BIKING BIRDER VI 2022 3rd February Upton Warren Worcestershire Wildlife Trust Nature Reserve

Wednesday, 9 February 2022

BIKING BIRDER VI 2022 3rd February Upton Warren Worcestershire Wildlife Trust Nature Reserve

Donations : Acorns

https://www.justgiving.com/fundraising/GaryPrescott2022

Many thanks to . . .

Julie, Sue, Julie (Upton Warren), Ian "Seagulls" Morris, Larraine Tayleure, Andrew Bayes, Andy Pitt,Andrea, P & P, Moira, Jackie Griffiths, Bob, Keep U, Rosie, Jayne Grosvenor, Jane & Andy Revell, Louise, Stuart Griffiths, M & D Shaw, Dave & Sue White, Janette Lowndes, Bart, Lise Hanson, Maria Hill, Phil V, Chris Elmer, Sue Murphy, Nicky, John Hague, Mike, Kimberley Bills, Norma Hines, Rob Gilbert, Julia, Colin Graham, Sarah Moreton, Lizzy, Lisa Hillier, Rob Leech, &P.

Acorns Children's Hospice

Total so far . . .

£730 plus gift aid

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Donations : RSPB

https://www.justgiving.com/fundraising/bikingbirdervii-2022

Many thanks to . . .

Paul Moseley, Susan, Jim Royer, Anonymous, Foz, anonymous, Phil (Upton Warren), Dad and RSPB Badges sold, P & P, Moira, Jill from Dorking, Nicky M, Terri Akers, Anne Beckett, Maria Hill, Mark Carter, P

Gary's RSPB Justgiving page link

Total so far . . .

£391 plus gift aid

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3rd February 2022 Upton Warren WWT

On the road again after a few days with Mum (89) and Dad (90), and am soon down to Upton Warren WWT nature reserve, south of Bromsgrove, Worcestershire.

Meet Phil and Andy, two birding friends for many years, in the car park on arrival to my old birding patch. Chat and donations, the perfect combination. Thanks lads!

I first came to this reserve back in 1972 when I was at school in Redditch. Ever since then over the too many decades, Upton Warren has been a much loved birding patch of mine whenever I have lived close by. The peak of my visiting the fabulous reserve was from 2004 to 2013 when I would visit as many as 100 times a year. Just love the place.

https://www.worcswildlifetrust.co.uk/nature-reserves/upton-warren

Down to the path adjacent to the Salwarpe, a narrow brook that goes down the southern side of The Moors area of the reserve, soon find a BIGBY bird list bird, Bramblings. Bird number 106.

Great to be walking around the reserve once more and even more so to be able to do some birding. As per usual, too much of a Biking Birding Adventure when trying to break a record, is spent cycling! LOL.

Into the West Hide, I sit and watch the pool, counting bird species and listing them to put on eBird when I get a chance.

Pheasant, Long-tailed Tits, finches all come to the bird feeders, Cetti's Warblers call, one to the left, the other to the right. Maybe they are one bird though! They do tend to move around unseen a lot.

In a tree along the pathway, viewable through the windows to the left of the hide, huge numbers of finches suddenly come up from the adjacent bird-seed crop field, mostly Linnets.

The local farmer will be paid £640 a hectare each year for the next five to plant bird seed crops and the incredible result of this initiative is that record numbers of finches are being seen at the reserve. This isn't a large field but this sort of assistance for nature has to be a initiative of the future.

All of this is told to me by Paul Moseley, an incredibly dedicated volunteer at The Warren. Paul also tells me of a new bird news only Upton Warren Biridng blog, set up by another brilliant Upton Warren birder, Gert Cortfield.

https://uptonwarrenbird.news.blog/

Whilst chatting with Paul, three ladies can be heard coming towards us; their laughter floating above the sound of the twittering finches.

Sue, Julie and Julie are local girls and all keen members of the Bromsgrove Photograohic Society. Pure Sunshine!

https://www.bromsgroveps.com/

Fabulous to hear their laughter and enthusiasm, they reminded me of birding at Jamaica Bay nature reserve, near to New York, US. there small gaggles of lady birders were more frequently encountered than male counterparts.

My late afternoon time is spent at the East Hide where a famous Upton Warren birder, Janette, is hoping to see a Barn Owl. Once more it is wonderful to chat with a birding friend.

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Charity Pledges

These are the names of people who have made a pledge to pay so much per bird species seen at the end of the year to either one of the charities I am supporting or to both.

Lee Dark, Mary & Brian Prescott, Joshua Prescott, Rebecca Prescott and Les Oxley-Stoker, Donna Prescott.

Massive thanks to everyone who has either made a donation or made a pledge.

Wonderful.

If anyone would like to make a pledge, say 1p for every bird specie I see this year, with the thought that I think I will see around 280-90 different species, then please message me. It would be fabulous to hear from you. Thanks.

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