0.0°C > 2.0°C: A red-sky at dawn with barely broken high level clouds. Mist over the water. Cloud lowered and thickened with rain between c.09:30 and c.09:50. Then brighter with sunny spells. A calm start with increasing southerly breeze to clear the mist. Moderate visibility, good later.
Sunrise: 07:02 GMT
* = a species photographed today
Priorslee Balancing Lake: 06:00 – 09:30
(43rd visit of the year)
Bird notes:
- both resident Mute Swan cygnets were initially seen put to flight by the adults. They were then forced on to the south-west grass with the adults not letting them back in the water. One later escaped its confinement and flew around and I lost sight of it. A third adult visited briefly.
- most of the Tufted Duck left when two presumed trespassers appeared on inflatables.
- very few Jackdaws and Rooks again.
- the Cetti's Warbler seemed to make a complete anti-clockwise circumnavigation of the lake, singing all the while.
- it always happens: after my comment yesterday about lack of Mistle Thrush song recently a pair were in the North side wooded area with one singing and one calling.
- a Bullfinch was heard giving its quiet and unobtrusive song.
- at least 50 Siskins were flying over and around again.
Counts of birds noted flying over:
- *30 Canada Geese: 28 outbound in six groups; a pair inbound
- 2 Feral Pigeons: together
- 2 Stock Doves: together
- 15 Wood Pigeons
- 7 Black-headed Gulls
- 7 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
- 11 Jackdaws
- 4 Rooks
- 11 Starlings: two small groups
Counts from the lake area:
- *3 + 2 Mute Swans: see notes
- no Canada Geese
- 9 (6♂) Mallard
- *23 (15♂) Tufted Duck: but see notes
- 7 Moorhens
- 40 Coots
- 2 Great Crested Grebes
- 67 Black-headed Gulls
- 2 Cormorants: arrived separately
Noted on or around the street lamp poles pre-dawn:
All frosted with nothing seen
Noted later:
- *flowers of Early Dog-violet Viola reichenbachiana
A brief gap in the high overcast gave me a chance to photograph the now clearly waning Snow Moon.
Very early as the mist hung over the water. The resident adult Mute Swans are asleep in the foreground.
Definitely "red sky in the morning". Traces of the mist are still visible.
The red tones went further: here tingeing the sky to the West. Frosted grass shows in the foreground.
Canada Geese rarely pass quietly. Two make that point.
Our two Mute Swan cygnets were forced on to the grass by the adults.
This visiting adult Mute Swan was not allowed to stay long.
Full wing-span as it powers away.
Not to be outdone one of our cygnets shows its wing-span as it evades its chasing parent.
Nine Tufted Duck leaving, probably for The Flash and put up by...
... the appearance of these two individuals on the lake. The lake is a private water with only the sailing club and other authorised organisations allowed access. And then only with proper safety protocols in place.
Butter wouldn't melt in its mouth. A Long-tailed Tit gathering lichen to line its nest. It seems that warmer winters are encouraging birds to nest earlier. The dates of the moratorium on hedge cutting may need to be revised.
This I believe to be an Early Dog-violet Viola reichenbachiana
Aircraft of the day. It is an Agusta A109E Power built in 2005. The registration is painted on the cowling below the rotor head and not visible here. Flight Trackers identified it as G-GDSG which is registered to Pendley Aviation LLP. with an address at Luton Airport. It is most likely hangered at the nearby Denham Airfield which is where it was flying from today.
The Flash: 09:35– 10:30
(Ed Wilson)
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The Flash: 09:35– 10:30
(45th visit of the year)
A man, apparently under contract to the council. was strimming vegetation at the bottom end. He told me that it was "something to do with flood prevention". He agreed it was hard to see how his task was related to flooding. It is no wonder that the UK is one of the most nature-depleted countries in the world.
Bird notes:
- some of the increase in Tufted Duck number due to birds escaping the inflatables on the Balancing Lake.
- *at least 50 Siskins flying around.
Bird(s) noted flying over here:
- *1 Grey Heron
Noted on / around the water:
- 19 Canada Geese
- 2 + 4 Mute Swans
- *2 (1♂) Gadwall
- 21 (14♂) Mallard
- 1 (1♂) all-white feral duck
- 71 (44♂) Tufted Duck
- 11 Moorhens
- 41 Coots
- no Great Crested Grebe
- 2 Black-headed Gulls
- 1 Lesser Black-backed Gull
Of note.
Nothing else
Still here: the drake...
...and duck Gadwall.
Another ground shot of a Collared Dove.
I have been trying for a flight shot for ages but they take off at such speed it is difficult to catch them.
You can still sing with a muddy bill as this Song Thrush demonstrates.
(Ed Wilson)
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Sightings from previous years
2014
Little Wenlock, Candles Landfill Site
2 Iceland Gulls
1 Caspian Gull
(Observer Unknown)
2013
Priorslee Lake
6 Great Crested Grebes
1 Greater Scaup
26 Wigeon
4 Gadwall
33 Tufted Ducks
84 Coots
c.800 Black-headed Gulls
c.450 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
c.60 Herring Gulls
1 Great Black-backed Gull
(Ed Wilson)
Horsehay Pool
1 Glaucous Gull
(J W Reeves )
2012
Priorslee Lake
4 Great Crested Grebes
1 Shelduck
4 Pochard
30 Tufted Duck
35 Robins
24 Wrens
15 Dunnocks
(Ed Wilson)
Priorslee Flash
3 Great Crested Grebes
9 Pochard
53 Tufted Duck
(Ed Wilson)
2010
Priorslee Lake
1 Little Grebe
6 Great Crested Grebes
1 Heron
4 Gadwall
35 Pochard
51 Tufted Ducks
1 Water Rail
103 Coots
c.700 Black-headed Gulls
c.225 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
27 Herring Gulls
Common Gull
Great Black-backed Gull
2 Willow Tit
124 Jackdaws
86 Rooks
1 Linnet
14 Siskins
2 Reed Bunting
(Ed Wilson)
2009
Priorslee Lake
1 Glaucous Gull
1 Iceland Gull
(Ed Wilson)
2007
Priorslee Lake
4 Pochard
19 Tufted Duck
1 Ruddy Duck
600 Black-headed Gulls
100 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
1 Herring Gull
1 Great Black-backed Gull
36 Wren
28 Robin
7 Redwing
20 Magpie
134 Jackdaw
8 Greenfinch
4 Reed Bunting
(Ed Wilson, Martin Adlam)
2006
Priorslee Lake
6 Great Crested Grebes
1 Heron
2 Cormorant
2 Gadwall
7 Pochard
42 Tufted Ducks
110 Coots
150 Starlings
23 Pied Wagtails
21 Wrens
15 Robins
17 Blackbirds
2 Redwings
1 Willow Tit
16 Greenfinches
38 Siskins
1 Redpoll
4 Reed Buntings
(Ed Wilson)