Upton Warren (17 Viewers)

[Phil Andrews]

A second Red Kite over the reserve this afternoon as per JTB and Gert.

Looking forward to John's very full round-up later

 

[upstarts1979]

All dates today

Now the official work party season is over I went into full birding mode along with several other regulars Andy P. Chris T. Gert and some of the Tuesday crew.
I arrived at a damp cool Sailing pool car park at 6am. There were 2 little egret roosting. With south - SW winds in the offing and an increase in temperature we all had the same mindset that this was going to be the ' real ' start of Spring.
But the persistent rain and cold wind curtailed our expectations somewhat the sight of redwing further reinforced my thought that winter has not finished.
Three LRP, sand martin and my First SWALLOW warmed me up a little. Then at midday Bob O phoned to say he had a Red Kite over the sewage works but it had gone missing, then suddenly there it was above the Archery field I was less than 100m away at the Hen pool.
That was my 2nd new bird for the year.
I had opened the sluice fully at 6am as the water was far too high and consequently the Avocets had all but departed. The 1st winter KITTIWAKE's body lay on the meadow shore.
Moving on to the Moors where a subdued singing Willow warbler showed in the scrub next to the car park.
Also 2 Cetti's were heard one on the North Moors the other in the causeway reeds. Sadly the feathers of a little egret were strewn all over ground in the blackthorn thicket in the NW corner of the NMoors.
On to the East hide where Andy P picked up a distant raptor that turned out to be my 2nd Red Kite of the day. It flew from the NW well beyond the A38and proceeded to fly towards us across the pool and off to the SE. Typical none last year and today 2 in 4 hours8-P
Another Swallow and more sand martins fed above the pool. Around the scrape there still plenty of duck adding a bit more of a winter scene than spring. On the way out of the car park 3 mipits sheltered out the wind in a Hawthorn ( my first of the year).
Back to the Flashes to close the sluice and install the new slat for the SPRING level. There was a rich muddy periphery to the 2nd flash and proof of its benefit was that teal had increase from 6 to 31 all of them in the muddy zone, where snipe had increased from 2 to 5.
This area is now set fare for some wader passage.

FLASHES Count:
Teal 31(only 6 am). Gadwall 4. Shoveler 3. Shelduck 5 . Tufted 15.
Coot 12.
Avocet 6. Snipe 5. Oystercatcher 2. Lapwing 13 (2 sitting). LRP 3. Curlew 4.
BHG 1400. Herring/ LBBG mostly over throughout the day c200.
Red Kite. Buzzard 5. Sparrowhawk.
Stock dove 25. Raven. Jay.
Green woodpecker. Kingfisher.
Swallow. Sand martin 3.
Redwing 2. Song thrush 2. Starling 60.
Chiffchaff 2.
Linnet 3. Bullfinch 2. Chaffinch.

SAILING POOL count
GCG 6. Little grebe. Tufted c30 little egret 4 roosted tonight.

MOORS count:
GCG. Little grebe 8. Cormorant.
Shoveler 16. Teal 16. Gadwall 7. Pochard 7.Tufted 48.
Lapwing 2 (1 sitting). Oystercatcher 4. Snipe 2.
Water rail 3.
Red Kite. Kestrel. Buzzard 4.
Stock dove 5.
Fieldfare 5+. Swallow 2. Sand Martin 20.
Redpoll 11. Goldfinch 5. Greenfinch. Bullfinch 4. Chaffinch 3. Meadow pipit 3.
Willow warbler. Chiffchaff 4. Cetti's w 2.
Reed Bunting 5+

 

[Phil Andrews]

First singing Blackcap of the year at the North Moors as per Gert.

Avocet numbers slightly recovered to 20 at the Flashes as per Andy P.

 

[UW82]

Today's highlights:

MOORS:
Chiffchaff (3)----------------Blackcap (2). Singing birds near N Moors hide and barn conversions.
Willow Warbler (1) along the west track. It, or another, was on the east side in the afternoon.
Cetti's Warbler (1)----------Water Rail (3)
Shoveler (11)---------------Gadwall (7)
Teal (12)---------------------Tufted Duck (43)
Pochard (0)------------------Snipe (3)
Oystercatcher (4)-----------Lapwing (2) including sitting bird.
Little Grebe (6)--------------G C Grebe (3)
B H Gull (215)---------------Herring Gull (2ad)
Cormorant (3)---------------Shelduck (1)
Sparrowhawk----------------Buzzard (2)
Swallow (2)------------------Sand Martin (3)
Redpoll (3)-------------------Collared Dove
Kestrel------------------------Mute Swan (1)
Greylag Goose (2)-----------Treecreeper and Goldcrest reported along the east track.

FLASHES/SAILING POOL*
Avocet (20)-------------------LRP(3)
Oystercatcher (2)------------Lapwing (10) including 3 sitting birds.
Teal (16)----------------------Shoveler (2)
Gadwall (2)-------------------Shelduck (5)
Raven (2)---------------------Peregrine
Chiffchaff (2)-----------------Kestrel
B H Gull (c500)---------------Barn Owl at 18.47. Flew north in front of the sewage works towards the Moors.
Med Gull/B H Gull------------Little Egret (4)* roosting.

Des.

