7.0°C – 12.0°C: Broken medium-level cloud clearing to the E temporarily replaced by low cloud and mist again. Soon cleared with sunny spells before more cloud bubbled up. Light S breeze. Mostly very good visibility but again moderate for a while in mist.
Sunrise: 05:18 BST
* = a photo today
Priorslee Lake: 04:20 – 05:55 // 06:45 – 10:00
(89th visit of the year)
Bird notes:
- It seems the Canada Geese and Mute Swans were too busy with their own broods to fight amongst each other or to chase the two Greylag Geese that arrived.
- I only noted one juvenile from the original brood of two juvenile Coots; and only two from the more recent brood of four.
- Four of the eight Barn Swallows flew straight through.
- A rather late arrival of a Sedge Warbler, singing along the S side. In previous years late arrivals have probably been failed breeders trying a different location for a second brood. Seems a bit early to be doing that.
- At least 12 singing Reed Warblers now. One of these was either a very mobile bird or there were two birds at the W end neither in the reeds. Also noted were two non-singing birds.
- A Song Thrush seen carrying nesting material. Replacement nest?
Overhead
- 4 Greylag Geese: pair outbound; pair inbound
- 9 Wood Pigeons
- 1 Sparrowhawk again
- 1 Common Buzzard again
- 2 Lesser Black-backed Gulls: (near) adults
- 44 Jackdaws
- 3 Rooks
Hirundines etc., noted:
- 2 Swifts
- 2 Sand Martins again
- 8 Barn Swallows again
Warblers noted (the number in brackets is singing birds):
- 11 (9) Chiffchaffs
- 1 (1) Sedge Warbler
- 14 (12) Reed Warblers
- 13 (10) Blackcaps
- 5 (5) Garden Warblers
- 5 (3) Common Whitethroats
Count from the lake area
- *2 + 5 (1 brood) Canada Geese
- 2 Greylag Geese: arrived
- *2 + 7 (1 brood) Mute Swans
- 8 (6♂) Mallard
- 2 (1♂) Tufted Duck: arrived
- 4 Moorhens
- *19 + 3 (2 broods) Coots
- 1 Little Grebe: heard only
- 6 Great Crested Grebes
- 1 Grey Heron once again
On / around the street lamps pre-dawn:
- 1 unidentified crane-fly sp.
- 1 Stretch Spider (Tetragnatha sp.)
- *1 other spider to be identified
- *1 Harvestman sp., perhaps Opilio canestrinii
Noted later:
Beetles etc.
- *Many 7 Spot Ladybirds (Coccinella 7-punctata)
- *A mating pair of Common Green Shieldbugs (Palomena prasina)
- *My first Hairy Shieldbug (Dolycoris baccarum)
- Dock Bugs (Coreus marginatus)
Hoverflies
- The Footballer (Helophilus pendulus)
- Chequered Hoverfly (Melanostoma scalare)
Spiders
- Stretch spiders (Tetragnatha sp.)
- *Nursery Web Spider (Pisaura mirabilis)
- *Another yet to be identified spider
Flowers
- *Meadow Buttercup (Ranunculus acris): new for the year.
- *Creeping Buttercup (Ranunculus repens) confirmed.
- *Spear Thistle (Cirsium vulgare) about to open.
The Canada Geese with their five goslings. In the foreground are two juvenile Coots.
A 7 Spot Ladybird (Coccinella 7-punctata). I noted at least 10 without looking too hard.
With some of its legs tucked up and waiting for prey this is a Nursery Web Spider (Pisaura mirabilis).
Whereas this leaf seems to be from a Meadow Buttercup (Ranunculus acris).
Hard to be certain until the flowers open but I think a Spear Thistle (Cirsium vulgare).
(Ed Wilson)
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
(22nd visit of the year)
Another wander up and down the lane. Again a few bits and pieces.
- Two Collared Doves flew N over the fields. I guess they came from one of the nearby farms. I do not often see this species here.
- A Great Spotted Woodpecker calling from Ward's Rough.
