Upton Warren (5 Viewers)

[forgetfulelephant]

1. Black Headed Gull showing plumage that I think is great to photograph.
2. 2 Jack Snipe feeding on Snipe Island
3. Today's Barnacle Geese at The Moors
4. What do you think this is about? Mallard female carrying what I think is a hen's egg maybe from Lifestyles. Food? Or getting really broody? All I know is she flew quite a way with it!

Rob

 

[Rocketian]

Good shot; I see 33 birds but I am not sure they are all Wigeon - the three on the left look like Shoveler whilst there appear to be 5 or 6 which are small on the RHS of the flock that could be Teal?

Here is another shot - a few seconds earlier. Does this help at all ??

 

[Nosedive Karma]

Hi all...this doesn't really concern Upton but I thought I would share as many of my fellow Worcestershire Birders follow this thread and I know a few folk on here have had similar problems with internet Trolls via private messages. Hopefully the person concerned may read this....

As some of you are aware I have been writing and posting the Shenstone Birder blog since 2010 but over recent months I have received a number of comments from an anonymous poster saying "Get a job you lazy git!"

This person obviously doesn't know my situation...loss of local government job due to cuts and the fact that I now do work, all be it on a voluntary basis, at Worcestershire Biological Records Centre.

I know occasionally on Bird Forum I may have upset the odd person with my opinions but I have always stated that they are just opinions and I always put my name to them. there is never any malice intended...I just speak up about areas I feel passionate about.

So whoever you are or if you are reading this....why don't you man-up and put your name to your pathetic comments? It's very easy to hide behind anonymity and call someone names like a pre-pubescent child!

So if it is someone on here...grow some balls and put a name behind the courage of your convictions!

Jase

Sorry to hear that Jase.

Take no notice mate and carry on birding/blogging

 

[Jason K]

Thanks Nosedive

 

[Spoonbill Finder]

Ringed Plover at Moors Pool. Has just flown in.

 

[Phil Andrews]

Here is another shot - a few seconds earlier. Does this help at all ??

33 birds in this one as well - certainly one male Shoveler in amongst them.

 

[Brian Stretch]

Not a great pic - but there were 33 wigeon flying round the Moors when I took this at 12:42 yesterday 06/04/2013

Difficult to be 100% sure, but from the first picture this flock appears to contain 2 drake Shoveler (3rd bird in from the left & one just right of centre), 6 Teal (4 on right of flock and another 2 left of the bottom two Wigeon) and 25 Wigeon.

Brian

 

[John Layj]

1. Black Headed Gull showing plumage that I think is great to photograph.
2. 2 Jack Snipe feeding on Snipe Island
3. Today's Barnacle Geese at The Moors
4. What do you think this is about? Mallard female carrying what I think is a hen's egg maybe from Lifestyles. Food? Or getting really broody? All I know is she flew quite a way with it!

Rob

Great shots as always Rob. Pure speculation, but presumably the Mallard can get the right nutrients and minerals for her own eggs by eating another bird's egg? By the way, how is she holding on to that hen's egg? Seems stuck to her bill!!

 

[Skeleton man]

2 Sand Martins on Moors about 6pm car park end

 

[steve_zodiac]

Seems to have been a good movement of thrushes today, most notably Redwings and Blackbirds. here were a few hundred Redwings in the tv transmitter field at 6.30pm, with a number of Blackbirds and a few Song Thrushes.
Earlier in the afternoon I'd had over a thousand Redwings passing over Clent hills, with a few hundred more, plus about fifty Blackbirds in the fields behind St Kenelm's church.

 

[upstarts1979]

1. Black Headed Gull showing plumage that I think is great to photograph.
2. 2 Jack Snipe feeding on Snipe Island
3. Today's Barnacle Geese at The Moors
4. What do you think this is about? Mallard female carrying what I think is a hen's egg maybe from Lifestyles. Food? Or getting really broody? All I know is she flew quite a way with it!

Rob

Rob. I wonder if the egg was a pale mallard egg. If it was, like most birds it would be moving it well away the from the nest, to lessen predator detection, while the rest of the brood are hatching.
great BHG diving shot. B

 

[upstarts1979]

Seems to have been a good movement of thrushes today, most notably Redwings and Blackbirds. here were a few hundred Redwings in the tv transmitter field at 6.30pm, with a number of Blackbirds and a few Song Thrushes.
Earlier in the afternoon I'd had over a thousand Redwings passing over Clent hills, with a few hundred more, plus about fifty Blackbirds in the fields behind St Kenelm's church.

What numbers would you estimate Steve?
Hopefully the weather is changing sufficiently enough for them to migrate to Scandinavia and to be replaced by African migrants.
:t:John

 

[forgetfulelephant]

Great shots as always Rob. Pure speculation, but presumably the Mallard can get the right nutrients and minerals for her own eggs by eating another bird's egg? By the way, how is she holding on to that hen's egg? Seems stuck to her bill!!

Thanks John. If it's food I would expect her to eat it in situ & also never heard of a duck doing this before. It does seem to be stuck to her bill.

 

[forgetfulelephant]

Rob. I wonder if the egg was a pale mallard egg. If it was, like most birds it would be moving it well away the from the nest, to lessen predator detection, while the rest of the brood are hatching.
great BHG diving shot. B

Thanks John. That could be it John except that it appeared to be a complete egg ie not hatched. I have seen the Oycs carry half shells away before now for that reason.

Rob

 

[midlands birder]

Dropped in earlier after a decent days birding in Staffs. 2 Barnacle Goose still on Moors, as was 4 Gadwall and 2 Common Snipe. Nice numbers of Shoveler, and a single Lapwing. 2 Avocets dropped in just before having to leave
MB

 

[upstarts1979]

Thanks John. That could be it John except that it appeared to be a complete egg ie not hatched. I have seen the Oycs carry half shells away before now for that reason.

Rob

oops mallard the new magpies8-P

 

[upstarts1979]

Dropped in earlier after a decent days birding in Staffs. 2 Barnacle Goose still on Moors, as was 4 Gadwall and 2 Common Snipe. Nice numbers of Shoveler, and a single Lapwing. 2 Avocets dropped in just before having to leave
MB

Craig
HOW NICE8-P

 

[midlands birder]

Craig
HOW NICE8-P

I'd been birding for 10 hours at this point, was getting tired and didnt count them :t:
MB

 

[upstarts1979]

FLASHES
This afternoon the Teal numbers had dramatically increased with 42 at the Flashes + 4 NM and 12 min at Moors = 58 minimum., a pair of shelduck
​

According to Steve's Belvide blog for yesterday, Teal increased dramatically. There would appear to be a good deal of 'wintering' birds moving through over the last couple of days at Upton (thrushes and duck)
http://www.surfbirds.com/community-blogs/Belvide84/

Just had text off Terry H - stating that he had seen Smew and Brent goose at Bartley this evening. So keep a look out for winter ducks.​

 

[g.h.1]

Just thought I would drop a quick pic. of the Barnacle Geese seen at the Moor's this morning (unexpected and nice to have them within range for the bridge camera. )