Sunday 29 March 2009

UPTON WARREN

28/03/09
same as usual i went to do the gardening job. at around 3 it started lashing it down and we were alowed to go home.but as usual i had other plans.
UPTON WARREN HERE WE COME.1st birds i noted was 13 cormorants flying south over the moors while on the a38.a quick check of the north moors produced nothing.as we looked west we saw a very dark cloud heading towards us so decided to skip the walk around the north moors and go straight for the east hide.getting onto the causway we saw a small warbler flitting up the heagerow on the left.my first call was cettis but after a bit eventually emerged and pronounced itself as a chiffchaff.now that was sorted we noted 2 more chiffchaff on the path.at the farm buildings we stopped to find a flock of 11 lesserpolls.a gunshot later and they all flown.
now the black cloud was above us and it was starting to spit.now i decided to just get to the hide ASAP.we both just got into the hide when it started pouring down.great timing i think.
the first bird i noticed was a female gadwall right on the edge of the lake.then a shout from my dad telling me to look down. there right below the hide were 9 snipe,not 3 meters from us. after marveling at their subtle beauty and cammoflage i scanned the rest of the amys marsh area.this produced a male gadwall and another female.there was a few teal.then a green woodie appeared in between the snipe and gave me a chance(for the first time) to get a very good view of it.it turned out to be a male and i got a video through my bins(to close for scope):

i must admit though the rest of the lake was rather quiet as was the amount of birders on site.a quick look in the log book said a dunlin was here earlier but it wasent seen.after a bit a pair of oystercatchers appeared from the direction of the sailing pool.after a bit more torture with the sun reflecting into the hide we decided to leave highlights were:

1 little grebe

6+ g c grebe

3 gadwall

10+ shoveler

11+teal

20c tufted ducks

2 OYC

13 snipe

1 green woodie

2 cettis warbler

3 chiffchaff

1 goldcrest

didnt go to the west hide today.

then to the flashes.walking down the south shore of the sailing pool we met another birder who said hed just seen a swallow on the lake.but looked away and it dissapeared.in the fields there was a lot of campers and made a joke about them camping there so they can be the first to find another least sandpiper or wilsons phalarope.stopped at the feeder hide as there was still a bit of activity and as we walked by flushed 2 snipe from the streams near the feeders.here we got:

4 reed bunting

3 greenfinch

2 l t tit

another chiffchaff

3 phesant

a few teal

and a brief cettis from here i saw the gulls fly up and got onto 6 avocet among them.then a grey heron flushed from about 5 meters right of the hide.

from the tower hide i first scanned for the avocets and was very happy to count 8. 3 resting at back of flash 4 swimming near the wooden sticks that pop out the flash and another in the water near the gravel cresant island.and on this cresant island was 2 LRPS.a bit closer this time.and i common with the moors 6 snipe gave brill views right in front of the hide.

soz 4 the quality of this video

on the other mud cresant island we saw 2 redshanks(year tick). the shelduck had moved down here and gave ok views.the curlews reached a maximum of 19 just as we started to leave.then low over the hide the 2 OYCS from the moors came down to see us off.

and i was a little amazed to see only 2 lapwings that i could see on the flashes.where have they all gone?

highlights for the flashes are:

8 g c grebes (sailing pool)

1 greylag 0ver

3 shelduck

teal

2 OYC

8 avocets

2 LRP

2 redshank

19 curlew

7 snipe

1 chiffchaff

1 cettis

1 goldcrest

and the things mentioned for the feeder hide.

not a bad day i think.and its not even into full migration yet.

so wheres that least sandpiper?

MB

3 comments:

Martyn Yapp said...

Are you trying to take my crown on the blurred front. Maybe a sister blog called Blurred Video might be good

midlands birder said...

no attack comming your way.but the blog idea is good.mabey soon

Billy Dykes said...

Looks like you got great views on that Woody and well done with the LRP!

Bill