Upton Warren (17 Viewers)

[Phil Andrews]

From the Moors Pool Dave J reports:

3 Avocets (from the Flashes), 2 Little Egret, 5 Teal, Coal Tit

Full WeBS counts to follow.

 

[upstarts1979]

Work party this Tuesday 11th April

As usual at this time of year we will be cutting the reed channel in front of the Hen Pool hide..The reeds in the channel are cut annually to ensure views into the reed bed. The reed warblers will be back soon so this is our last chance..The warblers never breed in these reeds as the only breed in 2 year or more old reeds.
I will also close the gate to the right of Avocet hide. The cattle will be returning on Thursday 13th April and we don't want nests trampled.
For anyone coming to help out please meet at Flashes or Sailing pool car park.
Sorry for any disruption to your day ..but I will be in and out in 5 minutes on the Flashes. .The Hen pool work will not affect the birds on the Flashes.

 

[Birder Gladys]

just a few pics from the last few days.

 

[upstarts1979]

Spent 3 and half hours till 8.5pm at Flashes.
None stop activity with the breeding season now in full swing. Pleasingly there are at least 11 pairs of lapwing many sitting and others setting up territory and displaying especially this evening after dark. A small group of sand martin battled against the fresh NW wind. Another Med gull appeared late on and the large gulls continued to roost.
Species count Flashes :
Teal 8. gadwall 8. Shelduck 4. shoveler 5. tufted 8.
Oystercatcher 5 came into roost. lapwing 26. snipe 1. LRP 3. Avocet 41+.
Med Gull 4 (2x2nd summer and 2x 1st summer ). LBBG 130. Herring gull 9. BHG 1400.
Kestrel. Buzzard 3. sparrowhawk.
raven. rook 8. stock dove 12. kingfisher.
Cetti's w. chiffchaff. blackcap. starling 4 rare lately. sand martin 4. pied wag. Reed bunting 8.

pics of 3 Meds 2x2nd sum & 1st summer

 

[upstarts1979]

As usual at this time of year we will be cutting the reed channel in front of the Hen Pool hide..The reeds in the channel are cut annually to ensure views into the reed bed. The reed warblers will be back soon so this is our last chance..The warblers never breed in these reeds as the only breed in 2 year or more old reeds.
I will also close the gate to the right of Avocet hide. The cattle will be returning on Thursday 13th April and we don't want nests trampled.
For anyone coming to help out please meet at Flashes or Sailing pool car park.
Sorry for any disruption to your day ..but I will be in and out in 5 minutes on the Flashes. .The Hen pool work will not affect the birds on the Flashes.

Slight change of Plan..Can everyone meet at the Moors as per normal.
We will be be refurbishing/repairing/replacing Tern rafts . The work will take place at back of East hide. So no disturbance to the birds.
A small group of us will also go to the Flashes to work on the Hen pool reeds.
:t: John

 

[Peregrine Trousers]

Early start at 6am at flashes...single otter appeared at 6:30am on southern end of 2nd flash sending the gulls and avocets into a mad panic...and then ran across to the 3rd flash. At 6:50am another otter (or the same one) appeared in same place and again ran over to 3rd flash (dodgy video posted on twitter)...anyway back to the birds..

Avocet (41)
Shoveler (1 pr)
Gadwall (2 pr)
Shelduck (6)
Lapwing (c20)
Oystercatcher (2)
Med Gull (2x 2nd summer, 1 1st summer)
LRP (4)
Peregrine (1)

Then over to moors...no singing willow or sedge warblers for me, but chiffchaff and blackcap singing nicely on north moors. Whilst on west track WPD helicopter appeared quite low towards north moors...pictures attached

 

[Phil Andrews]

Monday 10th April 0750-1300

A day of direct contrasts to yesterday with a cold biting NW wind that did nothing for migration; my mood wasn't improved to receive a call off Terry H who had an Osprey through Westwood Pool down the road that sadly didn't materialise at Upton.