 

[Spoonbill Finder]

Common Tern at the Moors Pool as per Andy P

Looking back through my UW annual reports I've found that the Common Tern at the Moors Pool on Monday 2nd April is the joint earliest for the reserve on record. A bird was also seen at the Moors Pool on the same date in 2011. That year saw both Bluethroat & Hoopoe on the reserve during April. It was also the year that Dave Walker set the record for the number of species witnessed by one individual. Great to see Dave back at Upton Warren today. Hopefully these are good omens for a productive Spring passage and fabulous year overall. I'll be down again tomorrow early doors.

 

[waterrailus]

Hi Phil, not sure if this has been reported but had a B.H.Gull in front of East Hide Moors Pool this morning adorned with two rings. Have attached pics which are self explanatory. Nothing else of any significance but lovely morning. I would be interested to see what gulls history is. cheers Dennis

 

[Phil Andrews]

From the Flashes this morning Andy P reports:

22 Avocet, 14 Lapwing (including 3 sitting), 3 LR Plover, 3 Curlew, 2 Oystercatcher, 6 Tufted Duck, 4 Shelduck, 3 Gadwall, 2 Peregrine and Swallow.

 

[Phil Andrews]

Hi Phil, not sure if this has been reported but had a B.H.Gull in front of East Hide Moors Pool this morning adorned with two rings. Have attached pics which are self explanatory. Nothing else of any significance but lovely morning. I would be interested to see what gulls history is. cheers Dennis

Cheers Dennis - think this is one of our regular birds.

 

[Phil Andrews]

Hi Phil, not sure if this has been reported but had a B.H.Gull in front of East Hide Moors Pool this morning adorned with two rings. Have attached pics which are self explanatory. Nothing else of any significance but lovely morning. I would be interested to see what gulls history is. cheers Dennis

Prior to today the adult with white "24H0" had been in the Flashes roost on the 23rd and 25th March 2017. It had been ringed in the nest at Cerney Wick in the Cotswold Water Park on the 10th June 2013 and had previously been recorded at the Flashes on the 10th April 2015. There have been no other sightings of this bird but I will recheck with the ringing scheme's coordinator.

 

[waterrailus]

Cheers Phil.

 

[Phil Andrews]

Barn Owl reported again yesterday evening

 

[Phil Andrews]

House Martin at the Moors Pool as per Alan H.

 

[Phil Andrews]

Barn Owl at the Flashes from 8am this morning flew towards archery field. Also 28 Avocet, 3 Snipe, Redshank and 3 LR Plover, all as per Andy P.

 

[Phil Andrews]

Singing Sedge Warbler at the Hen Pool as per Andy P.

Male Redstart near the main Flashes hide as per Jared T.

 

[UW82]

Singing Sedge Warbler at the Hen Pool as per Andy P.

Redstart near the main Flashes hide as per Jared T.

A quick check has revealed no records broken with todays arrival date.

Des.

 

[Burberaj]

Some pictures taken today

The Gadwall were making their way to the seasonal pool at The Moors.
The Lapwing sitting on 4 eggs.

No picture, but The Barn Owl was seen from the East Hide at about 10.00, hunting in the field the other side of The Salwarpe.

 

[Birder Gladys]

Flashes highlights this afternoon. Avocets,Redshank,LRP,Lapwings,Oystercatchers. Also very large (female) Buzzard Very light almost white under side, pale head plus white on the beak,(photo does not show how pale this bird was) but it made me look twice.
Moors highlights ,Cettis calling on causeway, Blackcap by lifestyles,22 Sand martins and 4 swallows counted.

 

[Phil Andrews]

2 Sandwich Tern briefly at the Moors Pool then flew towards the Flashes as per Dave J.

 

[Phil Andrews]

Dave J further reports from the Moors Pool:

2 Little Egret from Sailing Pool roost, 2 Pochard, 5 Gadwall, 6 Teal, Snipe, 2 Oystercatcher, 5 Swallow, 7 Sand Martin.

 

[upstarts1979]

Today 5.45am - 12.45

First thing 5 degrees no wind and high cloud. From 8am rain set in for a couple of hours or so and a cold northerly wind put pay to anymore migration. But as I was leaving the wind dropped and the temperature rose.

FLASHES :
Teal 14. Gadwall 2. Shoveler 2. Shelduck 5. Tufted. Little grebe - hen pool.
Avocet 34. Curlew 3. Lapwing 12-14 3 sitting. LRP 4. Snipe 6. Oystercatcher 2. Redshank.
Watt rail.
Stock dove 20.
Raven.
Swallow 5. Sand Martin 5. Blackcap. Chiffchaff 2. Sedge warbler.
Starling 80. Song thrush 4.
Greenfinch. Bullfinch 2.linnet

SAILING POOL:
GCG 4. Shoveler. Tufted 20. SANDWICH TERN 2 flew over from the Moors. Little egret.

MOORS:
GCG. Little grebe 6. Cormorant 3.
Shoveler 9. Teal 14. Gadwall 4. Tufted 44.
Lapwing 3. Snipe 2. Oystercatcher 4.
Peregrine.
Sand Martin 60. Swallow 5.
HOUSE SPARROW male in car park.
Blackcap 3. Chiffchaff 3. Cetti's w. Redpoll.