Priorslee Lake: 04:15 – 06:00 // 06:55 – 07:05 // 08:55 – 10:05
The Flash: 06:05 – 06:50
Trench Lock Pool: 07:15 – 07:25 // 08:05 – 08:45
Trench Middle Pool: 07:30 – 08:00
14.0°C > 19.0°C: Clearing for a while after heavy overnight rain. Clouding again later. Light mainly E wind. Very good visibility.
Sunrise: 05:24 BST
Another early visit to Trench with split visits to the lake.
Priorslee Lake: 04:15 – 06:00 // 06:55 – 07:05 // 08:55 – 10:05
(186th visit of the year)
Two highlights from here
- At 04:35 I heard a tern calling – a so-called ‘Comic’ Tern (an Arctic or Common Tern): I do not have enough experience to reliably separate these birds on call alone. Soon afterwards I saw the bird sitting on a buoy. It was much too dark to identify which species it was. Within a few minutes the first Black-headed Gulls arrived to fight over who was going to sit on which buoy and the tern was displaced. Although I saw it briefly in flight thereafter it will have to go down as unidentified.
- Then at 04:45 I heard the call notes of a Greenshank and then briefly saw it in silhouette only. There is no mud to attract waders and it soon flew on. Bird species #95 for here in 2019. My first here since 24 August 2016.
Other bird notes from today
- One of the cygnets seems to spend a lot of time somewhat on its own. It does join the others at other times.
- 18 of the Black-headed Gulls were, unusually, on the football field at 05:50
- A group of 16 Barn Swallows flew S at 09:20. They must have checked the weather forecast and decided to head off for the winter. Seems really early for this species to be migrating.
- Very low number of corvids passing early again.
Bird totals:
Birds noted flying over or flying near the lake:
- 24 Canada Geese (4 groups outbound)
- 1 Lesser Black-backed Gull
- 4 Feral Pigeons
- 73 Wood Pigeons
- 10 Jackdaws
- 6 Rooks
Hirundines etc. noted:
- 16 Barn Swallows
- >8 House Martins
Warblers noted (singing birds):
**NB: I did not do my usual two complete circuits and not too much significance should be attached to these lower numbers**
- 8 (2) Chiffchaffs
- 2 (0) Blackcaps
- 4 (1) Reed Warblers
Counts from the lake area:
- 2 + 6 (1 brood) Mute Swans
- 2 Greylag Geese (arrived)
- 13 Canada Geese (3 throughout; 10 arrived)
- 13 (10♂) Mallard
- 1 Cormorant again: for a while
- 3 Grey Herons again: flew off later
- 6 + 3 (2 broods) Great Crested Grebes
- 7 Moorhens (1 adult; 4 juveniles; 2 undefined)
- 63 adult and juvenile Coots: the 2 small juveniles from the newest brood not seen
- 1 Common Sandpiper again
- 1 Greenshank passing
- 1 unidentified tern sp.
- 27 Black-headed Gulls
On the very wet lamp poles pre-dawn:
- 1 Common Plume (Emmelina monodactyla)
- 1 wasp (Vespa sp.)
The following logged later:
- No butterflies
- Moths (in species order):
- 1 Dingy Footman (Eilema griseola)
- Damselflies etc. (alphabetic order of vernacular name):
- Blue-tailed Damselflies
- Common Blue Damselflies
- Hoverflies:
- Only Marmalade hoverfly (Episyrphus balteatus) noted
And other things:
- 1 Grey Squirrel
It was pounding with rain at 03:45. By 05:15 the rain clouds were clearing away ....
... with almost calm conditions producing a great reflection.
When the sun did rise it shone through the clouds to give this effect
For cloud fans – I was attracted to this shape.
(Ed Wilson)
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The Flash: 06:05 – 06:50
(179th visit of the year)
Two highlights here as well
- At 06:15 I heard a flight call that I recognised but could not immediately put a name to. Luckily I located the bird concerned and its bulk triggered the memory bank – a Common Crossbill! My first-ever at this location and bird species #77 for me here in 2019.
- Later at 06:45 while checking the Tufted Ducks and attempting to sex them a small duck flew round. Assuming it to be another Tufted Duck repositioning I nevertheless checked it – a Teal. Either an eclipse drake or a duck. The bird pitched in to the water, stayed about 30 seconds and then left to the W. This species is usually the first duck species to return post-breeding: this seems unusually early.
Other notes from here:
- Just two Mute Swan cygnets seen. I was told there were only two yesterday evening. So was the bird seen dead on the island the third? Or the fourth that was recently returned from care after getting snagged on a fishing-hook? And anyway where is the other missing bird? (and where were they yesterday morning anyway?)
- Only one adult with one juvenile Great Crested Grebe noted. I am sure the others were somewhere – they have recently often been separated.
