9.0°C > 10.0°C: Yesterday was dull: today was duller! Initially calm with the low 'Telford hat' below a medium overcast. An increasing southerly breeze broke the low cloud briefly only for more general low cloud and the lightest of drizzle to replace it. Good visibility.
Sunrise: 06:52 BST
* = a species photographed today.
Priorslee Balancing Lake: 05:50 – 09:15
(74th visit of the year)
Bird notes:
- The Pheasant was again heard calling from the Ricoh copse.
- Chaffinch song was first noted on 19 February. Birds are still around (I saw three this morning) but strangely I have heard no song since 12 March.
Birds noted flying over here:
- 3 Feral Pigeons: a single and a duo
- 31 Wood Pigeons
- 1 Lesser Black-backed Gull: adult
That was all!
Warblers noted (the number singing in brackets):
- 1 (1) Cetti's Warbler
- 3 (3) Willow Warblers
- 15 (15) Chiffchaffs
- 1 (1) Blackcap
Hirundines etc., noted
- 1 Barn Swallow: flew through at 08:30
Counts from the lake area:
- 3 Canada Geese: a pair throughout; a third arrived and was soon chased off
- 2 + 4 Mute Swans
- 6 (5♂) Mallard
- 8 Moorhens
- 43 Coots
- 8 Great Crested Grebes
- 1 Lesser Black-backed Gull: adult, briefly
- 3 Cormorants: arrived together; all departed, two together; the third somewhat later
- 1 Grey Heron
Noted on the rather wet street lamp poles pre-dawn:
- *1 probable fungus gnat
- *1 springtail sp.
- *1 Common Green Shieldbug (Palomena prasina)
- *1 Clubiona sp. of spider
In the sailing club shelter pre-dawn
- *Bridge Orb-web Spiders (Larinioides sclopetarius)
- *stretch spiders Tetragnatha sp
In the Priorslee Avenue tunnel pre-dawn
- a few nondescript midges
On the wall of the sailing club HQ today.
Nothing was found
As good as it got this morning – and much better than it was for most of the time.
In the sailing club shelter pre-dawn there is an array of spiders none of which is visible once the day breaks. This is a Bridge Orb-web Spider (Larinioides sclopetarius). For once I persuaded the camera to focus on the spider and not its shadow on the wall.
Less well-marked but the same species. There were at least seven of these spiders.
Also present were two stretch spiders Tetragnatha sp. Here is one...
...and the other. This one has been in the wars and has lost one of its front legs.
(Ed Wilson)
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The Flash: 09:20 – 10:15
(68th visit of the year)
*As I commenced my walk-around I noted a Sand Martin circling over the water. It made two passes and departed North. This is a species I do not see here every year, only noting passage birds. The water body seems either too small or too enclosed to tempt arriving hirundines to spend time feeding low over the water as happens almost daily at the Balancing Lake. Bird species #64 for me here this year.
Other bird notes:
- *Now three Mute Swan eggs. As I explained to some of the interested locals the birds will not sit on the eggs full-time before the clutch is complete. Until then the eggs only need to be prevented from becoming chilled. The pen needs to continue to feed to produce the rest of the eggs and to build up her weight. She will probably not feed for the 28 days or so while she incubates the clutch, though the cob may bring some food for her. All the eggs need to develop at the same rate so that all the cygnets hatch at the same time.
- A Stock Dove was calling from trees near the Priorslee Academy.
- Three pair of Great Crested Grebes were noted with two of the pairs asleep. This is quite possibly the highest number of adults I have seen here.
- A Great Spotted Woodpecker was heard calling from trees near The Priorslee.
Birds noted flying over here:
- 3 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
Warblers noted (the number singing in brackets):
- 3 (3) Willow Warblers
- 9 (9) Chiffchaffs
- 1 (1) Blackcap
Hirundines etc., noted
- *1 Sand Martin
Noted on / around the water
- 19 Canada Geese
- 12 Greylag Geese
- 2 + 1 Mute Swans: also *three eggs
- 26 (21♂) Mallard: no duckling seen
- 1 all-white duck (Peking(?) Duck)
- 38 (27♂) Tufted Duck
- 7 Moorhens only
- 25 Coots
- 6 Great Crested Grebes
- 1 Cormorant
On / around the street lamp poles
Nothing noted
Of interest elsewhere:
- A bumblebee seen. It was flying around low to the ground, likely a queen looking for a nest site. I was unable to determine which species.
I think this is called 'splash-down'. A Greylag Goose arrives.
The breast-band is more obvious here as is the white throat extending on to the side of the neck.
Yummy. A male Bullfinch eating buds.
"Mummy will be proud to see me eating my greens".
(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
2 Little Grebes
3 Great Crested Grebes
4 Cormorants
1 Grey Heron
31 Tufted Duck
3 Redwings
5 Sand Martins
7 Chiffchaffs
1 Willow Warbler
(Ed Wilson)
The Flash
2 Great Crested Grebes
1 Cackling Goose
2 Common Teal
49 Tufted Ducks
3 Great Spotted Woodpeckers
4 Chiffchaffs
(Ed Wilson)
Trench Lock Pool
3 Great Crested Grebes
17 Tufted Ducks
1 Blackcap
2 Chiffchaffs
(Ed Wilson)
Trench Middle Pool
3 Tufted Duck
3 Chiffchaffs
(Ed Wilson)
2013
Priorslee Lake
2 Gadwall
7 Wigeon
Iceland Gull
(John Isherwood and et al)
The Flash
1 Shoveler
2 Pochard
(John Isherwood)
Horsehay Pool
2 Mandarin Ducks
(Paul Spear)
2012
Priorslee Lake
3 Great Crested Grebes
16 Tufted Duck
2 Blackcaps
12 Chiffchaffs
(Ed Wilson)
The Flash
4 Great Crested Grebes
47 Tufted Duck
1 Blackcap
5 Chiffchaffs
(Ed Wilson)
Nedge Hill
2 Red-legged Partridges
(Ed Wilson)
2008
Priorslee Lake
Oystercatcher
Blackcap
5 Chiffchaffs
Sand Martins
7 Gadwall
(Ed Wilson, John Isherwood)
Nedge Hill
2 Wheatear
6 Sky Larks
1 Fieldfare
3 Redwings
Lapwing
Green Woodpecker
14 Linnets.
(Ed Wilson)
2006
Priorslee Lake
Barn Owl
25 Sand Martins
3 Chiffchaffs
1 Willow Warbler
47 Redwings
4 Meadow Pipits
12 Tufted Duck
4 Jays
433 Wood Pigeons
(Ed Wilson)