing.

SPECIES COUNT FLASHES:
Teal 5. Gadwall 3. Shelduck 5
Avocet 41 :3ch. LRP 4. Lapwing 32. Green sand. Oystercatcher.
Med Gull ad.
Stock dove 30. Raven 4. Rook 40+.
Swift 35. Great sp woodp. Skylark 2 singing.
Whitethroat 2 singing. Lesser whitethroat ad singing 2 juvs. Blackcap 2 singing. Cetti's young calling. Chiffchaff. Reed w several singing. Sedge warbler 3 singing West hedgerow.
Young of the following:- greenfinch, goldfinch 15. Song thrush and blackbird. All the common garden birds are having a great season.

Sailing pool:- GCG 4 ads at least one large chick. Greylag 2 broods 3 large : 4 small. chicks

MOORS SPECIES COUNT:-
GCG. Little grebe 6.
Gadwall 6. Mallard at least 5 broods. Wigeon male. Tufted 25.
Lapwing 4. Oystercatcher 2 ads:2 ch. The older chick has now fledged and probably moved off with its parents.
Common Tern 4 .
Kestrel. Rook 4. Swift 55. House Martin 25.
Cetti's w 3 juvs calling. Reed w and sedge w feeding young in front of East hide. Chiffchaff and blackcap singing
Along East track treecreeper and goldcrest.

The only news I have seen for today is a nearly/ newly fledged juvenile Water Rail at the North Moors as per Matt Smith

A young Water Rail viewed mid-morning at the North Moors Pool. Med Gull also spotted at Moors.

An hour or two this afternoon looking for Butterflies and day-flying Moths on the Moors side of the reserve produced : Large White, Large Skipper, Red Admiral, small Tort. ,Comma, Meadow Brown, Ringlet and very close views of a White-letter Hairstreak (photo. below) on the moths : Silver-ground Carpet, Small Magpie and my first sightings for the reserve of Blood-vein and Scarlet Tiger.

Flashes hide ca1130 - i have never had the place to myself - must have been something else going on today

Laurie:t:

Any sightings to report Laurie?

Nothing of note Phil altho there did seem to be more Swifts but i’ve noticed that more locally as well. Has there been a lot of young Avocets predated? Several parties of non-birding types including a group of young lads walking to the Flashes hide - i don’t know ehat ppl expect to see without binoculars but i suppose it’s a spin off from the Aztec activity area...

The Aztecs used to sacrifice young children iirc:t:

Disastrous season for them Laurie - JTB will have the full facts to hand but off the top of my head 13 pairs nested of which only 6 broods hatched with 3 young fledged and 13 chicks lost.

Sightings from Sunday included:

5 Little Ringed Plover, 1 Curlew, 2 Shelduck, 2 Common Tern, juvenile Water Rail again at the North Moors, Kingfisher, male Wigeon still at the Moors Pool

rollingthunder said:

Nothing of note Phil altho there did seem to be more Swifts but i’ve noticed that more locally as well. Has there been a lot of young Avocets predated? Several parties of non-birding types including a group of young lads walking to the Flashes hide - i don’t know ehat ppl expect to see without binoculars but i suppose it’s a spin off from the Aztec activity area...

The Aztecs used to sacrifice young children iirc:t:

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Had the same problem myself on Saturday no birders about at the flashes hides but some larger groups of general public "mooching" about the hides/ area as if it was an add on to the activities space. Have no problem with people enjoying the countryside but I think caution needs to be shown in a highly sensitive breeding area such as this part of the reserve. Maybe a lock system at the gate like some other reserves have ? because clearly some people cannot read!

Public Incursions

The expansion of the Aztec "empire" particularly the aqua park, inevitably [and foreseeably] means additional incursions into the Flashes by non members and non permit holders. I would encourage regulars and contributors to the forum who encounter individuals/groups who look like curious Aztec customers,and are motivated to comment on it, to offer a low key challenge and give advice as to where a permit can be bought ie the Boat Shack and/or any wardens that are known to be around. A low key challenge in the right circumstances has benefits in that it might increase the sale of permits but also inform the scale of the problem. Some visitors of this nature may have permits though I suspect the vast majority will not. I am sure the warden group headed by John and Paul will have noted the preceding comments and that it will be a topic for discussion tomorrow at the work party. A key pad on the Flashes gate would be an option but as ever there are pros and cons. Better/larger signs at the gate is presumably an easy one. It may be worthwhile raising the issue with Aztecs manager so that some information about awareness/access to the Flashes is included in the sales/promotional material that they issue, but could be counter-productive. Sadly, most efforts of this nature would probably fall on deaf ears and blind eyes so identifying the scale of the problem is necessary in order to respond proportionately. Hence the request for low key challenges which at least might provide some feedback as to when the problem is at its worst [presumably weekends and school holidays] and the kind of numbers involved.

