6.0°C > 11.0°C: Areas of medium / high cloud giving one of the best sunrises of the year. Light and variable wind. Very good visibility.
Sunrise: 07:14 BST
* = a photo from today. Apologies that camera problems this morning mean most photos are slightly out of focus.
Priorslee Lake: 05:45 – 09:21
Priorslee Lake: 05:45 – 09:21
(213th visit of the year)
Bird notes:
- The four Mute Swan cygnets managed a full circuit of the lake this morning, making the turn with ease.
- Two duck Eurasian Wigeon have joined the two drake birds that have been here on and off for a while.
- Probably two Tawny Owls were heard at c.06:00, both the North side of the Priorslee Avenue tunnel.
- Despite numerous counts I could not find more than 16 Great Crested Grebes.
- The largest number of large gulls flew in after 08:00, mostly adult Lesser Black-backed Gulls. Also two adult and two immature Herring Gulls and one adult and one immature Yellow-legged Gull.
- I heard one of the calling Sky Larks, looked up and glimpsed a lone House Martin flying South.
- So where have the Chiffchaffs gone? It was a clear and moonlight night and birds are known to use the stars to navigate during migration so perhaps they have flown off. There was one still at The Flash later.
- There seems to be the start of a Pied Wagtail roost in the area. I heard the first birds calling overhead c.06:15 when it was still much too dark to see them. Others heard later, mainly too high for me to see them.
Birds noted flying over here:
- 2 Canada Geese: outbound together
- 2 Feral Pigeons: singles
- 1 Stock Dove
- 77 Wood Pigeons
- 4 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
- 10 unidentified large gulls: pre-dawn
- 19 Jackdaws
- 143 Rooks
- 9 Starlings: together
- 4 Skylarks
- 2 Meadow Pipits
- 8 Pied Wagtails: see notes
Hirundines etc. noted:
- 1 House Martin
Warblers noted:
- 1 Cetti's Warbler: in song along the North side
- no Chiffchaffs, surprisingly
Counts from the lake area:
- 2 Canada Geese: flew in
- *2 + 4 (1 brood) Mute Swans
- 3 (2♂) Gadwall
- 4 (2♂) Eurasian Wigeon
- 11 (7♂) Mallard
- 9 (2♂?) Tufted Duck
- 9 Moorhens
- 183 Coots
- 1 Little Grebe
- *16 Great Crested Grebes only
- c.120 Black-headed Gulls: of these 87 were on the football field c.07:15
- 4 Herring Gulls
- 2 Yellow-legged Gulls
- 81 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
- 5 unidentified large gulls: pre-dawn
- 1 Cormorant
- 1 Kingfisher
Noted on / around dew-covered street lamp poles pre-dawn:
- 1 midge sp.
- 1 aphid sp.
- 1 Clubiona sp. spider
- *1 Nursery Web Spider (Pisaura mirabilis)
Noted later:
- Grey Squirrel
Bird notes:
- The four Mute Swan cygnets managed a full circuit of the lake this morning, making the turn with ease.
- Two duck Eurasian Wigeon have joined the two drake birds that have been here on and off for a while.
- Probably two Tawny Owls were heard at c.06:00, both the North side of the Priorslee Avenue tunnel.
- Despite numerous counts I could not find more than 16 Great Crested Grebes.
- The largest number of large gulls flew in after 08:00, mostly adult Lesser Black-backed Gulls. Also two adult and two immature Herring Gulls and one adult and one immature Yellow-legged Gull.
- I heard one of the calling Sky Larks, looked up and glimpsed a lone House Martin flying South.
- So where have the Chiffchaffs gone? It was a clear and moonlight night and birds are known to use the stars to navigate during migration so perhaps they have flown off. There was one still at The Flash later.
- There seems to be the start of a Pied Wagtail roost in the area. I heard the first birds calling overhead c.06:15 when it was still much too dark to see them. Others heard later, mainly too high for me to see them.
