Priorslee Lake: 04:25 – 05:50 // 06:45 – 09:15
The Flash: 05:55 – 06:40
Trench Lock Pool: 09:35 – 09:50 // 10:35 – 11:10
Trench Middle Pool: 09:55 – 10:30
8.0°C > 16.0°C: Clear start gave way to low cloud breaking after 07:00. Sunny for a while and then puffy clouds. Light / moderate NNW wind. Very good visibility
Sunrise: 05:05 BST
Priorslee Lake: 04:25 – 05:50 // 06:45 – 09:15(132nd visit of the year)
Bird notes from today
- the pair of Tufted Duck seemed to emerge from the NW reeds. Less than five minutes later they had gone
- all three juvenile Great Crested Grebes were in the water some of the time
- most juveniles Coots in the open out in the sun. One of the previous broods seems to have been lost. Two new broods
- Tawny Owl in flight yet again this time hotly pursued by both Jays and Blackbirds
- probably the same Mistle Thrush that was heard singing yesterday was heard distantly from The Flash today, but not from here
- three Barn Swallows seen flying through at 05:30 – late migrants. Up to five later perhaps local birds
- five House Martins calling high over the estate at 05:40 – local birds back at last? Much later just four over the lake
- Linnet seen again in the SW area. Might be nesting here?
Bird totals
Birds noted flying over or flying near the lake
- 2 Canada Geese (outbound)
- 1 Black-headed Gull
- 1 Lesser Black-backed Gull
- 1 Feral Pigeon
- 6 Wood Pigeon
- 6 Jackdaws
- 2 Rooks
Hirundines etc. noted
- 8 Swifts
- 8 Barn Swallows
- 9 House Martins
Warblers noted (singing birds)
- 7 (7) Chiffchaffs
- 1 (1) Willow Warbler as usual
- 23 (21) Blackcaps
- 4 (4) Garden Warblers
- 2 (2) (Common) Whitethroats again
- 1 (1) Sedge Warbler
- 7 (7) Reed Warblers again
The counts from the lake area:
- 2 Mute Swans
- 6 (6♂) Mallard
- 2 (1♂) Tufted Duck again
- 1 Grey Heron, briefly
- 4 + 3 (1 brood) Great Crested Grebes again
- 1 Moorhen
- 19 + 21 (6 broods) Coots
On the lamp poles pre-dawn
- 1 spider sp.
Seen later while the sun was out
- 1 Green Long-horn (Adela reaumurella) day-flying micro moth
- >20 Red-and-Black Froghoppers (Cercopis vulnerata)
- 1 Harlequin Ladybird (Harmonia axyridis), form succinea again
- >5 Scorpion Flies (Panorpa communis)
- 1 Dagger fly (Empis livida)
- 1 Common Wasp (Vespula vulgaris)
- 1 Common Carder Bumblebee (Bombus pascuorum)
- 1 Buff-tailed Bumblebee (Bombus terrestris)
- 1 mining bee and probably Andrena scotica
- 1 possible plasterer bee, perhaps Hylaeus communis
- 1 Melanostoma scalare (Chequered Hoverfly)
- 2 Syrphus sp. hoverflies
- male and female Common Blue Damselflies
and
- first flowers of Common Bird's-foot Trefoil (Lotus corniculatus)
The day looked promising – then the low cloud started to roll in.
All-aboard!
Growing fast they already look almost too large for the parent’s back.
Someone has spotted something ....
FOOD!
My what a long tail you have!
“Who? me?” (actually a different bird).
A great pose by this adult Long-tailed Tit.
And a female Reed Bunting from a different pair is also collecting food.
My first Scorpion Flies (Panorpa communis) of the year today. Here is one of them.
This is also somewhat easier – a Buff-tailed Bumblebee (Bombus terrestris).
It was a ‘bee-day’. This I think is a mining bee and probably Andrena scotica (no vernacular name).
Newly-emerged this damselfly has yet to acquire its colour. It is a male Common Blue Damselfly.
While this is a newly-emerged female Common Blue Damselfly.
This is a Green Long-horn (Adela reaumurella) – a day-flying micro moth.
This is Common Bird's-foot Trefoil (Lotus corniculatus), food plant for Common Blue butterfly.
