Upton Warren (2 Viewers)

[Duck_Pond]

Pete don't know about yesterday BUT it came closer after you left today8-P nice pics on your site mate

Cheers - I was short on time on Sunday though, and was forced to have an ale in a local pub instead. Such a chore... B

 

[midlands birder]

Craig next sunday you and matt on work party would be nice remember we always get a good bird. Ask Tim8-P

cheers John

dude, im seriously not jokeing when you have to convince my dad, im not the one who can travel the 10 miles from my dads place...........:smoke:
and i have a good excuse for not being their ydayo
MB

 

[upstarts1979]

dude, im seriously not jokeing when you have to convince my dad, im not the one who can travel the 10 miles from my dads place...........:smoke:
and i have a good excuse for not being their ydayo
MB

I know you had to go to churcho

 

[midlands birder]

I know you had to go to churcho

what, me, church, what, who,why,where, how, :-O how could you ever guess such a thing:-O and no it was much better than that
MB

maybe Mr matt (who is viewing) can shed some light, well if he remembers what i said i was doing :-D lol

 

[midlands birder]

I know you had to go to churcho

wait i just got it, with the whole angel thingie, very clever mr belsey, your brain hasent totally given up yet then:-O
MB

 

[upstarts1979]

wait i just got it, with the whole angel thingie, very clever mr belsey, your brain hasent totally given up yet then:-O
MB

You are slowly getting me sussed:t:
well what do you predict next good bird will be I think a wader or warbler
B john

 

[midlands birder]

You are slowly getting me sussed:t:
well what do you predict next good bird will be I think a wader or warbler
B john

wryneck mateB
MB

 

[Spoonbill Finder]

Nice one Tim
just like you predicted last week!

Re Bonxies there were record numbers on the north Norfolk coast today over 600
I am surprised there weren't more seen in the Midlands.
But ours could be due to the amount of coverage at Upton today, from 1st light until dark...it just goes to show birds attract birders which in turn find the birds easy really. Why can't we do it all day everyday.
B John

Good point John. I was at UW for close on 11 hours on Friday, having originally planned to spend 4 to 5 hours there. But when you get Marsh Harrier, Pec and Bonxie on the same day - all county records for me - there's little need to go elsewhere. Did anyone else have all three on the Friday? I still managed to miss the Sandwich Terns at the Moors Pool; I think I was over at Webbs' at the time tucking into a very nice but rather overpriced sweet chilli and chicken baguette.

I think it was Dave Walker who said in an earlier posting that a good birder is also a lucky one. That put me in mind of the famous quote from golfer Gary Player who, when a reporter once remarked on the luck he'd had during a particular round, replied: "You know, the more I practice the luckier I seem to get!"

It was great to bump into people like Terry N, Jason K, Tony H, Ed Lea, Paul the Blues fan and Kinver Jim; none of whom I had seen for a while due to the fact that much of my UW birding these days takes place on weekday mornings thanks to shifts at work. There's a fine little community of birders at UW and perhaps we should communicate more so that we ensure that the reserve is covered throughout more daylight hours than it is at present.

Incidentally, I only found this forum by googling to find Bob's pictures of the Bonxie. Great work Bob, and thanks for pointing me in the direction of the aforementioned bird on the water when I was busy scanning the sky for the raptor I thought had put all the other birds up!:t:

 

[Spoonbill Finder]

wryneck mateB
MB

I see that there was a Glossy Ibis in Hereford today. We are surely due one soon!:flyaway::flyaway:

 

[Phil Andrews]

Hi Spoonbill Finder (Andy?),

In addition to the Ibis, Herefordshire also has a juvenile Bonxie at Stretton Sugwas Sandpits, present since Sunday. There must be a very good chance that this is the Upton bird.

Phil

 

[upstarts1979]

Good point John. I was at UW for close on 11 hours on Friday, having originally planned to spend 4 to 5 hours there. But when you get Marsh Harrier, Pec and Bonxie on the same day - all county records for me - there's little need to go elsewhere. Did anyone else have all three on the Friday? I still managed to miss the Sandwich Terns at the Moors Pool; I think I was over at Webbs' at the time tucking into a very nice but rather overpriced sweet chilli and chicken baguette.

I think it was Dave Walker who said in an earlier posting that a good birder is also a lucky one. That put me in mind of the famous quote from golfer Gary Player who, when a reporter once remarked on the luck he'd had during a particular round, replied: "You know, the more I practice the luckier I seem to get!"

It was great to bump into people like Terry N, Jason K, Tony H, Ed Lea, Paul the Blues fan and Kinver Jim; none of whom I had seen for a while due to the fact that much of my UW birding these days takes place on weekday mornings thanks to shifts at work. There's a fine little community of birders at UW and perhaps we should communicate more so that we ensure that the reserve is covered throughout more daylight hours than it is at present.

Incidentally, I only found this forum by googling to find Bob's pictures of the Bonxie. Great work Bob, and thanks for pointing me in the direction of the aforementioned bird on the water when I was busy scanning the sky for the raptor I thought had put all the other birds up!:t:

Excellent points Andy. Re 'community' that's exactly what we are trying to create and this forum has gone a long way to doing just that. This forum is a good vehicle to use for everything that goes on at Upton and could even be used to tell people when they are visiting as you mentioned, as well as many of us already do, posting our sightings. Also management work and even future fund raising.
You are one of a handful no more than 2 (I think Bob the photographer may have seen all 3 so it might be that you are the only Birder.:-C

Hope to see more of your sightings on here Andy :t:
B John

 

[upstarts1979]

Work Party at Moors

Joined the lads (and Girl) at the Moors for the weekly Tuesday work party. Today we removed the alders and willows along the southern shore of the Scrape at Amy's marsh. This is the proposed site of a future Sand martin bank so these trees will have to be permanently removed once the sand martin bank is built. It also opens up the area for waders and removes that enclosed effect.
We also removed some very large willow branches from a tree on the east border that was shading out some thorn bushes, some of which had died. The area was now open to the sun, within a couple of years the east border could have a continuous thriving hedgerow.
The east bank of the Broadmeadow and northern peninsula was strimmed, opening up the area for snipe.

