Early Morning Sightings: 06:30
1 Cetti's Warbler
1 Garden Warbler
1 Lesser Whitethroat
1 Sedge Warbler
2 Common Sandpiper
(John Isherwood)
Morning Report: 07:15 – 10:20
Sunrise: 05:38 BST
1°C > 8°C Clear and frosty start under thin broken high cloud. Clouds built after 09:00 with big showers in distance. Moderate W wind. Very good visibility
An extended visit to fail to find either the Pied Flycatcher found by Martin Grant yesterday; or the possible Wood Warbler that I had described to me by a birder unsure of its ID
(66th visit of the year)
Other notes
- the Little Grebe only heard calling, but in the same area as I saw it two days ago
- not sure where all the Moorhens have gone: they are much more secretive when nesting and nests can be some way away from the water
- the Feral Pigeons were almost certainly Racing Pigeons on a mission this morning, flying N in groups, which is typical on Summer Saturdays after c.09:30
- 3 Swifts flew straight through at some height. Most of the hirundines flew through early on, but after c.09:00 up to 30 Sand Martins and 4 Barn Swallows stayed to feed over the water
- intermittent song from one Lesser Whitethroat near to the yacht club HQ. When I was buried in the copse in the NW area searching for the Pied Flycatcher another was sub-singing so quietly I could hardly hear it from c.10 feet! Later both were doing the same so certainly two birds
- 2 Sedge Warblers in the NW reeds and another in the main N side reeds. Managed a brief view of two of them
and
- my first Peacock butterfly of the year
Counts of birds flying over the lake (in addition to those on / around lake)
- 1 Greylag Goose
- 2 Cormorants
- 2 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
- 2 Herring Gulls
- 41 Feral / Racing Pigeons (5 groups)
- 5 Wood Pigeons
- 2 Jackdaws
- 5 Rooks yet again
- 1 Starling again
- 3 Greenfinches
Hirundine etc. totals
- 3 Common Swifts
- >40 Sand Martins
- >10 Barn Swallows
- 2 House Martin
Warblers seen / heard around the lake: numbers in brackets are singing birds
- 1 (1) Cetti’s Warbler
- 7 (6) Chiffchaffs
- 9 (7) Willow Warbler
- 15 (9) Blackcaps
- 2 (2) Lesser Whitethroats
- 2 (2) Common Whitethroats
- 3 (3) Sedge Warblers
- 4 (4) Reed Warblers
The counts from the lake area
- 2 Mute Swans
- 5 (4♂) Mallard
- 28 (17♂) Tufted Ducks
- 1 Grey Heron
- 1 Little Grebe heard only
- 8 Great Crested Grebes yet again
- 4 Moorhens
- 34 Coots
- 3 Common Sandpipers
Not one of my best .... but you can make out the salient points of this typically elusive Lesser Whitethroat: the darker face providing more contrast with the white throat than on (Common Whitethroat); the pale grey-brown back; and the dark alula against grey (rather than brown) wings.
Typical male summer-plumage Pied Wagtail as seen in the UK. Continental birds (White Wagtail) are typically greyer.
But this bird lacks the feather-tip pattern. Juveniles typically look more patterned so I guess the first bird is a first-summer with retained feathers.
The male Willow Tit was calling again this morning: here he is – though visually we cannot separate males and females.
Dandelion sp. complete with bumble bee sp., probably a female Bombus lapidarius – the male has a yellow collar.
She then moved off and started rooting about in the leaf-litter. She may well be a queen looking to start a nest in the base of grasses in this sunny spot.
