11.0°C > 15.0°C: After what was probably the most colourful sunrise of the year it was yet again cloudy at medium level, even with spots of rain c.09:00. An almost calm start with moderate SW breeze developing. Mainly very good visibility with a few localised distant mist patches.
Sunrise: 06:31 BST
* = a photo today.
A change of plan for today. Now the schools have returned it is difficult to get around the lake and then up and back to The Flash without getting caught in the school run chaos. So I stayed at the lake until afterwards, diverting to Woodhouse Lane to see whether there was any visible migration. There wasn't!
Priorslee Lake: 05:02 – 07:10 // 08:10 – 09:13
(185th visit of the year)
Bird notes:
- With flat calm water early all the juvenile Great Crested Grebes were easily located, now scattered all around the water. Some, often submarine, adults may have been missed.
- 30 Lesser Black-backed Gulls flew SE between 06:05 and 06:30. All subsequent sightings were birds flying N / NW with at least 13 stopping off at the lake to drink and squabble.
- One of the Blackcaps was sub-singing quietly. I cannot recall previously hearing song after the end of the breeding season.
Birds noted flying over / near here:
- >223 Greylag Geese (143 outbound in four groups; >80 inbound in single large group with Canada Geese)
- >166 Canada Geese (66 outbound in three groups; >100 inbound in single large group with Greylag Geese)
- there were likely some Greylag x Canada Geese in the inbound group
- 67 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
- 2 Stock Doves (singles)
- 62 Wood Pigeons
- 9 Jackdaws
- 1 Rook again
- 2 Pied Wagtails
Hirundines etc. logged:
- >50 House Martins
Count of warblers logged (singing birds in brackets):
- 8 (2) Chiffchaffs again
- 3 (1) Blackcaps
Counts from the lake area:
- 2 + 5 Mute Swans
- 1 Canada Goose: stopped off on return
- 12 (7♂) Mallard
- 3 Cormorants: all arrived; one departed
- 1 Grey Heron
- 16 + 7 (5 broods) Great Crested Grebes
- 7 adult and juvenile Moorhens
- 89 adult and juvenile Coots
- 5 Black-headed Gulls only
- 13 Lesser Black-backed Gulls: at least 6 immatures; all birds briefly
Gulls on the football and academy playing fields c.06:40:
- 81 Black-headed Gulls on the academy playing fields.
On / around the street lights etc. pre-sunrise:
Moths:
None
Other things:
- 4 Common Wasps (Paravespula vulgaris)
- 1 Orb-web spider, presumed Larinioides sclopetarius
- 1 different orb-web spider
Insects / other things etc. noted later:
Dull again: still no wasps later, just
- Mystacides longicornis caddis flies once again dancing over the water's edge vegetation
Mammals
- 4 Pipistrelle-type bats
- 1 Grey Squirrel
New flowering plant species recorded:
Much cloud around, increasing all the while. An excellent sunrise as this sequence shows. Well before dawn with the sky beginning to colour.
Other things:
- 4 Common Wasps (Paravespula vulgaris)
- 1 Orb-web spider, presumed Larinioides sclopetarius
- 1 different orb-web spider
Insects / other things etc. noted later:
Dull again: still no wasps later, just
- Mystacides longicornis caddis flies once again dancing over the water's edge vegetation
Mammals
- 4 Pipistrelle-type bats
- 1 Grey Squirrel
New flowering plant species recorded:
None
Make a note – the moon was visible two mornings in a row. Not for long today.
That is better.
Even better as colour spreads across the sky.
Zoomed in a bit to get the full effect of the colour.
And from a different angle.
(Ed Wilson)
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(13th visit)
Bird notes:
- Apart from a few Yellowhammers all the breeding birds seem to have moved away. Yellowhammers are very late breeders, timed to utilise the spilt corn in stubbles after the harvest. I saw four birds together, likely a family party
- Otherwise the only notable sighting was 14 Meadow Pipits that flushed from stubbles as I walked along the lane past them.
Count of warblers logged (singing birds in brackets):
- 5 (2) Chiffchaffs
(Ed Wilson)
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(170th visit of the year)
Bird notes:
- Two of the Mute Swan cygnets were with the pen. Three others were loosely with the cob and his current favourite, his 2018 daughter. The other cygnets were likely inside the island with geese.
- I assume most of the geese were trying to sink the island by resting up after their early morning exercise and feed.
- Perhaps many of the Mallard were also there?
- Another high count of Coots. All forced off the island by the geese?
- A Grey Wagtail on the roof of one of the estate buildings to the E. Somewhat to my surprise this is my first record of this species here in 2020 and becomes bird species #72.
Birds noted flying over / near The Flash:
- 2 Herring Gulls: immatures
- 1 Wood Pigeon
Hirundines etc. logged:
- 1 House Martin only
Count of warblers logged (singing birds in brackets):
- 5 (3) Chiffchaffs
Counts from the water:
- 3 + 5 (1 brood) Mute Swans (see notes)
- 6 Greylag Geese only
- 1 Greylag x Canada Goose
- 35 Canada Geese
- 20 (11♂) Mallard only
- 32 (9?♂) Tufted Duck
- 3 Great Crested Grebes still
- 7 adult and juvenile Moorhens
- 81 adult and juvenile Coots
- 6 Black-headed Gulls
On a single lamp pole:
- 1 Common Wasps (Paravespula vulgaris)
Also notable
- The wall of Ivy near the Priorslee Academy will soon start flowering and become a magnet for bees, wasps and hoverflies. Another week?
