7.0°C > 9.0°C: Another mostly cloudy morning with a sliver of clear sky to the far East. Threatening to break after 09:00. Light / moderate westerly wind. Very good visibility.
Sunrise: 05:58 GMT
* = a species photographed today.
Priorslee Balancing Lake: 05:25 – 06:15 // 07:15 – 09:30
(73rd visit of the year)
Bird notes
Another new 2025 bird species for me here:
- a Willow Warbler sang just once from the hedge between the lake and the M54. This species is almost always a passage bird here and usually prefers the North side. My 80th bird species here this year. Four days later than my first in 2024 and one day later than in 2023.
Other bird notes:
- I noted seven Mute Swans here today. The two new residents, the old pen and the first year bird were as yesterday. When I arrived there was an additional adult present. Later a pair of adults flew in.
- the duck Pochard still here.
- early on I recorded 11 Tufted Duck with eight of them drakes (so three ducks); later I could find only five drakes but four ducks!
- at least nine Great Crested Grebes. I noted six, as three pairs, having a real battle with bills (beaks?) locked together. It was just around dawn so there was not enough light for a photo and they were probably too distant.
- yesterday it was mostly Herring Gulls logged. Fewer gulls today with Lesser Black-backs dominating.
- a single Sand Martin flew through.
- there seemed to be Chiffchaffs singing everywhere.
Bird(s) noted flying over here:
- 2 Canada Geese: a single outbound; a different single unsure about where it was going
- 4 Stock Doves: two singles and a pair
- 15 Wood Pigeons
- 2 Herring Gulls
- 8 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
- 3 Jackdaws
- 5 Rooks
- 5 Redwings: together
- 1 Lesser Redpoll
Counts from the lake area:
- 10 Canada Geese: two of these arrived
- *7 Mute Swans: plus one long dead: see notes
- 4 (3♂) Mallard
- 1 (0♂) Pochard
- 12 (8♂) Tufted Duck: see notes
- 10 Moorhens
- 41 Coots
- 9 Great Crested Grebes
- 1 Black-headed Gull
- 5 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
- *2 Cormorants: arrived separately
- 1 Grey Heron: departed
Warblers recorded (the figure in brackets is birds noted singing):
- 1 (1) Cetti's Warbler
- 1 (1) Willow Warbler
- *20 (19) Chiffchaffs
- 3 (3) Blackcaps
On the West end street lamp poles
Despite an abundance of Chiffchaffs it was almost impossible to get a photo of one that was not hiding behind branches. This was an exception.
The Flash: 06:20 – 07:10
Between the Balancing Lake and The Flash:
2014
Priorslee Lake
3 Great Crested Grebes
13 Cormorants
4 Greylag Geese
22 Tufted Duck
5 Sand Martins
6 Redwings
8 Chiffchaffs
>500 Jackdaws
(Ed Wilson)
The Flash
50 Tufted Ducks
4 Chiffchaffs
4 Siskins
(Ed Wilson)
2013
Priorslee Lake
1 Little Grebe
6 Great Crested Grebes
1 Cormorant
7 Wigeon
2 Gadwall
1 Pochard
42 Tufted Ducks
1 Great Black-backed Gull
Mediterranean Gull.
Ring-billed x Lesser Black-backed Gull.
>1500 Black-headed Gulls
2 Redwings
65 Magpies
25 Siskins
2 Reed Buntings
(Ed Wilson)
The Flash
2 Great Crested Grebes
6 Swans
2 Pochard
85 Tufted Duck
(Ed Wilson)
2010
Priorslee Lake
3 Buzzards
1 Little Grebe
5 Great Crested Grebe
4 Gadwall
36 Tufted Duck
c.160 Jackdaws
(Ed Wilson)
The Flash
4 Great Crested Grebe
3 Greylag Geese
32 Tufted Duck
Trench
1 Cormorant
43 Tufted Ducks
(Ed Wilson)
2007
Priorslee Lake
Little Ringed Plover
1 Cormorant
1 Mallard x Pintail
18 Tufted Duck
1 Ruddy Duck
1 Little Ringed Plover
1 Kittiwake
33 Wren
29 Robin
24 Blackbird
3 Chiffchaff
39 Magpie
3 Greenfinch
6 Reed Bunting
(Ed Wilson)
The Flash
8 Great Crested Grebe
2 Pochard
27 Tufted Duck
1 Snipe
3 Chiffchaff
2 Reed Bunting
(Ed Wilson)
