6.0°C – 10.0°C: Momentarily clear skies s I arrived: low cloud and mist soon covered the sky and the tops of the trees: lifted later with a few sunny spells. Light SE wind. Mostly very good visibility but moderate for a while in mist.
Sunrise: 05:20 BST
* = a photo today
Priorslee Lake: 04:25 – 06:05 // 06:55 – 09:35
(88th visit of the year)
A mystery bird today. A small all-dark duck that I had not noted on the water was seen leaving the lake at 05:10. About the size of a Tufted Duck but lacking any white in the wing. The only species that fits is Common Scoter but somehow on the very brief view as it powered away it did not seem to be the right shape. Also it is a very strange time of year for one to turn up inland. I will have to pass.
I was told about a Wheatear being seen on the dam 'about a week ago'. A typical date and location for a passing bird. Botheration!
Other bird notes:
- The Moorhens seem to be mostly hiding at the moment. No doubt staying clear of the Coots as they raise their broods.
- One Sparrowhawk circling over the NW area again.
- The Cormorants over were as a trio, a single and then a duo. One of the duo was showing a large white thigh patch and heavy white streaking on the head: the first full adult I have seen for a while.
- It is getting rather crowded in the reeds along the N side and one of the Reed Warblers had taken to the bushes. One was singing in the S side reeds again. At least 10 songsters at the moment.
- I think there may a be a fifth singing Garden Warbler. It is getting hard to tell as pairs begin nesting and song is no longer so continuous.
- Fewer Starlings are gathering food from the academy playing fields c.06:00. The breeding birds near my Newport house seem to have fledged their juveniles so perhaps some of the Priorslee birds have done likewise and the family parties are elsewhere.
Overhead
- 2 Canada Geese: pair outbound
- 4 Greylag Geese: two singles and a pair outbound
- 4 Feral Pigeons: together
- 2 Stock Doves: together
- 14 Wood Pigeons
- 2 Collared Doves again, together
- 1 Sparrowhawk
- 1 Common Buzzard
- 11 Lesser Black-backed Gulls: nine (near) adults; two immatures
- 6 Cormorants
- 57 Jackdaws
- 8 Rooks
Hirundines etc., noted:
Birds coming and going and / or returning. Highest 'spot counts' for each species
- >15 Swifts
- 2 Sand Martins
- 8 Barn Swallows
- 15 House Martins
Warblers noted (the number in brackets is singing birds):
- 14 (12) Chiffchaffs
- 10 (10) Reed Warblers
- 15 (12) Blackcaps
- 4 (4) Garden Warblers
- *4 (3) Common Whitethroats
Count from the lake area
- 1 Canada Goose: the resident
- 1 Greylag Goose: arrived and soon chased away
- *2 + 7 (1 brood) Mute Swans
- 5 (4♂) Mallard
- 2 Moorhens
- 22 + 2 (1 brood) Coots: only the first brood of juveniles visible.
- 3 Great Crested Grebes
- *1 Common Sandpiper again
- 2 Lesser Black-backed Gulls: (near) adult and first year, separately and briefly
- 1 Grey Heron
On / around the street lamps pre-dawn:
The clear night had left the poles covered in dew so very little was noted:
- 1 Bridge Orb-web Spider (Larinioides cornutus)
Noted later:
- *Stretch spider (Tetragnatha sp.)
- *Buttercup flowers (Ranunculus sp.). Perhaps Creeping Buttercup (Ranunculus repens).
- *Red Clover (Trifolium pratense) just about to start flowering
- Grey Squirrel
The Mute Swans only brought their cygnets once within camera range.
Best foot forward.
Somewhat 'tubby' when viewed from this angle.
I wonder why they are called 'whitethroats'? Muttering to itself here.
Gobsmacked by the camera?
Our old friend the ringed male Grey Wagtail. He flew on to the dam face with his partner.
A reflective moment.
The patch of Cowslips (Primula veris) is looking about its best now.
I should have spotted the twig and done a bit of 'gardening'. They still look good though.
The individual flower does not help. These must have been flowering for a few days by now, though today was the first time they intercepted my brain cells this year.
Phil Nock was out with his camera and got some great shots of the cygnets:
Carefully does it ... Only a few days out of the nest and the cygnets are exploring already
Splosh!
Cuddly is a good word for them.
Phil's take on our friendly male Grey Wagtail"
(Ed Wilson)
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Between the Lake and The Flash
- A pair of Moorhens at the top pool with one sitting on the nest.
- The pair of Moorhens both off the nest at the lower pool, each with one juvenile and another juvenile, at least, sitting on the nest.
- 1 Chiffchaff singing at the lower pool again
One of the juvenile Moorhens climbed back and sat in the nest. At least two other juveniles were with the adults.
(Ed Wilson)
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The Flash: 06:10 – 06:50
(75th visit of the year)
Bird notes
- No further loss of Mute Swan cygnets.
- Nine of the Mallard were noted on house roofs. This behaviour seems even more prevalent this year.
- The drake Tufted Duck with the duck Mallard was having none of the drake Mallard trying to muscle in and chased it well away.
- The brood of four Coots seen in a nest was along the W side: the earlier brood was alongside one of the footbridges.
- Despite searching and searching all the likely hiding places I had failed to see any Great Crested Grebes. My attention was distracted by a male *Bullfinch and when I looked back there was one grebe right in front of me! So where did that come from? And where was its friend?
Noted flying over here:
- 1 Cormorant
Hirundines etc. noted:
None
Warblers noted (the number in brackets is singing birds):
- 2 (2) Chiffchaffs
- 6 (6) Blackcaps
On the water
- 26 Canada Geese
- 2 Greylag Geese
- 3 + 4 (1 brood) Mute Swan
- 28 (21♂) Mallard
- 8 (5♂) Tufted Duck
- 4 Moorhens only
- 21 + 4 (1 brood) Coots
- 1 Great Crested Grebe only
Nothing else of note.
(Ed Wilson)
- 2 (2) Chiffchaffs
- 6 (6) Blackcaps
On the water
- 26 Canada Geese
- 2 Greylag Geese
- 3 + 4 (1 brood) Mute Swan
- 28 (21♂) Mallard
- 8 (5♂) Tufted Duck
- 4 Moorhens only
- 21 + 4 (1 brood) Coots
- 1 Great Crested Grebe only
Nothing else of note.
A male Bullfinch struggling to reach those awkward seeds.
Munching away happily - an out of focus branch in the way, of course!
That's better.
(Ed Wilson)
Note
As well as editing and uploading the sightings for Priorslee Lake and The Flash, I do have a Blog myself now that I live on the Isle of Portland. If you want to see what is coming your way in the Spring and Summer, then why not take a look Here.
Martin Adlam (Co-founder of FoPL)
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On this day
2020