8.0°C – 10.0°C: High overcast with variable amounts of lower cloud at several levels. Light rain at times. Light N breeze. Mostly very good visibility.
Sunrise: 05:17 BST
* = a photo today
Priorslee Lake: 04:15 – 06:00 // 06:50 – 09:35
(90th visit of the year)
Bird notes:
- Only the original brood of Coots was noted and two juveniles seen - one must have been hiding in the reeds yesterday.
- No gulls at all.
- Most of the 25+ Barn Swallows flew straight through: those that did stay did not linger.
- Whilst I was trying to see the Sedge Warbler two birds shot out of the bush and flew around and back. I saw one perch briefly to confirm it was a Sedge Warbler. I suspect the other was too, though only one bird was singing. However there were Reed Warbler(s) close by and I could not be certain of the other bird's identity.
- The only Garden Warbler singing continuously is the bird along the N side. I suspect he may still be trying to attract a mate. Two of the other birds that sang briefly were with non-signing birds.
- A pair of Pied Wagtails on the dam were working hard running around collecting insects and then flying away across the M54. They must be nesting in Stafford Park somewhere.
Overhead:
- 2 Canada Geese: pair outbound
- 2 Greylag Geese: pair inbound
- 3 (3♂) Mallard: together
- 5 Wood Pigeons
- 1 Collared Dove
- 74 Jackdaws
- 4 Rooks
Hirundines etc., noted:
- 12 Swifts
- >25 Barn Swallows
- 6 House Martins
Warblers noted (the number in brackets is singing birds):
- 10 (10) Chiffchaffs
- 1 (1) Sedge Warbler: see notes
- 12 (12) Reed Warblers
- 13 (11) Blackcaps
- 6 (4) Garden Warblers
- 5 (3) Common Whitethroats again
Count from the lake area
- 2 + 5 (1 brood) Canada Geese
- 2 + 7 (1 brood) Mute Swans
- 2 (1♂) Mallard
- 3 Moorhens
- 21 + 2 (1 brood) Coots
- 3 Great Crested Grebes only
- 1 Grey Heron once again
On / around the street lamps pre-dawn: still no moths!
- Common Green Lacewing (Chrysoperia carnea)
- A cranefly, probably Tipula vernalis
Yesterday's sighting can be 'upgraded':
- the unidentified spider is one of the Meta spiders, probably M. segmentata.
- the harvestman is confirmed as Opilio canestrinii
Noted later:
- the harvestman is confirmed as Opilio canestrinii
Noted later:
Moths:
- An Epiblema moth, either E. scutulana (Thistle Bell) or E. cirsiana (Knapweed Bell)
- An Epiblema moth, either E. scutulana (Thistle Bell) or E. cirsiana (Knapweed Bell)
Beetles etc.:
- 7 Spot Ladybird (Coccinella 7-punctata)
- 7 Spot Ladybird (Coccinella 7-punctata)
Bees:
- Common Carder Bee (Bombus pascuorum)
- Common Carder Bee (Bombus pascuorum)
Hoverflies:
- Chequered Hoverfly (Melanostoma scalare)
- Chequered Hoverfly (Melanostoma scalare)
Spiders
- Stretch spider (Tetragnatha sp.)
- Crab spider, probably Misumena vatia
- Stretch spider (Tetragnatha sp.)
- Crab spider, probably Misumena vatia
Other things:
- The cranefly Tipula lunata
- Numerous White-lipped Snails (Cepaea hortensis)
- Fungus sp., probably St George's Mushroom (Calocybe gambosa)
Yesterday's spider noted later eating a fly was also a Meta spider, and also probably M. segmentata.
- The cranefly Tipula lunata
- Numerous White-lipped Snails (Cepaea hortensis)
- Fungus sp., probably St George's Mushroom (Calocybe gambosa)
Yesterday's spider noted later eating a fly was also a Meta spider, and also probably M. segmentata.
This singing Garden Warbler was also more obliging.
And another Common Whitethroat.
The 'business end' showing the eight eyes, the pedipalps and the chelicerae (the mouthparts).
White-lipped Snails come in many different forms. This is a smart-looking example.
And the plan view showing that insects have been at it already. My best guess is St George's Mushroom (Calocybe gambosa).
(Ed Wilson)
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Not logged as a visit. All I did was walk to the bottom of the concrete road to check whether the Garden Warbler was still singing: it was.
(Ed Wilson)
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- Two Moorhens at the upper pool: neither was sitting on the nest and no juveniles seen. It is rather overgrown and much of the water is very hard to see.
- Two Moorhens at the lower pool as well. The bird on the nest was probably brooding the juveniles which were not seen.
- 1 Chiffchaff again singing at the lower pool.
- 1 Blackcap singing beside the upper pool.
(Ed Wilson)
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(77th visit of the year)
Bird notes:
- One Canada Goose showed an almost all-white head.
- The duck Mallard were in low numbers today. Where were they hiding? I also did not see the pair of Mallard with the drake Tufted Duck.
- Four pairs of Tufted Duck, all the pairs well separated from each other.
- No juvenile Coots seen - I suspect they were being brooded on the nest because of the rain..
Birds noted flying over here:
Bird notes:
- One Canada Goose showed an almost all-white head.
- The duck Mallard were in low numbers today. Where were they hiding? I also did not see the pair of Mallard with the drake Tufted Duck.
- Four pairs of Tufted Duck, all the pairs well separated from each other.
- No juvenile Coots seen - I suspect they were being brooded on the nest because of the rain..
Birds noted flying over here:
None
Hirundines etc. noted:
None
Warblers noted (the number in brackets is singing birds):
- 5 (5) Chiffchaffs
- 5 (3) Blackcaps
On /around the water:
- 5 (5) Chiffchaffs
- 5 (3) Blackcaps
On /around the water:
- 31 Canada Geese
- 4 Greylag Geese again
- 3 + 4 (1 brood) Mute Swan
- 21 (17♂) Mallard
- 8 (4♂) Tufted Duck
- 7 Moorhens
- 19 Coots
- no Great Crested Grebes
Nothing else of note.
- 4 Greylag Geese again
- 3 + 4 (1 brood) Mute Swan
- 21 (17♂) Mallard
- 8 (4♂) Tufted Duck
- 7 Moorhens
- 19 Coots
- no Great Crested Grebes
Nothing else of note.
(Ed Wilson)
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On this day