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The Flash: 05:55 – 06:40
(125th visit of the year)
Notes from here:
- the Mute Swans now have just four cygnets. I was told one of the cygnets had a damaged leg and was taken in to care by Cuan Wildlife Rescue. No-one seemed sure what happened to the sixth cygnet
- just the one brood of eight Mallard ducklings located
- after three Great Crested Grebes yesterday I noted just one today and that seemed to disappear
- the Garden Warbler was singing away again so perhaps it has been here all along. One heard calling may or may not have been a different bird. Might they nest here?
Birds noted flying over / near The Flash
- 1 Jackdaw again
Hirundines etc. noted
- 2 Swallows
Warblers noted (singing birds)
- 3 (3) Chiffchaffs
- 1 (1) Willow Warbler as usual
- 5 (4) Blackcaps
- 2? (1) Garden Warblers (see notes)
The counts from the water:
- 3 + 4 Mute Swans (see notes)
- 28 Canada Geese
- 20 (15♂) + 8 (1 brood) Mallard
- 10 (7♂) Tufted Ducks
- 1 Great Crested Grebe
- 4 Moorhens again
- 22 + 3 (1 brood) Coots again
(Ed Wilson)
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Between the lake and The Flash
At or around the lower pool (singing birds)
- 1 Moorhen again
- 2 (1) Chiffchaffs
- 1 (1) Blackcap
- 1 (1) Goldcrest once again
At or around the upper pool (singing birds)
- 1 (1) Blackcap
- 1 party of Long-tailed Tits
(Ed Wilson)
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Trench Lock Pool: 09:35 – 09:50 // 10:35 – 11:10
(26th visit of the year)
Notes from here
- one of the two Mute Swans again sitting throughout
- I would judge that today I saw a different brood of just three Canada Goose goslings. Last week’s five goslings were, as far as I recall, larger even then
- pair of Great Crested Grebes with two juveniles
- two Grey Wagtails only glimpsed so unable to age / sex them
and
- 1 ‘blue’ butterfly. Rather early for Common Blue?
Birds noted flying over / near here [other than local Wood Pigeons and Jackdaws]
- 3 Common Buzzards
- 2 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
- 1 Stock Dove
- 3 Starlings
Hirundines etc. noted
- 4 Swifts
Warblers noted (singing birds)
- 5 (5) Blackcaps
The counts from the water
- 2 Mute Swans
- 3 + 3 (1 brood) Canada Geese
- 5 (4♂) Mallard
- 1 (1♂) feral Mallard
- 2 + 2 (1 brood) Great Crested Grebe
- 2 Moorhens
- 14 + 9 (3 broods) Coots
“Up periscope” for ...
... The next food arrival.
(Ed Wilson)
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Trench Middle Pool: 09:55 – 10:30
(26th visit of the year)
Notes from here
- the Mute Swans spending more time together but no nest site obvious
- the geese do not seem to be having a good year: new brood(s) of Greylag Geese but fewer goslings than a week ago. Some additional goslings still being brooded? Meanwhile the Canada Geese seem to have lost all their goslings
- a pair of Great Crested Grebes with juveniles: too far away to determine how many
- spotty juvenile Robin seen
- one Grey Wagtail here. A female calling incessantly. Young nearby?
and
- an Oedemera nobilis beetle – the green one with the thickened thighs
- first flowers of Common Bird's-foot Trefoil (Lotus corniculatus) here as well as at the lake
- also flowers of Wood Avens (Geum urbanum)
Birds noted flying over / near here
None
Hirundines etc. noted
None
Warblers noted (singing birds)
- 1 (1) Chiffchaff again
- 5 (5) Blackcaps
The counts from the water
- 2 Mute Swans
- 16 + >12 (3? broods) Greylag Geese
- 47 Canada Geese
- 14 (12♂) + 5 (1 brood) Mallard
- 2 (1♂) Tufted Ducks again
- 2 + ? (1 brood) Great Crested Grebe
- 5 + 1 (1 brood) Moorhens
- 12 + 13 (5 broods) Coots
Now just what is this Greylag Goose hiding? Is it brooding some goslings?
These goslings are inquisitive and don’t want to be brooded.
Singing away!
The breast is so bright I am sure it must be an adult female. A noisy one too.
An inquisitive Chiffchaff – black feet, rather weak supercilium and prominent eye-crescents.
And a classic view – we even see some olive tones which, to my eyes, are rarely visible in the field.
(Ed Wilson)
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