Birds noted flying over here:
- 2 Canada Geese: outbound together
- 2 Feral Pigeons: singles
- 1 Stock Dove
- 77 Wood Pigeons
- 4 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
- 10 unidentified large gulls: pre-dawn
- 19 Jackdaws
- 143 Rooks
- 9 Starlings: together
- 4 Skylarks
- 2 Meadow Pipits
- 8 Pied Wagtails: see notes
Hirundines etc. noted:
- 1 House Martin
Warblers noted:
- 1 Cetti's Warbler: in song along the North side
- no Chiffchaffs, surprisingly
Counts from the lake area:
- 2 Canada Geese: flew in
- *2 + 4 (1 brood) Mute Swans
- 3 (2♂) Gadwall
- 4 (2♂) Eurasian Wigeon
- 11 (7♂) Mallard
- 9 (2♂?) Tufted Duck
- 9 Moorhens
- 183 Coots
- 1 Little Grebe
- *16 Great Crested Grebes only
- c.120 Black-headed Gulls: of these 87 were on the football field c.07:15
- 4 Herring Gulls
- 2 Yellow-legged Gulls
- 81 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
- 5 unidentified large gulls: pre-dawn
- 1 Cormorant
- 1 Kingfisher
Noted on / around dew-covered street lamp poles pre-dawn:
- 1 midge sp.
- 1 aphid sp.
- 1 Clubiona sp. spider
- *1 Nursery Web Spider (Pisaura mirabilis)
Noted later:
- Grey Squirrel
It was one of the best sunrises of the year.
I make no apologies for including a number of photos as it progressed.
Eventually colouring a good proportion of the sky.
Again
The long view across the lake.
One of the adult Great Crested Grebes has caught a sizeable fish.
It spent some while diving and recapturing its prey until it was positioned...
...such that the juvenile could grab it head-first...
...and gulp it down.
A species of spider I find relatively easy to identify is Nursery Web Spider (Pisaura mirabilis). It has a unique head-shape and the pale line down the metathorax is also distinctive.
(Ed Wilson)
The Flash: 09:24– 10:15
(Ed Wilson)
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The Flash: 09:24– 10:15
(206th visit of the year)
Bird notes:
- Two of the Greylag Geese arrived with a group of nine Canada Geese. The other Greylag arrived with a single Canada Goose: perhaps paired?
- I could not relocate yesterday's Little Grebe.
- Only two Great Crested Grebes seen: a full adult was noted feeding a juvenile.
Birds noted flying over here:
- 4 Skylarks
Warblers noted:
- 1 Chiffchaff: no song again
Noted on / around the water
- 35 Canada Geese: 14 of these arrived
- 3 Greylag Geese: all arrived
- 2 + 4 (1 brood) Mute Swans
- 32 (22♂) Mallard
- 1 (1♂) all-white duck (Aylesbury Duck)
- 8 (5?♂) Tufted Duck
- *14 Moorhens
- 26 Coots
- 2 Great Crested Grebes: see notes
- 14 Black-headed Gulls: six first winter birds
- 6 Cormorants
- 3 Grey Herons
On / around the street lamp poles:
Bird notes:
- Two of the Greylag Geese arrived with a group of nine Canada Geese. The other Greylag arrived with a single Canada Goose: perhaps paired?
- I could not relocate yesterday's Little Grebe.
- Only two Great Crested Grebes seen: a full adult was noted feeding a juvenile.
Birds noted flying over here:
- 4 Skylarks
Warblers noted:
- 1 Chiffchaff: no song again
Noted on / around the water
- 35 Canada Geese: 14 of these arrived
- 3 Greylag Geese: all arrived
- 2 + 4 (1 brood) Mute Swans
- 32 (22♂) Mallard
- 1 (1♂) all-white duck (Aylesbury Duck)
- 8 (5?♂) Tufted Duck
- *14 Moorhens
- 26 Coots
- 2 Great Crested Grebes: see notes
- 14 Black-headed Gulls: six first winter birds
- 6 Cormorants
- 3 Grey Herons
On / around the street lamp poles:
Nothing noted
Noted later:
- Buff-tailed Bumblebee (Bombus terrestris)
Noted later:
- Buff-tailed Bumblebee (Bombus terrestris)
The juvenile seems quite able to feed for itself.
(Ed Wilson)
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In the Priorslee Avenue tunnel:
- 11 owl midges Psychodidae sp.: many of these seemed to be smaller than usual
- 14 other midges of various sizes
- 1 Common Rough Woodlouse (Porcellio scaber)
(Ed Wilson)
Sightings from previous years without links are below
- 14 other midges of various sizes
- 1 Common Rough Woodlouse (Porcellio scaber)
(Ed Wilson)
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On this day can be found via the yearly links in the right-hand column.
2011
Nedge Hill
1 Wheatear
50+ Meadow Pipits
2 House Martin
(John Isherwood)
2006
Priorslee Lake
29 Golden Plover
House Martin
1 Chiffchaff
(Ed Wilson)