7.0°C > 8.0°C: Cloud from overnight rain clearing away. Good sunny spells for a while. More cloud soon developed. Moderate SSW wind. Very good visibility.
Sunrise: 06:32 GMT
* = a photo today
Priorslee Lake: 05:35 – 06:45 // 07:45 – 09:45
(59th visit of the year)
Bird notes:
- Two Little Grebes heard and then seen in full summer plumage at the W end at 06:35 only.
- A Sparrowhawk was displaying over trees around the football field, towering and diving interspersed with lazy flaps. Probably the same bird (or its partner) as seen over The Flash.
- Three Great Crested Grebes located. Two birds in the S and E areas, only sometimes together. The other bird mainly in the NW area.
- At least 100 Black-headed Gulls were flying up and down at 05:50. More than 50 left together to the S at 06:10. 31 birds were on the football field at 06:35.
- The Cetti's Warbler's was very noisy again.
- Eight singing and one calling Chiffchaff.
- More than 45 Redwings suddenly appeared flying in to trees near the Teece Drive gate. They disappeared as quickly as they had appeared.
- The only Mistle Thrush noted here was a bird giving its rattling call from trees in the SE area.
Birds noted flying over here:
- 2 Canada Geese: pair outbound
- 2 (1♂) Mallard
- 17 Wood Pigeons
- 4 Herring Gulls
- 21 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
- 1 Sparrowhawk
- 1 Common Buzzard
- 76 Jackdaws
- no Rooks
- 1 Starling
Counts from the lake area:
- 3 Canada Geese: pair throughout; an additional bird briefly
- 2 Mute Swans
- 6 (4♂) Mallard
- 28 (16♂) Tufted Duck
- 5 Moorhens
- 29 Coots again
- 2 Little Grebes
- 3 Great Crested Grebes: see notes
- >100 Black-headed Gulls: see notes
- 1 Herring Gull
On / around the street lamp poles pre-dawn:
- 6+ springtails of at least three species, all on the same pole
- 1 'winter midge' on a different pole
Later:
Nothing of note
(Ed Wilson)
The Flash: 06:50 – 07:40
My lack of inspiration continues. This is, I think, a female plumed midge. I was struck by how relatively long the front legs were for such a small insect.
Then I came across this male plumed midge with similarly long front legs. His abdomen extends well beyond the folded wings whereas the putative female shows a shorter abdomen, Such a difference is not uncommon in some groups of fly.
This one seems to have pegged out. The wings look relatively longer than the abdomen suggesting perhaps it is a different species. I have no idea why all these (and several more) would choose to sit on the wall of the tunnel.
(Ed Wilson)
(Ed Wilson)
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The Flash: 06:50 – 07:40
(56th visit of the year)
Bird notes:
- The number of Canada Geese has now declined somewhat. Perhaps all the best nest sites have been claimed and the others have gone to look elsewhere.
- Just one pair of Teal found.
- A Great Spotted Woodpecker heard drumming. He sounded rather distant though the noise-level depends somewhat on the hollowness of its chosen anvil. The sound seemed to be coming from the hilly area to the W of the estate. I could not see the bird.
- Six Chiffchaffs noted: five singing and one calling only.
- A Mistle Thrush was singing in trees alongside The Priorslee again.
Birds noted flying over here:
- 1 Canada Goose
- 3 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
- 1 Sparrowhawk again
On /around the water:
- 28 Canada Geese: one pair of these flew off and a different pair arrived
- Greylag Geese heard from inside the island only
- 3 + 2 (1 brood) Mute Swans
- 24 (18♂) Mallard
- 1 (1♂) all-white duck (Aylesbury Duck)
- 2 (1♂) Teal
- 72 (44♂) Tufted Duck
- 16 Moorhens
- 25 Coots
- no Great Crested Grebe
- 2 Black-headed Gulls only
- 1 Herring Gull: first year, briefly
- 1 Grey Heron
On /around the street lamp poles
- *1 springtail sp., likely Tomocerus vulgaris.
Elsewhere around here:
Bird notes:
- The number of Canada Geese has now declined somewhat. Perhaps all the best nest sites have been claimed and the others have gone to look elsewhere.
