Upton Warren (3 Viewers)

[PHW]

A record of yesterdays ruddy shellduck
Phil.

 

[Woodchat]

Ruddy Shelduck Tadorna ferruginea

The status of this species in Britain is much debated, with British Birds Rarity Committee (BBRC) recently ruling that no acceptable records of Ruddy Shelduck have occurred since 1950. The closest wild populations of Ruddy Shelduck to Britain originate from north-west Africa and south-east Europe (Romania, Bulgaria and Greece) although both are believed to be declining; perversely the population in the steppes of the central Russian states is expanding. A healthy feral breeding population exists in North Norfolk, centred around Cley and Holkham together with regular escapes, whilst there is also a sizeable Continental feral population centred around the Netherlands with breeding from 1969.

Upton Warren has had a total of 10 records involving 14 birds:-

End September > 2nd October 1983 - 1 bird
22nd September & 28th>29th October 1987 - 1 bird (female )
20th July > 10th September 1989* - 2 birds (male & female)
12th August 1990 - 1 bird
5th May 1993 - 1 bird (female)
18th May 1993 - 2 birds (male & female)
12th August 1993 - 2 birds
23rd October 1996 - 1 bird (fly-over female at the Moors Pool)
7th April 2004 - 2 birds (Moors Pool)
5th April 2014 - 1 bird (Moors Pool)

* The male departed on the 2nd August but the female remained until the 10th September 1989.

The reserve’s first record was present on two separate occasions, accompanying Canada Geese. Unfortunately the reserve did not attract any sightings in 1994, the most recent influx of birds into western Europe. The 1987 bird was also recorded at Westwood between July and December 1987 (also noted at Larford), whilst the female of the pair seen in 1989 was also observed at Bittell Reservoir during the same period.

Phil,

You appear to have omitted the female Ruddy Shelduck present on 30th April 2010. Photo of that bird attached:

 

[Phil Andrews]

Phil,

You appear to have omitted the female Ruddy Shelduck present on 30th April 2010. Photo of that bird attached:

Sorry mate - too distracted this morning adding Des's editting to the annual report. All complete now.

Yesterday's bird was present up to 2:30pm at least so it took 45 minutes or less to get up to Belvide if it is one and the same

 

[Phil Andrews]

Sunday 6th April

A day that promised much with a brisk southerly wind, overcast skies and (probably too) occasional showers delivered very little. The combined sightings of myself, Mike, Gert and Dave J were as follows:

SAILING POOL
4 Coot, 3 GC Grebe, 2 Mute Swan, 14 Canada Geese, 2 Chiffchaff, Little Egret first thing.

FLASHES - water level 0.48
29 Avocet, 1 Lapwing (male), 1 Curlew, 4 LR Plover, 2 Oystercatcher, 4 Shelduck (2 pairs), 2 Mute Swan, 13 Canada Geese, 10 Teal, 18 Coot, 8 Moorhen, 19 Tufted Duck, 3 Stock Dove, 2 Chiffchaff, several Linnet, 250+ BH Gull, 1 Herring Gull.

MOORS POOL
4 Snipe, 1 LR Plover briefly, 4 Oystercatcher, 1 Curlew over, 12 Sheduck (9 males + 3 females - some duplication with the Flashes), 7 Shoveler, 6 Gadwall, 6 Teal, 68 Tufted Duck, female Pochard, 5 GC Grebe, 4 Little Grebe, 5 Cormorant, 2 Mute Swan, 3 Greylag Geese, 20 Canada Geese, 6 Moorhen, 23 Coot, Water Rail, 215 BH Gull, 7 BH Gull, 47 Herring Gull (including one sporting yellow ring with black "K+F" - would appear to be the same programme as JS's bird on Wednesday), 3 Blackcap, 1 Willow Warbler, 3 Chiffchaff, 2 Cetti's Warblers, 2 Collared Dove, Sparrowhawk, House Martin, Swallow, Sand Martin.

