14.0°C > 14.5°C: Mainly cloudy with showers. Moderate S wind. Very good visibility
Sunrise: 05:31 BST
Priorslee Lake: 04:35 – 08:00
(89th visit of the year)
Best today was a distant Hobby to the west of the lake at 07:30. My 96th species here in 2017. Whether this was the falcon sp. that shot past me across the dam in the pre-dawn half-light at 04:55 is a moot point. Apart from looking slimmer and with narrower wings, it recalled yesterday’s ‘one that got away’ in timing and location
Other notes from today:
- outbound geese numbers lower than yesterday probably because I was sheltering from a shower and that limited my visibility somewhat. The shower also probably caused a party of 17 Canada Geese to divert in to the lake: and to ‘pick up’ the 2 already present when the cob Swan ‘persuaded’ them to leave
- distant party of 8 Cormorants
- all seven adult Great Crested Grebes were present and correct today. Of the party of four juveniles three were seen chasing one of the adults (the female?) while the other adult (the male?) was fishing: the 4th juvenile stayed by the reeds – perhaps it is less strong / adventurous? One of the two well-grown juveniles was apparently missing today, the other one being chased by the ‘spare’ seventh adult
- not all the immature Coots can be readily identified now they have acquired their white shield. And now they are mingling with the main group of post-breeding adults it is almost impossible to tell how many broods they originate from
- single Common Sandpiper seen early but not later
- a single Barn Swallow flew E at 07:30; then six together at 07:40 – birds on the move?
- 14 House Martins high over at 06:50 seemed to be heading S, though they would probably tend to feed heading in to the wind. Only 2 seen over the estate later
- 2 Kingfishers together: one of these flew off E over the dam carrying food
and
- my first Epiphyas postvittana (Light Brown Apple Moth) of the year on one of the lamps
- a small number of Pearl Veneer (Agriphila straminella) grass moths again
- apparently 8 pipistrelle-type bats seen today. There are very few gaps in the trees where I can see these against the sky or the water: are the bats in each gap different? or do they move between ‘gaps’?
On with the bird totals, again somewhat affected by the showers
Birds noted flying over the lake:
- 76 Greylag Geese (12 groups): 62 of these outbound
- 167 Canada Geese (19 groups): 107 of these outbound
- 8 Cormorants (1 group)
- 1 Lesser Black-backed Gull
- 36 Wood Pigeons
- 2 Collared Doves again
- 1 Rook
- 1 Pied Wagtail again
Hirundine etc. seen
- 7 Barn Swallows
- 16 House Martins
Warblers counts: number in brackets = singing birds
- 8 (0) Chiffchaffs
- 1 (0) Willow Warbler
- 3 (0) Blackcaps
- 6 (0) Reed Warblers
The counts from the lake area
- 2 + 3 Mute Swans
- 19 Canada Geese
- 28 (25?♂) Mallard
- 4 (2♂) Tufted Ducks
- 7 + 5 (2 broods) Great Crested Grebes
- 5 + 2 (2 broods) Moorhens
- 43 + 12 (8? broods) Coots
- 1 Common Sandpiper
- >150 (>20 juveniles) Black-headed Gulls
- 2 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
(Ed Wilson)
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On this day..........
2012
Priorslee Lake
Kingfisher
(Ed Wilson)
2011
Priorslee Lake
Immature Common Tern
(Ed Wilson)
Nedge Hill
1 (imm/fem) Common Redstart
(John Isherwood)
2010
Priorslee Lake
4 Shoveler (all females/immatures)
(John Isherwood)
Priorslee Lake
Kingfisher
(Ed Wilson)
2011
Priorslee Lake
Immature Common Tern
(Ed Wilson)
Nedge Hill
1 (imm/fem) Common Redstart
(John Isherwood)
2010
Priorslee Lake
4 Shoveler (all females/immatures)
(John Isherwood)