13.0°C > 14.0°C: Low cloud and light drizzle. Moderate / fresh NNW wind. Moderate visibility.
Sunrise: 04:55 BST
* = a photo today
Poor light, drizzle and brisk wind drove me away early.
Priorslee Lake: 04:40 – 05:40 // 06:40 – 07:55
(154th visit of the year)
Bird notes:
- Some Coots were likely hiding from the breezy conditions.
- There were certainly eight Great Crested Grebes: I suspect nine though I could only ever find seven thereafter.
- A Common Sandpiper was the most interesting record from today.
Birds noted flying over here:
- 22 Wood Pigeons
- 1 Herring Gull
- 1 Lesser Black-backed Gull
- 1 Common Buzzard
- 3 Jackdaws
- 2 Rooks again
Hirundines etc. noted:
- 1 Barn Swallow flew through
Another very poor showing
Warblers noted (figures in brackets relate to singing birds):
- 9 (8) Chiffchaffs
- 1 (0) Sedge Warbler
- 5 (4) Reed Warblers
- 10 (9) Blackcaps
Counts from the lake area:
- 2 + 4 (1 brood) Mute Swans
- 15 (?♂) Mallard again
- 5 Moorhens
- 68 adult and juvenile Coots
- 8 Great Crested Grebes
- 1 Common Sandpiper
- 8 Black-headed Gulls: all adults; 10 on the football field at 05:30 comprised at least some additional birds
- 1 Herring Gull: adult, briefly
- 3 Lesser Black-backed Gull: all (near) adults; four on the football field at 05:30 were all immatures
- 1 Cormorant, briefly
- 1 Grey Heron
Noted on / around the street lamp poles pre-dawn:
- 1 Bridge Orb-web Spider (Larinioides sclopetarius)
Noted later: cloudy, drizzly and breezy:
New for this year:
Plants:
- *Giant Hogweed (Heracleum mantegazzianum)
Repeat sightings:
Beetles:
- pollen beetles as usual.
Warblers noted (figures in brackets relate to singing birds):
- 9 (8) Chiffchaffs
- 1 (0) Sedge Warbler
- 5 (4) Reed Warblers
- 10 (9) Blackcaps
Counts from the lake area:
- 2 + 4 (1 brood) Mute Swans
- 15 (?♂) Mallard again
- 5 Moorhens
- 68 adult and juvenile Coots
- 8 Great Crested Grebes
- 1 Common Sandpiper
- 8 Black-headed Gulls: all adults; 10 on the football field at 05:30 comprised at least some additional birds
- 1 Herring Gull: adult, briefly
- 3 Lesser Black-backed Gull: all (near) adults; four on the football field at 05:30 were all immatures
- 1 Cormorant, briefly
- 1 Grey Heron
Noted on / around the street lamp poles pre-dawn:
- 1 Bridge Orb-web Spider (Larinioides sclopetarius)
Noted later: cloudy, drizzly and breezy:
New for this year:
Plants:
- *Giant Hogweed (Heracleum mantegazzianum)
Repeat sightings:
Beetles:
- pollen beetles as usual.
Snails / Slugs etc.
- White-lipped Snail (Cepaea hortensis)
- White-lipped Snail (Cepaea hortensis)
"One that got away". This is a flowering Giant Hogweed (Heracleum mantegazzianum). Most plants of this invasive species, whose sap causes very nasty skin burns, were dealt with many months ago. A few were missed and this is one of them.
(Ed Wilson)
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(150th visit of the year)
Bird notes:
- Several Canada Geese flew low across the water to access proffered food. One decided it could fly well-enough to leave.
- I suppose the missing Mallard were lurking inside the island. They cannot all be moulting and have lost their ability to fly as one was on the roof of one of the houses. I did manage to see the two fast-growing ducklings with their mother.
Birds noted flying over here:
None
Hirundines etc. noted:
None
Warblers noted (figures in brackets relate to singing birds):
- 7 (4) Chiffchaffs
- 3 (3) Blackcap
Noted on / around the water:
- 212 Canada Geese
- 1 Canada x Greylag Goose
- 76 Greylag Geese again
- 5 + 4 (1 brood) Mute Swans again
- 16 (?♂) + 2 (1 brood) Mallard
- 1 all-white duck (Aylesbury Duck)
- 14 (?♂) Tufted Duck
- 5 + 5 (4 broods) Moorhens
- ? + 11 (5 broods) Coots
- 2 Great Crested Grebes
Noted on / around the street lamp poles or elsewhere
- *1 Common European Earwig (Forficula auricularia)
- *1 Common Candy-striped Spider (Enoplognatha ovata)
- *1 Bridge Orb-web Spider (Larinioides sclopetarius)
- *1 Walnut Orb Weaver (Nuctenea umbratica)
Noted elsewhere:
- *Mugwort (Artemisia vulgaris)
- 7 (4) Chiffchaffs
- 3 (3) Blackcap
Noted on / around the water:
- 212 Canada Geese
- 1 Canada x Greylag Goose
- 76 Greylag Geese again
- 5 + 4 (1 brood) Mute Swans again
- 16 (?♂) + 2 (1 brood) Mallard
- 1 all-white duck (Aylesbury Duck)
- 14 (?♂) Tufted Duck
- 5 + 5 (4 broods) Moorhens
- ? + 11 (5 broods) Coots
- 2 Great Crested Grebes
Noted on / around the street lamp poles or elsewhere
- *1 Common European Earwig (Forficula auricularia)
- *1 Common Candy-striped Spider (Enoplognatha ovata)
- *1 Bridge Orb-web Spider (Larinioides sclopetarius)
- *1 Walnut Orb Weaver (Nuctenea umbratica)
Noted elsewhere:
- *Mugwort (Artemisia vulgaris)
(Ed Wilson)
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- Moorhen(s) heard only at the upper pool.
- One adult and four juvenile Moorhens at the lower pool.
(Ed Wilson)
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- Nothing of note
(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
2011
Priorslee Lake
Lesser Whitethroat
(John Isherwood)
2010
Priorslee Lake
2 Common Sandpipers
3 Common Terns
Kingfisher
50+ Swifts
(Ed Wilson)
2007
Priorslee Lake
1 drake Ruddy Duck
(Martin Adlam)