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

Upton Warren (22 Viewers)

Following the overnight disappearing act of Monday's Mandarin Ducks, I thought I would work out what % of Mandarin records stay into a second consecutive day - any thoughts before I post the answer tomorrow morning?
 
Phil Andrews said:
Following the overnight disappearing act of Monday's Mandarin Ducks, I thought I would work out what % of Mandarin records stay into a second consecutive day - any thoughts before I post the answer tomorrow morning?
Click to expand...

Without starting the exercise yet I suspect the answer will be around 20%
 
Oystercatcher today - one at the Flashes and on on the Moors - may have been same bird! I think first for the year?

Have pics but got new camera and struggling to download! So bear with me!!
 
Julie50 said:
Oystercatcher today - one at the Flashes and on on the Moors - may have been same bird! I think first for the year?

Have pics but got new camera and struggling to download! So bear with me!!
Click to expand...

New for the year - Oystercatcher (#82)

Interestingly Belvide's first returning Oyk arrived yesterday.
 
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Phil Andrews said:
Following the overnight disappearing act of Monday's Mandarin Ducks, I thought I would work out what % of Mandarin records stay into a second consecutive day - any thoughts before I post the answer tomorrow morning?
Click to expand...

Without starting the exercise yet I suspect the answer will be around 20%
Click to expand...

Having crunched the numbers I wasn't too far off, 78.43% of Mandarin Duck sightings aren't then present the following day so its a case of move when you can! Over the years clearly a number of the sightings relate to birds that go missing, only to reappear a few days later.

The figures are thrown by the extraordinary occurrences of 1987 (even more so as there had previously only ever been one record for the reserve, in 1985). A shy and retiring eclipse male was noted at the Moors Pool from the 2nd September into October. Three further eclipse males appeared at the Flashes on the 23rd September during a heavy storm, with numbers building to six birds at the Moors Pool two days later. Birds then lingered up to the 27th October with daily counts fluctuating between one and four ducks.
 

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Alan H's count of 67 Pochard present at the Moors Pool on the 18th January is the best occurrence since 81 were noted in the first half of December 2001. Sadly the chances of the reserve's record of 238 birds (November 1981) being broken are very remote.

Attached are two charts - the first shows the peak annual count of Pochard whilst the second blocks those counts into 4 year averages to give a more visual indication of the trends over the decades. Whilst we probably wont ever see the peak between 1974 and 1983 when over 100 birds were recorded in nine out of a ten year period, it is encouraging to see a gradual but sustained upturn in recent years. However given the peak annual count in 2005 was only 15 birds its hard to get much lower!!
 

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Lapwing

Dave J's observation of 1,076 Lapwing across the reserve during last Sunday's WeBS count is the best number for nearly 10 years, since 1,700 were recorded at the Flashes on the 8th February by Phil Quiney. As with Pochard above the likelihood of the reserve record being broken is fairly remote - in this instance 3,000 birds noted on four occasions (February 1977, 31st July 1985, during early February 1993, early and late in the year during 1994 and December 1995).

Again mirroring Pochard, the species has shown a bit of a renaissance in recent years in terms of its wintering numbers as demonstrated by the attached chart; a low point was reached in 2014 when the annual maximum count was only 300 birds.
 

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Work party Tuesday 29th January Moors

This Tuesday we will be having a more sedate session after the exertion of the two previous weeks willow pollarding.
The work will be a long the West track from the car park.
This will include clearing the years growth from the two view points. Trimming the bramble and scrub from the disabled turning circle behind the concrete hide. Clearing the overgrown clumps of scrub/bramble between the concrete hide and tool shed.
Also we will be working at the North Moors viewing screens ..including tweaking the willow 'arch' approach screening.
Please meet at Moors car park from 8.45.

