Priorslee Lake: 04:30 – 06:25 // 07:30 – 09:20
The Flash: 06:30 – 07:25
Trench Lock Pool: 09:30 – 09:35 // 10:20 – 10:55
Trench Middle Pool: 09:40 – 10:15
12.0°C > 15.0°C: Broken medium-level cloud slowly cleared to be replaced by increasing puffy clouds. Moderate WNW wind. Very good visibility.
Sunrise: 05:45 BST
Reverting to ‘winter’ schedule, completing two laps of the lake before going to Trench.
Priorslee Lake: 04:30 – 06:25 // 07:30 – 09:20
(197th visit of the year)
Bird notes from today
- I took up a better vantage point to check for outbound geese and noted fewer. Failed again.
- Two Little Grebes seen at the W end early – an adult and an immature. Later two unaged birds seen moving along the NE area – presumed same birds.
- A pair (different sizes) of Sparrowhawks were circling over the area where the presumed begging juvenile was again calling loudly.
- 72 Black-headed Gulls were on the academy sports field at 06:15. I have almost never seen more than the odd few birds on this expanse of grass previously. These presumably included the c.50 seen flying around the Ricoh building earlier. No more than 10 was seen on the lake itself.
- Eight Swifts arrived at 05:45 and were present until 06:00 at least. Not seen thereafter.
Bird totals:
Birds noted flying over or flying near the lake:
- 1 Greylag Goose (1 outbound)
- 46 Canada Geese (34 (5 groups) outbound; 12 (1 group) inbound)
- 1 Lesser Black-backed Gull
- 3 Feral Pigeons (2 groups)
- 69 Wood Pigeons
- 2 Collared Doves
- 8 Jackdaws
- 6 Rooks
Hirundines etc. noted:
- 8 Swifts
- 1 Barn Swallow
- c.12 House Martins
Warblers noted (singing birds):
- 13 (4) Chiffchaffs
- 1 (0) Willow Warbler
- 5 (0) Blackcaps
- 3 (0) Common Whitethroats
- 3 (0) Reed Warblers again
Counts from the lake area:
- 2 + 6 (1 brood) Mute Swans
- 4 Canada Geese (briefly)
- 13 (9♂) Mallard
- 1 Grey Heron
- 2 Little Grebes
- 4 + 4 (3 broods) Great Crested Grebes again
- 3 + 2 (2 broods) Moorhens
- 65 (near) adult Coots: forgot to look for any small juveniles from the newest brood
- c.75 Black-headed Gulls: 1 juvenile
On the lamp poles pre-dawn:
- 1 Common Plume (Emmelina monodactyla)
- 1 Dun-bar (Cosmia trapezina)
- 1 harvestman Dicranopalpus ramosus
- mayfly sp.
The following logged later:
- Butterflies
- Green-veined White (Pieris napi)
- Speckled Wood (Pararge aegeria)
- Meadow Brown (Maniola jurtina)
- Gatekeeper (Pyronia tithonus)
- Red Admiral (Vanessa atalanta)
- Moths (in species order):
- 1 Straw Grass-veneer (Agriphila straminella)
- many other unidentified grass moths
- Damselflies etc:
- Common Blue Damselfly
- Hoverflies (in alphabetic order of scientific name):
- Marmalade Hoverfly (Episyrphus balteatus)
- Drone-fly (Eristalis sp.)
- Dead-head Hoverfly (Myathropa florea)
- Syrphus sp.
- Pellucid Fly (Volucella pellucens)
And other things:
- 1 Common Carder Bee (Bombus pascuorum)
- several wasps (Vespula sp.)
- 4 Grey Squirrels
... especially the outer primaries
A Common Whitethroat lurking under cover – it thought.
Turns around to get a better look at me.
A little song perhaps?
Wow! That makes my neck ache!
Here we are looking all sleek and preened.
A different specimen in daylight.
(Ed Wilson)
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The Flash: 06:30 – 07:25
(190th visit of the year)
A third-hand report of a dog seen in the water a few days ago chasing the then surviving cygnets. Whether this caused their demise or not it illustrates the lack of care provided by the parents. The old cob at the lake would likely have killed the dog had any gone near its offspring.
Notes from here:
- The latest brood of Mallard ducklings reduced to two birds.
