9.0°C > 11.0°C: Thin high cloud taking the edge off things. Light SE breeze. Good visibility: a little hazy.
Sunrise: 06:08 BST
* = a photo today
Priorslee Lake: 05:20 – 06:35 // 07:30 – 09:00
(91st visit of the year)
A rather belated new species for my 2022 bird list here was House Sparrow. I have heard them most mornings from outside by recording area: this morning two had made it in to the hedge between the football field and the academy and I can count them! Species #82
Bird notes:
- The four Mallard (three drakes) seen on the lake are assumed to include the three birds (two drakes) seen earlier, asleep on the football field at 06:00.
- All the 12 Tufted Duck arrived: a pair and then two separate groups of five. The two groups of five departed again shortly afterwards, also separately.
- Just one Common Sandpiper noted.
- Four Black-headed Gulls flew in at 05:35 – three adults and one first year. They stayed about 20 minutes spending part of the time feeding on the SW grass.
- The low count of fly-over Jackdaws yesterday (two) was due to the fog. I have no idea why I only saw four today.
Birds noted flying over here:
- 2 Canada Geese: pair outbound
- 21 Wood Pigeons
- 2 Herring Gulls: immatures
- 4 Jackdaws only
- 3 Rooks
Hirundines etc. noted:
None
Warblers noted (figures in brackets relate to singing birds):
- 1 (1) Cetti's Warbler as usual
- 18 (14) Chiffchaffs
- 16 (11) Blackcaps
- 1 (1) Common Whitethroat
Counts from the lake area:
- 1? Canada Goose remains keeping watch
- 2 Mute Swans: pen on nest throughout
- 4 (3♂) Mallard
- 12 (8♂) Tufted Ducks: see notes
- 6 Moorhens again
- 25 Coots
- 3 Great Crested Grebes
- 1 Common Sandpiper
- 4 Black-headed Gulls: see notes
- 1 Herring Gull: immature, briefly and with...
- 3 Lesser Black-backed Gulls: all (near) adults, also briefly
Noted on / around the street lamp poles pre-dawn:
The poles were once again covered in dew
- *1 small caterpillar of a geometer moth sp.
Noted later:
- Honey Bee (Apis mellifera)
- Buff-tailed Bumblebee (Bombus terrestris)
- 1 (1) Cetti's Warbler as usual
- 18 (14) Chiffchaffs
- 16 (11) Blackcaps
- 1 (1) Common Whitethroat
Counts from the lake area:
- 1? Canada Goose remains keeping watch
- 2 Mute Swans: pen on nest throughout
- 4 (3♂) Mallard
- 12 (8♂) Tufted Ducks: see notes
- 6 Moorhens again
- 25 Coots
- 3 Great Crested Grebes
- 1 Common Sandpiper
- 4 Black-headed Gulls: see notes
- 1 Herring Gull: immature, briefly and with...
- 3 Lesser Black-backed Gulls: all (near) adults, also briefly
Noted on / around the street lamp poles pre-dawn:
The poles were once again covered in dew
- *1 small caterpillar of a geometer moth sp.
Noted later:
- Honey Bee (Apis mellifera)
- Buff-tailed Bumblebee (Bombus terrestris)
Another day: another sunrise.
Maximum colour.
The actual sunrise was through high cloud and that took the red tones out of the sky.
A tiny caterpillar about which I can say very little. It is probably one of the geometer moths whose caterpillars are known as loopers. Their locomotion is a sequence of loops as they arch their backs each time they bring their stumpy prolegs and claspers at the back of the abdomen to meet the three pairs of legs on the thorax before stretching those legs forward again. Sawfly larvae can be very similar with three pairs of legs on the thorax but always have five or more pairs of prolegs.
(Ed Wilson)
The Flash: 06:40 – 07:25
(Ed Wilson)
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The Flash: 06:40 – 07:25
(88th visit of the year)
Bird notes:
- The two Mallard ducklings again with what I assume to be their parents.
- Rather more Mallard today.
- Tufted Duck numbers recovered somewhat but still many fewer than two days ago,
- A Great Crested Grebe re-appeared. Is it hiding somewhere?
- The one Willow Warbler singing from the same area.
- Two Redwings flew over and looked as if they might stop in trees at the top of squirrel alley. I could not find there so I have logged them as carrying on. A late date from this species: I have noted them at Easter previously but then Easter is a moveable feast.
- At least five Bramblings in tops of trees deep in the wooded area at the top left.
Birds noted flying over here:
- 2 Feral Pigeons: not the local birds
- 9 Wood Pigeons
- 2 Herring Gulls: immatures
- 3 Cormorants: together
- 2 Jackdaws: singles
- 2 Redwings: see notes
Warblers noted (figures in brackets relate to singing birds):
- 1 (1) Willow Warbler again
- 6 (6) Chiffchaffs
- 7 (7) Blackcaps
Noted on / around the water: all numbers potentially visibility effected
- 22 Canada Geese: of these a pair departed
- 7 Greylag Geese
- 5 Mute Swans
- *16 (14♂) + 2 (1 brood) Mallard
- 1 (1♂) all-white duck (Aylesbury Duck)
- 23 (15♂) Tufted Duck
- 12 Moorhens
- 25 Coots
- 1 Great Crested Grebe
- *1 Herring Gull: third year?
