Map
Telford sunrise: 4:50am
10.5°C > 11.0°C. A little early brightness to N otherwise mainly cloudy with drizzle after 6:00am. Light SW wind fell calm. Good visibility but moderate at best in drizzle.
Well it was supposed to be wet and very windy: it wasn't! After the drizzle set in I waited to see whether anything would drop in: it didn't.
(72nd visit of the year)
Notes
- the Grey Heron popped in between 5:10am and 5:25am only.
- just a single juvenile Coot ventured out of cover this morning: from the 3rd brood I have logged this year. Many birds seem to have lost interest in breeding and 7 were feeding together on the SW grass at 6:00am without squabbling at all – just like the winter.
- early passage of Swallows flying W and the usual few Swifts dashing through.
- several Swifts and a small group of House Martins were feeding in the tops of the poplars on the N shore by 5:20am.
- larger group of House Martins appeared high overhead and were present on and off in a variety of numbers between 5:40am and when I left. At least 20 birds but perhaps they were not all the same birds coming and going (to where? but see notes on The Flash below).
- the Garden Warbler gave a single brief burst of song: from an area where it sang for many days so I assume it is too busy feeding nestlings / young to sing much at the moment.
Counts of birds flying over the lake (in addition to those on / around lake)
- 3 Canada Geese (1 party)
- 2 Cormorants (singles)
- 1 Lesser Black-backed Gull
- 101 Jackdaws
- 73 Rooks
Count of hirundines etc
- 9 Swifts
- 26 Swallows
- >25 House Martins (see notes)
Count of singing warblers
- 5 Chiffchaffs
- 14 Blackcaps again
- 1 Garden Warbler, briefly
- 8 Reed Warblers once more
The counts from the lake area
- 2 + 1 Mute Swans
- 9 (6♂) Mallard
- 1 Grey Heron
- 6 + 2 (1 brood) Great Crested Grebes
- 3 Moorhens!
- 25 + 1 (1 brood) Coots
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Priorslee Flash: 7:50am - 8:21am
Map
(53rd visit of the year)
Notes
- a Great Crested Grebe continues to sit on the nest: seems to have been there a long while.
- one of the pairs of Coots that has lost all but one of its recent brood was seen mating again – and right in front of the child too!
- the 6 / 8 local House Martins were temporarily augmented by a party of >20 birds high over – probably the same party as seen from time to time over the lake (q.v.).
Birds noted flying over.
None
Count of hirundines etc
- 2 Swifts
- c.30 House Martins (see notes)
Count of singing warblers
- 1 Blackcap only
The counts from the water
- 2 + 4 Mute Swans
- 2 Greylag Geese
- 65 Canada Geese
- 1 all-white feral goose
- 15 (11♂) + 8 (1 brood) Mallard
- 1 all-white feral duck
- 2 (1♂) Tufted Ducks
- 2 Great Crested Grebes
- no Moorhens
- 20 + 7 (5 broods) Coots
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