Upton Warren (116 Viewers)

[upstarts1979]

We removed the cover from the tern raft, but unfortunately a pair of BHG took occupancy. Hopefully the terns will soon evict them. The only migrant today at the Moors was a common sandpiper and a late snipe flushed from the boat launch site. A largish grass snake was roosting underneath the boat.

Thanks to the 3 Bob's O,P&R and Tony B for sorting it.

MOORS:
GCG 3 ads but only one chick. Possible the cold wet conditions of yesterday put pay to the other 2. Little grebe only 2 seen presumably several birds are sitting. Shoveler pr + male commuting between here and the North moors pool, where 12 tufted were also seen. Tufted 40ish. Oystercatcher 4 + 1 chick, lapwing 2 a pair almost certainly breeding. snipe, common sand, Med gull 2nd summer, BHG c100 nests, herring gull 2nd summer killed a BHG chick, common tern 8, Buzzard 2, collared dove 2, kingfisher, swift c80, cettis w 2, whitethroat, reed w 5 east side, sedge w,

FLASHES:
We have lost 2 chicks from yesterday almost certainly as a result of the weather. A 9th brood of 2 were feeding off the grassy knoll north. This meant that there are 7 broods within a 40 metre radius of the hide. All feeding in shallow channels and ditches, this will be an important factor when the question of 'lower water levels' crops up again. Several broods of mallard included a brood of 13, which were given short shrift by the avocets when they ventured into their chicks territory. Strange behaviour but understandable as the ducklings must consume vast amounts of invertebrates. The BHG chicks seem to be free of last years slaughter by the LBBG hordes, although this might be a result of the avocets breeding early, as they don't tolerate the gulls.
Species count Flashes:
Shoveler 3 (pr + male), gadwall 2 males, shelduck 5, tufted 16, coot 18+, Avocet 28 - 30 ads and 23 chicks, lapwing 12, LRP 4, oystercatcher 2, Black tailed godwit, common sand, BHG 150 nests, stock dove 5, raven 2 well grown chicks in the transmitter nest, whitethroat, linnet 8,

Sailing pool: GCG 4, lesser whitethroat

 

[Where Bird]

Secret sex and a Blackwit.

No I didn't write " with a .....!!!o
Pic 1 if you look very closely you can see that the LRP is not standing on the ground Please Mr.A. can they have a cage on standby?
Pic 2 and 3 the blackwit in glorious summer dress.

Thanks to Phil A for spotting for me - he knows I can't see for looking; also to Brian S for supplying the gear to see it with. Practice makes perfect. I may be some time |^|

Phil E

 

[Isaac2]

From thursday evening lesser r plover sitting 10 yards right of lapwing in gravel spit. Change over seen but so fast could not count clutch, at flashes.53 species seen over reserve + a poplar hawk moth at sailing centre.

 

[Phil Andrews]

Friday 15th May 2015 - 13:45 to 17:15

We removed the cover from the tern raft, but unfortunately a pair of BHG took occupancy. Hopefully the terns will soon evict them. The only migrant today at the Moors was a common sandpiper and a late snipe flushed from the boat launch site. A largish grass snake was roosting underneath the boat.

Thanks to the 3 Bob's O,P&R and Tony B for sorting it.

MOORS:
GCG 3 ads but only one chick. Possible the cold wet conditions of yesterday put pay to the other 2. Little grebe only 2 seen presumably several birds are sitting. Shoveler pr + male commuting between here and the North moors pool, where 12 tufted were also seen. Tufted 40ish. Oystercatcher 4 + 1 chick, lapwing 2 a pair almost certainly breeding. snipe, common sand, Med gull 2nd summer, BHG c100 nests, herring gull 2nd summer killed a BHG chick, common tern 8, Buzzard 2, collared dove 2, kingfisher, swift c80, cettis w 2, whitethroat, reed w 5 east side, sedge w,

FLASHES:
We have lost 2 chicks from yesterday almost certainly as a result of the weather. A 9th brood of 2 were feeding off the grassy knoll north. This meant that there are 7 broods within a 40 metre radius of the hide. All feeding in shallow channels and ditches, this will be an important factor when the question of 'lower water levels' crops up again. Several broods of mallard included a brood of 13, which were given short shrift by the avocets when they ventured into their chicks territory. Strange behaviour but understandable as the ducklings must consume vast amounts of invertebrates. The BHG chicks seem to be free of last years slaughter by the LBBG hordes, although this might be a result of the avocets breeding early, as they don't tolerate the gulls.
Species count Flashes:
Shoveler 3 (pr + male), gadwall 2 males, shelduck 5, tufted 16, coot 18+, Avocet 28 - 30 ads and 23 chicks, lapwing 12, LRP 4, oystercatcher 2, Black tailed godwit, common sand, BHG 150 nests, stock dove 5, raven 2 well grown chicks in the transmitter nest, whitethroat, linnet 8,

