Priorslee Lake: 05:25 – 08:50
The Flash: 08:55 – 09:35
Trench Lock Pool: 09:45 – 10:10 // 10:45 – 10:55
Trench Middle Pool: 10:15 – 10:40
4.0°C > 9.0°C: Early bank of cloud to E otherwise clear. Light W breeze. Very good visibility.
Sunrise: 06:20 GMT
Priorslee Lake: 05:25 – 08:50
(51st visit of the year)
Notable today was a passage of at least 66 Meadow Pipits. Most of these passed to the NE of the water, heading NW, out of earshot. Thus I may well have missed some / many. After I had repositioned in the NE to try and hear them I noted birds passing to the S – typical!
Notes:
- The first Black-headed Gull was an adult that flew over at 06:20. A few arrived after 06:30 but none stayed very long.
- Two immatures were noted among the Lesser Black-backed Gulls passing over
- 31 of the 95 over-flying Wood Pigeons were in three groups flying very high N / NW. Several singles were also flying much higher than usual. These all likely migrating birds.
- A Great Spotted Woodpecker was seen going NW very high alongside one of the migrant Wood Pigeon groups and seems unlikely to have been one of the local birds. One of these was heard drumming later.
- Low count of Jackdaws. The early bank of cloud did not help seeing any passing groups but none was heard. Likely the roost, and hence the dispersal, has finished as birds move to their breeding sites.
- A male Grey Wagtail on the dam-face. Another heard calling, apparently from inside the sluice, this I assume the female seen on the dam-face earlier
- I was rather surprised to see a non-singing Chiffchaff. Conventional wisdom is that male migrants arrive first and establish a territory to entice the later-arriving females. Arriving males are full of testosterone and sing even while they are actively feeding. Perhaps it was a female that had been over-wintering nearby.
- Strangely none of the four male Reed Buntings I noted was singing.
Birds noted flying over / near here:
- 22 Greylag Geese (10 outbound in four groups; 14 inbound in four groups)
- 3 Canada Geese (trio outbound)
- 1 Common Buzzard
- 2 Black-headed Gulls
- 18 Lesser Black-backed Gulls: 16 adults
- 95 Wood Pigeons
- 1 Collared Dove
- 1 Great Spotted Woodpecker
- 3 Jackdaws only
- 3 Rooks
- 1 Redwing
- 66 Meadow Pipits (as noted)
- 1 Siskin
Birds logged leaving roosts around the lake:
- 20 Magpies only
The Magpie roost seems to have largely dispersed as birds spend the night at their refurbished nests. I will discontinue the roost counts.
Count of warblers logged (singing birds in brackets)
- 3 (2) Chiffchaffs
Counts from the lake area:
- 2 Mute Swans
- 8 (5♂) Mallard
- 1 Cormorant
- 2 Grey Herons
- Little Grebe(s) heard only
- 6 Great Crested Grebes
- 13 Moorhens
- 39 Coots again
- 18 Black-headed Gulls only
Also noted:
- 1 Early Grey moth (Xylocampa areola) on lamp pole pre-dawn
- at least 150 small flies sunning on lamp-poles later.
- 2 Grey Squirrels
About half-moon then! Despite cloud moving away to the east the moon stayed clear.
A nice sunny morning to warm your Robin red breast while singing away.
One of the Grey Wagtails seen on the dam-face this morning. This is the rather paler female.
In breeding plumage male Greenfinches are rather handsome birds.
(Ed Wilson)
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The Flash: 08:55 – 09:35
(50th visit of the year)
Bird notes:
- Both adult Mute Swans seen on this year’s chosen nest site. Later the cob went Canada Geese hunting.
- What was probably the same Chiffchaff as was heard yesterday sang only very briefly.
- The Meadow Pipits overhead were my first here in 2020/
Birds noted flying over / near The Flash:
- 1 Sparrowhawk
- 1 Feral Pigeon
- 3 Meadow Pipits
Counts from the water:
- 3 Mute Swans
- 15 Greylag Geese
- 16 Canada Geese
- 27 (15♂) Mallard
- 50 (25♂) Tufted Duck
- 1 Cormorant
- 1 Great Crested Grebe again
- 6 Moorhen
- 18 Coots
- 14 Black-headed Gulls
No insects were on the bank of Ivy even though it was in full sun and sheltered from the wind. None of the Ivy has any remnant flowers. No nectar = no insects.