- Just one pair of Teal found.
- A Great Spotted Woodpecker heard drumming. He sounded rather distant though the noise-level depends somewhat on the hollowness of its chosen anvil. The sound seemed to be coming from the hilly area to the W of the estate. I could not see the bird.
- Six Chiffchaffs noted: five singing and one calling only.
- A Mistle Thrush was singing in trees alongside The Priorslee again.
Birds noted flying over here:
- 1 Canada Goose
- 3 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
- 1 Sparrowhawk again
On /around the water:
- 28 Canada Geese: one pair of these flew off and a different pair arrived
- Greylag Geese heard from inside the island only
- 3 + 2 (1 brood) Mute Swans
- 24 (18♂) Mallard
- 1 (1♂) all-white duck (Aylesbury Duck)
- 2 (1♂) Teal
- 72 (44♂) Tufted Duck
- 16 Moorhens
- 25 Coots
- no Great Crested Grebe
- 2 Black-headed Gulls only
- 1 Herring Gull: first year, briefly
- 1 Grey Heron
On /around the street lamp poles
- *1 springtail sp., likely Tomocerus vulgaris.
Elsewhere around here:
Nothing of note
My photography was none too inspired this morning. This is my second-ever springtail at The Flash and the largest of all the seven or more that I noted today. I think it is the very common Tomocerus vulgaris.
(Ed Wilson)
Between the lake and The Flash:
- A drake Mallard in the lower pool.
- A Moorhens in the lower pool.
- 18 Starlings in trees and flying around the houses. Amazingly I have yet to see one this year from around The Flash itself.
(Ed Wilson)
Priorslee Avenue tunnel:
- *An array of gnats and small flies on the wall. None specifically identified.
(Ed Wilson)
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Between the lake and The Flash:
- A drake Mallard in the lower pool.
- A Moorhens in the lower pool.
- 18 Starlings in trees and flying around the houses. Amazingly I have yet to see one this year from around The Flash itself.
(Ed Wilson)
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Priorslee Avenue tunnel:
- *An array of gnats and small flies on the wall. None specifically identified.
Another male plumed midge.
(Ed Wilson)
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On this day can be found via the yearly links in the right-hand column.
Sightings from previous years without links are below
2013
Priorslee Lake
1 Iceland Gull
3 Common Gulls
2 Yellow-legged Gulls
1 Great Black-backed Gull
2 Gadwall
3 Shoveler
29 Wigeon
1 Cormorant
1 Little Grebe
1 Willow Tit
(J Reeves, John Isherwood)
The Flash
1 Greater Scaup
4 Pochard
(John Isherwood)
2011
Priorslee Lake
Mallard x Pintail
7 Pochard
31 Tufted Duck
1 Chiffchaff singing
(Ed Wilson)
Trench Lock
Chiffchaff
2 Siskins
1 Redpoll
(Ed Wilson)
2010
Priorslee Lake
2 Shoveler
10 Swans
4 Gadwall
4 Pochard
(Ed Wilson)
The Flash
Mallard x Pintail
(Ed Wilson)
2007
Priorslee Lake
3 Cormorant
13 Tufted Duck
1 Ruddy Duck.
5 Stock Dove
10 Pied Wagtail
27 Wren
38 Robin
20 Blackbird
43 Fieldfare
7 Redwing
5 Chiffchaff (3 singing)
42 Magpie
6 Greenfinch
3 Reed Bunting
(Ed Wilson, Martin Grant)
The Flash
8 Great Crested Grebe
2 Pochard
34 Tufted Duck
1 Buzzard
1 Chiffchaff singing
1 Reed Bunting
(Ed Wilson)
2006
Priorslee Lake
Peregrine
2 Little Grebes
6 Great Crested Grebes
2 Cormorants
7 Pochard
46 Tufted Ducks
2 Ruddy Ducks
275 Wood Pigeons
28 Pied Wagtails
20 Wrens
17 Blackbirds
3 Fieldfares
7 Redwings
11 Greenfinches
(Ed Wilson)