8.0°C > 12.0°C: Another mostly clear to start. It stayed clear to the East with variable medium-level cloud below a high overcast to the West and overhead. Fresh south-easterly breeze. Very good visibility.
Sunrise: 05:39 BST
* = a species photographed today
Quite a day today with numerous highlights:
- best was two Whimbrel that flew south-west together over Teece Drive at 07:25. My only other record of this species in the area was of a single bird heard calling overhead on 26 April 2019.
- my second Common Sandpiper of the year at The Flash. Surprisingly I did not note any at the Balancing Lake.
- no fewer than seven singing Sedge Warblers: six at the Balancing Lake, all along the South side where several were almost shoulder-to-shoulder. Also one at The Flash in water-side vegetation between the two footbridges.
- a second Lesser Whitethroat record at the lake with one singing in the Ricoh hedge both at 05:30 and 09:30 (and probably in between).
Frustratingly I was not able to get photos of any of these!
Priorslee Balancing Lake: 05:20 – 06:20 // 07:20 – 09:50
* = a species photographed today
Quite a day today with numerous highlights:
- best was two Whimbrel that flew south-west together over Teece Drive at 07:25. My only other record of this species in the area was of a single bird heard calling overhead on 26 April 2019.
- my second Common Sandpiper of the year at The Flash. Surprisingly I did not note any at the Balancing Lake.
- no fewer than seven singing Sedge Warblers: six at the Balancing Lake, all along the South side where several were almost shoulder-to-shoulder. Also one at The Flash in water-side vegetation between the two footbridges.
- a second Lesser Whitethroat record at the lake with one singing in the Ricoh hedge both at 05:30 and 09:30 (and probably in between).
Frustratingly I was not able to get photos of any of these!
Priorslee Balancing Lake: 05:20 – 06:20 // 07:20 – 09:50
(95th visit of the year)
New Bird Species
The Whimbrel as highlighted is my 90th bird species here this year.
Other bird notes:
- still seven Greylag Goose goslings despite two Carrion Crows hanging around. The adults did not seen particularly concerned.
- after confirming just two Great Crested Grebes yesterday I noted seven on the surface at one time today.
- a Kestrel flew West at 05:40 and soon after was seen hovering over the Ricoh grounds. Possibly the same bird flew East at 08:50. The number of recent sightings suggests that this declining species is once again nesting locally.
- Starlings are now ferrying food from the playing fields toward the estate. I have not heard begging juveniles so I assume they are feeding egg-sitting partners.
- the only Common Whitethroat to have set up a territory was singing as usual until at least 07:30. I did not hear him later.
- as they do every year during late Spring and early Summer the House Sparrows from the estate are venturing around the lake area. Today one reached as far as the dam. I have never proven that they have nested around the lake.
- after weeks (months) of almost no records a Nuthatch has been calling loudly from the Ricoh copse for the last two mornings.
Counts of birds noted flying over:
- 7 Canada Geese: a pair outbound and a quintet inbound
- 6 Greylag Geese: four flew South together and a pair inbound
- 8 Wood Pigeons
- 2 Herring Gulls
- 14 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
- 5 Cormorants: a single and two duos
- 5 Jackdaws
Hirundines etc. noted:
- 3 Swifts
- 10 Sand Martins
- 4 Barn Swallows
- 8 House Martins
Warblers noted (the figure in brackets relates to birds heard singing):
An almost full-house of species: just Grasshopper Warbler missing
- 1 (1) Cetti's Warbler
- 14 (11) Chiffchaffs
- 6 (6) Sedge Warblers
- 7 (7) Reed Warblers
- 17 (12) Blackcaps
- 1 (1) Garden Warbler
- 1 (1) Lesser Whitethroat
- 1 (1) Common Whitethroat
'nominal' warbler:
- 1 (1) Goldcrests
Counts from the lake area:
- 4 Canada Geese: the resident pair throughout: a pair visited and stayed on the dam top
- 2 + 7 (1 brood) Greylag Geese
- 2 Mute Swans
- 3 (2♂) Mallard: also 1 (1♂) on the lower pool
- no Tufted Duck
- 3 Moorhens
- 12 Coots only
- 7 Great Crested Grebes
On the street lamps poles pre-dawn:
New Bird Species
The Whimbrel as highlighted is my 90th bird species here this year.