Edit: today's ringed Herring Gull and Wednesday's are believed to have originated from a West Country ringing scheme; more details when I have them.

 

[Brian Stretch]

A record of yesterdays ruddy shellduck
Phil.

Interesting looking bird given how pale and concolorous it appears lacking the usual two-toned appearance. Certainly a different individual to the female at Grimley on March 14th here.

Brian
________________
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Follow Worcester Birding on Twitter @WorcsBirding

 

[Birder Gladys]

A day that promised much with a brisk southerly wind, overcast skies and (probably too) occasional showers delivered very little. The combined sightings of myself, Mike, Gert and Dave J were as follows:

SAILING POOL
4 Coot, 3 GC Grebe, 2 Mute Swan, 14 Canada Geese, 2 Chiffchaff, Little Egret first thing.

FLASHES - water level 0.48
29 Avocet, 1 Lapwing (male), 1 Curlew, 4 LR Plover, 2 Oystercatcher, 4 Shelduck (2 pairs), 2 Mute Swan, 13 Canada Geese, 10 Teal, 18 Coot, 8 Moorhen, 19 Tufted Duck, 3 Stock Dove, 2 Chiffchaff, several Linnet, 250+ BH Gull, 1 Herring Gull.

MOORS POOL
4 Snipe, 1 LR Plover briefly, 4 Oystercatcher, 1 Curlew over, 12 Sheduck (9 males + 3 females - some duplication with the Flashes), 7 Shoveler, 6 Gadwall, 6 Teal, 68 Tufted Duck, female Pochard, 5 GC Grebe, 4 Little Grebe, 5 Cormorant, 2 Mute Swan, 3 Greylag Geese, 20 Canada Geese, 6 Moorhen, 23 Coot, Water Rail, 215 BH Gull, 7 BH Gull, 47 Herring Gull (including one sporting yellow ring with black "K+F" - would appear to be the same programme as JS's bird on Wednesday), 3 Blackcap, 1 Willow Warbler, 3 Chiffchaff, 2 Cetti's Warblers, 2 Collared Dove, Sparrowhawk, House Martin, Swallow, Sand Martin.

Edit: today's ringed Herring Gull and Wednesday's are believed to have originated from a West Country ringing scheme; more details when I have them.

House Martin is this the first for the year?

 

[Phil Andrews]

House Martin is this the first for the year?

No Tim - one at the Moors Pool on the 28th March

 

[The Moore-hen]

Phil W found one at c12.30pm, this bird was at Lower Moor nr Pershore earlier in the day. Later (3.15pm ) it appeared at Belvide for 20 minutes before moving off east. Just a pity we can't have more interaction with Belvide's birds.:-C
B

Hey, it's hard enough birding Gailey without other sites fighting for Belvide's 'sloppy seconds'...anything that flys through or flys off east from Belvide is fair game for Gailey - it's got me Ring-necked & Fudge Ducks, Grey Phal, Sabine's Gull and plenty of other padders over the years...not to mention getting the Franklin's from Chasewater! I have found the odd bird of my own too at Gailey... although surprisingly little moves from there to Belvide...

 

[Skeleton man]

Lost Property

If the owner of these bottles would like to come forward I'm sure one of the Wardens would be happy to insert them....sorry, return them to you ! :C
8-P

 

[Phil Andrews]

Hey, it's hard enough birding Gailey without other sites fighting for Belvide's 'sloppy seconds'...anything that flys through or flys off east from Belvide is fair game for Gailey - it's got me Ring-necked & Fudge Ducks, Grey Phal, Sabine's Gull and plenty of other padders over the years...not to mention getting the Franklin's from Chasewater! I have found the odd bird of my own too at Gailey... although surprisingly little moves from there to Belvide...

