11.0°C > 16.0°C: Clear skies but areas of mist moving around made visibility very variable. Mainly calm with light SW breeze later.
Sunrise: 06:57 BST
* = a photo today.
Priorslee Lake: 05:30 – 09:38
(199th visit of the year)
Bird notes:
- The drake Gadwall was first noted in flight and landing on the water c.06:40 when it started to call. Seen again c.08:00 but not thereafter.
- Five Tufted Duck 'flew from the W, did a half circle overhead and left to the W at 06:45. Perhaps three drakes – hard to be certain.
- A male (on size) Peregrine flew E over the football field c.09:30
- Another record Coot total confirms there has been an influx over the last few days.
- Many fewer gulls today. Could it be they are aware of the falling pressure ahead of a change in the weather and they have moved away? (where to?)
- Just 67 Lesser Black-backed Gulls flew SE between 06:26 and 06:55. 51 of these came in to the lake with the other 16 passing over. All these departed. A few more arrived later and a few overhead as well.
- Good to see a late female, well brown-capped at least, Blackcap.
- Just 18 Pied Wagtails at least in part due to the very hazy conditions making it hard to see over-flying small birds.
Birds noted flying over / near here:
- no geese again
- 2 (1♂) Mallard
- 1 male Peregrine Falcon
- 5 (3?♂) Tufted Duck
- 26 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
- 2 Herring Gulls
- 1 Stock Dove
- 39 Wood Pigeons
- 6 Jackdaws
- 16 Rooks
- 1 Skylark
- 18 Pied Wagtails
- 24 Meadow Pipits
- 2 Siskins
Hirundines etc. logged again:
None
Count of warblers logged (singing birds in brackets):
- 7 (2) Chiffchaffs
- 1 (0) Blackcap
Counts from the lake area:
- 2 + 5 Mute Swans
- 1 (1♂) Gadwall (see notes)
- 17 (18♂) Mallard
- 1 (1♂) Tufted Duck
- 3 Cormorants: arrived together; two departed quickly
- 2 Grey Herons: arrived separately; one departed
- 15 + 8 (5+ broods) Great Crested Grebes
- 10 adult and juvenile Moorhens
- 138 adult and juvenile Coots
- c.75 Black-headed Gulls
- 74 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
- 3 Herring Gulls again
- 1 Kingfisher
Birds on the academy playing fields c.07:10:
[Wood Pigeons and Magpies excluded]
- 21 Black-headed Gulls only
On / around the street lights etc. pre-sunrise:
Moths
None again
Other things:
- 1 Common Wasp (Vespula vulgaris)
- 1 Orb-web spider, presumed Larinioides sclopetarius
- 1 stretch-spider-type. (Tetragnatha sp.)
- 1 Dicranopalpus ramosus-type harvestman
- 4 Paroligolophus agrestis harvestmen
Insects / other things etc. noted later: just
- Common Wasp (Vespula vulgaris)
- Common Green Shieldbug (Palomena prasina)
Mammals
- no bats
- 1 Grey Squirrel again
Other things:
- 1 Common Wasp (Vespula vulgaris)
- 1 Orb-web spider, presumed Larinioides sclopetarius
- 1 stretch-spider-type. (Tetragnatha sp.)
- 1 Dicranopalpus ramosus-type harvestman
- 4 Paroligolophus agrestis harvestmen
Insects / other things etc. noted later: just
- Common Wasp (Vespula vulgaris)
- Common Green Shieldbug (Palomena prasina)
Mammals
- no bats
- 1 Grey Squirrel again
The mist beginning to roll in from the East. Very patchy. Took some while to clear fully.
Every now and then the sun, or part thereof, would appear. And disappear.
The stripy junior Great Crested Grebe on its own and diving even though still quite fluffy. Just as well as...
...although one of its parents captured a fish....
...it presented the fish to its partner. Thinking of another brood? Quite late to be doing that.
Most of my Great Crested Grebe pictures look like this.
A rather fluffy and sombre-looking Blue Tit.
(Ed Wilson)
The Flash: 09:41 – 10:34
(183rd visit of the year)
Bird notes:
- The duck Common Teal first found last Thursday not located.
- When I arrived a Grey Heron was sitting in the same place as I photographed it yesterday. Later one was on the island and from the bill colour it looked to be a different bird. I did not see any in flight.
Birds noted flying over / near The Flash:
- 1 Common Buzzard
- 2 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
- 1 Pied Wagtail
- 3 Meadow Pipits again
- 1 Siskin
Hirundines etc. logged:
- House Martin(s) heard on several occasions but not located in the hazy conditions.
Count of warblers logged (singing birds in brackets):
- 3 (2) Chiffchaffs
Counts from the water:
- 3 + 7 (1 brood) Mute Swans
- 6 Greylag Geese
- 38 Canada Geese
- 33 (17♂) Mallard
- 52 (>13♂) Tufted Duck
- 1 (2?) Grey Heron(s) (see notes)
- 3 Great Crested Grebes still
- 12 adult and juvenile Moorhens
- 56 adult and juvenile Coots
- 25 Black-headed Gulls
On various lamp poles:
- 1 Dicranopalpus ramosus-type harvestman
- 1 Leiobunum rotundum-type harvestman
Elsewhere:
Moths
- >25 Horse-chestnut Leaf-miners (Cameraria ohridella) again
(Ed Wilson)
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(183rd visit of the year)
Bird notes:
- The duck Common Teal first found last Thursday not located.
- When I arrived a Grey Heron was sitting in the same place as I photographed it yesterday. Later one was on the island and from the bill colour it looked to be a different bird. I did not see any in flight.
Birds noted flying over / near The Flash:
- 1 Common Buzzard
- 2 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
- 1 Pied Wagtail
- 3 Meadow Pipits again
- 1 Siskin
Hirundines etc. logged:
- House Martin(s) heard on several occasions but not located in the hazy conditions.
Count of warblers logged (singing birds in brackets):
- 3 (2) Chiffchaffs
Counts from the water:
- 3 + 7 (1 brood) Mute Swans
- 6 Greylag Geese
- 38 Canada Geese
- 33 (17♂) Mallard
- 52 (>13♂) Tufted Duck
- 1 (2?) Grey Heron(s) (see notes)
- 3 Great Crested Grebes still
- 12 adult and juvenile Moorhens
- 56 adult and juvenile Coots
- 25 Black-headed Gulls
On various lamp poles:
- 1 Dicranopalpus ramosus-type harvestman
- 1 Leiobunum rotundum-type harvestman
Elsewhere:
Moths
- >25 Horse-chestnut Leaf-miners (Cameraria ohridella) again
Bees / wasps:
- Honey Bee (Apis mellifera) again
- Buff-tailed Bumblebee (Bombus terrestris)
- Honey Bee (Apis mellifera) again
- Buff-tailed Bumblebee (Bombus terrestris)
Fungus:
- Shaggy Inkcap (Coprinus comatus) - aka Lawyer's Wig
Amphibian:
- Terrapin sp. (Yellow-bellied Slider)
Mammal:
- 1 Grey Squirrel again
- Shaggy Inkcap (Coprinus comatus) - aka Lawyer's Wig
Amphibian:
- Terrapin sp. (Yellow-bellied Slider)
Mammal:
- 1 Grey Squirrel again
A group of Canada Geese leave – rather later in the day than usual.
A duck Mallard thinks food is in the offing and arrives.
A tail-first touch down.
Feet flat on the water and wings out as air-brakes and to aid stability. The white-edged blue speculum shows well here.
(Ed Wilson)
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On this day