12.0°C > 14.0°C: Persistent low cloud yet again threatened to break several time but did so only after 11:00. Moderate ENE wind. Good visibility.
Sunrise: 06:52 BST
* = a photo today.
Priorslee Lake: 05:19 – 09:29
(196th visit of the year)
Bird notes:
- A Little Grebe seen - a juvenile.
- Many more gulls around today. The fishermen reported there were even more yesterday evening.
- I noted almost exactly 200 Black-headed Gulls arriving at the lake soon after 06:12. By the time I started to check the academy playing field there were just four present with many more starting to arrive. These were mainly new arrivals from the E. Then c.08:00 at least 400 were on the water in the NE part of the lake.
- 130 Lesser Black-backed Gulls flew SE between 06:30 and 06:55. I noted 52 of these visiting the lake. These all departed by 07:30. Then at 07:40 at least 265 Lesser Black-backed Gulls and eight Herring Gulls all arrived together from the S. Some of these left in dribs and drabs to the E. A few more arrived from the E but these may have been birds returning.
- House Martins heard high over these estate area 07:00 but not seen. Three were over the W end of the lake at 08:25 but did not hang about.
Birds noted flying over / near here:
- 1 Greylag Goose (outbound with Canadas)
- 8 Canada Geese (outbound in one group with one Greylag)
- 80 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
- 46 Wood Pigeons
- 1 Jackdaw
- 2 Rooks
- 18 Pied Wagtails
- 3 Meadow Pipits
- 1 Lesser Redpoll
Hirundines etc. logged:
- 3+ House Martins (see notes)
Count of warblers logged (singing birds in brackets):
- 8 (3) Chiffchaffs
- 3 (0) Blackcaps
Counts from the lake area:
- 2 + 5 Mute Swans
- 16 (10♂) Mallard
- 2 Cormorants: arrived separately
- 1 Grey Heron: arrived and departed
- 1 Little Grebe
- 15 + 6 (5 broods) Great Crested Grebes
- 7 adult and juvenile Moorhens
- 92 adult and juvenile Coots
- >400 Black-headed Gulls
- >334 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
- >8 Herring Gulls
- 1 Kingfisher
Birds on academy playing fields c.07:00:
[Wood Pigeons and Magpies excluded]
- >110 Black-headed Gulls
On / around the street lights etc. pre-sunrise:
Moths:
None
Other things:
- 1 Common Wasp (Vespula vulgaris)
- 4 Orb-web spiders, presumed Larinioides sclopetarius
- 1 Dicranopalpus ramosus-type harvestman
- 1 Opilio canestrinii harvestman
Insects / other things etc. noted later in overcast and breezy conditions
Other things:
- 1 Common Wasp (Vespula vulgaris)
- 4 Orb-web spiders, presumed Larinioides sclopetarius
- 1 Dicranopalpus ramosus-type harvestman
- 1 Opilio canestrinii harvestman
Insects / other things etc. noted later in overcast and breezy conditions
None
Mammals
- 1 Pipistrelle-type bat only
- 2 Grey Squirrels
This Little Grebe would, typically, not stay on the surface more than few seconds. This 'grab shot' confirms that it is a juvenile with a hint of face-stripes. It was not what I was expecting to see after talking to the fishermen who had clearly seen a different and small juvenile with more obvious stripes – this bird was full size. Now the question is did one pair nest and have two broods or did two pairs nest with differently-timed broods?
This Lesser Black-backed Gull is at an unusual moult stage. The bill and the head could pass as an adult as could the back and much of the dark wings. However the new adult-type wing coverts are ahead of brown immature secondaries. Noticeably the tail has an extensive dark tip. It seems to be a second-summer bird moulting in to
Compare and contrast. From the back an adult Herring Gull; an adult Lesser Black-backed Gull; a first-winter Herring Gull – note the difference in the paler tertials from the first-winter Lesser Black-backed Gull.
Mammals
- 1 Pipistrelle-type bat only
- 2 Grey Squirrels
A pair of Mallard of course. The drake still has a little way to go to acquire full breeding finery.
Just some of the c.400 Black-headed Gulls in the NE area.
A few of these setting off E.
One of the immature Lesser Black-backed Gulls takes a dive.
Splosh!
This shot shows the upper wing detail of a first-winter (born 2020) Lesser Black-backed Gull.
The underside of a different first-winter Lesser Black-backed Gull. They typically look very dark at this age.
As here.
A study in concentration with this immature Lesser Black-backed Gull.
Made it!
A complaining immature Herring Gull. Overall paler especially on the secondary coverts and the inner primaries.
(Ed Wilson)
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(180th visit of the year)
Bird notes:
- Two at least of the Mute Swan cygnets now have blue Darvic rings: 7JUC and 7JUD noted. Two at least are unringed. The status of the other three not determined.
- It seemed as if was the pen swan who was chasing the 2018 bird today, though not particularly aggressively.
- The duck Common Teal found on Thursday still present.
- Mallard seen mating - nothing like starting early.
- The three Common Buzzards were perhaps the family that probably nested in the NW wooded area – the light was not good-enough to age all the birds.
- The immature Great Crested Grebe noted on Thursday not found.