MOORS POOL
1 Little Egret, 1 Cormorant, 2 Mute Swan, 5 Greylag Geese, 42 Canada Geese, 2 Shelduck, 12 Gadwall, 1 Teal, 4 GC Grebe, 4+ Little Grebe, 74 Tufted Duck, c40 Coot, 7 Moorhen, Water Rail, 3 Oystercatcher, 3 Lapwing, 1 Snipe, 2 Herring Gull, 3 LBB Gull, 150 Sand Martin, 1 House Martin, Treecreeper (North Moors), 4-5 singing Willow Warbler, 2 singing Sedge Warbler, 2 Rook, Sparrowhawk, Kingfisher

SAILING POOL
4 Mute Swan, 12 Canada Geese, 14 GC Grebe, 4 Tufted Duck, 12 Coot

FLASHES
33 Avocet, 3 LR Plover, 2 Oystercatcher, 27 Lapwing, 6 Shelduck, 4 Gadwall, 2 Shoveler, 1 Teal, 2 Tufted Duck, 30 Coot, 9 Moorhen, 3 Canada Geese, Raven, Sedge Warbler, 2 LBB Gull, 4+ Med Gulls (2 second summer & 2+ first summer including a German bird with a green ring commencing A - can someone see if they can get a full read please), Med x BH Gull hybrid nesting on pipe island paired with a BH Gull - will be interesting to see what a bird containing 25% Med Gull looks like!

 

[Spoonbill Finder]

A day of direct contrasts to yesterday with a cold biting NW wind that did nothing for migration; my mood wasn't improved to receive a call off Terry H who had an Osprey through Westwood Pool down the road that sadly didn't materialise at Upton.

MOORS POOL
1 Little Egret, 1 Cormorant, 2 Mute Swan, 5 Greylag Geese, 42 Canada Geese, 2 Shelduck, 12 Gadwall, 1 Teal, 4 GC Grebe, 4+ Little Grebe, 74 Tufted Duck, c40 Coot, 7 Moorhen, Water Rail, 3 Oystercatcher, 3 Lapwing, 1 Snipe, 2 Herring Gull, 3 LBB Gull, 150 Sand Martin, 1 House Martin, Treecreeper (North Moors), 4-5 singing Willow Warbler, 2 singing Sedge Warbler, 2 Rook, Sparrowhawk, Kingfisher

SAILING POOL
4 Mute Swan, 12 Canada Geese, 14 GC Grebe, 4 Tufted Duck, 12 Coot

FLASHES
33 Avocet, 3 LR Plover, 2 Oystercatcher, 27 Lapwing, 6 Shelduck, 4 Gadwall, 2 Shoveler, 1 Teal, 2 Tufted Duck, 30 Coot, 9 Moorhen, 3 Canada Geese, Raven, Sedge Warbler, 2 LBB Gull, 4+ Med Gulls (2 second summer & 2+ first summer including a German bird with a green ring commencing A - can someone see if they can get a full read please), Med x BH Gull hybrid nesting on pipe island paired with a BH Gull - will be interesting to see what a bird containing 25% Med Gull looks like!

The green ring on the leg of the Med Gull displayed the white letters ACSZ. Also present was the avocet with the whitish leg ring bearing the number 64.

 

[Phil Andrews]

The green ring on the leg of the Med Gull displayed the white letters ACSZ. Also present was the avocet with the whitish leg ring bearing the number 64.

Cheers Andy - I will make contact with the ringing scheme coordinator.

 

[Phil Andrews]

Cheers Andy - I will make contact with the ringing scheme coordinator.

Had a very swift response from Andreas in Hamburg who advises he doesn't recognise the code - if someone is down today and sees the bird can they double check please.

 

[Peregrine Trousers]

Had a very swift response from Andreas in Hamburg who advises he doesn't recognise the code - if someone is down today and sees the bird can they double check please.

...it should have ASCZ...but I thought the S could have been a 5....Z could have been a 7

...so A5C7...or A5CZ...

 

[Phil Andrews]

...it should have ASCZ...but I thought the S could have been a 5....Z could have been a 7

...so A5C7...or A5CZ...

It's a four letter code so I will try ASCZ. All these different combu nations - it's like either trying to break the Enigma code or playing Crystal Maze!