Other bird notes:
- still seven Greylag Goose goslings despite two Carrion Crows hanging around. The adults did not seen particularly concerned.
- after confirming just two Great Crested Grebes yesterday I noted seven on the surface at one time today.
- a Kestrel flew West at 05:40 and soon after was seen hovering over the Ricoh grounds. Possibly the same bird flew East at 08:50. The number of recent sightings suggests that this declining species is once again nesting locally.
- Starlings are now ferrying food from the playing fields toward the estate. I have not heard begging juveniles so I assume they are feeding egg-sitting partners.
- the only Common Whitethroat to have set up a territory was singing as usual until at least 07:30. I did not hear him later.
- as they do every year during late Spring and early Summer the House Sparrows from the estate are venturing around the lake area. Today one reached as far as the dam. I have never proven that they have nested around the lake.
- after weeks (months) of almost no records a Nuthatch has been calling loudly from the Ricoh copse for the last two mornings.
Counts of birds noted flying over:
- 7 Canada Geese: a pair outbound and a quintet inbound
- 6 Greylag Geese: four flew South together and a pair inbound
- 8 Wood Pigeons
- 2 Herring Gulls
- 14 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
- 5 Cormorants: a single and two duos
- 5 Jackdaws
Hirundines etc. noted:
- 3 Swifts
- 10 Sand Martins
- 4 Barn Swallows
- 8 House Martins
Warblers noted (the figure in brackets relates to birds heard singing):
An almost full-house of species: just Grasshopper Warbler missing
- 1 (1) Cetti's Warbler
- 14 (11) Chiffchaffs
- 6 (6) Sedge Warblers
- 7 (7) Reed Warblers
- 17 (12) Blackcaps
- 1 (1) Garden Warbler
- 1 (1) Lesser Whitethroat
- 1 (1) Common Whitethroat
'nominal' warbler:
- 1 (1) Goldcrests
Counts from the lake area:
- 4 Canada Geese: the resident pair throughout: a pair visited and stayed on the dam top
- 2 + 7 (1 brood) Greylag Geese
- 2 Mute Swans
- 3 (2♂) Mallard: also 1 (1♂) on the lower pool
- no Tufted Duck
- 3 Moorhens
- 12 Coots only
- 7 Great Crested Grebes
On the street lamps poles pre-dawn:
Nothing at all seen
Noted later:
Noted later:
The sun was not out and a brisk wind again:
Hoverflies:
- "Buttercup" Hoverfly Cheilosia albitarsis/ranunculi agg.
- Short Melanostoma Melanostoma mellinum aka Variable Duskyface
- "Buttercup" Hoverfly Cheilosia albitarsis/ranunculi agg.
- Short Melanostoma Melanostoma mellinum aka Variable Duskyface
Other flies:
- plumed midges
- Alder Fly Sialis lutaria
- a 'greenbottle', perhaps Eudasyphora cyanella
- at least five other species of fly
- plumed midges
- Alder Fly Sialis lutaria
- a 'greenbottle', perhaps Eudasyphora cyanella
- at least five other species of fly
Beetles:
- Alder Leaf Beetle Agelastica alni
- 24 Spot Ladybird Subcoccinella vigintiquattuorpunctata
- Alder Leaf Beetle Agelastica alni
- 24 Spot Ladybird Subcoccinella vigintiquattuorpunctata
A couple of photos of a sunrise for which it was worth getting up.
A different view. As so often it was all downhill for the next few hours.
The family party of Greylag Geese seem happy on the dam-top.
All seven goslings gathered together.
And again. With the tail more or less closed the missing feather(s) are less obvious.
A female Short Melanostoma hoverfly Melanostoma mellinum aka Variable Duskyface. Many females are all-dark (melanistic): not this one.
I said Obsidentify is not good at flies. It was 100% sure this was a Common Cranefly. I am 100% sure it isn't. But what it is I have no idea.
I wonder whether this is the same species of fly?