Sailing pool: GCG 4, lesser whitethroat

Counts differing / additional to John's:

MOORS POOL
1 Gadwall (female), 42 Tufted Duck, 35 Coot, 1 Grey Heron, 2 Mute Swan, 26 Canada Geese, Common Tern sitting on the "Med Gull" island, 2 LBB Gull, 4 adult GC Grebe (+ 1 young), Kestrel
I would agree with Phil E's earlier assessment of the Med Gull situation; rather than being paired with a BH Gull it appears to be occasionally sitting on a BH Gull nest (I saw a change-over involving both BH Gulls). The Med Gull stands very close to the nest and pecks at the sitting bird to encourage it to get up off the nest. The Med is also still collecting nesting material and appears to be sitting on a different nest than a few weeks ago, the current nest being more central to the island and easily viewed from the East Hide?? All very strange :eek!:

NORTH MOORS
Female Teal, 5 Tufted Duck, 1 Coot, 1 Moorhen

SAILING POOL
5 GC Grebe, 2 Tufted Duck, 4 Coot, 6 Canada Geese, 2 Greylag Geese + 4 goslings still, 2 Mute Swan

FLASHES
Black-tailed Godwit still at 5pm, 6 LRP, Oystercatcher sitting, 34 adult Avocet, 22 Tufted Duck, 6 Moorhen, 4 Canada Geese with a further 27 in the transmitter field, 3 Gadwall (all males), Raven regularly tangling with a Buzzard

I note John had a Lesser Whitethroat around the Sailing Pool; to me these seem incredibly scarce (at Upton) this year?

 

[Phil Andrews]

At approximately the half way point of May and we have only recorded 88 species to date; previous years have seen us notch up between 115 and 120. A poor wader passage is partly to blame with only a few Dunlin, 2 single Ringed Plovers, a fly-over party of Whimbrel and yesterday's godwit to date. Potential additions to the monthly list include (year ticks in bold):

Garganey, Little Egret, Osprey, Red Kite, Marsh Harrier, Sanderling, Ruff, Wood Sandpiper, Green Sandpiper, Curlew, Bar-tailed Godwit, Redshank, Greenshank, Turnstone, Yellow-legged Gull, Common Gull, Sandwich Tern, Tawny Owl, Barn Owl, Little Owl, Lesser Spotted Woodpecker, Grey Wagtail, Redstart, Whinchat, Willow Warbler, Grasshopper Warbler, Spotted Flycatcher, Treecreeper, Nuthatch, Coal Tit, Yellowhammer

 

[Phil Andrews]

Update on Avocet broods

Brood A - 4 young hatched from the left hand side of the peninsular. Still have 4 young, currently located on the foreshore to the left of the hide
Brood B - 4 young hatched from the left hand of the first Flash island. Reduced to 3 young, now relocated to the "saucer" (ringed bird "64" appears to be the father)
Brood C - 3 young hatched from the first Flash island. Now reduced to 2 young, currently located on the foreshore to the far left of the hide.
Brood D - 2 young hatched from one of the small islands in the saucer. Still have 2 young, currently ranging between the right hand side of the peninsular to the left hand end of the delta
Brood E - 3 young hatched from the right hand of the pair of second Flash islands. Still have 3 young, ranging between the right hand side of the delta and the secondary fox fence
Brood F - 4 young hatched from the right hand of the pair of second Flash islands. Now reduced to 3 young, currently on the "beach" in front of the third Flash
Brood G - 3 young more recently hatched from one of the islands in the "saucer". I could only see 2 young, currently located on the far shore near the sewage works (John - did your sketch mention 3 young?)
Brood H - 1 young more recently hatched from island just right of the peninsular. Still has 1 young, currently located at the end of the peninsular
Brood I - the latest to hatch from one of the islands in the saucer. Has 2 young, currently located at the rear of the grassy knoll (actually the bare knoll this year!)

In summary, to date 9 broods have hatched 26 young with at least 22 still surviving.

Two birds remaining sitting whilst, with 34 adults present today, there clearly is potential for further nesting albeit none looked particularly interested. Hopefully the majority of birds will have left site by early July, allowing an unfettered return passage of waders.