- Adult Great Crested Grebes present and correct and juveniles noisily begging again. So where did they go yesterday?
and
- 1 Common Grass-veneer moth (Agriphila tristella)
- 1 Grey Squirrel
Birds noted flying over / near The Flash:
- 3 Feral Pigeons
- 5 Wood Pigeons
- 1 Jackdaw
Hirundines etc. noted:
- 10 House Martins
Warblers noted (singing birds):
- 1 (0) Chiffchaff
- 1 (1) Willow Warbler
Counts from the water:
- 3 Mute Swans
- no Greylag Geese again
- 10 Canada Geese
- 30 (>13♂) + 2 (1 brood) Mallard
- 21 (12♂) Tufted Ducks
- 1 Grey Heron again
- 2 + 2 (1 brood) Great Crested Grebes: back to normal
- 1 Moorhen
- 21 Coots
- 9 Black-headed Gulls: no juveniles
This is a duck with a dark bill and the sides brown.
(Ed Wilson)
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Between the lake and The Flash:
- 1 Blackcap calling at the lower pool
and on various lamp poles
- 1 Garden Grass-veneer moth (Chrysoteuchia culmella)
- 2 Common Grass-veneer moths (Agriphila tristella)
- 2 other grass-moths (not identified)
- 1 harvestman Dicranopalpus ramosus
(Ed Wilson)
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Trench Lock Pool: 09:30 – 09:35 // 10:20 – 10:55
(37th visit of the year)
Kingfisher was new for me here this year and is bird species #57 on this list. The same bird as seen at Middle Pool?
Other notes from here:
- The Mute Swans no longer have any cygnets either. They also did not seem to be caring parents.
- The long-term lone juvenile Great Crested Grebe not seen – old-enough to have flown off. A pair confirmed as feeding three small juveniles. Also a ‘spare’ adult.
- Very low number of Coots again. Many fewer nests this year and poor success rate. Even so seems some birds have left to moult elsewhere?
also
- 1 Cinnabar moth caterpillar (Tyria jacobaeae).
- several drone-flies (Eristalis sp.)
- a Dead-head Hoverfly (Myathropa florea)
- several Syrphus hoverfly sp.
- my first-ever wild Opium Poppy (Papaver somniferens) – no you can’t from temperate-grown plants!
- a cluster of toadstools, probably Glistening Inkcap (Coprinellus micaceus)
Birds noted flying over / near here [other than local Wood Pigeons and Jackdaws]:
- 2 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
- 1 Common Buzzard
Hirundines etc. noted:
- 6 House Martins (at least 1 juvenile)
Warblers noted (singing birds):
- 1 (0) Chiffchaff
Counts from the water:
- 2 Mute Swans
- 27 Canada Geese
- 6 (5♂) Mallard
- 3 + 3 (1 brood) Great Crested Grebes
- 1 Moorhen still
- 16 Coots
- 19 Black-headed Gulls: 2 of these juveniles
- 1 Kingfisher
A pair of Great Crested Grebes were feeding their three juveniles. ‘Race you to the fish’.
The underside.
(Ed Wilson)
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Trench Middle Pool: 09:40 – 10:15
(37th visit of the year)
Work on the N-side embankment continues though the ‘feeding station’ near the car park was open for a while after I arrived. The disturbance from these works did not seem to affect the birds. Lack of feeding would be more likely to impact the numbers. It did limit my access and probably reduced the number of Moorhens logged
Other notes from here:
- No sign of the Greylag gosling seen two weeks ago. I doubt whether it could have fledged by now.
- The second adult Great Crested Grebe not seen
Birds noted flying over / near here.
None
Hirundines etc. noted.
None
Warblers noted (singing birds):
- 1 (0) Chiffchaff
Counts from the water:
- 2 Mute Swans as ever
- 4 Greylag Geese
- 51 Canada Geese
- 17 (12♂) Mallard
- 14 (10♂) Tufted Duck – same as two weeks ago
- 1 + 3 (1 brood) Great Crested Grebes
- 4 + 1 (1 brood) Moorhens
- 32 adult and juvenile Coots
- 41 Black-headed Gulls: 2 of these juveniles
- 1 Kingfisher
A bachelor party of Tufted Ducks in rather scruffy and faded eclipse plumage.
(Ed Wilson)
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On this day..........