Upton Warren (15 Viewers)

[Gavo]

What you describe about the avo chick John could be the heat, out on the flashes there is very few places to shelter and I imagine those chicks are getting incredibly hot in this weather, they have such little legs too so I imagine not much heat will be lost through them (guess).

I hope it is well today, although in this heat I would'nt be too sure.

 

[Gert Corfield]

A couple of photo's of the Black Tailed Godwit, nicely showing it's black tail from yesterday afternoon!
Also of interest was a large swarm of Bees that flew past the front of the hide so close that we nearly shut all the windows! Fortunately they carried on, unfortunately not pursued by a Bee eater!

 

[Gavo]

A couple of photo's of the Black Tailed Godwit, nicely showing it's black tail from yesterday afternoon!
Also of interest was a large swarm of Bees that flew past the front of the hide so close that we nearly shut all the windows! Fortunately they carried on, unfortunately not pursued by a Bee eater!

Fortunate for the bees though 8-P

 

[AlanH46]

Moors Pool - 6.45am to 8.00am

1s Little Gull.
2 drake Pochard
1 Black Tailed Godwit, not sure if this is the duller bird from the Flashes or not.

Flashes - 8.15am to 11.45am

Both Godwits were present at 8.15 but not seen after about 10.00.
The Avocet chick has survived the night but was still unable to stand. Parents still keeping the healthy chick in the sane area.

 

[upstarts1979]

Moors Pool - 6.45am to 8.00am

1s Little Gull.
2 drake Pochard
1 Black Tailed Godwit, not sure if this is the duller bird from the Flashes or not.

Flashes - 8.15am to 11.45am

Both Godwits were present at 8.15 but not seen after about 10.00.
The Avocet chick has survived the night but was still unable to stand. Parents still keeping the healthy chick in the sane area.

Hi Alan
I can't see how the Avocet chick is going to survive, but it does show what good parents they are.
Re the blackwit..it looks like a winter plumaged bird, the duller one of the pair has some summer plumaged scapular feathers. It could be the angle and the light but the bill seems duller as well.:t:John

 

[midlands birder]

Just uploaded some footage of the male Ruff from Saturday, a stunning bird!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UyAXlu3DzyI&list=UUIXw-yMZRAmZZJ5hBdkZueA&index=1&feature=plcp


MB
(You'll have to increase to HD manually(Click the gear type icon and choose 720p), i dont know of a feature of Youtube which means its auto-displayed in HD?)

 

[Claudy Banks]

Excellent video Craig, well done.

 

[upstarts1979]

Did I fall asleep and wake up at the end of June, well that's just how it felt today. At the Flashes there were only 2 species of wader, which is the first time in 35 years I have seen so few in May.
species seen at the Flashes
Tufted 15, shelduck pr, Avocet 8 adults and 10 chicks , the 5th pair have abandoned their nest and left the site. LRP 8, little gull, BHG 122 (22 1st summers the rest are all adults. common tern 2, cuckoo,

The Moors was even quieter. species seen : GCG 8, gadwall male, tufted 8, lapwing 5, LRP , oystercatcher 4 ads + 3 chicks, common tern 4, water rail, cuckoo, even more reed warblers appearing with at least 3 in the sluice basin and another in the blackthorn thicket at the north end of the reserve.
B

 

[upstarts1979]

http://www.flickr.com/photos/79064532@N08/7282332700/in/pool-1847974@N22/

Des Glenn has posted a pic of red eyed damselfly at the reserve recently...what is its status at Upton
B John

 

[waterrailus]

today at Upton

Hi guys back to the mecca today after an enforced layoff, ok so i went to Lesvos. Incidentally i have started putting my pics from trip on gallery for those interested. So set the alarm and got to Moors at 4.30 am to find it like the grave. Can echo Johns sentiments about not much going on. However 3 of us were entertained for about 15 mins by two male cuckoos in the same tree seeing who could shout loudest. I have attached a record shot as even with my bazooka they were too far away from hide to get decent shot. Other than that and poor old PeterE turning up just as cuckoos departed (he had come especially for said bird) and then sitting with me for the next two hours cuckooless there was little to report. On way back to car heck of a commotion off causeway with a water rail squealing lots of reed movement and a moorhen propelled vertically out of reeds at same point methinks mink?
anyway i have attached a couple of todays pics. cheers Dennis