Hi Ian - as it was at Upton first it would be Belvide dealing in sloppy seconds 8-P Using the Bevide / Gailey analogy unfortunately UW only seems to pick Westwood's birds up to a certain rarity level - would have been nice to connect with the arrary of skuas, dowitcher, petrels, American Wigeon, Spotted Sand etc

 

[Phil Andrews]

Ringed Herring Gulls

The internet and e-mail working at its best; responses in just a few hours from gull ringing co-ordinator Peter Rock on the origins of the two recent Herring Gulls:

Yellow "K+F" noted at the Moors Pool on the 6th April 2014 was originally ringed in Cardiff on the 2nd July 2013; there have been no records in between.

Yellow "G+G" noted at the Moors Pool on the 2nd April 2014 was originally ringed in Stonehouse, Gloucestershire on the 1st July 2013; there have been no records in between.

 

[upstarts1979]

If the owner of these bottles would like to come forward I'm sure one of the Wardens would be happy to insert them....sorry, return them to you ! :C
8-P

Were they empty RichB
It seems to be a Saturday evening thing. I wonder if the kids from the camping group had a party of theirsite. At least they kept em in a bag. 8-P

 

[upstarts1979]

BHG increase

I noticed yesterday that there was decline in the nesting pairs at the Moors. This has been the case for the last 3 years. Birds have moved to the Flashes to swell the colony there.
This could be due to the increase presence of the large gulls. This year a noticeable increase in herring gulls and the territorial behaviour of a breeding pair might force more BHG to abandon the Moors. The numbers at the Flashes have massively increased and are causing problems with the waders. The gulls have saturated the best breeding sites so the waders are struggling at the moment. However over half of the thousand or so BHg's are 1st summer non breeders. According to my notes most of these normally move off once breeding is in full flow. At present these non breeders are chasing many of the waders and preventing them from settling down. Just to think that the first BHGs bred for the first time a year after the avocets started in 2003. I know not many people like the blackheds but they are interesting to watch , a bit noisey but at the same time extremely useful for chasing off unwanted avian predators. As they are protected theres not a lot we can do.

 

[Skeleton man]

Ringed Plover on flashes + 4LRP.
Also Dunlin (PHW)
Rich

 

[Skeleton man]

A couple from this afternoon.
Ringed Plover
Dunlin

Rich

 

[PeterE]

A couple from this afternoon.
Ringed Plover
Dunlin

Rich

Excellent pics, Rich. The Dunlin is different from the one Bob and I saw on Friday; it lacked the dark belly.

Peter

 

[upstarts1979]

A couple from this afternoon.
Ringed Plover
Dunlin

Rich

Nice Rich
and while we are on the subject of waders.
This appeared in the March Birdwatching Magazine .

 

[Birder Gladys]

tonight

17.15 -20.15 birds of note
Moors 4 Oyk, 3 Shelduck, 1 grey wagtail, 1 Pochard (f), 2 little grebe, 2 heron, 3 common snipe, 30+ swallow & sand martin, Blackcap & GSW (m) along east path, water rail calling front of east hide.

sailing pool. Cettis calling from north side.

Flashes. 4 LRP, 1 RP, 1 Dunlin, 6 Curlew, 4 Gadwall, 1 pair Shelduck, 1 Swollow, 26 Avocet, 1 Snipe, c800 BHG, 1 LBBG

pics
1 where have all the Shelducks gone?
2 where have all the BHG gone?
3 to 5 see what you can find

 

[Jason K]

Nice Rich
and while we are on the subject of waders.
This appeared in the March Birdwatching Magazine .

You would have thought they would have mentioned the Avocets amongst the listed breeding waders in the article John. After all it is a bit of a star bird of the reserve

 

[biking birder 2010]

You would have thought they would have mentioned the Avocets amongst the listed breeding waders in the article John. After all it is a bit of a star bird of the reserve

To omit the avocet as a breeding bird yet state we have breeding redshank and lapwing is unfortunate. Who provided the details for the magazine?