Priorslee Lake: 04:10 – 05:30 // 06:20 – 08:55
The Flash: 05:35 – 06:15
Trench Lock Pool: 09:05 – 09:15 // 10:00 – 10:30
Trench Middle Pool: 09:20 – 09:55
11.0°C > 15.0°C: Hazy high cloud cleared after 05:00 with clouds again after 09:00. Moderate plus SW breeze. Very good visibility.
Sunrise: 04:50 BST
Priorslee Lake: 04:10 – 05:30 // 06:20 – 08:55
(145th visit of the year)
Bird notes from today
- One or more Tufted Ducks flew over me calling at 04:10. Did not see how many or which way it / they were going. By 04:20 there were none visible on the water. A drake was first noted c.07:30 and stayed thereafter.
- An ‘extra’ adult Great Crested Grebe first thing – not noted later, though not seen to fly off. From its position in the water and its behaviour toward the residents this was not the ‘missing’ adult assumed to be sitting on a nest in the NW reeds.
- At least 50 Swifts by 04:50 and thereafter similar numbers present much of the time, mainly to the E, presumably taking insects blown off the water and upwards in to the air across the dam by the brisk SW wind.
- I have had my suspicions for some time: there are five singing Garden Warblers this year. Two are occupying adjacent bushes alongside the W end path – I had been unsure whether these were in fact separate birds. I saw both at the same time this morning. My best year ever for this species, perhaps a reflection of the increasing size of the many of the bushes?
Bird totals:
Birds noted flying over or flying near the lake:
- 30 Canada Geese (15 outbound; 15 inbound)
- 2 Cormorants again
- 1 Lesser Black-backed Gull
- 5 Wood Pigeons
- 66 Jackdaws
- 30 Rooks
Hirundines etc. noted:
- >50 Swifts
- >3 Barn Swallows
- 4 House Martins
Warblers noted (singing birds):
- 4 (4) Chiffchaffs
- 19 (18) Blackcaps yet again
- 5 (5) Garden Warblers
- 3 (2) (Common) Whitethroats
- 1 Sedge Warbler again
- 5 (5) Reed Warblers
Counts from the lake area:
- 2 + 7 (1 brood) Mute Swans
- 19 Canada Geese (arrived and departed)
- 10 (7♂) + 2 (1 brood) Mallard
- 1 (1♂) Tufted Duck (see notes)
- 4 + 2 (1 brood) Great Crested Grebes
- [no Moorhens]
- 26 + 23 (8 broods) Coots
The trick worked again: I wrote yesterday that nothing was on the lamp poles pre-dawn recently and lo and behold:
- 1 Common Swift moth (Hepialus lupulinus)
Seen later:
- 5 Silver-ground Carpet (Xanthorhoe montanata).
- Three species of hoverfly new for me this year:
- Dasysyrphus albostriatus
- Helophilus pendulus (‘The Footballer’)
- Volucella bombylans
- >6 Harlequin Ladybirds (Harmonia axyridis), all of the form succinea with c.19 spots.
- The first green beetle with the swollen thigh of the year – Oedemera nobilis.
- Still many Red-and-Black Froghoppers (Cercopis vulnerata). I had assumed that following the copious amount of cuckoo-spit now on the vegetation their work was done and they would have died off.
- All three bat sps. – pipistrelle-type; noctule-type; and the large bat around the trees.
- 1 Grey Squirrel yet again.
This Blue-tailed Damselfly is a female of the rufescens form – an early stage in the female life-cycle.
(Ed Wilson)
The Flash: 05:35 – 06:15
(138th visit of the year)
Notes from here:
- Why so many Canada Geese? Assembling prior to the moult when they become temporarily flightless?
- No Chiffchaffs heard or seen.
Birds noted flying over / near The Flash:
- 1 Cormorant
Hirundines etc. noted:
- 1 Swift
- 3 House Martins
Warblers noted (singing birds):
- 3 (2) Blackcaps again
Counts from the water:
- 3 + 4 Mute Swans
- 1 Greylag x Canada Goose
- 55 Canada Geese
- 27 (20♂) + 13 (2 broods) Mallard
- 9 (5♂) Tufted Ducks
- 2 Great Crested Grebes again
- 4 Moorhens
- 18 + 9 (3 broods) Coots
One of the hybrid geese that turn up from time to time. A Greylag Goose bill with mainly Canada Goose plumage, including the (almost) white chin-strap.
(Ed Wilson)
Between the lake and The Flash:
At or around the lower pool (singing birds):
- 1 (1) Blackcap
At or around the upper pool (singing birds):
- 1 (1) Goldcrest
(Ed Wilson)
Trench Lock Pool: 09:05 – 09:15 // 10:00 – 10:30
(28th visit of the year)
Notes from here
- One of the two Mute Swans still sitting throughout.
- An extra pair of Great Crested Grebes asleep in the middle of the water. And another single, also asleep.
- Really poor number of Coots this year. No doubt some still sitting out of sight, but even so ... Perhaps as a result of the pool being drained last Autumn and birds moving away?
- Singles of both large gull sps. dropped in together but left separately after a few minutes.