- There was a group of at least 25 finches flying over the N end apparently between trees. They were audibly and visually mostly Goldfinches. There was at least on Siskin calling with them.
Birds noted flying over / near The Flash:
- 1 male Sparrowhawk
- 3 Common Buzzards
Hirundines etc. logged:
Birds noted flying over / near The Flash:
- 1 male Sparrowhawk
- 3 Common Buzzards
Hirundines etc. logged:
None
Count of warblers logged (singing birds in brackets):
- 2 (0) Chiffchaffs
Counts from the water:
- 3 + 7 (1 brood) Mute Swans
- 15 Greylag Geese
- 58 Canada Geese
- 1 (0♂) Common Teal again
- 29 (16♂) Mallard only
- 65 (22?♂) Tufted Duck
- 3 Great Crested Grebes
- 7 adult and juvenile Moorhens again
- 61 adult and juvenile Coots
- 16 Black-headed Gulls again
On separate lamp poles:
- 1 Common Wasp (Vespula vulgaris)
- 3 Dicranopalpus ramosus-type harvestmen
On the Neighbourhood Watch sign
- 1 unidentified caddis fly.
Elsewhere:
Moths
- Horse-chestnut Leaf-miner (Cameraria ohridella): Just one seen briefly
While this one is 7JUD. Two were noted unringed while the others did not upend so I could see whether they were ringed.
Count of warblers logged (singing birds in brackets):
- 2 (0) Chiffchaffs
Counts from the water:
- 3 + 7 (1 brood) Mute Swans
- 15 Greylag Geese
- 58 Canada Geese
- 1 (0♂) Common Teal again
- 29 (16♂) Mallard only
- 65 (22?♂) Tufted Duck
- 3 Great Crested Grebes
- 7 adult and juvenile Moorhens again
- 61 adult and juvenile Coots
- 16 Black-headed Gulls again
On separate lamp poles:
- 1 Common Wasp (Vespula vulgaris)
- 3 Dicranopalpus ramosus-type harvestmen
On the Neighbourhood Watch sign
- 1 unidentified caddis fly.
Elsewhere:
Moths
- Horse-chestnut Leaf-miner (Cameraria ohridella): Just one seen briefly
Bees / wasps:
- Common Carder Bee (Bombus pascuorum)
- Honey Bee (Apis mellifera)
- Common Wasp (Vespula vulgaris)
- Common Carder Bee (Bombus pascuorum)
- Honey Bee (Apis mellifera)
- Common Wasp (Vespula vulgaris)
Dragonflies:
- 1 Hawker sp. (not Brown Hawker)
Fungus:
- Shaggy Inkcap (Coprinus comatus) - aka Lawyer's Wig
- 1 Hawker sp. (not Brown Hawker)
Fungus:
- Shaggy Inkcap (Coprinus comatus) - aka Lawyer's Wig
Say aah! The Mute Swan family in a rare moment of togetherness.
This cygnet is 7JUC
(Ed Wilson)
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(27th visit of the year)
Very quiet here and at Middle Pool
Bird notes:
- Just one juvenile Great Crested Grebe noted. Both adults seen.
Birds noted flying over / near here:
[The local Wood Pigeons and Jackdaws not included]
None
Hirundines etc. logged:
None
Count of warblers logged (singing birds in brackets):
- 1 (0) Chiffchaff
Counts from the water:
- 2 + 6 (1 brood) Mute Swans
- 2 + 1 (1 brood) Great Crested Grebes
- 3 adult and juvenile Moorhens
- 20 adult and juvenile Coots again
- 14 Black-headed Gulls
- no large gulls
Count of warblers logged (singing birds in brackets):
- 1 (0) Chiffchaff
Counts from the water:
- 2 + 6 (1 brood) Mute Swans
- 2 + 1 (1 brood) Great Crested Grebes
- 3 adult and juvenile Moorhens
- 20 adult and juvenile Coots again
- 14 Black-headed Gulls
- no large gulls
(Ed Wilson)
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(27th visit of the year)
Bird notes:
- The three second-brood juvenile Great Crested Grebes were with one of the adult. Did not locate the other adult, nor any first-brood juveniles
Birds noted flying over / near here:
None
Hirundines etc. logged:
Hirundines etc. logged:
None
Count of warblers logged (singing birds in brackets):
- 2 (1) Chiffchaffs
Counts from the water:
- 2 Mute Swans
- no Greylag Geese again
- 8 Canada Geese
- 1 all-white feral goose
- 22 (13♂) Mallard
- 15 (1?♂) Tufted Duck
- 1 + 3 (1 brood) Great Crested Grebes
- 9 adult and juvenile Moorhen
- 50 adult and juvenile Coots
- 2 Black-headed Gulls
Nothing else of note
Count of warblers logged (singing birds in brackets):
- 2 (1) Chiffchaffs
Counts from the water:
- 2 Mute Swans
- no Greylag Geese again
- 8 Canada Geese
- 1 all-white feral goose
- 22 (13♂) Mallard
- 15 (1?♂) Tufted Duck
- 1 + 3 (1 brood) Great Crested Grebes
- 9 adult and juvenile Moorhen
- 50 adult and juvenile Coots
- 2 Black-headed Gulls
Nothing else of note
(Ed Wilson)
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On this day