8.0°C > 11.0°C: A few scattered clouds early increased throughout with two very light passing showers. Fresh north-westerly wind. Very good visibility.
Sunrise: 05:14 BST
Priorslee Balancing Lake: 04:50 – 06:25 // 07:25 – 09:25
(98th visit of the year)
Bird notes:
- More Greylag Geese goslings lost since yesterday.
- In addition to the five Jackdaws seen over the lake a group of c.35 flew over me as I drove toward the lake from Donnington Wood. The roost dispersal obviously takes place before my arrival at the moment.
Birds noted flying over here:
- 2 Canada Geese: outbound together
- 1 (1♂) Tufted Duck
- 11 Wood Pigeons
- 9 Lesser Black-backed Gulls: together
- 5 Jackdaws: see also notes
- 1 Rook
Warblers noted (the number singing in brackets):
- 1 (1) Cetti's Warbler
- 2 (2) Willow Warblers
- 9 (9) Chiffchaffs
- 1 (1) Sedge Warbler
- 10 (10) Reed Warblers
- 13 (12) Blackcaps
- no Garden Warbler
- 1 (1) Common Whitethroat
Hirundines etc., noted:
- 8 Swifts
- 1 Barn Swallow
- 4 House Martins
Counts from the lake area:
- 4 + 4 (1 brood) Canada Geese: there are still four goslings after all; an extra pair visited
- 4 + 5 (1 brood) Greylag Geese: only one pair with surviving goslings
- 2 + 2 (1 brood) Mute Swans
- 7 (6♂) Mallard again
- 2 Moorhens
- 19 + 5 (2 broods) Coots
- 8 Great Crested Grebes
On the street lamp poles pre-dawn:
- 1 Clubiona sp. spider again, probably the same individual as seen yesterday.
Noted later: chilly and breezy conditions:
Damsel- / Dragon-flies
- Large Red Damselfly (Pyrrhosoma nymphula)
Bees / wasps etc.:
- Buff-tailed Bumblebee (Bombus terrestris)
- *ichneumon sp.
Other insects:
- *plumed midge
- *red-eyed fly with banded body, perhaps the root-maggot fly Eustalomyia festiva.
- *Yellow Dung Fly (Scathophaga stercoraria)
- Alder Leaf Beetle (Agelastica alni)
- *Nettle Weevil (Phyllobius pomaceus)
- Large Red Damselfly (Pyrrhosoma nymphula)
Bees / wasps etc.:
- Buff-tailed Bumblebee (Bombus terrestris)
- *ichneumon sp.
Other insects:
- *plumed midge
- *red-eyed fly with banded body, perhaps the root-maggot fly Eustalomyia festiva.
- *Yellow Dung Fly (Scathophaga stercoraria)
- Alder Leaf Beetle (Agelastica alni)
- *Nettle Weevil (Phyllobius pomaceus)
Also:
- *stretch spider Tetragnatha sp.
- *unidentified fungus sp.
- *stretch spider Tetragnatha sp.
- *unidentified fungus sp.
Not exactly an amazing sunrise but after the clouds of so many recent mornings I was happy to see this.
We'd better have another.
And another.
An unidentified ichneumon.
This red-eyed fly with the white around the eye differs from the one I noted last week in have a patterned grey body. It may be the root-maggot fly Eustalomyia festiva.
A Nettle Weevil (Phyllobius pomaceus)
I noted these fungus this morning. I know it has been wet but.... They look rather eaten.
(Ed Wilson)
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The Flash: 06:30 – 07:20
(90th visit of the year)
Bird notes:
- There were egg-shells around the pen Mute Swan on the nest. She was again spreading her wings as if she might be brooding cygnets
- I could not find any Gadwall but they could well be inside the island.
- A duck Mallard with at least two ducklings was seen only distantly and briefly.
Birds noted flying over here:
- 1 Jackdaw again
Warblers noted (the number singing in brackets):
- 5 (5) Chiffchaffs again
- 6 (6) Blackcaps
Hirundines etc., noted:
Bird notes:
- There were egg-shells around the pen Mute Swan on the nest. She was again spreading her wings as if she might be brooding cygnets
- I could not find any Gadwall but they could well be inside the island.
- A duck Mallard with at least two ducklings was seen only distantly and briefly.
Birds noted flying over here:
- 1 Jackdaw again
Warblers noted (the number singing in brackets):
- 5 (5) Chiffchaffs again
- 6 (6) Blackcaps
Hirundines etc., noted:
None
Noted on / around the water
- 12 Canada Geese
- 4 Greylag Goose
- *2 + 1 Mute Swans: ? cygnets
- 22 (17♂) + 2? (1 brood) Mallard
- 1 (1♂) all-white duck (Peking(?) Duck)
- 5 (3♂) Tufted Duck
- 6 Moorhens
- 22 + 5 (3 brood) Coots
- 3 Great Crested Grebes
- 1 Grey Heron: departed
On / around the street lamp poles:
Noted on / around the water
- 12 Canada Geese
- 4 Greylag Goose
- *2 + 1 Mute Swans: ? cygnets
- 22 (17♂) + 2? (1 brood) Mallard
- 1 (1♂) all-white duck (Peking(?) Duck)
- 5 (3♂) Tufted Duck
- 6 Moorhens
- 22 + 5 (3 brood) Coots
- 3 Great Crested Grebes
- 1 Grey Heron: departed
On / around the street lamp poles:
Nothing noted
Noted elsewhere:
- *Alder Leaf Beetle (Agelastica alni)
Noted elsewhere:
- *Alder Leaf Beetle (Agelastica alni)
A female Blackbird but what is she doing?
"I'm the king of the castle". A Jay surveys the scene.
Another generation of Alder Leaf Beetles (Agelastica alni) in the making.
(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
2006
Priorslee Lake
2 Ruddy Ducks
(Ed Wilson)
2012
Wrekin
Wood Warbler
3 Spotted Flycatchers
(Andy Latham)