A couple of hours at Upton Warren

[John]

After the sad events of this week I just had to get out for a few hours birding so chose to drive the near 40 miles to Upton Warren in the hope of seeing some newly arrived migrants.

Upton warren is split into two areas. The Moors and the Flashes and each car park is about a half a mile apart. My first port of call was the Moors and as soon as I arrived the old warden of the site (Arthur) came into view. We exchanged pleasantries and he told me that a Swallow had been seen but that he couldn't find the reported Willow Warbler. Apart from a Ringed Plover, which was very mobile, there was little else around on the Moors.

As we parted I could hear in the distance my first Chiffchaff call of the year and it wasn't long before I was looking at my first of two seen at this site. I had decided just to call into the East Hide only then move onto the flashes which is where I wanted to concentrate my searches. As I walked along the path leading up to the hide a Cetti's sprang into song but as per usual I could hear it but never found it. I have lost count of the Cetti's I have heard this year but as yet still haven't seen one. Still they should start showing more soon.

Just before the hide a quick movement in the bushes to my right caught my attention and as I looked a Chiffchaff came within a few feet of me. I quickly got my camera out but as is usual the bird was constantly on the move making it an impossibility to get a photo of it. This is when I would love to own a DSLR as I'm sure I would have got some decent shots of the bird.

I was soon settled down in the hide but the reserve was relatively quiet. A couple of Oystercatchers were on one of the small islands. A Coot harassing a pair of Gadwall. Shoveller, Teal, G C Grebes plus a few other common birds were distibuted thinly around the body of water but little else. A Green Woodpecker made a brief appearance.

I was just thinking about moving on when a movement caught my eye at the far end of the reserve. It was a Swallow skimming the water followed by four House Martins. That was better. Three new birds for the year and I knew of a guaranteed fourth at the Flashes as the LRP's were back and ready to breed. The Hirrundines were only flying through and soon disappeared over the tree line so I decided to move onto the flashes.

As I walked back along the path a Warbler came into view more or less at the same spot as I had seen the Chiffchaff. Dismissing it as a Chiffchaff, without really looking at it, I walked on until the weak song of the Willow Warbler broke forth. I immediately stopped in my tracks and turned to look into the bushes and it wasn't long before my first Willow warbler of the year came into view followed by another one a little further back. I now really had that Spring feeling and my spirits were beginning to lift.

As I neared the car park a Buzzard made an appearance and I watched it as it spiralled on a thermal before straightening out and disappearing beyond the edge of the reserve.

Within minutes I was at the Flashes car park. The walk to the reserve is along a path that skirts a large sailing pool. Sometimes it is quiet here but today there must have been some sort of event on as the car park was almost full and the pool was full of yachts.

I was soon onto the flashes reserve and was hopeful that perhaps I might hear a Sedge Warbler but the reeds were very quiet by the first hide. Moving on past the Feeder Hide I reached the Tower Hide and straight away found my next new bird of the year. It was in the shape of 7 Little Ringed Plovers that were running around like maniacs chasing each other. The noise from these birds was constant and they were continually flying from one small island to another.

The next pleasurable sighting (allthough not a new year bird) was the three returning Avocets. four had been reported earlier in the week but one of them had moved on elsewhere. A couple of Redshank could be seen as well as three Oystercatchers and whilst I sat there five Curlew flew in and landed on the far side of the reserve.

I tried for ages to get some good photos of the LRP's but it was near impossible to get one to stay still enough for a good image to be taken of it. I have put the best one I got in the gallery.

Suddenly everything took off and looking skywards saw the reason why. A Sparrowhawk drifted over the reserve but was obviously not interested in what was going on below him and quickly disappeared over the horizon.

As the Sparrowhawk gradually disappeared I picked up a small dark bird close to the water at the far edge of the reserve. It soon became apparent that it was a Swallow followed by four House Martins (possibly the same birds seen at the moors). They were quickly followed by another new bird for the year for me in the shape of seven Sand Martins. All the Hirrundines were obviously looking to go elswhere as they just flew through the reserve without stopping.