 

[Phil Andrews]

Black-tailed Godwit still at the Flashes and Redshank just dropped in as per JTB

 

[Phil Andrews]

JTB reports a brood of 4 Lapwing chicks south of the second Flash (5 birds remain sitting at the Flashes) :t::t:

 

[Phil Andrews]

Caging of Little Ringed Plover nests

For a number of years Little Ringed Plover nests have been caged at Upton Warren. Initially this was to prevent the predation of the eggs by Coot, Moorhen, gulls, foxes etc and to avoid accidental trampling by Canada Geese. In more recent years they have served an additional purpose in providing a "comfort zone" when faced with dominant species nesting / raising young in the same localities eg Avocet; to this end the cages deployed have increased in size in the last year or two to increase the size of this sterile area. A comparison of the clutch hatching rates from the years immediately prior to caging and the years immediately after its introduction proved the benefits of the action.

The cages are carefully designed to permit a LRP to be able to squeeze through but restrict other species (rats probably can get through, not sure about mink). Experience has shown that after an initial period of suspicion birds return to sit within 30 minutes; birds that are suspect of being more more experienced tend to return quicker.

As a Schedule 1 breeder such caging activity can only take place under licence; the Trust apply to Natural England on an annual basis for a licence under Section 16(1)(c) of the Wildlife & Countryside Act 1981 (as amended). This licence is restricted to one agent (Andy Harris at WWT) and three named "agents" (myself, John and Mike W) to undertake the activity, for whom references need to be provided and a valid justification provided for such activity.

The decision on when exactly to cage is a difficult one which requires a number of variables to be balanced up. Again experience has shown that birds tend to cease laying once a cage is deployed so we tend to wait until a full clutch is present. The action of walking across the Flashes in the breeding season is one that is not taken lightly and we need to be mindful of other nesting birds (eg the Lapwings this year) and others who may have young in close proximity (an increasing consideration with the Avocet colony). Finally the prevailing weather conditions play a part and we try to avoid cold / wet weather than may impact on the viability of the eggs if left unattended for an extended period.

We shouldn't shy away from the fact that the action of deploying a cage isn't always successful; the bird I caged approx. ten days ago unfortunately abandoned (the bird had been irregular in sitting and the cold / wet weather didn't help). However once present on a breeding locality LRPs will attempt to nest on multiple occasions. If, on reflection, we reach a considered conclusion that the improved success rate from caging was negligible / marginal and/or it created an unacceptable level of disturbance then we would willing cease such activity.

This morning John took advantage of the dispersion of the Avocet broods away from sitting LRP to successfully cage the nest; the sitting bird returned to the clutch within 60 seconds.

 

[wheatearlp]

Brood G still had three chicks on Thursday evening

 

[Janner Falcon!]

At approximately the half way point of May and we have only recorded 88 species to date; previous years have seen us notch up between 115 and 120. A poor wader passage is partly to blame with only a few Dunlin, 2 single Ringed Plovers, a fly-over party of Whimbrel and yesterday's godwit to date. Potential additions to the monthly list include (year ticks in bold):

Garganey, Little Egret, Osprey, Red Kite, Marsh Harrier, Sanderling, Ruff, Wood Sandpiper, Green Sandpiper, Curlew, Bar-tailed Godwit, Redshank, Greenshank, Turnstone, Yellow-legged Gull, Common Gull, Sandwich Tern, Tawny Owl, Barn Owl, Little Owl, Lesser Spotted Woodpecker, Grey Wagtail, Redstart, Whinchat, Willow Warbler, Grasshopper Warbler, Spotted Flycatcher, Treecreeper, Nuthatch, Coal Tit, Yellowhammer

Willow Warbler seen around 3.30 - 4pm Wednesday 13th to right of west hide but I wasn't quick enough to get a photo. Another person reported seeing one earlier.

Margaret

 

[upstarts1979]

A 5am start, greeted by a cool SSW wind which moved to a WNW by mid-day.
Yesterdays Blackwit remained but only a redshank was on the move - my first of the year at Upton and a sign of the fortunes of this species in recent times. However the sight of a brood of lapwing chicks made up for the lack of migrants and are the first for 4? years at the Flashes. This is testimony to the success of the grazing on the grasslands and its continuation must be of top priority. The Avocet chicks were as yesterday 9 broods totalling 23 birds. The oystercatchers are nesting in the meadow and at this rate redshank should return in the near future. There was a build up of LBBG's but the avocets ensured that they didn't land or take any chicks.
Species count FLASHES:
shoveler 3, gadwall 3, shelduck 6, mallard c45, tufted c20, Avocet 28 min + 23 chicks, Lapwing 12 + 4 ch, oystercatcher 3, redshank, Black tailed godwit, LRP 5, BHG 300+, LBBG 12, herring gull 1, Peregrine, buzzard 3, sprawk, stock dove 5, raven 2, whitethroat, blackcap, sedge w 2, reed w 2, chiffchaff, song thrush,
Hen Pool: reed w 6, cettis w, song thrush with wader (tringa sp) notes in its song - so don't be fooled. Some one did actually tell me he that had heard a redshank from the Hen pool, but it appeared that the bird was in a bush8-P

