Upton Warren (155 Viewers)

[Phil Andrews]

Date for your Diary

After a bit of to'ing and fro'ing we have decided on Saturday 5th September for the Autumn All-dayer. Hope to see as many of you as possible on the day :t::t:

The 2014 annual report will also be on sale that day; exact price dependent on printing costs but work on £3 or £3.50 for the moment. Apologies for its late production this year.

 

[midlands birder]

Tonight Craig had a juv Med , 800 BHG roosted and 20 Curlew at the Flashes this evening as well as the 4 blackwits & 2 gadwall.
on the Moors a hobby

Some images from last night.
Juv Med flew in on the dot at 9pm and landed on the mud at the back. BlackWits all in stunning S/p and a nice bonus of a female Roe Deer as it worked its way alone the field to the N of the flashes
MB

 

[wheatearlp]

Nothing of interest in the roost by the time I left slightly early at 7.40 just ahead of the rain. Tim wad still there so maybe he had something ...
The LRP chick was still OK despite passes by both Peregrine & Sparrowhawk and a prolonged visit by two juvenile Herring Gulls that were chased around for ten minutes by Avocets. Snipe and two juv Shelducks still present.

 

[upstarts1979]

Info from Phil W...at Flashes water level has risen to c0.4, this is still low for the time of year. But will hopefully be enough to stop the 2nd Flash from drying out completely.
Also the LRP chick is still doing well now 18 days old. They normally fully fledge at 25 - 27 days

 

[AlanH46]

Moors Pool

Spent about 45mins at the Moors after a morning at the Flashes.

The 6 young Shoveller and the 4 young Gadwall were on the shingle island in front of the east hide. Also the remaining Common Tern chicks seem to be surviving well.

However, not such good news for the young Tufties; in the time I was there 2 different LBB Gulls helped themselves to young Tufties. I know that the gulls have to eat as well but was somewhat dismayed at how they came in, did a quick circuit and then left with a duckling.

 

[Phil Andrews]

Spent about 45mins at the Moors after a morning at the Flashes.

The 6 young Shoveller and the 4 young Gadwall were on the shingle island in front of the east hide. Also the remaining Common Tern chicks seem to be surviving well.

However, not such good news for the young Tufties; in the time I was there 2 different LBB Gulls helped themselves to young Tufties. I know that the gulls have to eat as well but was somewhat dismayed at how they came in, did a quick circuit and then left with a duckling.

Have we lost a young Gadwall?

 

[Birder Gladys]

took this photo yesterday can only see 4 gadwall chicks in it? As for last nights roost all I got was a low number of BHG 200c and very very wet, nice timing when mike left.

 

[upstarts1979]

FLASHES update

all quiet . Plenty of swifts moving south in groups 70+ in last 20 minutes. LRP ad+ juv chick now 19 days old and flapping it's wings regularly. Curlew 17. lapwing 108. Green sand 5. Avocet 14 + 7 chicks. Teal 3. Shelduck 2 juv. Linnet 8 with some spanking summer plumaged males.

 

[upstarts1979]

10 Blackwit flew fast and south 10.47 at Flashes

 

[midlands birder]

took this photo yesterday can only see 4 gadwall chicks in it? As for last nights roost all I got was a low number of BHG 200c and very very wet, nice timing when mike left.

Correct me if I'm wrong, but they look like Wigeon!

 

[Phil Andrews]

10 Blackwit flew fast and south 10.47 at Flashes

Alan Giles had the Blackwits at the Moors Pool two minutes prior

 

[Phil Andrews]

Correct me if I'm wrong, but they look like Wigeon!

Looking on my phone I can see 3 Wigeon and 4 brown ducks I wouldn't like to safely identify (although at least appears to have the greenish head of a moulting male Mallard)?

 

[upstarts1979]

had a thorough check on the Moors for all the breeding stock, good news mostly.
Another brood of little grebe in NE corner. The other 2 broods in the SW are singletons as is the NE one. The 6 Shoveler chicks are all ok. But they did split up at times. As for the gadwall initially there were only 3 chicks, later a 4th joined them. I think the 5th is probably amongst the loafing mallard on the islands. As for the Tufted there are still 17+ broods but they are very much depleted. The common terns are doing well. A 4th brood has now hatched on a raft.

 

[upstarts1979]

A few random pics from today
1. The LRP chick 19 days old
2. linnet feeding on saltmarsh
3. dead shrew (common I think)
4. not all the tufted's lost are eaten by LBBG or herons, some just die.

 

[John Sirrett]

The LRP chick made it to the end of day 20 watched over by the adult. Other waders present on the flashes this afternoon included 3 Green Sands, 9 Curlew, 103 Lapwing and 15 Avocet: 8 swift passed through. A very juv Water Rail was present in front of the Hen Brook hide. From the flashes feeding station hide: - Treecreeper in a flock of 10 Long Tailed Tits, 1 Lesser Whitethroat, 1 Whitethroat,5+ Blackcap, 5+ Chiffchaff, 4+ Reed Warbler, and 1 Sedge Warbler.

 

[upstarts1979]

Terry N told me he had a silver washed fritillary along the salwarp last week.

 

[Phil Andrews]

Terry N told me he had a silver washed fritillary along the salwarp last week.

How common is this in an Upton context Des?

 

[John Sirrett]

How common is this in an Upton context Des?[/

This is a woodland butterfly that is known to stray into areas that do not support permanent populations. The food plant is the common violet (Viola riviniana) which is not found on the reserve. There is one previous Upton record one photographed by S E Andrew on 1/8/08.

 

[Phil Andrews]

How common is this in an Upton context Des?[/

This is a woodland butterfly that is known to stray into areas that do not support permanent populations. The food plant is the common violet (Viola riviniana) which is not found on the reserve. There is one previous Upton record one photographed by S E Andrew on 1/8/08.

Thanks John

 

[upstarts1979]

The LRP chick made it to the end of day 20 watched over by the adult. Other waders present on the flashes this afternoon included 3 Green Sands, 9 Curlew, 103 Lapwing and 15 Avocet: 8 swift passed through. A very juv Water Rail was present in front of the Hen Brook hide. From the flashes feeding station hide: - Treecreeper in a flock of 10 Long Tailed Tits, 1 Lesser Whitethroat, 1 Whitethroat,5+ Blackcap, 5+ Chiffchaff, 4+ Reed Warbler, and 1 Sedge Warbler.

John was it fully fledged. as opposed to the 2 half grown (black) chicks on the hen pool