2006
Priorslee Lake
1 Barn Owl
1 Little Grebe
5 Great Crested Grebes
1 Shoveler
30 Tufted Ducks
2 Water Rails
321 Wood Pigeons
2 Skylarks
5 Meadow Pipits
33 Wrens
21 Robins
21 Blackbirds
1 Fieldfare
3 Redwings
1 Chiffchaff
1 Willow Tit
18 Greenfinches
8 Siskins
1 Linnet
6 Reed Buntings
1 Yellowhammer.
(Ed Wilson)
Sunrise: 05:58 GMT
* = a species photographed today.
Priorslee Balancing Lake: 05:25 – 06:15 // 07:15 – 09:30
(73rd visit of the year)
Bird notes
Another new 2025 bird species for me here:
- a Willow Warbler sang just once from the hedge between the lake and the M54. This species is almost always a passage bird here and usually prefers the North side. My 80th bird species here this year. Four days later than my first in 2024 and one day later than in 2023.
Other bird notes:
- I noted seven Mute Swans here today. The two new residents, the old pen and the first year bird were as yesterday. When I arrived there was an additional adult present. Later a pair of adults flew in.
- the duck Pochard still here.
- early on I recorded 11 Tufted Duck with eight of them drakes (so three ducks); later I could find only five drakes but four ducks!
- at least nine Great Crested Grebes. I noted six, as three pairs, having a real battle with bills (beaks?) locked together. It was just around dawn so there was not enough light for a photo and they were probably too distant.
- yesterday it was mostly Herring Gulls logged. Fewer gulls today with Lesser Black-backs dominating.
- a single Sand Martin flew through.
- there seemed to be Chiffchaffs singing everywhere.
Bird(s) noted flying over here:
- 2 Canada Geese: a single outbound; a different single unsure about where it was going
- 4 Stock Doves: two singles and a pair
- 15 Wood Pigeons
- 2 Herring Gulls
- 8 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
- 3 Jackdaws
- 5 Rooks
- 5 Redwings: together
- 1 Lesser Redpoll
Counts from the lake area:
- 10 Canada Geese: two of these arrived
- *7 Mute Swans: plus one long dead: see notes
- 4 (3♂) Mallard
- 1 (0♂) Pochard
- 12 (8♂) Tufted Duck: see notes
- 10 Moorhens
- 41 Coots
- 9 Great Crested Grebes
- 1 Black-headed Gull
- 5 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
- *2 Cormorants: arrived separately
- 1 Grey Heron: departed
Warblers recorded (the figure in brackets is birds noted singing):
- 1 (1) Cetti's Warbler
- 1 (1) Willow Warbler
- *20 (19) Chiffchaffs
- 3 (3) Blackcaps
On the West end street lamp poles
Pre-dawn:
Moths:
none
none
Flies:
1 wood gnat Sylvicola sp.
1 male plumed midge Chironomus plumosus
1 wood gnat Sylvicola sp.
1 male plumed midge Chironomus plumosus
Springtails:
1 globular springtail Dicyrtomina sp.
Noted later:
1 globular springtail Dicyrtomina sp.
Noted later:
Flies:
1 male plumed midge Chironomus plumosus
very many 'dancing columns' of gnats.
1 male plumed midge Chironomus plumosus
very many 'dancing columns' of gnats.
The thin sliver of clear sky to the far East gave a minimal amount of colour to the sunrise.
The newly arrived pair of Mute Swans peer anxiously toward the residents.
An exceptionally pale Cormorant, I assume a first year bird.
As was this.
And a 'fluke' shot as one launches after an insect.
Well now: I suppose there is a good reason for this...
...this...
...this and...
...this. It escapes me. Some of the trees were leaning but they would not have fallen on anyone or anything. Last time the council (contractors?) felled some leaning trees the next strong wind brought down another tree that was no longer sheltered. I thought the climate crises meant that we were supposed to value old trees for the amount of carbon they could sequester. And that felling trees caused their carbon to be released as carbon dioxide – the greenhouse gas – and was a bad idea. But then I am not an arborist so what do I know?
