6.0°C > 9.0°C: Mainly clear: rather hazy with some very thin high cloud developing. Light ESE breeze. Very good visibility.
Sunrise: 06:22 BST
A few photos from today (*)
Priorslee Balancing Lake: 05:20 – 06:40 // 07:45 – 09:20
(84th visit of the year)
Bird notes:
- A Common Sandpiper seen again. Too many dog-walkers kept it on the move and I was unable to tell whether it was possibly the bird ringed on the Scottish Borders that passed through last Spring.
- Early clear skies allowed me to see many more Jackdaws passing to the East on roost dispersal, all before 06:00. No Rooks noted with them or later.
Birds noted flying over here:
- 3 Canada Geese: trio inbound
- 7 Greylag Geese: more or less together inbound
- 11 Wood Pigeons
- 1 Collared Dove
- 1 Lesser Black-backed Gull: immature
- 2 Cormorants: together
- 163 Jackdaws: gulp
Warblers noted (the number singing in brackets):
- 1 (1) Cetti's Warbler
- 6 (6) Willow Warblers
- *19 (14) Chiffchaffs
- no Reed Warblers again
- 8 (6) Blackcaps
Hirundines etc., noted:
- 1 Sand Martin: briefly 08:45
- 2 Barn Swallows: singles at 07:40 and 08:40
- 1 House Martins: briefly at 08:45 with the Sand Martin
Counts from the lake area:
- 6 Canada Geese: as yesterday – the resident pair and two pairs arriving and being chased away
- 2 + 4 Mute Swans
- 4 (3♂) Mallard
- 6 Moorhens again
- 37 Coots
- 6 Great Crested Grebes
- 1 Common Sandpiper
- 1 Cormorant: arrived
Noted on the street lamp poles pre-dawn:
- *2 midges without plumed antennae
- *1 male spider
On the walls of the sailing club HQ:
Nothing noted
Noted in the Priorslee Avenue tunnel:
- 11 midges of at least three species
Noted later:
- *male Tapered Dronefly (Eristalis pertinax)
A clear if somewhat hazy start to the day. Soon went downhill.
A Chiffchaff keeping an eye on me.
Yes: I am still here. The legs do not look dark here: probably the angle of the sunlight?
The only other thing I noted on the street lamp poles pre-dawn was this male ('boxing gloves' palps) spider.
The Flash: 06:50 – 07:35
(77th visit of the year)
Bird notes:
- I noted the Canada Goose with the 'angel wing' deformity clambering on to the island. It is many weeks since I last noted it. Since it clearly cannot fly where has it been?
- The Shoveler trio still here, all together
- The drake Gadwall was seen and heard at both ends of the water but seemed to have gone later.
- A Great Spotted Woodpecker was drumming and calling at the top end only.
- No idea why fewer Chiffchaffs were noted.
Birds noted flying over here:
(Ed Wilson)
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The Flash: 06:50 – 07:35
(77th visit of the year)
Bird notes:
- I noted the Canada Goose with the 'angel wing' deformity clambering on to the island. It is many weeks since I last noted it. Since it clearly cannot fly where has it been?
- The Shoveler trio still here, all together
- The drake Gadwall was seen and heard at both ends of the water but seemed to have gone later.
- A Great Spotted Woodpecker was drumming and calling at the top end only.
- No idea why fewer Chiffchaffs were noted.
