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Upton Warren (16 Viewers)

Phase 2. removing fallen tree from across track. Also removed unstable tree further along track. This was another silver birch, some of the branches had fallen on to the track, so we decided to remove it for health and safety reasons.

Pic 1 . the fallen tree across the track. It was cut up and incorporated in the dead hedge.
pic 2. The dangerously unstable silver birch close to the path . Again the branches were put into the dead hedge. The main trunk was left vertical against a living tree, in the hope that its trunk will be used by a burrowing nest hole species.
pic 3 . the area after the tree was cut down
 

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After a promising start March rather petered out with spring migration stalled; the month's list was 92 species with the year advanced to 100. As a comparison last year March ended on 97 species with the year list on 106.

Hopefully April will see a reversal of fortunes and the migration floodgates opened. Possible additions to the year list this month include:

Garganey, Common Scoter, Hobby, Marsh Harrier, Osprey, Little Ringed Plover, Common Sandpiper, Sanderling, Ruff, Whimbrel, Black-tailed Godwit, Bar-tailed Godwit, Greenshank, Turnstone, Yellow-legged Gull, Common Tern, Arctic Tern, Sandwich Tern, Black Tern, Cuckoo, Little Owl, Swift, Yellow Wagtail, House Martin, Redstart, Wheatear, Whinchat, Reed Warbler, Sedge Warbler, Grasshopper Warbler, Whitethroat, Lesser Whitethroat, Garden Warbler, Willow Warbler, Yellowhammer
 
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Today's highlights:

MOORS:
Med Gull (2nd S)-------------------Little Egret (3)
Lapwing (3)------------------------Snipe (3)
Oystercatcher (4)------------------Shoveler (27)
Gadwall (5)------------------------Tufted Duck (52)
Teal (9)----------------------------Shelduck (4)
Kingfisher--------------------------Kestrel (2)
Buzzard (3)------------------------Sparrowhawk
Little Grebe (2)--------------------G C Grebe (4)
Cormorant (20)--------------------B H Gull (c150)
Raven-------------------------------Swallow-heading south!
Song Thrush------------------------Chiffchaff (2)
Cetti's Warbler (2)-----------------Water Rail (2)

FLASHES:
Avocet (25)-------------------------Oystercatcher (2)
Curlew (2)--------------------------Lapwing (2)
Shoveler (2)------------------------Teal (6)
B H Gull (c600)

ED RES/SAILING POOL:
Chiffchaff (3)-----------------------Cetti's Warbler
Tufted Duck (10)-------------------G C Grebe (5)
Greylag Goose (1)

NORTH MOORS:
Gadwall (2)-------------------------Teal (4)
Water Rail


Des.
 
As we enter April can any sightings of lingering winter visitors (Redwing, Fieldfare, Redpoll, Siskin, Jack Snipe etc) be noted as departure dates are often unrecorded.
 
Goldcrest

Upton Warren 27th March 2015 at bridge near entrance gate to flash pools
 

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couple of hours at the flashes this morning - two redshank first thing and what i thought might be an early whimbrel feeding along the far fence - it looked small for curlew but not convinced the bill is right - i've included some very poor shots just in case - there was a curlew calling as i walked to the hide so there was at least one about

jon
 

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Looking on my phone (always a good caveat ;)) whilst it appears relatively short billed I would expect to see a draw crown and a super if a Whimbrel
 
Today's highlights:

MOORS:
Med Gull (2nd S)-------------------Little Egret (3)
Lapwing (3)------------------------Snipe (3)
Oystercatcher (4)------------------Shoveler (27)
Gadwall (5)------------------------Tufted Duck (52)
Teal (9)----------------------------Shelduck (4)
Kingfisher--------------------------Kestrel (2)
Buzzard (3)------------------------Sparrowhawk
Little Grebe (2)--------------------G C Grebe (4)
Cormorant (20)--------------------B H Gull (c150)
Raven-------------------------------Swallow-heading south!
Song Thrush------------------------Chiffchaff (2)
Cetti's Warbler (2)-----------------Water Rail (2)

FLASHES:
Avocet (25)-------------------------Oystercatcher (2)
Curlew (2)--------------------------Lapwing (2)
Shoveler (2)------------------------Teal (6)
B H Gull (c600)

ED RES/SAILING POOL:
Chiffchaff (3)-----------------------Cetti's Warbler
Tufted Duck (10)-------------------G C Grebe (5)
Greylag Goose (1)

NORTH MOORS:
Gadwall (2)-------------------------Teal (4)
Water Rail


Des.
Add to that briefly a little egret at flashes to the right of the hide behind the fence by the reeds. First time ive seen one there.
 
Add to that briefly a little egret at flashes to the right of the hide behind the fence by the reeds. First time ive seen one there.

three were in the area to the far right of the hide briefly first thing this morning (i'm not sure if it's the first or fourth flash)

also (from memory) 19 avocets, 2 oycs, 2 lbb gulls, 3 greylags, 3 lapwing, gadwall pair, 5 shelduck - more in logbook
 
Looking on my phone (always a good caveat ;)) whilst it appears relatively short billed I would expect to see a draw crown and a super if a Whimbrel

Viewing the shots on the screen of my laptop I, likewise, cannot see the head markings that would point to Whimbrel. Also the bill, whilst being on the small side for Curlew, does not appear so abruptly 'hooked' in appearance as is the norm with Whimbrel. A 2nd calendar year male Curlew perhaps?
 
Add to that briefly a little egret at flashes to the right of the hide behind the fence by the reeds. First time ive seen one there.

I think you will find that was one of the three egrets present during the day. I saw your egret, but there were only two at the Moors at the time.

Des.
 
Viewing the shots on the screen of my laptop I, likewise, cannot see the head markings that would point to Whimbrel. Also the bill, whilst being on the small side for Curlew, does not appear so abruptly 'hooked' in appearance as is the norm with Whimbrel. A 2nd calendar year male Curlew perhaps?

yes agree Andy. a male they have shorter bills and this bird is a particulatly small bird has caused me to look twice on occasions. good to see Jon had two redshank..I have not seen one yet this year.
 
yes agree Andy. a male they have shorter bills and this bird is a particulatly small bird has caused me to look twice on occasions. good to see Jon had two redshank..I have not seen one yet this year.

nearly forgot!

c7.30 am

B :)
 

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nearly forgot!

c7.30 am

B :)

Thanks for posting that Jon...I opened the sluice on Tuesday, at 0.5 . so 3cm in nearly 2 days have dropped off. I will have a look on Saturday and amend as required. There should be a good amount of mud by the weekend, even with the predicted rain tomorrow.
Waders hopefully will soon be arriving.:t:
 
Today is the tenth anniversary of the reserve's first official Black Redstart record. A female was initially found on the southern edge of the Sailing Pool in the morning before relocating to the Sailing Centre overflow car park where it spent most of the day flycatching from concrete blocks, occasionally crossing the A38 into Webbs. This one-day bird provided some compensation for those local birders who missed out on the infamous April Fools Day Belted Kingfisher at Tixall / Shugborough. There has been just one further record to date.

Does anyone have a photo they can share?
 
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