 

[Phil Andrews]

Early morning update from Andy P and JTB:

Flashes - Avocet min 38, Shelduck 4, Shoveler 5, Teal 2, Willow Warbler

Sailing Pool - 14 GC Grebe, 5 Gadwall, Little Grebe 1

 

[Brian Stretch]

Received a report of a Great White Egret at the North Moors Pool at c1.45pm on Saturday 8th April. Would be interesting to know if anyone else saw it.

Brian
_________________
Worcester Birding

 

[forgetfulelephant]

Received a report of a Great White Egret at the North Moors Pool at c1.45pm on Saturday 8th April. Would be interesting to know if anyone else saw it.

Brian
_________________
Worcester Birding

I was walking past the N Moors on the Causeway at 2pm that day, didn't see anything. One of the Little Egrets had flown up towrds the N Moors pool earlier.

Rob

 

[Phil Andrews]

With stereotypical teutonic efficency I had a full response from the German ringing coordinator within 2.5 hours of submitting a query (despite initially quoting the wrong code).

The first summer Med Gull sporting green ring ASCZ was ringed in the nest at Zwillbrocker Venn, Borken near the Dutch border on the 18th June 2016 (the site contains large Black-headed Gull, Med Gull and Flamingo colonies). The bird was then noted on seven dates between 26th September 2016 and 4th February 2017 at Whitegate, County Cork before being observed at Upton Warren for the last two days.

 

[Birder Gladys]

quite a evening.

 

[upstarts1979]

work Party Today

We split into 3 groups today
Bob O and Tony B repaired the tern rafts.
Bobby P, Jim B, John C, Keith M, Peter E and Ray C cleared the overflow channel that runs parallel to the Salwarp .
Paul M, Terry W and me cut the reed channel in the Hen Pool.

Great effort all round. Photos later.

 

[Phil Andrews]

Dave J's WeBS count from Sunday in full:

Avocet 45, Canada Goose 84, Coot 69, Cormorant 1, Curlew 1, Gadwall 13, Great Crested Grebe 16, Grey Heron 1, Greylag Goose 9, Kingfisher 3, Lapwing 24, Little Egret 2, Little Grebe 9, Little Ringed Plover 7, Mallard 48, Moorhen min of 24, Mute Swan 2, Oystercatcher 4, Shelduck 8, Shoveler 7, Snipe 5, Teal 7, Tufed Duck 125, Water Rail 1+, BH Gull 520, Herring Gull 7, LBB Gull 5, Mediterranean Gull 2

 

[upstarts1979]

Birding today on the reserve

An early 6.30am start at the Flashes along with Andy P.
A willow warbler sang at the confluence where later in the morning a lesser whitethroat also sang. On the Flashes things hadn't changed much since 9th April.
Briefly to the Moors where a large flock of sand martin fed above the pool. At least 2 willow warblers sang along the east side along with cetti's, blackcap and chiffchaffs. Also chaffinch and goldfinch sang in the same area. In the afternoon I picked up a House martin amongst the sand martins my first of the year.

Back to the Flashes via the Hen pool, where sedge and cetti's warbler performed along with a showy water rail and a trilling little grebe. All are now easier to see since the reeds have been cut down.
The evening was spent with Tim O, doing the roost.
Nothing different really, although a pair of buzzards caught, killed and ate a BHG.

SPECIES COUNT FLASHES:
Little grebe, Teal 2, shoveler 5, gadwall 6, shelduck 6, tufted 8. greylag 5 over.
Avocet 45, Oystercatcher 3, Lapwing 25, LRP 4, snipe 3, redshank 2,
Med Gull 4 poss 5, BHG 1450, LBBG 165, Herring gull 5.
water rail, green woodp, stock dove 11, raven
sedge w, willow w, chiffchaff 2, blackcap 2, lesser whitethroat, cetti's w, sedge w, skylark
linnet, greenfinch 3, chaffinch, goldfinch, bullfinch 2,

SAILING POOL: GCG 14, Gadwall 5, tufted 8, sand martin 30, great sp woodp

MOORS:
GCG 3, little grebe 8,
Shoveler, gadwall 9, shelduck 4, tufted 45
LRP, snipe 1, lapwing 4, Oystercatcher 6, redshank.
green woodp, kingfisher, rook, collared dove 2, stock dove 6
house martin 1, sand martin 180,
cetti's w 3, blackcap 2, chiffchaff 3, willow w 2,