I decided that perhaps I should call into some pits at Grimley, which lie not far from the banks of the River Severn, a few miles north of Worcester. A couple of Wheatear had been reported both here and also at Holt Prairies, which I could drive through on my way to Grimley. Holt prairies lies to the side of the beautiful village of Holt, with it's lovely church at the heart of the village. It was a lovely spring day but was becoming very blustery. Unfortunately the prairies were very quiet and hardly a bird flew so I quickly drove onto the pits. As soon As I got out of the car I was hit with a fierce wind. As I moved onto the reserve it got even worse to such an extent that I had to actually lean into the wind to move forward. the first pleasing sight I saw was what seemed like well over two hundred Sand Martins flying around the reserve. They were flying everywhere, some around my head. The trouble was that the heavens opened up big time and I quickly got soaked as I ran for the car.

Another birder came into view as he ran towards his car and I quickly put the car window down and asked if the Wheatear had been seen. After an extensive search by this chap he said that he hadn't found them.

Thinking that I will have plenty of chances of seeing Wheatear through the year I decided to call it a day and drive back home. It had been a very enjoyable four hours birding and just the tonic I needed.

Below are a few photos of birds seen.

John

[digi]

Excellent report as usual John, even with a DSLR the Chiff Chaffs are so elusive. I can hear them but not see them, although I put our first Willow Warbler in the gallery yesterday so it looks like Spring is here!

[Wild-Woman]

I really enjoy the way you write up your reports John. You have that fantastic ability of being able to set the scene so that the reader is there with you looking at what you saw and what you would feel at the time. Thank you. ww

[Alan]

Thank you for another great report John. Keep them coming.

[Mark43]

Keep them coming John..........a pleasure to read.

I would just like to add i saw my first Chiff Chaff today at Pulborough.Took us 10 minutes to find it though but when we did it kindly sat in the tree preening and singing for us both.
Also a pair of Yellowhammers..........beautiful colours on them.

[John]

I'm glad you liked my few hours at Upton. It was nice to get out and certainly the weather was great until just before I packed up.

Now for the Swifts. I can't wait to see them come back. To me their calls are the sound of Summer and they are certainly one of my favourite birds.

John

[Wild-Woman]

Quite agree with you on the swifts. They remind me of great holidays on the Isle of Wight when I was a kid. The only time I've ever seen one close up was recently when I saw a stuffed one in a wildlife centre. I never realised how big their wings are in proportion to their body size.ww

[rlchew]

Originally Posted by John

I'm glad you liked my few hours at Upton. It was nice to get out and certainly the weather was great until just before I packed up.

Now for the Swifts. I can't wait to see them come back. To me their calls are the sound of Summer and they are certainly one of my favourite birds.

John

John

A good account of your rewarding trip to Upton Warren. Hopefully, it took your mind off other sad events for a few hours.

Are LRP's regular visitors to Upton Warren? This is a bird that I sometimes have difficulty seeing each year .... didn't see one at all last year!

I agree with you about Swifts. A few more weeks yet I suspect but there wheeling and screaming around the rooftops is one of the sights and sounds of summer days.

I see a few Alpine Swifts have been reported around East Anglia during the last couple of days.

Richard

[John]

Originally Posted by rlchew

John

A good account of your rewarding trip to Upton Warren. Hopefully, it took your mind off other sad events for a few hours.

It sure did.

Originally Posted by rlchew

Are LRP's regular visitors to Upton Warren? This is a bird that I sometimes have difficulty seeing each year .... didn't see one at all last year!

They breed on the flashes Rich so if you want a guaranteed LRP you now know where to go.

Originally Posted by rlchew

I agree with you about Swifts. A few more weeks yet I suspect but there wheeling and screaming around the rooftops is one of the sights and sounds of summer days.

There have been two reported at Blithfield, Staffs today and my Mrs swears that she saw one over our house last weekend.

Originally Posted by rlchew

I see a few Alpine Swifts have been reported around East Anglia during the last couple of days.

Richard

Tell me about it. I have seen thousands abroad but never seen one in Britain yet. I have had to give up the twitching for a while (perhaps for the rest of this year). Shame as I would have been over to Lowestoft like a shot yesterday. I see they are still there as well and at quite a few sites stretching along the south coast and now right up to Yorkshire as one has been seen at Filey. That's the biggest influx of Alpine's to this country for a while.

If you've never seen one then your in for a big treat when you do. They are quite a bit bigger than the Common Swifts and are real flying machines.

John

[rlchew]

Originally Posted by John

If you've never seen one then your in for a big treat when you do. They are quite a bit bigger than the Common Swifts and are real flying machines.

I have seen Alpine Swifts in southern Europe many years ago .... and my one and only UK one at Minsmere in May 2003. Very distinctive from Common Swifts as you suggest.

Richard