Upton Warren (19 Viewers)

[upstarts1979]

The best I could do for little brown birds.
Whilst looking for them I found this sad character in the grass nearby. In a state of shock. Don't know what "got" it or whether it will survive.

On a lighter note at The Moors - those LBBG's again. Well actually - the walnut. Yes that appears to be a walnut and despite all the comings and goings there it stayed!!

Phil E

The wood pigeon has literally had a close shave..sparrowhawk but more likely a peregrine attack

 

[Phil Andrews]

Sightings for the reserve yesterday courtesy of Mike W, Tim O, Phil W and Sue H:

MOORS POOL
First summer Med Gull, 1 Little Grebe young, 1 Shoveler young on North Moors, Jay in North Moors (scarce this time of year)

SAILING POOL
3 Canada Goose broods of 1:2:6, 2 Greylag Goose broods of 2:6, 1 Great Crested Grebe brood of 2.

FLASHES
2 Med Gulls in the roost (both first summer) - the bird earlier at the Moors plus a new individual, hybrid Med x BH Gull, 2 ringed BH Gulls - white 2K44 (first recorded at UW all the way back in 2009) and a new bird white 2V06 (our 14th ringed BH Gull of 2019), Peregrine took another juvenile BH Gull, Shoveler brood with 5 young on the second Flash, 4 Shelduck young still, 1 Oystercatcher chick still, 30+ Avocet young including 2 newly emerged broods

 

[wheatearlp]

To be more precise on Avocet chicks, I eventually counted 40. This being 32 of the 33 (doesn't mean we've lost one, just that I didn't see it) plus 8 in the three new broods (3:3:2)

 

[upstarts1979]

Missing Bird Feeders

I have been told by Bobby P that when he went to top up the main feeders in front of the Jacobs hide they weren't there!!!!!!:eek!:
How sad is that we try to provide a facility and then someone nicks the feeders......makes you wonder why we bother...but we will.

 

[Adrian k]

John I have had the same problem in my garden over the years and I found out from a neighbour with a night camera that he had 6 feeders taken over 2 months all empty at the time the villain was a squirrel. I did find 2 of my feeders over in the brambles so by this I assume the squirrel had visited my garden also.

 

[Where Bird]

ID Please if possible

A small black silhouette shot across the sky putting up the gulls on the Flashes.
All I could do was point shoot and hope.
This is a very small portion of the pic and not even done as a telephoto hence the poor quality.
Any chance it could be a hobby? Put into perspective it is flying away in the pic.

The "metal" lrp has three definite eggs. Kim ,I think it was, found two more lrp in the muddy area off to the right of the hide. A line of undergrowth on the edge.
One was standing guard and the other sitting. When the sitter walked away I am positive it was not a pebble it had been sitting on. Keep an eye out.

Can't post either pic I'm afraid. rules.

At The Moors little grebe chick was showing well.
If the GC Grebes have lost their chick then unless this is another pair they are working up to having another go.
Phil E

 

[Phil Andrews]

Very difficult from that image Phil. If I had a free £10 bet I would be putting it on Peregrine.

 

[Phil Andrews]

News from the reserve yesterday via Andy P, Phil W and Peter Dawson:

MOORS POOL
1 Little Grebe chick, 2 Cormorant, Signal Crayfish on path

FLASHES
2 Oystercatcher + 1 young, 2 Shelduck + 4 young still, 2 Shoveler + 2 broods (8:5), 40 Avocet young - 32 older chicks plus 3 new broods with 8 young (3:3:2)

 

[Phil Andrews]

2 Cuckoo calling this morning at the Moors Pool as per Carl J

 

[Where Bird]

Bird ID

Very difficult from that image Phil. If I had a free £10 bet I would be putting it on Peregrine.

Thanks Phil. The guy who pointed it out couldn't identify it but everything I suggested was "TOO" big. Not a regular - someone who hadn't visited for a long time. Too me it was just a silhouette.
Anyway I'm happy to go with peregrine. Only ever seen one on the masts - never in flight.
Phil E

 

[Where Bird]

Moth ID please

This time I'm fairly happy that it is a moth. The only one I can come up with is a magpie moth.
This was on a window in the East Hide yesterday afternoon and the pic was obviously taken against the light.