Birds seen or heard today at the Moors included:-
5 male Pochard, 3 water rail calling from the gate on the east track to the east hide. 20 snipe were flushed from the east broadmeadow. A chiffchaff and 2 cettis warblers sang.

2 pics of before and after on the southern scrape of Amy's marsh and a pic of the same area from the east hide
B John

 

[upstarts1979]

Birding at the Flashes this afternoon.
The Pec sand performed well in front of the hide and there was a noticeable increase in the fly population that it has been feeding on. also present were 4 Dunlin (1 fly over heading north! and 3 on the deck), one each of common and green sand and 10 snipe.
At this time of year we traditionally get an influx of continental water rail appearing to winter at the reserve but with the recent explosion of our breeding stock it is always difficult to know which birds are the migrants..However today I saw my first adult on the 1st flash for months and with 3 squealing and calling in close proximity on the east moors which usually signifies a territorial dispute I strongly suspect these are migrants.
Also sedge and reed warbler, chiffchaff[/B] as well as singing cettis
A few meadow pipits and goldcrests called
B John

 

[Woodchat]

Joined the lads (and Girl) at the Moors for the weekly Tuesday work party. Today we removed the alders and willows along the southern shore of the Scrape at Amy's marsh. This is the proposed site of a future Sand martin bank so these trees will have to be permanently removed once the sand martin bank is built. It also opens up the area for waders and removes that enclosed effect.
We also removed some very large willow branches from a tree on the east border that was shading out some thorn bushes, some of which had died. The area was now open to the sun, within a couple of years the east border could have a continuous thriving hedgerow.
The east bank of the Broadmeadow and northern peninsula was strimmed, opening up the area for snipe.

Birds seen or heard today at the Moors included:-
5 male Pochard, 3 water rail calling from the gate on the east track to the east hide. 20 snipe were flushed from the east broadmeadow. A chiffchaff and 2 cettis warblers sang.

2 pics of before and after on the southern scrape of Amy's marsh and a pic of the same area from the east hide
B John

Excellent work John - what a massive difference after just one work party. This will definitely make the whole area more inviting to waders and wildfowl and prevent the area drying out.:t:

 

[Woodchat]

........ a good birder is also a lucky one. That put me in mind of the famous quote from golfer Gary Player who, when a reporter once remarked on the luck he'd had during a particular round, replied: "You know, the more I practice the luckier I seem to get!"
............

Nice one Andy. It's about time I had some luck, I've been putting enough time in. Not 'lucky' enough to've seen your Spoonbill in the spring though.:eek!:

Cheers.

 

[upstarts1979]

Just had a text from Terry H telling me what was in the roost at the Flashes tonight which was as follows:
20 Snipe, 30 Curlew, PEC SAND, 3 dunlin, 3 Green Sand, Common Sand, little grebe, 5 common gulls (3 ads and 2 first winters), 2000 BHG's,
:t: john

 

[upstarts1979]

belated news of work party at flashes sep 26th

The photo show the work which included digging out the dry bay in front and to right of hide. The spoil was piled up along the southern shore of the 'spit' and a small promontory to reinstate the eroded banks. Another promontory was made seen in the right of the photo. This will enclose this part of the flashes and increase the amount of invertebrates due to the area being more sheltered.
The reason for digging out the bay was that it had silted up so much that it was dry before the summer began and we lost a previously good feeding area for waders

The second photo shows the bridge we made to allow us access to the island so we can repair and re-shingle it.

we have a work party this Sunday 3rd October to finish off the work previously mentioned . We must complete it this time as in November the water will be too high. Please try to along and give us a hand:t:
B john

 

[midlands birder]

Nice one Andy. It's about time I had some luck, I've been putting enough time in. Not 'lucky' enough to've seen your Spoonbill in the spring though.:eek!:

Cheers.

at least you didnt miss it by 5 mins :-C :-/
MB

 

[waterrailus]

Joined the lads (and Girl) at the Moors for the weekly Tuesday work party. Today we removed the alders and willows along the southern shore of the Scrape at Amy's marsh. This is the proposed site of a future Sand martin bank so these trees will have to be permanently removed once the sand martin bank is built. It also opens up the area for waders and removes that enclosed effect.
We also removed some very large willow branches from a tree on the east border that was shading out some thorn bushes, some of which had died. The area was now open to the sun, within a couple of years the east border could have a continuous thriving hedgerow.
The east bank of the Broadmeadow and northern peninsula was strimmed, opening up the area for snipe.

Birds seen or heard today at the Moors included:-
5 male Pochard, 3 water rail calling from the gate on the east track to the east hide. 20 snipe were flushed from the east broadmeadow. A chiffchaff and 2 cettis warblers sang.

2 pics of before and after on the southern scrape of Amy's marsh and a pic of the same area from the east hide
B John

Hi All. Went on a trip to Frampton marshes last week and amongst all the goodies there i spotted a sand martin bank. spoke to the head honcho who said that they had put it in last year and this year had 36 pairs nest in it. He also pointed out the little wings you can see just below the roof sticking out. Apparently these are in place because of the damage done last year by stoats. i have enclosed a pic of bank for those interested.

 

[Sy V]

Very interesting construction and great success figures. I'm sure the SMB Team will be fascinated and I think I can make out the wings to which you refer.
Not sure about the colour balance though, I've had to adjust my monitor to some pretty low levels to be able to view it!