Priorslee Lake and The Flash
7.0°C > 8.0°C: Another cool and overcast morning with occasional rain / drizzle. Moderate NW wind. Very good visibility except in drizzle.
Sunrise: 05:03 BST
* = a photo today
My best sighting of the day was a Stoat running across the road as I left Newport en route to the lake.
Priorslee Lake: 04:15 – 06:05 // 06:55 – 09:05
(99th visit of the year)
Bird notes:
- As far as I could determine the eight Coot juveniles comprised: two from brood #1; one from brood #6; three from brood #7; two from new brood #8.
- Five Sand Martins appeared high over (well as high as the low cloud permitted) at 05:20. I have assumed these are some of the birds seen later.
- I saw and heard nothing of any Sedge Warbler.
- Two House Sparrows were on the dam-face and flew off over the lake towards Teece Drive. A long way from their usual habitat.
- *The male Grey Wagtail with the Lancashire rings on its legs was present again on the dam-face.
Overhead:
- 7 Canada Geese: duo and quarter outbound; single inbound
- 1 Greylag Goose: single outbound
- 2 (1♂) Tufted Duck
- 3 Stock Doves: together
- 3 Wood Pigeons
- 1 Herring Gull: second year
- 5 Lesser Black-backed Gulls: all (near) adults
- 28 Jackdaws
- 6 Rooks
Hirundines etc., noted:
Up to 60 birds much of the time after c.07:30.
- 4 Swifts
- 8 Sand Martins
- c.40 Barn Swallows
- c.10 House Martins
Warblers noted (the number in brackets is singing birds):
- 10 (10) Chiffchaffs
- 9 (9) Reed Warblers
- 13 (12) Blackcaps
- 3 (3) Garden Warblers
- 4 (3) Common Whitethroats
Count from the lake area
- 2 + 5 (1 brood) Canada Geese
- 2 + 7 (1 brood) Mute Swans
- 3 (2♂) Mallard
- 4 Moorhens
- 20 + 8 (4 broods) Coots
- 6 Great Crested Grebes again
- 5 Lesser Black-backed Gulls: three (near) adults; one second year; one first year (all on the academy playing field)
On / around the street lamps pre-dawn:
- *1 caterpillar, perhaps a Clouded Drab (Orthosia incerta)
- *1 small cranefly sp.
Noted later:
7.0°C > 8.0°C: Another cool and overcast morning with occasional rain / drizzle. Moderate NW wind. Very good visibility except in drizzle.
Sunrise: 05:03 BST
* = a photo today
My best sighting of the day was a Stoat running across the road as I left Newport en route to the lake.
Priorslee Lake: 04:15 – 06:05 // 06:55 – 09:05
(99th visit of the year)
Bird notes:
- As far as I could determine the eight Coot juveniles comprised: two from brood #1; one from brood #6; three from brood #7; two from new brood #8.
- Five Sand Martins appeared high over (well as high as the low cloud permitted) at 05:20. I have assumed these are some of the birds seen later.
- I saw and heard nothing of any Sedge Warbler.
- Two House Sparrows were on the dam-face and flew off over the lake towards Teece Drive. A long way from their usual habitat.
- *The male Grey Wagtail with the Lancashire rings on its legs was present again on the dam-face.
Overhead:
- 7 Canada Geese: duo and quarter outbound; single inbound
- 1 Greylag Goose: single outbound
- 2 (1♂) Tufted Duck
- 3 Stock Doves: together
- 3 Wood Pigeons
- 1 Herring Gull: second year
- 5 Lesser Black-backed Gulls: all (near) adults
- 28 Jackdaws
- 6 Rooks
Hirundines etc., noted:
Up to 60 birds much of the time after c.07:30.
- 4 Swifts
- 8 Sand Martins
- c.40 Barn Swallows
- c.10 House Martins
Warblers noted (the number in brackets is singing birds):
- 10 (10) Chiffchaffs
- 9 (9) Reed Warblers
- 13 (12) Blackcaps
- 3 (3) Garden Warblers
- 4 (3) Common Whitethroats
Count from the lake area
- 2 + 5 (1 brood) Canada Geese
- 2 + 7 (1 brood) Mute Swans
- 3 (2♂) Mallard
- 4 Moorhens
- 20 + 8 (4 broods) Coots
- 6 Great Crested Grebes again
- 5 Lesser Black-backed Gulls: three (near) adults; one second year; one first year (all on the academy playing field)
On / around the street lamps pre-dawn:
- *1 caterpillar, perhaps a Clouded Drab (Orthosia incerta)
- *1 small cranefly sp.