On / around the street lamp poles or elsewhere
(Ed Wilson)
Between the lake and The Flash
- A single Moorhens seen at each pool
- 2 Chiffchaffs: different birds calling and singing from trees between the pools
- 1 Blackcap singing near the upper pool
(Ed Wilson)
In the Priorslee Avenue tunnel
- the usual plumed midges
- 5 Porcellio spinicornis aka Brickwork Woodlouse
- *1 Segestria senoculata
This spider was on the 'other wall' of the tunnel and as I did not want to fall in or paddle in the Wesley Brook I had little choice but to take a long-range shot and enlarge it more than somewhat. It looked rather unusual in that the markings on the abdomen do not look balanced left and right. I asked Nigel and it is worth quoting his interesting response: "It’s one of the tube spiders Segestria senoculata. It is one of the few spiders in UK with only 6 eyes instead of the usual 8 and the first three pairs of legs are usually held pointing forward. This is because it lives in a tubular structure like an old beetle hole or hole in a brick wall and has lines of silk radiating out of the mouth of the hole. These strands of silk don’t trap pray but act as signal lines to alert the spider of prey at which point it rushes out, grabs the prey and hauls it backwards into its tube – hence the forward pointing legs that it uses to shove itself, complete with prey, down the tube. It will seize dangerous prey (e.g. a wasp) in the middle from the top so that the wasp is bent double with the sting pointing away from the spider as it is dragged down the tube"
(Ed Wilson)
Bird notes:
- The two Mallard ducklings again with what I assume to be their parents.
- Rather more Mallard today.
- Tufted Duck numbers recovered somewhat but still many fewer than two days ago,
- A Great Crested Grebe re-appeared. Is it hiding somewhere?
- The one Willow Warbler singing from the same area.
- Two Redwings flew over and looked as if they might stop in trees at the top of squirrel alley. I could not find there so I have logged them as carrying on. A late date from this species: I have noted them at Easter previously but then Easter is a moveable feast.
- At least five Bramblings in tops of trees deep in the wooded area at the top left.
Birds noted flying over here:
- 2 Feral Pigeons: not the local birds
- 9 Wood Pigeons
- 2 Herring Gulls: immatures
- 3 Cormorants: together
- 2 Jackdaws: singles
- 2 Redwings: see notes
Warblers noted (figures in brackets relate to singing birds):
- 1 (1) Willow Warbler again
- 6 (6) Chiffchaffs
- 7 (7) Blackcaps
Noted on / around the water: all numbers potentially visibility effected
- 22 Canada Geese: of these a pair departed
- 7 Greylag Geese
- 5 Mute Swans
- *16 (14♂) + 2 (1 brood) Mallard
- 1 (1♂) all-white duck (Aylesbury Duck)
- 23 (15♂) Tufted Duck
- 12 Moorhens
- 25 Coots
- 1 Great Crested Grebe
- *1 Herring Gull: third year?
On / around the street lamp poles or elsewhere
Nothing noted
The family party of Mallard once again out of the water. A Robin photo-bombing the scene.
I am not 100% sure of the age of this Herring Gull. The extent of the pale grey on the back is perhaps closest to a typical second year bird though the bill-pattern is more reminiscent of a third year bird. Individual large gulls develop at different rates and some can be tricky to pin down.
(Ed Wilson)
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Between the lake and The Flash
- A single Moorhens seen at each pool
- 2 Chiffchaffs: different birds calling and singing from trees between the pools
- 1 Blackcap singing near the upper pool
(Ed Wilson)
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In the Priorslee Avenue tunnel
- the usual plumed midges
- 5 Porcellio spinicornis aka Brickwork Woodlouse
- *1 Segestria senoculata
(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
2014
Priorslee Lake
1 Cormorant
2 Grey Herons
8 Greylag Geese
10 Tufted Duck
1 Sand Martin
4 Swallows.
1 Sedge Warbler
10 Blackcaps
7 Chiffchaffs
191 Jackdaws
(Ed Wilson)
Woodhouse Lane
2 Red-legged Partridges
1 Whitethroat
4 Sky Larks
1 Blackcap
1 Chiffchaff
1 Linnet
2 Yellowhammers
(Ed Wilson)
Nedge Hill
1 Wheatear
1 Common Whitethroat
1 Willow Warbler
3 Chiffchaff
2 Swallow
2 Blackcap
6 Skylark
1 Great Spotted Woodpecker
(Martin Grant)
2013
Nedge Hill
1 Common Redstart
5 Whitethroat
15 Wheatear
2 Swallows
Chiffchaff
2 Yellowhammer
6+ Skylarks
3 Linnet
(Ian Grant, Martin Grant)
2012
Priorslee Lake
1 Dark-bellied Brent Goose
(John Isherwood)
Nedge Hill
1 Redstart
2 Wheatear
1 Raven
(John Isherwood)
2011
Priorslee Lake
1 Common Sandpiper
2 Tufted Ducks
1 Lapwing
1 Siskin
Common Whitethroat
(John Isherwood/Ed Wilson)
Nedge Hill
1 Common Redstart
12 Wheatear
(John Isherwood)
2010
Priorslee Lake
1 Common Sandpiper
(John. Isherwood)
2009
Priorslee Lake
2 Reed Warblers
1 Pochard
17 Tufted Duck
6 Swallows
2 Reed Warblers
4 Blackcaps
5 Chiffchaffs
1 Willow Warbler
1 Jay
(Ed Wilson)
2008
Priorslee Lake
1 Little Grebe
1 Gadwall
7 Tufted Ducks
1 Common Sandpiper
111 Sand Martins
1 House Martin
4 Swallows
1 Blackcap
4 Willow Warblers
11 Chiffchaffs
1 Common Tern
(Ed Wilson)
2006
Priorslee Lake
4 Great Crested Grebes
3 Tufted Ducks
3 Ruddy Duck
9 Common Sandpiper
11 Chiffchaff
8 Willow Warbler
4 Blackcaps
1 Common Whitethroat
1 Swallow
1 Willow Tit
5 Greenfinch
1 Linnet
1 Redpoll
4 Reed Bunting
(Martin Adlam)