Upton Warren

We put our jaunt to the Forest of Dean on hold yesterday as heavy rain was forecast. To our surprise the rain held off throughout the morning, so early afternoon we took our chances and popped down to old favourite Upton Warren. We headed to the East Hide first, eager to year tick Jack Snipe; it’s been over a year now since our first and only fleeting glimpse of this elusive bird. We got scanning the many Common Snipes and thought we may have caught a glimpse of a Jack, but nothing conclusive. Another birder then picked up on one in front of the East Island, it was well camouflaged but once you knew where it was a cracking view. A great little character; we were able to watch it for ages, fascinated by its bizarre, springy ‘bobbing’ motion. It proper made my day.

Other sightings on The Moors were; 2 Oystercatcher, 7 Curlew, Lapwing, 1 Water Rail, Teal, Shoveler, Shelduck and GC Grebe. On the walk back along the East Path we had a Kestrel and Fieldfare and in the shrubbery Siskin, Goldcrest, LT Tit and best of all a stunning view of the adult male Mealy Redpoll.

At The Flashes there were 2 Avocet (year tick), lots of BH Gull and Lapwing, a Common Snipe, Little Grebe, Shelduck, 2 LBB Gull, a pair of Stonechat and there was a cracking view of a female Sparrowhawk as she flew across the Flashes flushing up all the Gulls and Lapwing. I love Upton Warren in the Spring; it shouldn’t be long now till the Sand Martins, Green Sandpipers and Ringed Plover start showing up.