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

Upton Warren (11 Viewers)

birding Flashes

From 5.45 to 7.15pm.
The gulls took a back seat today, in light of the impressive increase of shovelers and teal. The numbers usually increase at this time of year and the Flashes attracts them during September and October. With the reeds in front of the sewage works now mostly cut, the area looks amazingly more open in conjunction with last Sunday's willow thicket removal. `
The BHG flock was assembled by 6pm but the bulk of large gulls didn't arrive until 7.10pm.

Species Count:
Teall 77, mallard 45, Shoveler 103, water rail, coot 12, avocet, snipe 5, green sand 2 came into roost, lapwing 45, curlew 14, BHG 800, LBBG 580, herring gull 20, buzzard 3, raven,
pic of area in front of sewage works , reed cut by Trust roving vols.
 

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Arrived around 11.00 to find the Trust Volunteers strimming the reeds edging the flashes, leaving us just one Avocet to look at: 2 Redpoll, Siskin, Jay and Sparrowhawk flew by. Stock Dove numbered fewer than 10 and later in the day even less.

On the Moors at midday Canada Goose numbered 250 and Greylags 34, Shoveller totalled 57, Cormorant 12 and there was a single Wigeon. (Left for Tewksbury and some nice views of RC Starling)

Later on the Flashes Curlew reported at 17 (saw 14), Shoveller 75 (none this am, overlap with moors birds?) , Raven flew by and a Moorhen chased a Water Rail left hand side of the main hide. The gull roost was disappointing Black Heads numbered 1100, larger gulls less than 10.

One Black Head was ringed with a yellow ring on its left leg bearing reference 2KXN.

JS, & MJI (a depleted Wednesday Crew)
 
John Sirrett said:
Arrived around 11.00 to find the Trust Volunteers strimming the reeds edging the flashes, leaving us just one Avocet to look at: 2 Redpoll, Siskin, Jay and Sparrowhawk flew by. Stock Dove numbered fewer than 10 and later in the day even less.

On the Moors at midday Canada Goose numbered 250 and Greylags 34, Shoveller totalled 57, Cormorant 12 and there was a single Wigeon. (Left for Tewksbury and some nice views of RC Starling)

Later on the Flashes Curlew reported at 17 (saw 14), Shoveller 75 (none this am, overlap with moors birds?) , Raven flew by and a Moorhen chased a Water Rail left hand side of the main hide. The gull roost was disappointing Black Heads numbered 1100, larger gulls less than 10.

One Black Head was ringed with a yellow ring on its left leg bearing reference 2KXN.

JS, & MJI (a depleted Wednesday Crew)
Click to expand...

You probably still saw a darn sight more than JHWR on St Agnes 8-P
 
Talking about rung BHGs, had a rung BHG bearing the ring 'ETAR' on Saturday- Yellow with black writing.

Looks like a bird from a Belgian colony but I am currently awaiting further info
 
John Sirrett said:
Arrived around 11.00 to find the Trust Volunteers strimming the reeds edging the flashes, leaving us just one Avocet to look at: 2 Redpoll, Siskin, Jay and Sparrowhawk flew by. Stock Dove numbered fewer than 10 and later in the day even less.

On the Moors at midday Canada Goose numbered 250 and Greylags 34, Shoveller totalled 57, Cormorant 12 and there was a single Wigeon. (Left for Tewksbury and some nice views of RC Starling)

Later on the Flashes Curlew reported at 17 (saw 14), Shoveller 75 (none this am, overlap with moors birds?) , Raven flew by and a Moorhen chased a Water Rail left hand side of the main hide. The gull roost was disappointing Black Heads numbered 1100, larger gulls less than 10.

One Black Head was ringed with a yellow ring on its left leg bearing reference 2KXN.

JS, & MJI (a depleted Wednesday Crew)
Click to expand...

In addition to John's sightings at the Flashes there was an adult Common Gull in the early morning roost, a Green Sandpiper, 4 Snipe, 107 Lapwing,
91 Teal, 2 Grey Wagtail, Male & female Blackcap (in the hedge to the left of the hide), a Meadow Pipit landed in front of the hide, 2 Buzzard and a Kestrel.