- A Garden Warbler singing by the sluice exit. It was here, more years ago that I care to remember, that I first got to grips with this species. I learned how to separate its song from that of Blackcap with which it is often, wrongly in my view, compared. I have seen rather few at this location in the intervening years.
- Several of the Common Whitethroats seem to be nesting in the crops and are less inclined to sing from the hedges along the lane.
- *A trio of the eight Yellowhammers were feeding together in the road. Only one was a male and I wonder whether one or both of the others was a juvenile - the photo I took is inconclusive.
Some numbers
- 2 Collared Doves.
- 1 Great Spotted Woodpecker
- 3 (2) Chiffchaffs
- 1 (1) Blackcap only
- 1 (1) Garden Warbler
- 6 (4) Common Whitethroats
- 4 (3) Skylarks
- no Linnets
- *8 (2) Yellowhammers
also noted
- *Common Carder Bee (Bombus pascuorum) again
No doubt about this as being a male Yellowhammer.
A Common Carder Bee (Bombus pascuorum) taking nectar from a Tufted Vetch (Vicia cracca) flower.
The rather unkempt appearance is a good ID feature (the bee; not necessarily me). This is likely a queen as it seemed large. All members of the species - queens, workers and males - have the ginger 'pile' on their thorax.
(Ed Wilson)
Between the lake and The Flash
- A pair of Moorhens at the top pool with one sitting on the nest.
- I only saw the Moorhen sitting on the nest at the lower pool.
- 1 Chiffchaff still singing at the lower pool.
- 1 Blackcap singing just above the upper pool.
- Begging juvenile Starlings heard as a parent arrived at a nest in the eaves of one of the houses backing on to the path.
(Ed Wilson)
The Flash: 06:00 – 06:40
(76th visit of the year)
Bird notes:
- Where are all the ducklings this year? I have seen just one brood and they are all gone. The seven duck Mallard today were not apparently anywhere near a nest site.
- Just two pairs of Tufted Duck; also the drake Tufted Duck with the pair of Mallard.
- Only a single Great Crested Grebe found, as yesterday.
Noted flying over here:
- 2 Wood Pigeons
- 1 Jackdaw
Hirundines etc. noted:
(Ed Wilson)
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
- A pair of Moorhens at the top pool with one sitting on the nest.
- I only saw the Moorhen sitting on the nest at the lower pool.
- 1 Chiffchaff still singing at the lower pool.
- 1 Blackcap singing just above the upper pool.
- Begging juvenile Starlings heard as a parent arrived at a nest in the eaves of one of the houses backing on to the path.
(Ed Wilson)
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
(76th visit of the year)
Bird notes:
- Where are all the ducklings this year? I have seen just one brood and they are all gone. The seven duck Mallard today were not apparently anywhere near a nest site.
- Just two pairs of Tufted Duck; also the drake Tufted Duck with the pair of Mallard.
- Only a single Great Crested Grebe found, as yesterday.
Noted flying over here:
- 2 Wood Pigeons
- 1 Jackdaw
Hirundines etc. noted:
None
Warblers noted (the number in brackets is singing birds):
- 5 (4) Chiffchaffs
- 2 (2) Blackcaps
On /around the water:
- 27 Canada Geese
- 4 Greylag Geese
- 3 + 4 (1 brood) Mute Swan
- 26 (19♂) Mallard
- 5 (3♂) Tufted Duck
- 3 Moorhens only
- 20 + 4 (1 brood) Coots
- 1 Great Crested Grebe again
Otherwise noted:
- 1 female plumed midge on a lamp pole.
- 1 Brown Rat (Rattus norvegicus)
(Ed Wilson)
- 5 (4) Chiffchaffs
- 2 (2) Blackcaps
On /around the water:
- 27 Canada Geese
- 4 Greylag Geese
- 3 + 4 (1 brood) Mute Swan
- 26 (19♂) Mallard
- 5 (3♂) Tufted Duck
- 3 Moorhens only
- 20 + 4 (1 brood) Coots
- 1 Great Crested Grebe again
Otherwise noted:
- 1 female plumed midge on a lamp pole.
- 1 Brown Rat (Rattus norvegicus)
The usual trio of Mallard and Tufted Duck.
(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)
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
On this day