2.0°C > 6.0°C: Guess what: clear and frosty overnight but just before 05:00 it clouded over - the clouds not perhaps so low as in previous days but again making it dull. Calm start with light W wind later. Good visibility.
Sunrise: 06:09 GMT
* = a photo today
Best today were:
- *A pair of Shoveler at the lake: new for the year here.
- Yet another Little Egret sighting with a bird flying high SSE over the lake at 06:15. Then just as I was leaving it, or another, flew low W as if it might have left the lake itself.
- *A Red Kite floating over the estate, seen from The Flash at 06:50. New for the year here.
Priorslee Lake: 05:15 - 06:40 // 07:30 - 09:30
(41st visit of the year)
Other birds notes:
- The geese on the water were totally ignored by the Mute Swans.
- *The Shoveler were my 77th bird species here this year.
- Of the 50 Wood Pigeons overhead 26 were in four groups heading N.
- A second pair of Great Crested Grebes back where they were three days ago. Where might they have been meantime? Just hiding in the reeds?
- Now very few Black-headed Gulls. In addition to those at and over the lake just three were on the academy playing fields.
- As I was walking along Teece Drive back to the car a Redwing dropped out of the trees and on to the football field. Despite a cautious approach I inadvertently flushed a group of 24 birds in to the trees. I could hear them muttering away but was unable to locate them. Redwings are much less often seen on open ground than Fieldfare.
- Just three singing and one non-singing Chiffchaff. Perhaps put off by the cooler weather? I may have over-stated the number singing yesterday (five): one bird seems to have expanded its singing territory.
- Some mornings I am watching from where I hear Tree Creepers start to call. Can I ever find them at this time? I usually seen one or more elsewhere later.
- The ringed Grey Wagtail still by the sluices at the bottom of Teece Drive.
- Just a single Meadow Pipit noted heading N. They probably mostly went over yesterday with birders at Belvide (10 miles to the E) logging just over 2000(!) with 1940 of these before 09:30.
- 1 Siskin seen flying N. A single Lesser Redpolls and three more Siskins in the trees.
Birds noted flying over / near here:
- 9 Canada Geese: pair and trio outbound; quartet inbound
- 5 Greylag Geese: single and pair outbound; pair inbound (as yesterday)
- 50 Wood Pigeons exactly
- 12 Black-headed Gulls
- 2 Herring Gulls: adult and second year
- 3 Lesser Black-backed Gulls: all adults
- 1 (2?) Little Egrets
- 8 Jackdaws only
- 2 Starlings
- 7 Redwings: two groups
- 1 Pied Wagtail
- 1 Meadow Pipit
- 1 Siskin
Counts from the water:
- 2 Canada Geese: pair arrived
- 2 Greylag Geese: pair arrived
- 2 Mute Swans
- *2 (1♂) Shoveler: departed
- 4 (4♂) Mallard
- 8 (5♂) Tufted Duck
- 8 Moorhens
- 34 Coots
- 1 Little Grebe: heard only
- 4 Great Crested Grebes
- 4 Black-headed Gulls only
- 2 Lesser Black-backed Gulls: one adult, one first year, together, briefly
- 1 Cormorant: arrived 06:25 and stayed less than 10 minutes
- 1 Grey Heron
On the lamp-poles pre-dawn:
- *1 Sylvicola sp. wood gnat. Presumably a different individual to that seen yesterday as it was several poles away.
Otherwise noted:
- *first flower of Dandelion sp. (Taraxacum sp.) about to open.
And her drake mate. They flew off before I could try again in better light.
A male Siskin contemplated life through waving branches.
Just about to open is this flower of a Dandelion sp. My reading of the literature suggests that taxonomists are undecided whether there is one very variable species involved; or that every single plant is a hybrid between many cryptic species. Taraxacum sp. seems to be the best bet. My first flower this year is almost one month later than in 2020.
(Ed Wilson)
The Flash: 06:45 - 07:25
(29th visit of the year)
Bird notes:
- The cob was sitting on the Mute Swans' nest as I passed so I could not count the eggs. He got off later. I only noted the breeding pair - the other bird may have been somewhere?
- So where were all the duck Mallard today?
- Definitely fewer Tufted Duck seen.
- Small passage of Wood Pigeons here as well as at the lake. Ceased by 07:15.
- Only a single Great Crested Grebe found.
- *The Red Kite (as highlighted) is my 56th bird species here this year.
- Back to a single singing Chiffchaff.
