9.0°C – 13.0°C: Started with the Telford 'hat' of low cloud (clearer to N and W). Began to break after 06:00 thought it was after 08:30 before much in the way of sun. Moderate S wind. Very good visibility
Sunrise: 05:22
* = a photo today
Priorslee Lake: 04:40 – 06:00 // 06:50 – 09:45
(87th visit of the year)
I owe an apology to the Sailing Club. I was misinformed: the tree I photographed and reported as having been cut down had, I now understand, blown down across the path. The Sailing Club merely cut it up in order to re-open the path. Apologies again.
Two highlights this morning:
- My second Hobby of the year flew through at 04:55. This is not the first time I have seen a very early bird. I wonder whether they have been chasing bats?
- My second Lesser Whitethroat of the year was in the S side bushes at 08:45. At one point six species of warbler were singing concurrently from a small group of bushes: Chiffchaff, Reed Warbler, Blackcap, Garden Warbler, Lesser Whitethroat and Common Whitethroat. The Lesser Whitethroat moved W and was last heard in the brambles behind the Sailing Club shelter.
Other bird notes:
- The Mute Swans have seven cygnets and brought them out on the water twice.
- A good number of Swifts - at least 20.
- A pair of Sparrowhawks were circling over the NW area. This is a location where I have suspected breeding in previous years, mainly on the basis of hearing begging juveniles later in the season.
- There was a real fight between Great Crested Grebes with one being held under water for quite some time. Seemed to escape physically uninjured. Five birds noted.
- A Reed Warbler was singing in the S side reeds and presumably the same bird that was briefly singing from the bushes by the M54. There was an additional bird singing along the N side.
- One of the Garden Warblers seen and heard along the N side yet again.
Overhead
- 2 Canada Geese: pair outbound
- 1 Stock Dove
- 9 Wood Pigeons
- 2 Collared Doves
- 2 Sparrowhawks
- 2 Common Buzzards
- 1 Hobby
- 2 Herring Gulls: immatures
- 1 Lesser Black-backed Gulls: (near) adult
- 3 Cormorants together
- 59 Jackdaws
- 3 Rooks
Hirundines etc., noted:
- >20 Swifts
- 3 Barn Swallows
- 2 House Martins
Warblers noted
- 12 (10) Chiffchaffs
- 9 (9) Reed Warblers
- 14 (10) Blackcaps
- 3 (3) Garden Warblers
- 1 (1) Lesser Whitethroat
- 5 (4) Common Whitethroats
Count from the lake area
- 1 Canada Goose: the resident
- *2 + 7 (1 brood) Mute Swans
- 4 (3♂) Mallard: a pair on the football field at 05:45 are presumably the pair on the lake later.
- 1 Moorhen only again
- 21 + 4 (1 brood) Coots: a different brood of juveniles.
- no Little Grebe
- *5 Great Crested Grebes
- 1 Common Sandpiper
- 1 Lesser Black-backed Gulls: (near) adult: probably the bird on the academy playing field a few minutes later
- 1 Grey Heron once more
On / around the street lamps pre-dawn:
- 3 Larinioides cornutus, commonly known as Bridge Orb-web Spiders
Noted later:
The following hoverfly species:
- *probable Plain-faced Hoverfly (Eristalis arbustorum)
- *Tapered Dronefly (Eristalis pertinax)
- *The Footballer (Helophilus pendulus)
- *Chequered Hoverfly (Melanostoma scalare)
- *Syrphus sp.
also
- many St. Mark's Flies (Bibio marci). So called because they emerge around St Mark's Day (25th April). They are associated with Hawthorns in particular. They are all-black flies that dangle their legs in flight.
On / around the street lamps pre-dawn:
- 3 Larinioides cornutus, commonly known as Bridge Orb-web Spiders
Noted later:
The following hoverfly species:
- *probable Plain-faced Hoverfly (Eristalis arbustorum)
- *Tapered Dronefly (Eristalis pertinax)
- *The Footballer (Helophilus pendulus)
- *Chequered Hoverfly (Melanostoma scalare)
- *Syrphus sp.
also
- many St. Mark's Flies (Bibio marci). So called because they emerge around St Mark's Day (25th April). They are associated with Hawthorns in particular. They are all-black flies that dangle their legs in flight.
This the spider Larinioides cornutus, commonly known as Bridge Orb-web Spider. One of three on different lamps pre-dawn.
(Ed Wilson)
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- Three drake Mallard on the lower pool.
- A pair of Moorhens at both pools with one of each still sitting on a nest.
- 1 Chiffchaff singing at the lower pool.
- 1 Blackcap singing alongside the upper pool
(Ed Wilson)
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(74th visit of the year)
Bird notes
- The Mute Swans have lost yet another cygnet: only four now.
Noted flying over here:
- 3 Wood Pigeons
- 2 Jackdaws
Hirundines etc. noted:
None
Warblers noted
- 4 (3) Chiffchaffs
- 3 (3) Blackcaps
On the water
- 27 Canada Geese
- no Greylag Geese
- 3 + 4 (1 brood) Mute Swan
- 18 (14♂) Mallard
- *7 (4♂) Tufted Duck
- 8 Moorhens
- 22 Coots
- 2 Great Crested Grebes
Nothing else of note.
- 4 (3) Chiffchaffs
- 3 (3) Blackcaps
On the water
- 27 Canada Geese
- no Greylag Geese
- 3 + 4 (1 brood) Mute Swan
- 18 (14♂) Mallard
- *7 (4♂) Tufted Duck
- 8 Moorhens
- 22 Coots
- 2 Great Crested Grebes
Nothing else of note.
For some the breeding season is over. The drake of this pair of Tufted Duck no longer has gleaming white flanks, losing these to the eclipse plumage which will make the sexes hard to separate by August.
(Ed Wilson)
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On this day
2020