MOORS: GCG 2 didn't see a chick, little grebe 3, greylag 2, shoveler 3, mallard 3 broods, Tufed 45, Lapwing 1, common sand, Oystercatcher 4 + 1 chick, common tern 7, med gull, BHG 220 many hawking low over the pool with the terns, Kestrel, buzzard 2, kingfisher, collared dove, swift 55, all 3 hirundines c60 in total, cettis w 2, reed w 7, sedge w 2 east side,

North Moors: Teal fem shoveler male, tufted 6, cettis w, reed w 3,

 

[Abbeybirder]

Could the lack of Lesser Whitethroats have anything to do with the area from the car park to the sailing pool having it's brambles chopped back or removed as one gentleman passed a comment about the lack of said birds on my last visit.

I have also noticed a lack of lesser whitethroats from along the Salwarpe walk through used to see a few in the area of where the trees and bushes have been removed but haven't seen or heard one in this area this year.

Just a thought.

 

[upstarts1979]

Could the lack of Lesser Whitethroats have anything to do with the area from the car park to the sailing pool having it's brambles chopped back or removed as one gentleman passed a comment about the lack of said birds on my last visit.

I have also noticed a lack of lesser whitethroats from along the Salwarpe walk through used to see a few in the area of where the trees and bushes have been removed but haven't seen or heard one in this area this year.

Just a thought.

They have been down in numbers over the last 3 years. 1 singing on the east side of the sailing pool this morning been there for a week. Not a lot we can do about the trees and bushes around the sailing pool. The trees along the salwarp had to be pollarded due to the overhead power cables being at risk. They will grow back as pollards, but no scrub/bushes were removed LWhitethroats favoured habitat. There is also a new scrub area emerging along the salwarp that we planted 3 or 4 years ago. :t: john

 

[forgetfulelephant]

Shelduck pr with 10? Ducklings Flashes

 

[forgetfulelephant]

9 Shelduck young confirmed.

 

[upstarts1979]

9 Shelduck young confirmed.

any photos Rob. Any hint of where they nested. A male was chasing other ducks on the meadow this week. so maybe they hatched in the shelduck box.B

 

[forgetfulelephant]

Record shot of Shelduck family. They appeared to come from the right of the sewage field perhaps from behind the reedbed? Maybe someone who was there after I left will have more info.

 

[John Layj]

No more info I'm afraid, Rob, I couldn't work out where they were coming from either (though I'm pretty confident it wasn't one of the Shelduck boxes). All nine Shelducklings still present at 8:45pm when I left, but parents constantly fending off swooping gulls. Black-tailed Godwit also still there.
Couple of photos in the fading light.
1. Fending off a gull
2. Mum plus nine

 

[Phil Andrews]

Shelduck breeding records at Upton Warren

A pair held territory at Upton Warren from the 23rd February until early July in 1975 but failed to breed. In 1978 a pair raised three young but it was not until 1991 that the next potential breeding attempt was made, although the pair could not find a suitable nest site and abandoned the area in mid May. Mating was observed the following year and again in 1993 but nesting did not follow. During these years a lot of effort was expended by the work parties trying to create suitable artificial nesting holes so it is rather ironic that the next signs of breeding related to a pair exploring a hole at the base of the large oak tree at the Flashes in 1998! The following year saw two pairs set up territories on the Flashes, resulting in regular disputes; both had departed by late May without any breeding activity observed, a pattern repeated in 2000 to 2004 of mating, nest site prospecting and territorial behaviour but no actual breeding. 2004 saw much activity around the sewage works and adjacent farmland at the Flashes and it was here in 2005 that the break-through was finally made when a pair bred, probably behind Hobden Hall farm. On the 28th May a pair was seen with two very small young on the outside of the fox fence at the third Flash; there were no further reports and their fate was unknown. The following year saw an entirely successful breeding attempt when a pair hatched ten young at the Flashes from the 18th May, all of which went on to fledge. The last few years have seen between four and six pairs regularly present during the breeding season; in 2012 a pair was reported to have frequented the farmyard at Sagebury Farm and attempted to breed there whilst in 2013 at least one bird present during the spring displayed an obvious brood patch. In 2014 a pair nested just outside the Flashes, probably near the old orchard at Hobden Hall Farm. Two young were noted on the third Flash on the 7th June but with no sign of the female; it is assumed that she was taken by a fox shepherding the rest of the brood to the Flashes. One of the ducklings was taken by a Black-headed Gull that evening whilst the second duckling was not seen after the 8th. Finally, this year saw a brood of nine emerge at the Flashes on the 16th May.