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