- *A large number of fungus apparently growing on roots of a tree at the top end. The tree looks healthy-enough but I am not an expert/
Another cluster. I was not able to view any stems – in fact they seemed to be almost stem-less. Thus I could not see how any gills were arranged. As usual none of the copious photos of fungus on the web seems to match these specimens.
(Ed Wilson)
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(25th visit of the year)
Bird notes:
- All four of the juvenile Great Crested Grebes with one of the adults. Could the other adult be sitting for a second brood?
- A Grey Wagtail.
Birds noted flying over / near here:
None
The local Wood Pigeons and Jackdaws not included
Hirundines etc. logged:
- 4 Swifts
- 2 Sand Martins
- 3 Barn Swallows
- 8 House Martins
This location seems to attract hirundines during passage times (there are local breeding Swifts and House Martins). Perhaps because it is very open to the N and E and therefore easy to see by migrating birds..
Count of warblers logged (singing birds in brackets):
- 2 (1) Chiffchaffs
Counts from the water:
- *2 + 6 (1 brood) Mute Swans
- yet again no Mallard...
- or Tufted Duck
- *1 + 4 (1 brood) Great Crested Grebes
- 5 adult and juvenile Moorhens
- 18 adult and juvenile Coots
- 14 Black-headed Gulls
- *4 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
- *1 probable immature Yellow-legged Gull
The local Wood Pigeons and Jackdaws not included
Hirundines etc. logged:
- 4 Swifts
- 2 Sand Martins
- 3 Barn Swallows
- 8 House Martins
This location seems to attract hirundines during passage times (there are local breeding Swifts and House Martins). Perhaps because it is very open to the N and E and therefore easy to see by migrating birds..
Count of warblers logged (singing birds in brackets):
- 2 (1) Chiffchaffs
Counts from the water:
- *2 + 6 (1 brood) Mute Swans
- yet again no Mallard...
- or Tufted Duck
- *1 + 4 (1 brood) Great Crested Grebes
- 5 adult and juvenile Moorhens
- 18 adult and juvenile Coots
- 14 Black-headed Gulls
- *4 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
- *1 probable immature Yellow-legged Gull
Well now: what is going on here? These three guys are doing the annual ringing of the Mute Swans and their cygnets. They told me they were having a frustrating morning. They had started at Newport Canal on the 'easy pair and their cygnets' only to find them disinterested in their proffered bread. Moving on to here they found the pen – this is she – in some distress with fishing hooks wrapped around one leg. Here they are being watched by her mate and some of the cygnets as they unwind the hooks and then add a BTO metal ring and a smart blue Darvic ring. They later managed to ring the cob as well – neither of this pair had been ringed previously. The cygnets all evaded capture. They will try again in a few days. I will report the Darvic numbers in due course.
Note the large black bill. This rules out Caspian Gull – one of the pale-headed options. My vote is for a juvenile Yellow-legged Gull starting its moult in to first winter plumage.
(Ed Wilson)
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Trench Middle Pool: 10:45 – 11:10
(25th visit of the year)
Bird notes:
- So where are all the geese? And Mallard come to that. Could some have been inside the island? There seems to be few, if any, people 'feeding the ducks' at the moment. Perhaps they have gone elsewhere.
- The two juveniles from the first brood of Great Crested Grebes not seen.
- Notable increase in Coot numbers.
- Grey Wagtail here as well as at Trench Lock. Could be the same bird.
Birds noted flying over / near here:
None
Hirundines etc. logged:
Hirundines etc. logged:
None
Count of warblers logged (singing birds in brackets):
- 1 (0) Chiffchaff
Counts from the water:
- 2 Mute Swans
- no Greylag Geese
- 2 Canada Geese only
- 1 all-white feral goose
- 7 (2♂) Mallard only
- 15 (2?♂) Tufted Duck
- 1 Grey Heron again
- 2 + 2 (1 brood) Great Crested Grebes
- 8 adult and juvenile Moorhen
- 45 adult and juvenile Coots
- 8 Black-headed Gulls
Count of warblers logged (singing birds in brackets):
- 1 (0) Chiffchaff
Counts from the water:
- 2 Mute Swans
- no Greylag Geese
- 2 Canada Geese only
- 1 all-white feral goose
- 7 (2♂) Mallard only
- 15 (2?♂) Tufted Duck
- 1 Grey Heron again
- 2 + 2 (1 brood) Great Crested Grebes
- 8 adult and juvenile Moorhen
- 45 adult and juvenile Coots
- 8 Black-headed Gulls
Otherwise, notable
- *both white and pink cyclamen. The pink ones could be genuine wild Sowbread (Cyclamen hederifolium). Seems a strange place to find garden escapes.
However this white cluster alongside would be unusual in the wild so perhaps neither is.
(Ed Wilson)
Note - On Readers Corner
Note - On Readers Corner
Click here for a few images from The Wirral - 3 Sep 20
Click here for a few images from Belvide Reservoir - 6 Sep 20
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On this day..........
2019
Priorslee Lake
Today's News Here
2015
Priorslee Lake
Today's Sightings Here
2014
Priorslee Lake
Today's Sightings Here
2013
Priorslee Lake
Little Grebe
3 Shoveler
Green Sandpiper
Tawny Owl
(Ed Wilson)
2012
Wrekin
Firecrest
(J Shutt)
2011
Priorslee Lake
Common Sandpiper
(Ed Wilson)
2007
Priorslee Lake
Snipe
(Ed Wilson)
2006
Priorslee Lake
Kingfisher
(Ed Wilson)