Noted later:
Bees / wasps etc.:
- Common Wasp (Paravespula vulgaris)
Midges:
- Rather few
Slugs/Snails:
- *White-lipped Snail (Cepaea hortensis): somebody likes the wet weather.
- Common Wasp (Paravespula vulgaris)
Midges:
- Rather few
Slugs/Snails:
- *White-lipped Snail (Cepaea hortensis): somebody likes the wet weather.
Someone who is happy with all the rain: a White-lipped Snail (Cepaea hortensis).
A bank of Cow Parsley (Anthriscus sylvestris) looking about its best. Elsewhere the wind and rain has taken its toll and beaten down some of the plants and flowers. Perhaps a sunny day will help them recover. Some day!
(Ed Wilson)
Between the lake and The Flash
- No Moorhens seen or heard at the upper pool and the new nest seemed to have collapsed.
- One adult and one well-grown juvenile at the lower pool. Here the vegetation had been weighed down with the rain and was masking a view of the nest.
- The Chiffchaff was singing at the lower pool again.
- A Blackcap was singing at the upper pool.
(Ed Wilson)
The Flash: 06:10 – 06:50
(86th visit of the year)
Bird notes:
- The Mute Swans seem to have lost another cygnet – now just three with the pen. The cob seems more interested in his teenage daughter than his new family.
- Three Tufted Duck (two drakes) flew off leaving just the drake with the pair of Mallard.
- Two juvenile Coots seen: one very well-grown bird in the nest by the bridge; another near the island from a brood not seen before, the bird old-enough to have lots its red head; the nest along the W side was empty again.
- Now two Great Crested Grebes again.
- As I walked up the W side I could hear the Sedge Warbler singing: I thought from the same place I recorded it yesterday – along the E side. When I got there all was quiet and squeaking produced no reaction from this usually responsive species.
Birds noted flying over here:
- 4 Greylag Geese: together
- 2 Jackdaws
- 1 Rook
Hirundines etc. noted:
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- No Moorhens seen or heard at the upper pool and the new nest seemed to have collapsed.
- One adult and one well-grown juvenile at the lower pool. Here the vegetation had been weighed down with the rain and was masking a view of the nest.
- The Chiffchaff was singing at the lower pool again.
- A Blackcap was singing at the upper pool.
(Ed Wilson)
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(86th visit of the year)
Bird notes:
- The Mute Swans seem to have lost another cygnet – now just three with the pen. The cob seems more interested in his teenage daughter than his new family.
- Three Tufted Duck (two drakes) flew off leaving just the drake with the pair of Mallard.
- Two juvenile Coots seen: one very well-grown bird in the nest by the bridge; another near the island from a brood not seen before, the bird old-enough to have lots its red head; the nest along the W side was empty again.
- Now two Great Crested Grebes again.
- As I walked up the W side I could hear the Sedge Warbler singing: I thought from the same place I recorded it yesterday – along the E side. When I got there all was quiet and squeaking produced no reaction from this usually responsive species.
Birds noted flying over here:
- 4 Greylag Geese: together
- 2 Jackdaws
- 1 Rook
Hirundines etc. noted:
None
Warblers noted (the number in brackets is singing birds):
- 2 (1) Chiffchaffs again
- 1 (1) Sedge Warbler: see notes
- 2 (2) Blackcaps
On /around the water:
- 40 Canada Geese: five of these departed
- 1 Greylag Goose
- 3 + 3 (1 brood) Mute Swan
- *21 (14♂) Mallard
- 4 (3♂) Tufted Duck: see notes
- 5 Moorhens
- 2 juvenile Coots from two broods
- 2 Great Crested Grebes
Also noted:
- 1 Grey Squirrel
- 2 (1) Chiffchaffs again
- 1 (1) Sedge Warbler: see notes
- 2 (2) Blackcaps
On /around the water:
- 40 Canada Geese: five of these departed
- 1 Greylag Goose
- 3 + 3 (1 brood) Mute Swan
- *21 (14♂) Mallard
- 4 (3♂) Tufted Duck: see notes
- 5 Moorhens
- 2 juvenile Coots from two broods
- 2 Great Crested Grebes
Also noted:
- 1 Grey Squirrel
It is hardly up to Kensington Round Pond standard but the drake Mallard seem happy-enough with this flood on the E side grass. The gloss is definitely going off their plumage as the breeding season closes – not helped by the very dull conditions.
(Ed Wilson)
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On this day