5.0°C > 8.0°C: A 'red sky in the morning' start; soon clouding with very light rain after 08:30. Light S wind, increasing somewhat. Very good visibility.
Sunrise: 05:02 BST
* = a photo today
Priorslee Lake: 04:10 – 06:00 // 06:50 – 09:05
(100th visit of the year)
Why am I not surprised? Having mown the wild flowers down last week the contractors have now been out with their strimmers and cut along the fence lines. The areas around the road signs and lamp posts have been left – too hard? Just as well I took those flower photos on Friday.
Bird notes:
- The Mute Swans have lost one of their cygnets, apparently overnight. The fishermen reported seeing seven late yesterday.
- The juvenile Coots emerged when I was nowhere near where I usually see them and I could not reliably ascribe them to the brood numbers I have used.
- A lone Swift appeared at 05:25. No more until 05:40. More than 20 later. Fishermen reckoned over 100 last evening.
- A party of six large gulls was circling over the Ricoh area and also the academy playing field at 05:45. Later large gulls were heard calling from the Ricoh area and then at 08:15 what seemed to be the same six (four adult and one first year Lesser Black-back with one second year Herring Gull) were seen over the lake and heading off E.
- At last some Long-tailed Tit action. Back in March I thought I knew where five nests were being built. For the last four weeks at least I have occasionally seen or heard birds in only one of these locations, recently carrying food. Today I noted three different parties calling and flying around so I guess the young have fledged.
- A Sedge Warbler IS still present. I first heard a bird quietly and briefly 'churring' - a call similar to both Reed Warbler and Common Whitethroat. I then heard a brief snatch of subdued song. A bird then flew out of the sedges in to a tree before diving in to cover again.
- Two juvenile Pied Wagtails with the male parent feeding on the dam-face.
Overhead:
- 8 Canada Geese: duo and quartet outbound again; duo inbound
- 2 Greylag Geese: duo outbound
- 1 Stock Dove
- 14 Wood Pigeons
- 1 Herring Gull: second year
- 5 Lesser Black-backed Gulls: four (near) adults; one first year
- 6 Cormorants: quartet and two singles
- 1 Common Buzzard
- 74 Jackdaws
- 4 Rooks
Hirundines etc., noted:
Birds all over the lake by 08:15. Best estimate of numbers
- >20 Swifts
- >50 Barn Swallows
- >50 House Martins
No Sand Martins seen; a few Barn Swallows seen resting on stones on the dam face; many more House Martins than recently
Warblers noted (the number in brackets is singing birds):
- 11 (11) Chiffchaffs
- 1 (0.5!) Sedge Warbler: see notes
- 12 (11) Reed Warblers
- 15 (14) Blackcaps
- 4 (4) Garden Warblers
- 3 (2) Common Whitethroats
Count from the lake area
- 2 + 5 (1 brood) Canada Geese
- 2 + 6 (1 brood) Mute Swans
- 2 (2♂) Mallard
- 3 Moorhens
- 22 + 5 (2 broods) Coots
- 6 Great Crested Grebes still
On / around the street lamps pre-dawn:
- *1 Metellina sp. spider
Noted later:
Moths:
- Plain Gold (Micropterix calthella)
A closer view of the main red area.
And a detail
Here with a pair of Great Crested Grebes in the bottom right
One flying by with its tail spread showing the white spots at the base of the tail.
So the Sedge Warbler has not gone.
Well shouting rather than singing.
... here. Smart black toe nails!
And here is Dad.
(Ed Wilson)
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Between the lake and The Flash
- Only one adult Moorhen was all I could find at the rather overgrown upper pool.
- Also only one adult Moorhen at the lower pool. It was adding more material to the nest.
- A Chiffchaff singing by the lower pool.
- One Blackcap singing at the upper pool and another a few yards away beside the path towards the Priorslee Academy.
Also noted:
- 1 Grey Squirrel
(Ed Wilson)
- The only Tufted Duck I saw was drake with the pair of Mallard. I cannot recall any previous occasion when I have recorded this few Tufted Duck, summer or winter.
- The only juvenile Coot I noted was the very well-grown bird standing on the nest by the bridge.
- Back to a single Great Crested Grebe.
- Nothing heard of the recent Sedge Warbler.
Birds noted flying over here:
- 12 Feral Pigeons: one group
- 2 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
- 1 Jackdaw
- 1 Rook again
Hirundines etc. noted:
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The Flash: 06:05 – 06:45
(87th visit of the year)
Bird notes:- The only Tufted Duck I saw was drake with the pair of Mallard. I cannot recall any previous occasion when I have recorded this few Tufted Duck, summer or winter.
- The only juvenile Coot I noted was the very well-grown bird standing on the nest by the bridge.
- Back to a single Great Crested Grebe.
- Nothing heard of the recent Sedge Warbler.
Birds noted flying over here:
- 12 Feral Pigeons: one group
- 2 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
- 1 Jackdaw
- 1 Rook again
Hirundines etc. noted:
None
Warblers noted (the number in brackets is singing birds):
- 1 (1) Chiffchaff
- 1 (1) Blackcap
On /around the water:
- 27 Canada Geese
- 4 Greylag Geese: two of these departed
- 3 + 3 (1 brood) Mute Swan
- 21 (17♂) Mallard
- 1 (1♂) Tufted Duck
- 6 Moorhens
- 1 juvenile Coot only
- 1 Great Crested Grebe
- 1 (1) Chiffchaff
- 1 (1) Blackcap
On /around the water:
- 27 Canada Geese
- 4 Greylag Geese: two of these departed
- 3 + 3 (1 brood) Mute Swan
- 21 (17♂) Mallard
- 1 (1♂) Tufted Duck
- 6 Moorhens
- 1 juvenile Coot only
- 1 Great Crested Grebe
(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