12.0°C > 14.0°C: Medium-high overcast with the odd very light rain shower; later some lower clouds. Almost calm. Good visibility.
Sunrise: 04:55 BST
No photos today
Priorslee Lake: 04:10 – 08:45
(106th visit of the year)
Bird notes:
- Bumper number of Greylag Geese over but how many individuals? in time order duo inbound; octet inbound; sextet outbound; duo outbound.
- Also confused about how many Tufted Ducks there were. I first noted two pairs at the W end while I was at the E end. These were then see flying around and then flying off E. A few minutes later there appeared to be two drakes and a duck (still?) at the W end and then again two pairs flew off E – the same? Soon afterwards a pair flew in from the E and stayed at the E end of the lake. Some of the others?
- Both juvenile Coots from brood #1 again.
- Two 'pairs' of Great Crested Grebes seen displaying but I could only ever find three birds. Was one bird part of both 'pairs'?
- Three different single immature Herring Gulls flew over.
- Four Lesser Black-backed Gulls from the Ricoh area after 04:30 with an adult and first year briefly on the water and two adults on the academy playing field. Another adult stopped for a drink and four more (near) adults flew over.
- 10 Cormorants were seen rising from c.3 or 4 miles to the E and forming up in to a skein of nine heading SW with one returning to the E. A few more over later.
- A single Starling and then a post-breeding group of 12 flew over. For the first day in some months none was seen on the academy playing fields.
- House Sparrows still turning up in different locations around the lake: one on the S side; one on the N side; at least one in the academy hedges.
Overhead:
- 4 Canada Geese: quartet outbound
- 18? Greylag Geese: see notes
- 1 Stock Dove again
- 18 Wood Pigeons
- 3 Herring Gulls: all immatures
- 4 Lesser Black-backed Gulls: all (near) adults
- 15 Cormorants: two singles, a trio and a group of ten
- 39 Jackdaws
- 15 Rooks
- 13 Starlings
Hirundines etc., noted:
- 5 Swifts: one to S 05:25; two pairs to W 07:40
- 1 Barn Swallow: W 08:45
- 2 House Martins: over estate 08:40 – my first over the estate this year
Another very low number.
Warblers noted (the number in brackets is singing birds):
- 15 (11) Chiffchaffs
- 13 (11) Reed Warblers
- 14 (10) Blackcaps
- 4 (4) Garden Warblers again
- 1 (1) Common Whitethroat only
Count from the lake area
- 2 + 5 (1 brood) Canada Geese
- 2 + 5 (1 brood) Mute Swans
- 7 (6♂) Mallard
- 4 (2♂) Tufted Duck at least: see notes
- 1 Moorhen again
- 23 + 2 (1 brood) Coots
- 3? Great Crested Grebes: see notes
- 5 Lesser Black-backed Gulls: see notes
On / around the street lamps pre-dawn:
- 1 Bridge Orb-web Spider (Larinioides cornutus)
Noted later: I was surprised to see anything in the overcast and damp conditions.
Flies:
- Scorpion Fly (Panorpa sp.)
Bugs:
- Red-and-Black Froghopper (Cercopis vulnerata)
Snails:
- White-lipped Snail (Cepaea hortensis)
Spiders:
- Stretch spider (Tetragnatha sp.)
Flowers noted:
- My first Dog Rose flower (Rosa canina agg.) of the year.
(Ed Wilson)
Sunrise: 04:55 BST
No photos today
Priorslee Lake: 04:10 – 08:45
(106th visit of the year)
Bird notes:
- Bumper number of Greylag Geese over but how many individuals? in time order duo inbound; octet inbound; sextet outbound; duo outbound.
- Also confused about how many Tufted Ducks there were. I first noted two pairs at the W end while I was at the E end. These were then see flying around and then flying off E. A few minutes later there appeared to be two drakes and a duck (still?) at the W end and then again two pairs flew off E – the same? Soon afterwards a pair flew in from the E and stayed at the E end of the lake. Some of the others?
- Both juvenile Coots from brood #1 again.
- Two 'pairs' of Great Crested Grebes seen displaying but I could only ever find three birds. Was one bird part of both 'pairs'?
- Three different single immature Herring Gulls flew over.
- Four Lesser Black-backed Gulls from the Ricoh area after 04:30 with an adult and first year briefly on the water and two adults on the academy playing field. Another adult stopped for a drink and four more (near) adults flew over.
- 10 Cormorants were seen rising from c.3 or 4 miles to the E and forming up in to a skein of nine heading SW with one returning to the E. A few more over later.
- A single Starling and then a post-breeding group of 12 flew over. For the first day in some months none was seen on the academy playing fields.
- House Sparrows still turning up in different locations around the lake: one on the S side; one on the N side; at least one in the academy hedges.
Overhead:
- 4 Canada Geese: quartet outbound
- 18? Greylag Geese: see notes
- 1 Stock Dove again
- 18 Wood Pigeons
- 3 Herring Gulls: all immatures
- 4 Lesser Black-backed Gulls: all (near) adults
- 15 Cormorants: two singles, a trio and a group of ten
- 39 Jackdaws
- 15 Rooks
- 13 Starlings
Hirundines etc., noted:
- 5 Swifts: one to S 05:25; two pairs to W 07:40
- 1 Barn Swallow: W 08:45
- 2 House Martins: over estate 08:40 – my first over the estate this year
Another very low number.
Warblers noted (the number in brackets is singing birds):
- 15 (11) Chiffchaffs
- 13 (11) Reed Warblers
- 14 (10) Blackcaps
- 4 (4) Garden Warblers again
- 1 (1) Common Whitethroat only
Count from the lake area
- 2 + 5 (1 brood) Canada Geese
- 2 + 5 (1 brood) Mute Swans
- 7 (6♂) Mallard
- 4 (2♂) Tufted Duck at least: see notes
- 1 Moorhen again
- 23 + 2 (1 brood) Coots
- 3? Great Crested Grebes: see notes
- 5 Lesser Black-backed Gulls: see notes
On / around the street lamps pre-dawn:
- 1 Bridge Orb-web Spider (Larinioides cornutus)
Noted later: I was surprised to see anything in the overcast and damp conditions.
Flies:
- Scorpion Fly (Panorpa sp.)
Bugs:
- Red-and-Black Froghopper (Cercopis vulnerata)
Snails:
- White-lipped Snail (Cepaea hortensis)
Spiders:
- Stretch spider (Tetragnatha sp.)
Flowers noted:
- My first Dog Rose flower (Rosa canina agg.) of the year.
(Ed Wilson)
Note:
On 26 May 21, Ed visited the RSPB Reserve at Burton Mere. Photos from Ed's visit can be found Here
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On this day
2019
Priorslee Lake
Today's Sightings Here
2018
Priorslee Lake
Today's Sightings Here
2017
Priorslee Lake
Today's Sightings Here
2015
Priorslee Lake
Today's Sightings Here
2014
Priorslee Lake
Today's Sightings Here
2013
Priorslee Lake
1 Sedge Warbler
5 Reed Warbler
(John Isherwood)
Long Lane, Wellington
2 Dunlin
1 Sanderling
(Andy Latham)
2009
Priorslee Lake
4 Tufted Ducks
Ed Wilson
2007
Priorslee Lake
Swifts
Kestrel
Great Black-backed Gull
(Martin Adlam)