Priorslee Lake: 04:20 – 05:55 // 06:50 – 09:40
The Flash: 06:00 – 06:45
8.0°C > 12.0°C: Clear start again with puffy clouds later. Moderate NW wind. Very good visibility
Sunrise: 05:04 BST
Priorslee Lake: 04:20 – 05:55 // 06:50 – 09:40
(133rd visit of the year)
Much feeding activity at the moment with birds ferrying food to nest sites. Juvenile Great Tits and Pied Wagtails noted today. All this means that song is becoming limited.
Other bird notes from today
- A small brood of three Mallard ducklings. Could be a different brood from the five seen earlier – these looked rather too small.
- As is usual with early broods of Coots there seems to be a very high mortality rate. New broods today mean numbers of juveniles have increased even though fewer broods seen.
- A Sparrowhawk overhead had Crows in hot pursuit, joined by the two parent Pied Wagtails who have nested near the dam. These left a youngster – their only? – on the dam with me on guard.
- A second Willow Warbler sang for a short while today in the same location as I logged a ‘late arrival’ between 29 April and 05 May. Does this mean it paired up and has spent the time breeding? And what about the bird that continues to sing and sing and sing at the W end – has it not found a mate?
- At least two House Sparrows ‘invaded’ my recording area again. This is happening much more often than in any earlier year.
Bird totals
Birds noted flying over or flying near the lake
- 1 Cormorant
- 1 Grey Heron
- 5 Black-headed Gulls
- 6 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
- 4 Stock Doves
- 11 Wood Pigeon
- 52 Jackdaws
- 4 Rooks
Hirundines etc. noted
- 11 Swifts
- 5 Barn Swallows
- 3 House Martins
Warblers noted (singing birds)
- 6 (5) Chiffchaffs
- 2 (2) Willow Warblers
- 23 (20) Blackcaps
- 2 (2) Garden Warblers
- 5 (3) (Common) Whitethroats
- 1 (1) Sedge Warbler again
- 8 (7) Reed Warblers
The counts from the lake area: - very quiet today
- 2 Mute Swans
- 9 (8♂) + 3 (1 brood) Mallard
- 4 + 3 (1 brood) Great Crested Grebes
- 2 Moorhens
- 18 + 24 (5 broods) Coots
On the lamp poles pre-dawn
Nothing
Seen later
- 2 pipistrelle-type bats
and then in the sun
- 1 Common Blue Damselflies
- 1 Azure Damselfly
- 1 Harlequin Ladybird (Harmonia axyridis), form conspicua?
- 2 7 Spot Ladybird (Coccinella 7-punctata)
- a mating pair of 14 Spot ladybird (Propylea quattuordecimpunctata)
- 1 Buff-tailed Bumblebee (Bombus terrestris)
- 1 Tapered Drone-fly (Eristalis pertinax)
- >5 Chequered Hoverfly (Melanostoma scalare)
- >4 Syrphus sp. hoverflies
- 1 Pellucid (Hover) Fly (Volucella pellucens)
- >5 greenbottles (Neomyia sp.?)
- Many other fly sps. not identified including two presumed Phaonia species
- >10 Red-and-Black Froghoppers (Cercopis vulnerata)
- >4 Common stretch-spider (Tetragnatha extensa)
and
- First flowers of Dog Rose (Rosa canina agg.)
Strange that after good numbers of Orange-tip butterflies there are no butterflies at all at the moment
In case you were not awake at 05:10 this is what you missed.
A rather ‘fuzzy’ outline and the pronounced gape give this away as a newly-hatched Great Tit.
The daily Common Whitethroat photo. One day they will come closer. The male with the grey head.
Another hoverfly – a Tapered Drone-fly (Eristalis pertinax).
This too looks like a Phaonia sp., this time P. angelicae with orange on the body only.
A 7 Spot Ladybird (Coccinella 7-punctata).
A Common stretch-spider (Tetragnatha extensa) lies in wait.
(Ed Wilson)
The Flash: 06:00 – 06:45
(126th visit of the year)
Notes from here:
- There were five cygnets with the adult Mute Swans. Confused? Me?
- Contractors cut the grass yesterday and the Canada Geese seemed to find their usual morning feeding area unattractive. Fewer around today.
- Two broods of Mallard ducklings located: one with five; the other tucked up and hard to count – probably eight but could only confirm ‘more than six’.
- Two Great Crested Grebes almost behaving as a pair. Disappeared later though I could hear one, at least, calling. Perhaps from a hidden nest-site?
- Just two of the juvenile Coots logged: did not try too hard ....
- At the location where the Garden Warbler has been I heard a call that could have come from this species. I am not too familiar with the calls and would have preferred to have seen one move at least.
- Family party of Coal Tits seen.
Birds noted flying over / near The Flash
- 1 Feral Pigeon
- 3 Wood Pigeons
- 2 Starlings (one a juvenile)
Hirundines etc. noted
- 3 Swifts
Warblers noted (singing birds)
- 3 (3) Chiffchaffs again
- 1 (1) Willow Warbler
- 4 (4) Blackcaps
- ? Garden Warbler (see notes)
The counts from the water:
- 3 + 5 Mute Swans (see notes)
- 18 Canada Geese
- 16 (7♂) + 13? (2 broods) Mallard
- 13 (8♂) Tufted Ducks
- 2 Great Crested Grebes
- 1 Moorhen only
- 21 + 2 (1 brood) Coots
There seemed to be only four cygnets yesterday ... either I cannot count; or perhaps the one taken away by Cuan was patched up and returned?
(Ed Wilson)
Between the lake and The Flash
At or around the lower pool (singing birds)
- 1 Moorhen heard only
- 1 (1) Chiffchaff
- 1 party of Long-tailed Tits
At or around the upper pool (singing birds)
- 1 juvenile Moorhen seen
(Ed Wilson)
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The Flash: 06:00 – 06:45
(126th visit of the year)
Notes from here:
- There were five cygnets with the adult Mute Swans. Confused? Me?
- Contractors cut the grass yesterday and the Canada Geese seemed to find their usual morning feeding area unattractive. Fewer around today.
- Two broods of Mallard ducklings located: one with five; the other tucked up and hard to count – probably eight but could only confirm ‘more than six’.
- Two Great Crested Grebes almost behaving as a pair. Disappeared later though I could hear one, at least, calling. Perhaps from a hidden nest-site?
- Just two of the juvenile Coots logged: did not try too hard ....
- At the location where the Garden Warbler has been I heard a call that could have come from this species. I am not too familiar with the calls and would have preferred to have seen one move at least.
- Family party of Coal Tits seen.
Birds noted flying over / near The Flash
- 1 Feral Pigeon
- 3 Wood Pigeons
- 2 Starlings (one a juvenile)
Hirundines etc. noted
- 3 Swifts
Warblers noted (singing birds)
- 3 (3) Chiffchaffs again
- 1 (1) Willow Warbler
- 4 (4) Blackcaps
- ? Garden Warbler (see notes)
The counts from the water:
- 3 + 5 Mute Swans (see notes)
- 18 Canada Geese
- 16 (7♂) + 13? (2 broods) Mallard
- 13 (8♂) Tufted Ducks
- 2 Great Crested Grebes
- 1 Moorhen only
- 21 + 2 (1 brood) Coots
(Ed Wilson)
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Between the lake and The Flash
At or around the lower pool (singing birds)
- 1 Moorhen heard only
- 1 (1) Chiffchaff
- 1 party of Long-tailed Tits
At or around the upper pool (singing birds)
- 1 juvenile Moorhen seen
(Ed Wilson)
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