Priorslee Lake: 04:35 – 06:00 // 06:45 – 08:45
The Flash: 06:05 – 06:40
6.0°C > 7.0°C: A very mixed morning: mainly clear start with some medium cloud to NE only: then very misty for a while: cleared again only for bank of low cloud to roll in from the W. Initially calm: a chilly light NW breeze later. Moderate visibility
Sunrise: 05:19 BST
Most of yesterday’s Sedge Warblers and Lesser Whitethroats had moved on
Yesterday’s hail and rain showers seem to have damaged much of the Hawthorn blossom – plenty remains but it may be a limited berry crop this Autumn
Priorslee Lake: 04:35 – 06:00 // 06:45 – 08:45
(124th visit of the year)
Bird notes from today
- all four adult Great Crested Grebes on the water more or less throughout. The pair along the N side certainly have young on one parent’s back, number not determined. One adult from the other pair was also holding its wings arched over its back: nothing seen
- two broods of juvenile Coots noted
- unsure how many Common Sandpipers present. I kept seeing single birds and pairs. Never saw two singles at the same time – nor three birds together
- the two Black-headed Gulls dropped in for a few minutes fly-about and left
- the two Lesser Black-backed Gulls settled on the Holy Trinity Academy sports field until the housing construction work started-up
- the only Sedge Warbler noted was a non-singing bird by the concrete ramp where one had been singing for over a week (but not in the last few days)
- good to see a decent number (>40) House Martins even if most only stayed a few minutes. One tailless bird gave me a ‘moment’: in silhouette it looked just like a species of Spine-tailed Swift found in Africa!
- a male Blackbird noted running along the Teece Drive path with very obvious pale, almost white legs and, especially, feet. Was still too dark and the bird running too quickly to get even a record shot. Blackbirds are prone to albinism: but in the bare parts?
Bird totals
Birds noted flying over or flying near the lake
- 2 Greylag Geese (outbound)
- 4 Canada Geese (outbound)
- 4 Lesser Black-backed Gulls again
- 1 Herring Gull again
- 3 Stock Doves
- 8 Wood Pigeons
- 17 Jackdaws
- 2 Rooks
Hirundines etc. noted
- 6 Swifts
- >30 Sand Martins
- >6 Barn Swallows
- >40 House Martins
Warblers noted (singing birds)
- 7 (6) Chiffchaffs
- 1 (1) Willow Warbler as ever
- 18 (17) Blackcaps
- 3 (3) Garden Warblers
- 1 (1) (Common) Whitethroat
- 1 (0) Sedge Warbler
- 7 (7) Reed Warblers again
The counts from the lake area:
- 2 Mute Swans
- 7 (6♂) Mallard
- 2 (1♂) Tufted Ducks (arrived / emerged again)
- 1 Grey Heron
- 4 + ? (1?) brood Great Crested Grebes
- 3 Moorhens
- 18 + 4 (2 broods) Coots
- 2 or 3 Common Sandpipers
- 2 Black-headed Gulls briefly
- 2 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
On the lamp poles pre-dawn
- 1 different from usual (?) plumed midge sp.
- 1 unidentified caterpillar
Later
- 1 small crane-fly sp., perhaps Phylidorea ferruginea
- 1 another plumed midge sp
- 1 Red-and-Black Froghopper (Cercopis vulnerata)
- 1 unidentified glass snail (same as yesterday?)
- 1 unidentified slug
and
- Beaked Hawksbeard (Crepis vesicaria) flowering on the dam
The mist over the lake.
This is one of the hawksbeard species but which ....?
(Ed Wilson)
The Flash: 06:05 – 06:40
(117th visit of the year)
Notes from here:
- again just the one brood of five Mallard ducklings located
- a Coot was again still brooding its young so no check on the number was possible
- a Sedge Warbler was back singing where I first saw a bird on Wednesday. Wednesday’s bird? Yesterday’s bird? All the same bird? All different birds? As there is really insufficient suitable habitat around the water’s edge my vote would be for three birds, each moving through
Birds noted flying over / near The Flash
- 2 Jackdaws
Hirundines noted
None
Warblers noted (singing birds)
- 2 (2) Chiffchaffs
- 1 (1) Willow Warbler as ever
- 2 (1) Blackcaps
- 1 (1) Sedge Warbler again
The counts from the water:
- 2 + 1 Mute Swans
- 14 Canada Geese only
- 17 (12♂) + 5 (1 brood) Mallard
- 12 (7♂) Tufted Ducks
- 5 Moorhens
- 22 + ? (1 brood) Coots again
(Ed Wilson)
Between the lake and The Flash
At or around the lower pool (singing birds)
- 1 Moorhen
- 1 (1) Goldcrest
- 1 (1) Chiffchaff
- 1 (0) Blackcap
At or around the upper pool (singing birds)
- 2 (1♂) Mallard
- 1 Moorhen
The Moorhen here usually ignores me or sometimes scampers out of the way. Today it took to the air and crashed in to the small amount of open water on the very overgrown pool and landed on top of a pair of Mallard. They rather took exception to this and flew off
(Ed Wilson)
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The Flash: 06:05 – 06:40
(117th visit of the year)
Notes from here:
- again just the one brood of five Mallard ducklings located
- a Coot was again still brooding its young so no check on the number was possible
- a Sedge Warbler was back singing where I first saw a bird on Wednesday. Wednesday’s bird? Yesterday’s bird? All the same bird? All different birds? As there is really insufficient suitable habitat around the water’s edge my vote would be for three birds, each moving through
Birds noted flying over / near The Flash
- 2 Jackdaws
Hirundines noted
None
Warblers noted (singing birds)
- 2 (2) Chiffchaffs
- 1 (1) Willow Warbler as ever
- 2 (1) Blackcaps
- 1 (1) Sedge Warbler again
The counts from the water:
- 2 + 1 Mute Swans
- 14 Canada Geese only
- 17 (12♂) + 5 (1 brood) Mallard
- 12 (7♂) Tufted Ducks
- 5 Moorhens
- 22 + ? (1 brood) Coots again
Some while after sun up with the mist rolling around. Almost qualifies as a sunrise photo.
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Between the lake and The Flash
At or around the lower pool (singing birds)
- 1 Moorhen
- 1 (1) Goldcrest
- 1 (1) Chiffchaff
- 1 (0) Blackcap
At or around the upper pool (singing birds)
- 2 (1♂) Mallard
- 1 Moorhen
The Moorhen here usually ignores me or sometimes scampers out of the way. Today it took to the air and crashed in to the small amount of open water on the very overgrown pool and landed on top of a pair of Mallard. They rather took exception to this and flew off
(Ed Wilson)
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