10.0°C > 12.0°C: Mostly cloudy, threatening to lift and break but didn't. Moderate and chilly ENE wind. Good visibility.
Sunrise: 04:50 BST
**photos from the last three days are presented as a compendium
Priorslee Lake: 04:40 – 05:45 // 06:40 – 08:55
(130th visit of the year)
Most unusual at this date was a Common Sandpiper. Late for a northbound migrant; early for post-breeding dispersal. I would surmise either a failed breeder or perhaps a first year bird not paired this year.
Also worth highlighting is a report from two of the fishermen of a Tawny Owl flying through along the North side at c.23:00 yesterday. No one I have spoken has heard this species this year in the area so quite what it was doing is hard to say.
Bird notes:
- The breeding Canada Geese now gone after losing all their goslings.
- I only noted two Great Crested Grebes on the water. I did see one bird flying around for a while. I am unsure whether or not this was a third bird.
- A Great Spotted Woodpecker was calling in the NE area again.
Birds noted flying over here:
- 31 Canada Geese: single and loose group of 30 inbound
- 7 Greylag Geese: single outbound; a single and quintet inbound
- 4 Wood Pigeons:
- 2 Herring Gulls: immatures
- 6 Lesser Black-backed Gulls: various ages
- 1 Cormorant
- 5 Jackdaws
Hirundines etc. noted:
- 8 Swifts
- 3 Barn Swallows
- 6 House Martins
Warblers noted (figures in brackets relate to singing birds):
- 1 (1) Cetti's Warbler
- 11 (9) Chiffchaffs
- 1 (1) Sedge Warblers
- 9 (9) Reed Warblers again
- 11 (10) Blackcaps
- 3 (3) Garden Warblers still
- 1 (1) Common Whitethroat still
Counts from the lake area:
- 2 + 6 (1 brood) Mute Swans
- 6 (4♂) Mallard
- 2 Moorhens
- 26 + 6 (3 broods) Coots
- 2 (3?) Great Crested Grebes: see notes
- 1 Common Sandpiper
- 3 Lesser Black-backed Gulls: one second year; later two adults, all briefly
- 1 Grey Heron: departed
Noted on / around the street lamp poles pre-dawn:
- 1 Silver-ground Carpet moth (Xanthorhoe montanata)
Noted later:
Very little in cloudy, cool and breezy conditions
Moths:
- Plain Gold (Micropterix calthella)
- Common Nettle-tap (Anthophila fabriciana)
Moths:
- Plain Gold (Micropterix calthella)
- Common Nettle-tap (Anthophila fabriciana)
Other flies:
- Lucilia sp. greenbottle
- unidentified midge-type
- Lucilia sp. greenbottle
- unidentified midge-type
Beetles etc.:
- Nettle Weevil (Phyllobius pomaceus)
- Nettle Weevil (Phyllobius pomaceus)
Bugs:
- Green Myrid bug, perhaps Calocoris alpestris
- Green Myrid bug, perhaps Calocoris alpestris
Slugs / snails:
- White-lipped Snail (Cepaea hortensis)
- White-lipped Snail (Cepaea hortensis)
New flowers for the year noted:
- Bramble [Blackberry] (Rubus fruticosus agg.)
- Cleavers (Galium aparine)
The Flash: 05:50 – 06:35
(125th visit of the year)
Bird notes:
- I guess the two small Canada Goose goslings seen were the remnants of the latest brood of five. Quite where all the other goslings were is unclear: I did look around some of the gardens in Wordsworth Drive to no avail.
- Yet another new brood of Mallard ducklings. I thought initially five though certainly only four later.
- Two Great Crested Grebes together, neither on a nest.
Birds noted flying over here:
- Bramble [Blackberry] (Rubus fruticosus agg.)
- Cleavers (Galium aparine)
(Ed Wilson)
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(125th visit of the year)
Bird notes:
- I guess the two small Canada Goose goslings seen were the remnants of the latest brood of five. Quite where all the other goslings were is unclear: I did look around some of the gardens in Wordsworth Drive to no avail.
- Yet another new brood of Mallard ducklings. I thought initially five though certainly only four later.
- Two Great Crested Grebes together, neither on a nest.
Birds noted flying over here:
None
Hirundines etc. noted:
None
Warblers noted (figures in brackets relate to singing birds):
- 3 (3) Chiffchaff
- 4 (4) Blackcaps
Noted on / around the water:
- 107 + 2 (1 brood) Canada Geese: see notes
- 6 Greylag Geese
- 3 Mute Swans
- 19 (15♂) + 4 (1 brood) Mallard
- 1 (1♂) all-white duck (Aylesbury Duck)
- 7 (6♂) Tufted Duck
- 6 + 1 (1 brood) Moorhens
- 20 + 6 (3 broods) Coots
- 2 Great Crested Grebes
Noted on / around the street lamp poles:
- 1 Common Marbled Carpet moth (Chloroclysta truncata) again
- several midges of unknown species
Elsewhere:
- 3 (3) Chiffchaff
- 4 (4) Blackcaps
Noted on / around the water:
- 107 + 2 (1 brood) Canada Geese: see notes
- 6 Greylag Geese
- 3 Mute Swans
- 19 (15♂) + 4 (1 brood) Mallard
- 1 (1♂) all-white duck (Aylesbury Duck)
- 7 (6♂) Tufted Duck
- 6 + 1 (1 brood) Moorhens
- 20 + 6 (3 broods) Coots
- 2 Great Crested Grebes
Noted on / around the street lamp poles:
- 1 Common Marbled Carpet moth (Chloroclysta truncata) again
- several midges of unknown species
Elsewhere:
Nothing of note
Between the lake and The Flash:
- An adult Moorhen seen at the upper pool with juveniles noted calling. None seen / heard at the lower pool.
- 1 Chiffchaff still singing alongside the lower pool, but very intermittently this morning.
- 1 Blackcap singing from scrub between the two pools.
In the Priorslee Avenue tunnel:
- The Small Tortoiseshell (Aglais urticae) chrysalis still clinging on.
- >10 midges of at least three species
- 1 soldier beetle, perhaps Rhagonycha lignosa.
(Ed Wilson)
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- An adult Moorhen seen at the upper pool with juveniles noted calling. None seen / heard at the lower pool.
- 1 Chiffchaff still singing alongside the lower pool, but very intermittently this morning.
- 1 Blackcap singing from scrub between the two pools.
(Ed Wilson)
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- The Small Tortoiseshell (Aglais urticae) chrysalis still clinging on.
- >10 midges of at least three species
- 1 soldier beetle, perhaps Rhagonycha lignosa.
(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
2012
Holmer Lake
Black Swan
(Marilyn Morton)