:t: John
 
OAK TREE at FLASHES

On Friday 25th January this iconic tree that is opposite the main hide was cut down.
The tree has been around longer than the Flashes. We all expected this tree to outlive all of us . But unbeknown to us it was diseased and the adjacent land owner decided to cut it down. Neither we the Management team or the Worcestershire Wildlife Trust knew knew about this decision to cut it down until Andy Pitt (@andypitt21) posted these pictures on twitter Friday.
As the tree is on the neighbours land we cannot tell them what to do. I was told by Nick (fencing contractor) that the tree was diseased. The decision to cut it was as much a shock to me as everyone else who visits the reserve.
 

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Quite a gusty afternoon making interesting viewing on how different birds dealt with it ,North moors 2 coot ,Shelduck the reeds seem desturbed at the North end maybe wind. Moors Common snipe seem to like it 15 wondering around feeding, Oytercatcher moving to different islands, counted 300 lapwing before they were spooked again but with a second flock in the A38 field number must be close to 500, good quantity of Shoveler and Pochard not so many Tufted on the Moors or on the sailing pool, 4 GCG and Gooseander there too. didn't make it to the flashes.
Nice pics of the Oytercatcher Julie.
 

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From the Flashes this morning Andy P reports:

450 Lapwing, 11 Curlew, Snipe, Peregrine.

7 Little Egret in the roost at the Sailing Pool.
 
From the Moors Pool today Andy P reported:

39 Pochard, 36 Shoveler, 14 Teal, 7 Gadwall, Shelduck, Little Egret, 350 Lapwing, at least 10 Snipe.

No sign of the female Goosander or Oystercatcher across the reserve.
 
Phil Andrews said:
From the Moors Pool today Andy P reported:

39 Pochard, 36 Shoveler, 14 Teal, 7 Gadwall, Shelduck, Little Egret, 350 Lapwing, at least 10 Snipe.

No sign of the female Goosander or Oystercatcher across the reserve.
Click to expand...
The Oyk was back on the Moors first thing this morning along with a couple of Egrets. Pool was about 50% frozen.
Good turnout for the work party, we were without our bosses today but they promised us extra cake and double pay for a change (2 x 0 = 0). We got neither as usual! Cleared just over half of the west track of overgrown bramble etc and improved the turning circle size. Cracking job done by all.
Pics on Upstarts twity thingy:t::t:
 
Bob O. said:
The Oyk was back on the Moors first thing this morning along with a couple of Egrets. Pool was about 50% frozen.
Good turnout for the work party, we were without our bosses today but they promised us extra cake and double pay for a change (2 x 0 = 0). We got neither as usual! Cleared just over half of the west track of overgrown bramble etc and improved the turning circle size. Cracking job done by all.
Pics on Upstarts twity thingy:t::t:
Click to expand...

Cheers Bob for kind words8-P
Yes photos you sent me show a great job done by the 14 of our Tuesday Work Party crew.
Alan D. Bob O. Bobby P. Charles. Ian B
John C. Julie W. Kim W. Nick F. Ray C. Steve S. Sue S. Terry W and Tony B.:t: thanks everyone told you I am expendable B :);)john

Next week we will back to normal. Will contact everyone as Nick the contractor asked for a bit of help so might be on Flashes. Failing that we will be back at the Moors.
Julie said she will be making cake on the first Tuesday of the month ...so next week:eat::eat::t:
 
Today's highlights, where freezing conditions across the reserve concentrated birds in available areas of water.

MOORS:
Pochard (36)-----------------Shoveler (28)
Teal (11)---------------------Gadwall (8)
Tufted Duck (15)------------Shelduck (1)
Curlew (9)-------------------Snipe (min of 33)
Lapwing (c120)-------------Water Rail (2)
Cormorant (11)-------------Herring Gull (4)
B H Gull (c150)-------------Little Grebe (3)
Sparrowhawk---------------Coal Tit (4) in bushes at the corner of the car park and along the road, calling often.
Song Thrush (2) Individuals at two other sites.
Mute Swan (2)--------------Greylag Goose (31)
Buzzard (4)

FLASHES/SAILING POOL*
Teal (c40)-------------------Oystercatcher. Also seen at the Sailing Pool.
Sparrowhawk (2). Circling over transmitter field.
Grey Heron (5)*------------Little Egret (6)*. Roosting tonight.

Des.
 

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