 

[upstarts1979]

Hi guys back to the mecca today after an enforced layoff, ok so i went to Lesvos. Incidentally i have started putting my pics from trip on gallery for those interested. So set the alarm and got to Moors at 4.30 am to find it like the grave. Can echo Johns sentiments about not much going on. However 3 of us were entertained for about 15 mins by two male cuckoos in the same tree seeing who could shout loudest. I have attached a record shot as even with my bazooka they were too far away from hide to get decent shot. Other than that and poor old PeterE turning up just as cuckoos departed (he had come especially for said bird) and then sitting with me for the next two hours cuckooless there was little to report. On way back to car heck of a commotion off causeway with a water rail squealing lots of reed movement and a moorhen propelled vertically out of reeds at same point methinks mink?
anyway i have attached a couple of todays pics. cheers Dennis

Nice selection of shots Dennis. With the forecast for a change in the weather, we might have a late flurry by the weekend.:t:

 

[cooky1]

A few more from my stint at Upton on Sunday.:t:

Chris

 

[wheatearlp]

Nice selection of shots Dennis. With the forecast for a change in the weather, we might have a late flurry by the weekend.:t:

You off to McD's then?

 

[wheatearlp]

http://www.flickr.com/photos/79064532@N08/7282332700/in/pool-1847974@N22/

Des Glenn has posted a pic of red eyed damselfly at the reserve recently...what is its status at Upton
B John

Recent colonist I think - one I haven't seen there so I'd better keep my eyes open for this one.

 

[Woodchat]

http://www.flickr.com/photos/79064532@N08/7282332700/in/pool-1847974@N22/

Des Glenn has posted a pic of red eyed damselfly at the reserve recently...what is its status at Upton
B John

I saw a female / teneral red-eyed last year near the sailing pool and posted a picture on this forum. Des found an adult male I think and also posted a pic. :t:

 

[forgetfulelephant]

Quality images Dennis & Cooky. Enjoyed viewing them.

Rob

 

[PeterE]

Quality images Dennis & Cooky. Enjoyed viewing them.

Rob

Hear, hear!

Actually the waiting for the Cuckoo was enlivened by some splendid display by a Kingfisher: several times it hovered by the East Hide like a humming bird before diving (successfully) into the water.

Peter

 

[Phil Andrews]

Did I fall asleep and wake up at the end of June, well that's just how it felt today. At the Flashes there were only 2 species of wader, which is the first time in 35 years I have seen so few in May.
species seen at the Flashes
Tufted 15, shelduck pr, Avocet 8 adults and 10 chicks , the 5th pair have abandoned their nest and left the site. LRP 8, little gull, BHG 122 (22 1st summers the rest are all adults. common tern 2, cuckoo,

Disappointing regarding the Avocet - I assume the vegatation growth around the sitting bird forced it off the nest. Think that shows that pulling the vegetation each spring isnt enough. I take it the 11th chick that has disappeared was the sickly youngester of the two on the shoreline in front of the third Flash?

 

[rollingthunder]

Agree, John, with regard to how quiet UW has been this May - there are a good number of days where the forum page has stayed the same all day! - whether this is due to the very mixed spring weather migration conditions - who knows? What is apparant is that it is not due to lack of coverage!

On the plus side there has been all the Ospreys and an all too brief RNP:eek!:

Also somebody got the pulses racing by posting details of a CCC on here without saying that it was actually elsewhere:-O

Laurie:t:

 

[Gert Corfield]

Regarding my post on the proposals by DEFRA to control Buzzards, they have just announced on Twitter that the plans have been dropped. Thanks to all who signed the petition.