Birds noted flying over / near The Flash:
- 7 Feral Pigeons (one group)
- 63 Wood Pigeons in eight groups flying N / NE
- 22 Black-headed Gulls flying NNW
- *1 Red Kite
- 1 Siskin
Counts from the water:
- 40 Canada Geese: much flying around an coming and going
- 2 + ? eggs Mute Swans
- 24 (19♂) Mallard
- 61 (26♂) Tufted Duck
- 8 Moorhens
- 25 Coots still
- 1 Great Crested Grebe
- 3 Black-headed Gulls
- 1 Herring Gull: the usual second year, throughout
Nothing else of note.
(Ed Wilson)
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(29th visit of the year)
Bird notes:
- The cob was sitting on the Mute Swans' nest as I passed so I could not count the eggs. He got off later. I only noted the breeding pair - the other bird may have been somewhere?
- So where were all the duck Mallard today?
- Definitely fewer Tufted Duck seen.
- Small passage of Wood Pigeons here as well as at the lake. Ceased by 07:15.
- Only a single Great Crested Grebe found.
- *The Red Kite (as highlighted) is my 56th bird species here this year.
- Back to a single singing Chiffchaff.
Birds noted flying over / near The Flash:
- 7 Feral Pigeons (one group)
- 63 Wood Pigeons in eight groups flying N / NE
- 22 Black-headed Gulls flying NNW
- *1 Red Kite
- 1 Siskin
Counts from the water:
- 40 Canada Geese: much flying around an coming and going
- 2 + ? eggs Mute Swans
- 24 (19♂) Mallard
- 61 (26♂) Tufted Duck
- 8 Moorhens
- 25 Coots still
- 1 Great Crested Grebe
- 3 Black-headed Gulls
- 1 Herring Gull: the usual second year, throughout
Nothing else of note.
Very much a 'grab' record shot of the Red Kite floating over the estate
(Ed Wilson)
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Between Priorslee Lake and The Flash
- Moorhens at the lower pool.
- Song Thrush singing by the lower pool.
- Non-singing Chiffchaff by the lower pool.
- Long-tailed Tits around the lower pool.
(Ed Wilson)
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On this day
2020
Priorslee Lake
Today's Sightings Here
2019
Priorslee Lake
Today's Sightings Here
2016
Priorslee Lake
Today's Sightings Here
2015
Priorslee Lake
Today's Sightings Here
2011
Priorslee Lake
5 Great Crested Grebes
4 Cormorants
24 Tufted Duck
9 Meadow Pipits
4 Redwings
4 Chiffchaffs singing
2 Brimstone butterflies
(Ed Wilson, Martin Grant)
The Flash
43 Tufted Ducks
1 Sky Lark
2 Chiffchaffs singing
(Ed Wilson)
Nedge Hill
8 Lapwings
3 Redwings
1 Chiffchaff singing
(Ed Wilson)
Trench
2 Little Grebes
30 Tufted Duck
(Ed Wilson)
2010
Priorslee Lake
1 Little Grebe
2 Gadwall
23 Tufted Duck
4 Sand Martins
1 Willow Warbler
2 Chiffchaffs singing
8 Linnets
(Ed Wilson)
Nedge Hill
7 Wheatear
1 Green Woodpecker
1 Sky Lark
1 Chiffchaff
(Ed Wilson)
The Flash
2 Great Crested Grebe
43 Tufted Duck
2 Sparrowhawks
(Ed Wilson)
2007
Priorslee Lake
4 Cormorant
33 Tufted Duck
1 Ruddy Duck
1 Kittiwake
31 Wren
24 Robin
23 Blackbird
1 Redwing
4 Chiffchaff singing
34 Magpie
176 Jackdaw
7 Greenfinch
5 Reed Bunting
(Ed Wilson)
The Flash
10 Great Crested Grebe
2 Pochard
23 Tufted Duck
1 Chiffchaff singing
1 Willow Tit
1 Reed Bunting
(Ed Wilson)
2006
Priorslee Lake
2 Little Grebes
6 Great Crested Grebes
49 Tufted Ducks
2 Ruddy Ducks
1 Water Rail
2 Lapwings
c.950 Black-headed Gulls
509 Wood Pigeon
6 Stock Doves
613 Wood Pigeons
1 Great Spotted Woodpecker
13 Pied Wagtails
24 Wrens
19 Robins
22 Blackbirds
5 Redwings
1 Chiffchaff
2 Willow Tits
17 Magpies
17 Greenfinches
4 Siskins
7 Reed Buntings
(Ed Wilson)