Additional bird species for my 2020 bird list at this site:
#56 Meadow Pipit
This Nuthatch seems to be investigating a possible nest site.
Digging right in. I did not see it throw out any unwanted material.
Back to work ...
(Ed Wilson)
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Trench Lock Pool: 09:45 – 10:10 // 10:45 – 10:55
(18th visit of the year)
Contractors working for The Canal and River Trust were trimming some ‘dangerous branches’ from around the launch-site near the Blue Pig. This certainly caused all the (few) gulls to leave.
Bird notes from here:
- Two singing and one non-singing Chiffchaff along the W side.
Birds noted flying over / near here [other than local Wood Pigeons and Jackdaws]:
- 1 Lesser Black-backed Gull
Counts from the water:
- 2 Mute Swans
- 4 Canada Geese
- 3 (2♂) Mallard
- 2 (1♂) Tufted Ducks
- 2 Great Crested Grebes
- 3 Moorhens
- 9 Coots
- 10 Black-headed Gulls
Additional bird species for my 2020 bird list at this site:
#46 Chiffchaff
(Ed Wilson)
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Trench Middle Pool: 10:15 – 10:40
(18th visit of the year)
Notes from here:
- With geese starting to gather inside the island to nest numbers are ‘provisional’.
- Two Great Crested Grebes seen, though they stayed well apart. One each of two pairs?
- Long-tailed Tits seen gathering nesting material and entering a likely nest site.
- Siskin heard in trees but not located. More than one? New at this site in 2020 for me.
Birds noted flying over / near here:
- 1 Common Buzzard
Counts from the water:
- 2 Mute Swans
- 17 Greylag Geese
- 42 Canada Geese
- 1 all-white feral duck?-type
- 8 (6♂) Mallard only
- 6 (3♂) Tufted Duck
- 1 Cormorant
- 2 Great Crested Grebes
- 5 Moorhens only
- 15 Coots
- 22 Black-headed Gulls
- 2 Herring Gulls: adults, briefly
Additional bird species for my 2020 bird list at this site:
#40 Siskin
(Ed Wilson)
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On this day..........
2019Priorslee Lake
Today's Sightings Here
2018
Priorslee Lake
Today's Sightings Here
2017
Priorslee Lake
Today's Sightings Here
2016
Priorslee Lake
Today's Sightings Here
2013
Little Wenlock, Candles Landfill Site
1 Iceland Gull
1 Yellow-legged Gull.
(Tom Lowe)
2012
Priorslee Lake
1 Kittiwake
2 adult Little Gulls
(J Reeves / Jim Almond / Andy Latham)
2011
Priorslee Lake
13 Pochard
18 Tufted Duck
5 Great Crested Grebe
12+ Sand Martin
3 Chiffchaff
17 Pied Wagtails
23 Linnets
11 Greenfinches
(Mike Cooper, (Martin Grant, Ed Wilson)
Priorslee Flash
2 Great Crested Grebe
c.12 Tufted Duck
4 Teal
2 Chiffchaff singing
1 Kingfisher
(Ed Wilson)
Trench Lock
30 Tufted Duck
6 Sand Martins
3 Chiffchaffs
1 Willow Warbler
( Ed Wilson)
2010
Priorslee Lake
1 Little Grebe
7 Great Crested Grebe
1 Heron
6 Gadwall
19 Tufted Duck
2 Reed Buntings
( Ed Wilson)
2007
Priorslee Lake
4 Great Crested Grebe
15 Tufted Duck
1 Ruddy Duck
3 Buzzard
1 Kestrel
46 Golden Plover
4 Stock Dove
281 Wood Pigeon
27 Wren
38 Robin
21 Blackbird
1 Redwing
4 Chiffchaff singing
3 Jay
35 Magpie
159 Jackdaw
3 Reed Bunting
(Ed Wilson)