5 House Martin were in flight over the Moors Pool later in the morning.

I won't be visiting Upton Warren for over a week now as I am off to Cornwall tomorrow en route to the Scilly Isles on Friday, staying in St. Mary's. I'm hoping that the remnants of hurricane Joacquin will bring something interesting to one of the islands, but will at the same time be keeping an eye on the forum for any news at Upton Warren.:t:

Andy P.
 
Today at Upton

Spent just under a couple of hours at The Moors today. Highlights included an appearance from an otter, which led to all the coots going crazy and rushing over to the other side of the pool for safety. Also saw a kingfisher, snipe and water rail. Saw a Siskin in the tree with the feeders near Lifestyles.
Briefly visited The Flashes, observing a kingfisher at the sailing pool. Other Species at The Flashes included the lone avocet, curlew, teal, shoveller, buzzard and stock dove, bringing my total species count for today to 33.
Thanks to everyone in the hides for sharing their observations and also to Bob P for your company.
 
Janette55 said:
Spent just under a couple of hours at The Moors today. Highlights included an appearance from an otter, which led to all the coots going crazy and rushing over to the other side of the pool for safety. Also saw a kingfisher, snipe and water rail. Saw a Siskin in the tree with the feeders near Lifestyles.
Briefly visited The Flashes, observing a kingfisher at the sailing pool. Other Species at The Flashes included the lone avocet, curlew, teal, shoveller, buzzard and stock dove, bringing my total species count for today to 33.
Thanks to everyone in the hides for sharing their observations and also to Bob P for your company.
Click to expand...

thanks for Posting Janette. It's good to see more people posting as well as the regulars. Did you see anyone working on the FlashesB :) john
 
Last edited:
Janette55 said:
Spent just under a couple of hours at The Moors today. Highlights included an appearance from an otter, which led to all the coots going crazy and rushing over to the other side of the pool for safety. Also saw a kingfisher, snipe and water rail. Saw a Siskin in the tree with the feeders near Lifestyles.
Briefly visited The Flashes, observing a kingfisher at the sailing pool. Other Species at The Flashes included the lone avocet, curlew, teal, shoveller, buzzard and stock dove, bringing my total species count for today to 33.
Thanks to everyone in the hides for sharing their observations and also to Bob P for your company.
Click to expand...

Visited Moors at 16:30 briefly on way back from Slimbridge (mega tick for Little Crake :-O)...via Tewkesbury (no show for RC Starling :-C)...Counted 6 Siskin in trees opposite Lifestyles
 
Work on Flashes

upstarts1979 said:
thanks for Posting Janette. It's god to see more people posting as well as the regulars. Did you see anyone working on the FlashesB :) john
Click to expand...

No, I didn't see anyone working on The Flashes. I should have added that there did seem to be less birds than usual though, which I thought may have been affected by the drop in the water level.
 
upstarts1979 said:
belated news for 7th October red kite..on worcester birding site.
Click to expand...

Also belated news from the 7th of a Yellow-legged Gull (via BirdTrack)

Gert had a nice little flock of passerines feeding on the ground on the approach to the archery field - 12 Siskin, 1 Lesser Redpoll and 3 House Sparrow
 
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John Sirrett said:
One Black Head was ringed with a yellow ring on its left leg bearing reference 2KXN.
Click to expand...

Had an initial response back from the ringing scheme on this bird. This is the first sighting of a bird that was ringed this year as a pullus in the Lee Valley Regional Park, Essex as part of a study on a Black-headed Gull colony which is taking over a Common Tern colony on artificial rafts.
 
Competition time

On reading Paul Bowerman's excellent Severnside Birds website - http://www.severnsidebirds.co.uk/ - one statistic I realised that we have never captured is a comprehensive total for each month of the year. I will pull this together over the next few days but in the meantime do people wish to guess the correct order the 12 months fall in (highest list first)? One guess per person with a small prize for the correct answer.
 

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