Phi E

 

[PeterE]

A very useful representation by John of the location and size of each of the Avocet broods at the Flashes.

I'm sorry to have taken so long in commenting on John's excellent illustration of the whereabouts of the Avocet broods. It seems that the most productive locations were nearest to the hide. I don't remember seeing them this close before. Were any of the nests actually in the grass?

Peter

 

[Phil Andrews]

This time I'm fairly happy that it is a moth. The only one I can come up with is a magpie moth.
This was on a window in the East Hide yesterday afternoon and the pic was obviously taken against the light.

Phi E

Small Magpie Moth

 

[Phil Andrews]

I'm sorry to have taken so long in commenting on John's excellent illustration of the whereabouts of the Avocet broods. It seems that the most productive locations were nearest to the hide. I don't remember seeing them this close before. Were any of the nests actually in the grass?

Peter

Yes - at least half a dozen; seems to be the displacement off the main islands where they no longer seem to nest alongside the BHGs

 

[Where Bird]

Small magpie Moth

Small Magpie Moth

Thanks Phil

 

[upstarts1979]

I'm sorry to have taken so long in commenting on John's excellent illustration of the whereabouts of the Avocet broods. It seems that the most productive locations were nearest to the hide. I don't remember seeing them this close before. Were any of the nests actually in the grass?

Peter

Hi Peter
6 nests were in a very small area in front of the hide. All 6 pairs/broods now occupy feeding zones infront and to the sides of the hide....This area is used by the Alpha pairs and is probably the safest and best area to raise chicks ( most likely the best source of food density wise...judging by how almost with every sweep of their bill they catch a food item)👍.
Hope you are well Peter

 

[Phil Andrews]

From the Flashes yesterday evening Mike W reports:

4 Shelduck young, 2 Shoveler broods still at 5:8 young, 1 Oystercatcher chick, 31 older Avocet chicks +4 newer broods of 4:3:2:2 (one lost overnight from a brood of three)

Shoveler chick still at the North Moors as per Peter Dawson

 

[Phil Andrews]

Predictably the monthly total has really struggled in June with a total of 77 species recorded to date (although I suspect some of the commoner species have been seen, just not reported). The average June total is 92.33 species with the highest being 95 in 2013 & 2018 and a low of 88 in 2015 and 2016.

Potential additions in the second half of the month include (year ticks in bold):-

Teal, Garganey, Hobby, Sparrowhawk, Pheasant, Water Rail, Redshank, Wood Sandpiper, Green Sandpiper, Common Sandpiper, Snipe, Common Gull, Yellow-legged Gull, any owls, Feral Pigeon, Skylark, Redstart, Whinchat, Mistle Thrush, Willow Warbler, Garden Warbler, Goldcrest, Spotted Flycatcher, Nuthatch, Starling, House Sparrow

 

[Phil Andrews]

A quick review of the stats reveals that this year has seen the most ever Avocet hatched with 49 emerged to date, surpassing the 41 hatched in 2013. That year also saw the highest number of birds successfully raised (32) which an overall fledgling rate of 75% for the reserve since Avocet first bred in 2003 (notably reduced from traditional levels by last year's disastrous breeding performance).

 

[Phil Andrews]

Predictably the monthly total has really struggled in June with a total of 77 species recorded to date (although I suspect some of the commoner species have been seen, just not reported). The average June total is 92.33 species with the highest being 95 in 2013 & 2018 and a low of 88 in 2015 and 2016.

Potential additions in the second half of the month include (year ticks in bold):-

Teal, Garganey, Hobby, Sparrowhawk, Pheasant, Water Rail, Redshank, Wood Sandpiper, Green Sandpiper, Common Sandpiper, Snipe, Common Gull, Yellow-legged Gull, any owls, Feral Pigeon, Skylark, Redstart, Whinchat, Mistle Thrush, Willow Warbler, Garden Warbler, Goldcrest, Spotted Flycatcher, Nuthatch, Starling, House Sparrow

Right on cue Dave J has had a Teal at the Flashes this morning! Also present:

3 Gadwall, 6 Shelduck + 4 young, 3 Gadwall, 4 Little Ringed Plover, 8 Lapwing, 2 Oystercatcher + 1 young, 44 Avocet + 15 broods with 43 young (including 4 new broods of 4:3:2:1)