Morning Report: 07:15 – 10:20
Sunrise: 05:38 BST
1°C > 8°C Clear and frosty start under thin broken high cloud. Clouds built after 09:00 with big showers in distance. Moderate W wind. Very good visibility
An extended visit to fail to find either the Pied Flycatcher found by Martin Grant yesterday; or the possible Wood Warbler that I had described to me by a birder unsure of its ID
(66th visit of the year)
Other notes
- the Little Grebe only heard calling, but in the same area as I saw it two days ago
- not sure where all the Moorhens have gone: they are much more secretive when nesting and nests can be some way away from the water
- the Feral Pigeons were almost certainly Racing Pigeons on a mission this morning, flying N in groups, which is typical on Summer Saturdays after c.09:30
- 3 Swifts flew straight through at some height. Most of the hirundines flew through early on, but after c.09:00 up to 30 Sand Martins and 4 Barn Swallows stayed to feed over the water
- intermittent song from one Lesser Whitethroat near to the yacht club HQ. When I was buried in the copse in the NW area searching for the Pied Flycatcher another was sub-singing so quietly I could hardly hear it from c.10 feet! Later both were doing the same so certainly two birds
- 2 Sedge Warblers in the NW reeds and another in the main N side reeds. Managed a brief view of two of them
and
- my first Peacock butterfly of the year
Counts of birds flying over the lake (in addition to those on / around lake)
- 1 Greylag Goose
- 2 Cormorants
- 2 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
- 2 Herring Gulls
- 41 Feral / Racing Pigeons (5 groups)
- 5 Wood Pigeons
- 2 Jackdaws
- 5 Rooks yet again
- 1 Starling again
- 3 Greenfinches
Hirundine etc. totals
- 3 Common Swifts
- >40 Sand Martins
- >10 Barn Swallows
- 2 House Martin
Warblers seen / heard around the lake: numbers in brackets are singing birds
- 1 (1) Cetti’s Warbler
- 7 (6) Chiffchaffs
- 9 (7) Willow Warbler
- 15 (9) Blackcaps
- 2 (2) Lesser Whitethroats
- 2 (2) Common Whitethroats
- 3 (3) Sedge Warblers
- 4 (4) Reed Warblers
The counts from the lake area
- 2 Mute Swans
- 5 (4♂) Mallard
- 28 (17♂) Tufted Ducks
- 1 Grey Heron
- 1 Little Grebe heard only
- 8 Great Crested Grebes yet again
- 4 Moorhens
- 34 Coots
- 3 Common Sandpipers
Partly obscured but a worthwhile singing Robin.
A Common Sandpiper with an attractive patterned water as back-drop.
Allowed me quite close and we can see the delicate pattern on the feather-tips.
On this different individual we see the tail-pattern.
One of the local Buzzards (a slight edit to improve the detail against the light).
My first Peacock butterfly of the year.
Meadow Buttercup, complete with fly sp.
(Ed Wilson)
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Location
1 Ring Ouzel - a male in 'scruffy' paddocks at south end of Naird Lane
1 Redstart - in lower horsefields
6 Wheatear - horsefields, Naird Lane and Shaw Farm
(John Isherwood)
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Devil's Dingle: 09:30
Location
1 Lesser Whitethroat
2 Redstart
1 Swift
1 Little Ringed Plover
1 Oystercatcher
Some form of civil works have commenced here, unclear as to what but unlikely to be good.
(John Isherwood)
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Donnington
Location
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On this day in .....................
2015
Priorslee Lake
Today's Sightings HerePriorslee Lake
1 Common Sandpiper
2 Raven
2 Reed Warbler
(John Isherwood)
Nedge Hill
1 Whinchat
1 Yellow Wagtail
1 White Wagtail
2 Common Redstart
40 Wheatear
(John Isherwood)
Long Lane, Wellington
3 Whimbrel
(JW Reeves)
2012
Priorslee Lake
1 Lesser Whitethroat
1 Reed Warbler
(John Isherwood)
Nedge Hill
1 Common Redstart
15 Wheatear
1 Lesser Whitethroat
2 Raven
(John Isherwood)
The Wrekin
2 Pied Flycatchers
Common Redstart
(Observer Unknown)
2009
Priorslee Lake
Hobby
2 Red-legged Partridge
Lesser Whitethroat
Cormorant
5 Lapwings
6 Reed Warblers
3 Whitethroats
8 Blackcaps
5 Chiffchaffs
4 Linnet
(Ed Wilson)
2008
Priorslee Lake
17 Mute Swans
(Martin Adlam)
2007
Priorslee Lake
1 Swift
c.20 Sand Martins
1 Swallow
6 House Sparrows
2 Sparrowhawk
Buzzard
Kestrel
2 Stock Dove
2 Grey Wagtails
1 Sedge Warbler
4 Reed Warblers
Chiffchaff
126 Jackdaw
(Ed Wilson)
Nedge Hill
2 Buzzards
Swallow
Ring Ouzel
2 Common Whitethroat
1 Chiffchaff
2 Linnets
(Ed Wilson)
Priorslee Flash
3 Great Crested Grebes
Reed Bunting
(Ed Wilson)
2006
Priorslee Lake
5 Great Crested Grebes
2 Greylag Geese
6 Tufted Ducks
2 Common Sandpiper
1 Cuckoo
1 Sky Lark
c.10 Sand Martins
c.8 Swallows
c.20 House Martins
1 Meadow Pipit
2 Grey Wagtails
32 Wren
26 Blackbirds
2 Sedge Warblers
3 Reed Warblers
2 Lesser Whitethroats
2 Garden Warbler
10 Blackcaps
6 Chiffchaffs
1 Willow Warbler
1 Jay
11 Chaffinches
8 Greenfinches
3 Reed Buntings
(Ed Wilson)