- Singing Chiffchaff today. Have not recorded one here since 23 April.
Birds noted flying over / near here [other than local Wood Pigeons and Jackdaws]:
- 1 Buzzard
- 1 Lesser Black-backed Gull again
Hirundines etc. noted:
- 2 Swifts
- 1 Barn Swallow
- 2 House Martins
Warblers noted (singing birds):
- 1 (1) Chiffchaff
- 2 (2) Blackcaps
Counts from the water:
- 2 Mute Swans
- 2 + 3 (1 brood) Canada Geese again
- 6 (5♂) Mallard
- 5 + 2 (1 brood) Great Crested Grebes
- [no Moorhens]
- 14 + 9 (2 broods) Coots
- 1 Lesser Black-backed Gull
- 1 Herring Gull
(Ed Wilson)
Trench Middle Pool: 09:20 – 09:55
(28th visit of the year)
Notes from here
- Mute Swans once again showing no inclination to nest.
- Only one adult and one juvenile Great Crested Grebe confirmed.
- Coots seem to be doing well here – in contrast to Trench Lock Pool.
and
- 1 Brimstone Moth (Opisthograptis luteolata) found in a spider web on a lamp pole (new species for me at this site)
Birds noted flying over / near here:
- 1 Jackdaws
Hirundines etc. noted:
None
Warblers noted (singing birds):
- 2 (2) Blackcaps
Counts from the water:
- 2 Mute Swans
- 42 + 16 (5 broods) Greylag Geese
- 86 + 15 (4 broods) Canada Geese
- 13 (11♂) + 4 (1 brood) Mallard
- 2 (1♂) Tufted Ducks again
- 1 + 1 (1 brood) Great Crested Grebe
- 2 + 1 (1 brood) Moorhens
- 22 + 27 (10 broods) Coots
(Ed Wilson)
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The Flash: 05:35 – 06:15
(138th visit of the year)
Notes from here:
- Why so many Canada Geese? Assembling prior to the moult when they become temporarily flightless?
- No Chiffchaffs heard or seen.
Birds noted flying over / near The Flash:
- 1 Cormorant
Hirundines etc. noted:
- 1 Swift
- 3 House Martins
Warblers noted (singing birds):
- 3 (2) Blackcaps again
Counts from the water:
- 3 + 4 Mute Swans
- 1 Greylag x Canada Goose
- 55 Canada Geese
- 27 (20♂) + 13 (2 broods) Mallard
- 9 (5♂) Tufted Ducks
- 2 Great Crested Grebes again
- 4 Moorhens
- 18 + 9 (3 broods) Coots
(Ed Wilson)
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Between the lake and The Flash:
At or around the lower pool (singing birds):
- 1 (1) Blackcap
At or around the upper pool (singing birds):
- 1 (1) Goldcrest
(Ed Wilson)
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Trench Lock Pool: 09:05 – 09:15 // 10:00 – 10:30
(28th visit of the year)
Notes from here
- One of the two Mute Swans still sitting throughout.
- An extra pair of Great Crested Grebes asleep in the middle of the water. And another single, also asleep.
- Really poor number of Coots this year. No doubt some still sitting out of sight, but even so ... Perhaps as a result of the pool being drained last Autumn and birds moving away?
- Singles of both large gull sps. dropped in together but left separately after a few minutes.
- Singing Chiffchaff today. Have not recorded one here since 23 April.
Birds noted flying over / near here [other than local Wood Pigeons and Jackdaws]:
- 1 Buzzard
- 1 Lesser Black-backed Gull again
Hirundines etc. noted:
- 2 Swifts
- 1 Barn Swallow
- 2 House Martins
Warblers noted (singing birds):
- 1 (1) Chiffchaff
- 2 (2) Blackcaps
Counts from the water:
- 2 Mute Swans
- 2 + 3 (1 brood) Canada Geese again
- 6 (5♂) Mallard
- 5 + 2 (1 brood) Great Crested Grebes
- [no Moorhens]
- 14 + 9 (2 broods) Coots
- 1 Lesser Black-backed Gull
- 1 Herring Gull
(Ed Wilson)
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Trench Middle Pool: 09:20 – 09:55
(28th visit of the year)
Notes from here
- Mute Swans once again showing no inclination to nest.
- Only one adult and one juvenile Great Crested Grebe confirmed.
- Coots seem to be doing well here – in contrast to Trench Lock Pool.
and
- 1 Brimstone Moth (Opisthograptis luteolata) found in a spider web on a lamp pole (new species for me at this site)
Birds noted flying over / near here:
- 1 Jackdaws
Hirundines etc. noted:
None
Warblers noted (singing birds):
- 2 (2) Blackcaps
Counts from the water:
- 2 Mute Swans
- 42 + 16 (5 broods) Greylag Geese
- 86 + 15 (4 broods) Canada Geese
- 13 (11♂) + 4 (1 brood) Mallard
- 2 (1♂) Tufted Ducks again
- 1 + 1 (1 brood) Great Crested Grebe
- 2 + 1 (1 brood) Moorhens
- 22 + 27 (10 broods) Coots
(Ed Wilson)
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On this day..........