Birds noted flying over here:
None
Warblers noted (the number singing in brackets):
- 8 (8) Willow Warblers
- 5 (4) Chiffchaffs
- 3 (2) Blackcaps
Hirundines etc., noted
Warblers noted (the number singing in brackets):
- 8 (8) Willow Warblers
- 5 (4) Chiffchaffs
- 3 (2) Blackcaps
Hirundines etc., noted
None
Noted on / around the water
- 33 Canada Geese
- 3 Greylag Geese
- 2 + 1 Mute Swans: ? eggs
- *3 (2♂) Shoveler
- 1 (1♂) Gadwall
- 16 (13♂) Mallard
- 1 (1♂) all-white duck (Peking(?) Duck)
- *8 (7♂) Tufted Duck
- 9 Moorhens
- 24 Coots
- 1 Great Crested Grebe only again
- no Cormorants
Noted on / around the street lamp poles
- 1 midge without plumes
Elsewhere:
Noted on / around the water
- 33 Canada Geese
- 3 Greylag Geese
- 2 + 1 Mute Swans: ? eggs
- *3 (2♂) Shoveler
- 1 (1♂) Gadwall
- 16 (13♂) Mallard
- 1 (1♂) all-white duck (Peking(?) Duck)
- *8 (7♂) Tufted Duck
- 9 Moorhens
- 24 Coots
- 1 Great Crested Grebe only again
- no Cormorants
Noted on / around the street lamp poles
- 1 midge without plumes
Elsewhere:
Nothing of interest
They have to come up for air occasionally!
Rather few Tufted Duck remain. Here are all eight with seven of them being drakes.
(Ed Wilson)
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On this day can be found via the yearly links in the right-hand column.
2014
Priorslee Lake
3 Great Crested Grebes
1 Cormorant
3 Grey Herons
2 Greylag Geese
4 Tufted Duck
1 Common Sandpiper
>6 Sand Martins
1 Grasshopper Warbler
7 Blackcaps
7 Chiffchaffs
2 Willow Warblers
(Ed Wilson)
The Flash
4 Greylag Goose
1 Cackling-type Goose
24 Tufted Ducks
3 Sand Martins
3 Blackcap
3 Chiffchaffs
4 Willow Warbler
(Ed Wilson)
Trench Lock Pool
4 Great Crested Grebes
1 Greylag Geese
22 Tufted Ducks
3 Blackcaps
2 Chiffchaffs
(Ed Wilson)
Trench Middle Pool
12 Greylag Geese
4 Tufted Duck
2 Blackcap
3 Chiffchaffs
2 Willow Warblers
(Ed Wilson)
2013
Priorslee Lake
12 Swallow, House Martin & Sand Martin.
2 Little Ringed Plover
2 Common Sandpiper
2 Willow Warbler
(Arthur Harper, Ian Grant and John Isherwood)
The Flash
Cackling Canada Goose
4 Sand Martins
2 Shoveler
(John Isherwood, Martin Grant)
Trench Middle Pool
House Martin
4 Sand Martin
2 Chiffchaffs
(Martin Grant)
Trench Lock Pool
12 Sand Martins
(Martin Grant)
2008
Priorslee Lake
4 Gadwall
80+ Hirundines
1 House Martin
(John Isherwood)
Nedge Hill
10 Wheatear
(John Isherwood)
2007
Priorslee Lake
4 Tufted Duck
1 Ruddy Duck
1 Buzzard
2 Blackcap
3 Chiffchaff
3 Linnet
2 Reed Bunting
(Martin Adlam)
Priorslee Village
Willow Warbler
Chiffchaff
(Martin Adlam)
Nedge Hill
1 Mallard
1 Buzzard
2 Red-legged Partridge
1 Great Spotted Woodpecker
8 Skylark
3 Meadow Pipit
1 Fieldfare
1 Blackcap
2 Willow Warbler
2 Chiffchaff
4 Linnet
(Martin Adlam)
2006
Priorslee Lake
5 Great Crested Grebes
1 Heron
4 Tufted Ducks
2 Ruddy Ducks
2 Stock Doves
90 Wood Pigeons
2 Kestrels
1 Skylark
1 Meadow Pipit
4 Grey Wagtails
6 Pied Wagtails
2 House Martin
24 Wrens
15 Robins
24 Blackbirds
1 Wheatear
4 Blackcaps
5 Chiffchaffs
2 Willow Warblers
13 Greenfinches
3 Siskins
2 Linnets
7 Reed Buntings
(Ed Wilson)