11.0°C > 12.5°C: Areas of medium cloud with lower cloud and light rain shower later. Light SW wind. Very good visibility
Sunrise: 05:20 BST
Highlight today was my first-ever Fox at The Flash – and a very scruffy individual it was too. My attention was drawn to it by a pair of Crows making a lot of fuss as they followed it across the grass at the N end. Amazingly the 3 Greylag and 16 Canada Geese stood transfixed on the grass and watched the Fox go by
Priorslee Lake: 04:30 – 05:55 // 06:45 – 08:05
(84th visit of the year)
Notes from today:
- the additional pair(?) of adult Great Crested Grebes were present again: I suspect they are early-brood juveniles as they have very few head plumes, though they have lost the head-stripes
- the Common Sandpiper seen pre-dawn only
- the (same?) pair of Common Terns arrived from the E very noisily at 07:27
- group of at least 130 Black-headed Gulls swooped in at 05:15 to join the c.45 already present. Proportion of juveniles remains low
- a relatively new brood of Great Tits was a surprise: however unlike Blue Tits this species is sometimes double-brooded; so a 2nd brood
- one of the two parties of Long-tailed Tits contained at least 13 birds
- at least 3 juvenile Goldfinches today – my first this year
and
- several Tetragnatha web spider on the lamps again
- at least 6 Pipistrelle-type bat sps. along the N side pre-dawn: my highest-ever count
- first Yarrow (Achillea millefolium) of the year noted
- Red Valerian (Valeriana officinalis) in bloom again along the base of the dam after having been strimmed earlier
On with the bird totals
Birds noted flying over the lake:
- 11 Greylag Geese (2 groups) all outbound
- 59 Canada Geese (8 groups) all outbound
- 39 Wood Pigeons
Hirundine etc. seen
- 1 Swift at 05:50 only
Warblers counts: number in brackets = singing birds
- 4 (1) Chiffchaffs
- 3 (0) Blackcaps
- 1 (0) Common Whitethroat again
- 5 (2) Reed Warblers
The counts from the lake area
- 2 + 3 Mute Swans
- 4 Canada Geese again
- 28 (?♂) Mallard
- 3 (1♂) Tufted Ducks
- 6 + 6 (2 broods) Great Crested Grebes
- 4 Moorhens
- 34 + 8 (7 broods) Coots
- 1 Common Sandpiper yet again
- 2 Common Terms arrived at 07:27
- c.175 (>6 juveniles) Black-headed Gulls
All the signs of a repeat of yesterday’s “shepherds’ warning”
Eventually even better.
At its best.
And long after the red had faded still an interesting sky.
Mum (I assume) Great Crested Grebe with a full load (there are 4 if you look really hard).
The young beginning to take note of their surroundings, peering out.
And the other bird just about to lift off from a buoy.
Another bird with extensive ginger-brown on the nape but with no new feathers on the mantle.
Between the lake and The Flash alongside the path
- juvenile Moorhens calling from reeds in the upper pool
- Kingfisher flying through along the like of the Wesley Brook
- single Chiffchaff and Blackcap calling around the lower pool
(Ed Wilson)
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
The Flash: 06:00 – 06:40
(65th visit of the year)
Other notes from here
- Mallard ducklings not seen today
and
- several specimens of the harvestman Leiobunum rotundum on the lamps. Sometimes called Daddy longlegs spider, even though it is not a true spider
Birds noted flying over
- 1 Black-headed Gull
- 3 Wood Pigeons
- 1 Pied Wagtail
Hirundine etc. noted
- House Martin heard only
Warblers noted
None
The counts from the water
- 2 + 4 Mute Swans
- 14 Greylag Geese
- 56 Canada Geese (also 1 dead bird in the water)
- 1 white feral goose
- 18 (12♂) Mallard
- 3 (1♂?) Tufted Duck
- 2 + 3 (1 brood) Great Crested Grebes
- 1 Grey Heron
- 3 Moorhens
- 12 + 3 (2 broods) Coots only
(Ed Wilson)
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
On this day..........
2006
Priorslee Lake
Redshank
(Ed Wilson)
Priorslee Lake
Redshank
(Ed Wilson)