(Ed Wilson)
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In the Priorslee Avenue tunnel:
Flies:
- various midges
- various midges
Arthropods:
- 1 White-legged Snake Millipede Tachypodoiulus niger
(Ed Wilson)
The Flash: 06:25 – 07:15
- 1 White-legged Snake Millipede Tachypodoiulus niger
(Ed Wilson)
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
(98th visit of the year)
New Bird Species
The Sedge Warbler as highlighted is my 65th bird species here this year. I record this species on passage most years.
Other bird notes:
- big reduction in Tufted Duck numbers recently (none today at the Balancing Lake)
- only juvenile Coot seems extant from the first-noted brood. The second noted brood not seen.
- now only one Willow Warbler singing here. It has been singing strongly in the same place for several days as if it has set up a territory.
Bird(s) noted flying over here:
- 1 Jackdaw
Warblers noted (the figure in brackets relates to birds heard singing):
- 1 (1) Willow Warbler
- 6 (6) Chiffchaffs
- 1 (1) Sedge Warbler
- 6 (4) Blackcaps
'nominal' warbler:
- 1 (1) Goldcrest
Noted on / around the water:
- 22 Canada Geese
- no Greylag Geese
- 5 Mute Swans
- 13 (10♂) Mallard
- 4 (2♂) Tufted Duck
- 6 Moorhens
- 19 + 1 (1 brood) Coots
- 2 Great Crested Grebes
- 1 Common Sandpiper
Noted elsewhere around The Flash on different lamp poles:
Moths:
- all gone! The street lamp was getting the full force of the breeze
- all gone! The street lamp was getting the full force of the breeze
Beetles:
- Alder Leaf Beetle Agelastica alni
- Alder Leaf Beetle Agelastica alni
Would you believe a Common Sandpiper in flight? The best I could do.
(Ed Wilson)
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Sightings from previous years
2013
Priorslee Lake
1 Common Sandpiper
2 Raven
2 Reed Warbler
(John Isherwood)
Nedge Hill
1 Whinchat
1 Yellow Wagtail
1 White Wagtail
2 Common Redstart
40 Wheatear
(John Isherwood)
Long Lane, Wellington
3 Whimbrel
(JW Reeves)
2012
Priorslee Lake
1 Lesser Whitethroat
1 Reed Warbler
(John Isherwood)
Nedge Hill
1 Common Redstart
15 Wheatear
1 Lesser Whitethroat
2 Raven
(John Isherwood)
The Wrekin
2 Pied Flycatchers
Common Redstart
(Observer Unknown)
2009
Priorslee Lake
Hobby
2 Red-legged Partridge
Lesser Whitethroat
Cormorant
5 Lapwings
6 Reed Warblers
3 Whitethroats
8 Blackcaps
5 Chiffchaffs
4 Linnet
(Ed Wilson)
2008
Priorslee Lake
17 Mute Swans
(Martin Adlam)
2007
Priorslee Lake
1 Swift
c.20 Sand Martins
1 Swallow
6 House Sparrows
2 Sparrowhawk
Buzzard
Kestrel
2 Stock Dove
2 Grey Wagtails
1 Sedge Warbler
4 Reed Warblers
Chiffchaff
126 Jackdaw
(Ed Wilson)
Nedge Hill
2 Buzzards
Swallow
Ring Ouzel
2 Common Whitethroat
1 Chiffchaff
2 Linnets
(Ed Wilson)
Priorslee Flash
3 Great Crested Grebes
Reed Bunting
(Ed Wilson)
2006
Priorslee Lake
5 Great Crested Grebes
2 Greylag Geese
6 Tufted Ducks
2 Common Sandpiper
1 Cuckoo
1 Skylark
c.10 Sand Martins
c.8 Swallows
c.20 House Martins
1 Meadow Pipit
2 Grey Wagtails
32 Wren
26 Blackbirds
2 Sedge Warblers
3 Reed Warblers
2 Lesser Whitethroats
2 Garden Warbler
10 Blackcaps
6 Chiffchaffs
1 Willow Warbler
1 Jay
11 Chaffinches
8 Greenfinches
3 Reed Buntings
(Ed Wilson)