Location
Sunrise: 05:32 BST
3°C > 9°C Clear start after slight frost; some high cloud from W by 07:30 and then puffy cloud building to light showers by 10:30. Light W / SW wind. Very good visibility
Highlight today was the male Pied Flycatcher seen at the lake. It seems improbable that the bird found by Martin Grant here last Friday is still around – a species that favours upland mature oak woodlands. But it seems just as improbable that two birds would turn up on passage in the same year. So ...? I also heard the bird sing briefly
(67th visit of the year)
Other notes
- clear-out of many of the Tufted Duck. Whether due to the onset of breeding season or disturbance over the holiday weekend is hard to say. Mote likely the latter as there were none at The Flash either
- only 6 Great Crested Grebes on the water but two of these seemed to be ‘standing guard’ at nests
- an Oystercatcher flew W to the S before 07:45
- 4 Goldcrests were in song this morning
- here (and at The Flash) many of the Willow Warblers seem to have moved on
- the Reed Warblers doing some mimicry added Barn Swallow to its repertoire this morning
Counts of birds flying over the lake (in addition to those on / around lake)
- 1 Oystercatcher
- 6 Feral Pigeons (single and a party)
- 2 Wood Pigeons only
- 6 Rooks
Hirundine etc. totals
- >20 Common Swifts
- >15 Sand Martins
- 4 Barn Swallows
- >6 House Martin
Warblers seen / heard around the lake: numbers in brackets are singing birds
- 1 (1) Cetti’s Warbler
- 7 (7) Chiffchaffs
- 3 (2) Willow Warbler
- 22 (15) Blackcaps
- 1 (1) Lesser Whitethroat
- 2 (2) Common Whitethroats
- 2 (2) Sedge Warblers
- 5 (5) Reed Warblers
The counts from the lake area
- 2 Mute Swans
- 3 (2♂) Mallard
- 9 (6♂) Tufted Ducks
- 8? Great Crested Grebes
- 4 Moorhens
- 29 Coots
A bit distant but you can see the highlight in the eye of this Swift.
The same Buzzard, I think, peering down.
This a different bird?
(Ed Wilson)
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Location
A walk around the fields and along the lane: generally quiet but Whitethroats back in usual numbers
Notes
- a few Sand Martins and Swallows over the fields were presumably passing through
- just the one Sky Lark in song. Perhaps (hope?) the others too are bust with parental duties
and
- a micro moth on dandelion flower likely a Common Nettle-tap (Anthophila fabriciana)
Some numbers (numbers in brackets are singing birds)
- 1 (1) Sky Lark
- 1 (1) Chiffchaff
- 2 (2) Blackcaps
- 4 (4) Common Whitethroats
- 4 (3) Song Thrush
- 2 Linnets
- 3 (1) Yellowhammer
Compare with last week’s photo. The intensity of the yellow increasing.
(Ed Wilson)
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Priorslee Flash: 10:10 – 10:35
Location
(42nd visit of the year)
Notes
- neither the all-white goose nor the all-white feral duck were noted today
- Tufted Duck all gone
- the Lesser Black-backed Gull over was my only gull of the day
- a good search in the distance over St. George’s found just 2 Swifts around their traditional site. My first from here this year
- no Blackcaps recorded here
- a Reed Bunting singing here again – back at the S end this morning
Birds noted flying over
- 1 Lesser Black-backed Gull
Hirundines seen here
- 2 Swifts
- 4 Sand Martins
- 2 Barn Swallows
- 2 House Martins
Warblers seen / heard around the water: numbers in brackets are singing birds
- 2 (1) Chiffchaffs
- 1 (1) Willow Warbler
- no Blackcaps
The counts from the water
- 2 Mute Swans
- 28 Canada Geese
- 17 (14♂) Mallard
- 2 Great Crested Grebes
- 16 Coots
(Ed Wilson)
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On this day in .....................
2015Local Area
Today's Sightings Here
2014
Local Area
Today's Sightings Here
2013
Nedge Hill
7 Wheatear
2 Fieldfare
(John Isherwood)
Wrekin
2 Wood Warbler
2 Tree Pipit
Pied Flycatchers
Common Redstarts
(Jim Almond)
2012
Nedge Hill
4 Wheatear
Hobby
(Martin Grant / Arthur Harper)
2010
Nedge Hill
20 Wheatear
(John Isherwood)
2006
Priorslee Lake
2 Common Sandpipers
2 Ruddy Ducks
(Ed Wilson)