- Two Stock Doves seen flying in to trees around The Priorslee pub.
- The singing Chiffchaff was a most erratic songster. A juvenile trying its voice?
and, all moths on lamp poles
- 1 possible Golden-brown Tubic (Crassa unitella)
- 2 Garden Grass-veneer (Chrysoteuchia culmella)
- 1 Straw Grass-veneer (Agriphila straminella)
- 1 probable Common Grey (Scoparia ambigualis)
Birds noted flying over / near The Flash:
- 1 Feral Pigeon
- 8 Wood Pigeons
- 1 Crossbill (as highlighted)
Hirundines etc. noted:
- 3 House Martins
Warblers noted (singing birds):
- 3 (1) Chiffchaffs
Counts from the water:
- 3 + 2 Mute Swans
- 19 Greylag Geese
- 26 Canada Geese
- 1 (?) Teal, briefly
- 28 (>13♂) Mallard
- 16 (9♂) Tufted Ducks
- 1 + 1 (1 brood) Great Crested Grebes
- 4 + 2 (2 broods) Moorhens
- 18 +3 (2 broods) Coots
- 5 Black-headed Gulls again: no juveniles
A close-up of the juvenile. Note the bad across the bill, never shown by juvenile Coots.
The dark sub-terminal marks suggest this is a Straw Grass-veneer (Agriphila straminella).
(Ed Wilson)
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Between the lake and The Flash:
- 1 Blackcap calling at the lower pool again
and
- 1 Harlequin Ladybird (Harmonia axyridis) on a lamp pole.
(Ed Wilson)
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Trench Lock Pool: 07:15 – 07:25 // 08:05 – 08:45
(36th visit of the year)
Notes from here:
- The Mute Swans now have a single cygnet. When I arrived all three were together. Later they were all scattered over the water. It strikes me that the cygnet is still too small to be left alone.
- The lone juvenile Great Crested Grebe still thriving. A pair feeding possibly three small juveniles – still on the parent’s back.
- Two of the Black-headed Gulls were juveniles with one of these sitting on rocks and very reluctant to move.
- After several blank visits warblers calling again with one Chiffchaff singing.
- Two Grey Wagtails
also
- 1 Speckled Wood butterfly (Pararge aegeria).
- at least 10 Peacock butterflies (Aglais io) flushed from ground, mainly along N side
Birds noted flying over / near here [other than local Wood Pigeons and Jackdaws]:
- 17 Canada Geese
Hirundines etc. noted:
- 5 Swifts
Warblers noted (singing birds):
- 3 (1) Chiffchaffs
- 1 Blackcap
Counts from the water:
- 2 + 1 Mute Swans
- 12 Canada Geese
- 17 (15♂) Mallard
- Feral Mallard not seen again
- 2 + 4? (2 broods) Great Crested Grebes
- 1 Moorhen again
- 14 adult and juvenile Coots only
- 7 Black-headed Gulls: 2 of these juveniles
- 4 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
At least the juvenile Great Crested Grebes are more or less balanced on their parent’s back!
Usually this juvenile plumage is very short-lived.
As it staggered across the rocks it spread its wings to allow us to see the plumage detail.
‘Little and large’. Wood Pigeon and Goldfinch share the cross-piece of a street lamp.
(Ed Wilson)
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Trench Middle Pool: 07:30 – 08:00
(36th visit of the year)
A sign notes that work commences on the N-side embankment for at least two weeks starting next Monday (5th August) with the footpath redirected around the S side Mondays – Fridays.
With most of the geese now flying it is probably time to revert to later visits when the geese have returned from the fields and the gulls are in looking to be fed.
Other notes from here:
- No sign of the erstwhile surviving first brood Great Crested Grebe juvenile: I would have thought it too young to have fledged. Pair of adults seen with at least three very new juveniles.
- The second adult Great Crested Grebe not seen today either. The juvenile managing on its won.
- What sounded like a begging juvenile Common Buzzard from the trees to the S.
- A Tree Creeper was my first of the year here: bird species #50.
- Warblers – all Chiffchaffs – now calling again here as well as at Trench Lock.
- 1 juvenile Grey Wagtail flew in.
and
- 2 Terrapin sp. (probably Yellow-bellied Slider). Their previous basking spot fell in the water last year and this is my first sighting since
Birds noted flying over / near here.
None
Hirundines etc. noted.
None
Warblers noted (singing birds):
- 3 (0) Chiffchaffs
Counts from the water:
- 2 Mute Swans
- 22 + 1 (1 brood) Greylag Geese
- 29 Canada Geese: no juveniles identifiable
- 20 (?♂) Mallard
- 14 (10♂) Tufted Duck
- 2 + 3 (1 brood) Great Crested Grebes (see notes)
- 3 Moorhens only
- 25 adult and juvenile Coots
- 1 Black-headed Gull
(Ed Wilson)
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