Kimbo52 said:

The expansion of the Aztec "empire" particularly the aqua park, inevitably [and foreseeably] means additional incursions into the Flashes by non members and non permit holders. I would encourage regulars and contributors to the forum who encounter individuals/groups who look like curious Aztec customers,and are motivated to comment on it, to offer a low key challenge and give advice as to where a permit can be bought ie the Boat Shack and/or any wardens that are known to be around. A low key challenge in the right circumstances has benefits in that it might increase the sale of permits but also inform the scale of the problem. Some visitors of this nature may have permits though I suspect the vast majority will not. I am sure the warden group headed by John and Paul will have noted the preceding comments and that it will be a topic for discussion tomorrow at the work party. A key pad on the Flashes gate would be an option but as ever there are pros and cons. Better/larger signs at the gate is presumably an easy one. It may be worthwhile raising the issue with Aztecs manager so that some information about awareness/access to the Flashes is included in the sales/promotional material that they issue, but could be counter-productive. Sadly, most efforts of this nature would probably fall on deaf ears and blind eyes so identifying the scale of the problem is necessary in order to respond proportionately. Hence the request for low key challenges which at least might provide some feedback as to when the problem is at its worst [presumably weekends and school holidays] and the kind of numbers involved.

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I totally concur with Kim's comments.
If you suspect people are not members and appear to be reasonable types ..then the simple statement of " are you lost" . If the reply comes back we are members or got permits then job done. If the answer is "we're just going for a walk" ..your response could be " the wardens are around & they'll be checking your permit/ membership cards". At least they will be aware that it's not open access.
Signs also just down from the steps ... ie there is no public right of way ect. I say this as occasionally in all innocence some groups think it is the public footpath that runs to Stoke Prior .
At the end of the day most of the 'wanderers' are decent people and just a few nice words will see them turn back. Just the mention that you can get a permit from the cafe will suffice.:t: john

I was able to visit for the first time for a month or so today,and was astonished to see not a single hirundine across any of the four pools.Has it been like this all spring/summer?

Hybrid Med x BH Gull still at the Flashes as per Alan Giles.

In respect to "incursions", the one that really gets my goat - whether it be members of the public or Trust members - is the blackberry pickers that appear late summer with their tupperware boxes. It's a nature reserve and this is vital fuel for birds and mammals facing long migrations or hard winters.

Phil Andrews said:

In respect to "incursions", the one that really gets my goat - whether it be members of the public or Trust members - is the blackberry pickers that appear late summer with their tupperware boxes. It's a nature reserve and this is vital fuel for birds and mammals facing long migrations or hard winters.

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Back in the very hot summer of 1976 I volunteered as a live in warden at RSPB Coombes Valley and at one point the reserve was closed due to the danger of fires being started by people wandering off paths (specifically disturbing any discarded bottlles whilst picking blackberries)...another reason to discourage fruit picking around the reserve

worcesterboy said:

I was able to visit for the first time for a month or so today,and was astonished to see not a single hirundine across any of the four pools.Has it been like this all spring/summer?

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Hirundines and switfts tend to appear early morning and late evening at this time of year. As soon as the temperature increases the insects go higher followed by the birds. But generally only locally breeding house martins . I'm sure as and when we get some inclement weather you will see some.

Tomorrow small scale path clearance along the North Moors and flashes walkways . Too hot to do anything else.

upstarts1979 said:

Tomorrow small scale path clearance along the North Moors and flashes walkways . Too hot to do anything else.

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Maybe start at about 11am and retire at 12 pm for a swift pint!...

upstarts1979 said:

Hirundines and switfts tend to appear early morning and late evening at this time of year. As soon as the temperature increases the insects go higher followed by the birds. But generally only locally breeding house martins . I'm sure as and when we get some inclement weather you will see some.

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Swifts seem to be tolerably regular above my garden of late - at least 15 circling now.

Thanks John,much appreciated.I'll try an evening visit as soon as I can.