Priorslee Lake: 04:05 – 05:40 // 06:35 – 08:10
The Flash: 05:45 – 06:30
10.0°C > 11.0°C: Patchy rain 04:30 – 05:00. Lowering cloud with more light rain 07:45. Light and variable wind, mainly E. Good visibility.
Sunrise: 04:49 BST
Priorslee Lake: 04:05 – 05:40 // 06:35 – 08:10
(146th visit of the year)
Bird notes from today
- A pair of Tufted Ducks flew E at 05:05. By 06:55 there were two drakes on the water when a pair flew in from the S. They all flew around a while and settled on the water. By 07:35 a single drake remained and it too then left.
- A pair of ‘extra’ adult Great Crested Grebes by 07:00 (not noted previously). These noted displaying several times. Then at 07:10 another bird flew from the NW, circled several times, and then left to the SE.
- Two first-summer Herring Gulls came from the NE at 04:50 and circled low over the water – both just dipping wing-tips as they did so. They left without settling. Later another equally scruffy and moulting first summer bird flew over.
- At least 40 Swifts by 04:35. This number stayed around until c.07:25 when the cloud started lowering after which many, but not all, left.
- My impression is that both Blue and Great Tits have had a successful breeding season – there seem to be noisy family groups everywhere at the moment. Have no substantive counts to back up this view.
Bird totals:
Birds noted flying over or flying near the lake:
- 2 (1♂) Tufted Duck
- 2 Cormorants yet again
- 1 Great Crested Grebe
- 1 Herring Gull
- 10 Wood Pigeons
- 1 Collared Dove
- 29 Jackdaws
- 11 Rooks
Hirundines etc. noted:
- >40 Swifts
- 2 Barn Swallows
- 4 House Martins again
Warblers noted (singing birds):
- 7 (5) Chiffchaffs
- 18 (16) Blackcaps
- 6 (5) Garden Warblers
- 1 (1) (Common) Whitethroat
- 1 (1) Sedge Warbler
- 5 (5) Reed Warblers again
Counts from the lake area:
- 2 + 7 (1 brood) Mute Swans
- 11 (9♂) + 2 (1 brood) Mallard
- 4 (3♂) Tufted Duck (see notes)
- 1 Grey Heron (left 04:20)
- 5 + 2 (1 brood) Great Crested Grebes
- 1 Moorhen
- 26 + 21 (7 broods) Coots
- 2 Herring Gulls
Nothing was on the lamp poles pre-dawn.
Seen later:
- 4 Silver-ground Carpet moths (Xanthorhoe montanata).
- A pairing of caddis flies, probably Tipula oleracea.
- Just two bat sps. logged – at least 8 of the pipistrelle-type; and three of large bat around the trees. For the first time I can remember for a many a year one of the pipistrelle-types was circling one of the street lights to feed on the insects attracted by the light.
Again between the rain was this attractive view – if hardly ‘sunrise’ at 07:00.
Meanwhile the two surviving Mallard ducklings have no problem being out in the rain.
(Ed Wilson)
The Flash: 05:45 – 06:30
(139th visit of the year)
Notes from here:
- A new brood of five small Coots. One of the previous broods not located, though probably still extant.
- For the first time this year Swifts were seen in the distance around their usual St Georges breeding area.
Birds noted flying over / near The Flash:
- 1 Stock Dove
- 7 Wood Pigeons
- 2 Jackdaws
Hirundines etc. noted:
- >15 Swifts
- 1 House Martin
Warblers noted (singing birds):
- 2 (2) Chiffchaffs
- 2 (2) Blackcaps
Counts from the water:
- 3 + 4 Mute Swans
- 1 Greylag Goose
- 52 Canada Geese
- 22 (15♂) + 13 (2 broods) Mallard
- 13 (7♂) Tufted Ducks
- 2 Great Crested Grebes
- 5 + 1 (1 brood) Moorhens
- 19 + 11 (3 broods) Coots
(Ed Wilson)
Between the lake and The Flash:
At or around the lower pool (singing birds):
- juvenile Moorhens heard only
- 1 (1) Blackcap
- 1 (1) Chiffchaff
At or around the upper pool no birds of note, but on nearby lamp poles:
- 1 Brimstone Moth (Opisthograptis luteolata)
- 1 caddis fly, probably the very common species Tipula lunata
A better specimen of Brimstone Moth (Opisthograptis luteolata) found on a lamp pole near the upper pool.
An adjacent lamp pole had this caddis fly resting. Looks like the very common Tipula lunata, though as usual there are several rather similar species.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
The Flash: 05:45 – 06:30
(139th visit of the year)
Notes from here:
- A new brood of five small Coots. One of the previous broods not located, though probably still extant.
- For the first time this year Swifts were seen in the distance around their usual St Georges breeding area.
Birds noted flying over / near The Flash:
- 1 Stock Dove
- 7 Wood Pigeons
- 2 Jackdaws
Hirundines etc. noted:
- >15 Swifts
- 1 House Martin
Warblers noted (singing birds):
- 2 (2) Chiffchaffs
- 2 (2) Blackcaps
Counts from the water:
- 3 + 4 Mute Swans
- 1 Greylag Goose
- 52 Canada Geese
- 22 (15♂) + 13 (2 broods) Mallard
- 13 (7♂) Tufted Ducks
- 2 Great Crested Grebes
- 5 + 1 (1 brood) Moorhens
- 19 + 11 (3 broods) Coots
(Ed Wilson)
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Between the lake and The Flash:
At or around the lower pool (singing birds):
- juvenile Moorhens heard only
- 1 (1) Blackcap
- 1 (1) Chiffchaff
At or around the upper pool no birds of note, but on nearby lamp poles:
- 1 Brimstone Moth (Opisthograptis luteolata)
- 1 caddis fly, probably the very common species Tipula lunata
(Ed Wilson)
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------