(Ed Wilson)
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
The Flash: 06:20 – 07:10
(71st visit of the year)
Bird notes:
- *an additional adult Mute Swan was causing angst to the resident pair, especially the cob.
- I have no idea where most of the resident Mallard were hiding. Almost all the birds I logged were those sitting on roofs.
Bird(s) noted flying over here:
- 7 Jackdaws
Noted on / around the water:
- 25 Canada Geese
- 2 Greylag Geese
probably more geese than I saw: there was much noise from inside the island
- *3 Mute Swans: see notes
- 12 (10♂) Mallard
- 9 (6♂) Tufted Duck
- 11 Moorhens
- 28 Coots
Warblers recorded (the figure in brackets is birds noted singing):
- 11 (11) Chiffchaffs
- 1 (1) Blackcap
Of note:
Bird notes:
- *an additional adult Mute Swan was causing angst to the resident pair, especially the cob.
- I have no idea where most of the resident Mallard were hiding. Almost all the birds I logged were those sitting on roofs.
Bird(s) noted flying over here:
- 7 Jackdaws
Noted on / around the water:
- 25 Canada Geese
- 2 Greylag Geese
probably more geese than I saw: there was much noise from inside the island
- *3 Mute Swans: see notes
- 12 (10♂) Mallard
- 9 (6♂) Tufted Duck
- 11 Moorhens
- 28 Coots
Warblers recorded (the figure in brackets is birds noted singing):
- 11 (11) Chiffchaffs
- 1 (1) Blackcap
Of note:
Nothing else
The extra adult Mute Swan paddling hard.
The newly resident cob sets off in pursuit.
Hot pursuit.
Definitely Mr. Angry.
(Ed Wilson)
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Between the Balancing Lake and The Flash:
Of interest
- (2♂) Mallard on the lower pool
- 4 Moorhen: one pair on each pool
(Ed Wilson)
- 4 Moorhen: one pair on each pool
(Ed Wilson)
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
2014
Priorslee Lake
3 Great Crested Grebes
13 Cormorants
4 Greylag Geese
22 Tufted Duck
5 Sand Martins
6 Redwings
8 Chiffchaffs
>500 Jackdaws
(Ed Wilson)
The Flash
50 Tufted Ducks
4 Chiffchaffs
4 Siskins
(Ed Wilson)
2013
Priorslee Lake
1 Little Grebe
6 Great Crested Grebes
1 Cormorant
7 Wigeon
2 Gadwall
1 Pochard
42 Tufted Ducks
1 Great Black-backed Gull
Mediterranean Gull.
Ring-billed x Lesser Black-backed Gull.
>1500 Black-headed Gulls
2 Redwings
65 Magpies
25 Siskins
2 Reed Buntings
(Ed Wilson)
The Flash
2 Great Crested Grebes
6 Swans
2 Pochard
85 Tufted Duck
(Ed Wilson)
2010
Priorslee Lake
3 Buzzards
1 Little Grebe
5 Great Crested Grebe
4 Gadwall
36 Tufted Duck
c.160 Jackdaws
(Ed Wilson)
The Flash
4 Great Crested Grebe
3 Greylag Geese
32 Tufted Duck
Trench
1 Cormorant
43 Tufted Ducks
(Ed Wilson)
2007
Priorslee Lake
Little Ringed Plover
1 Cormorant
1 Mallard x Pintail
18 Tufted Duck
1 Ruddy Duck
1 Little Ringed Plover
1 Kittiwake
33 Wren
29 Robin
24 Blackbird
3 Chiffchaff
39 Magpie
3 Greenfinch
6 Reed Bunting
(Ed Wilson)
The Flash
8 Great Crested Grebe
2 Pochard
27 Tufted Duck
1 Snipe
3 Chiffchaff
2 Reed Bunting
(Ed Wilson)
2006
Priorslee Lake
1 Barn Owl
1 Little Grebe
5 Great Crested Grebes
1 Shoveler
30 Tufted Ducks
2 Water Rails
321 Wood Pigeons
2 Skylarks
5 Meadow Pipits
33 Wrens
21 Robins
21 Blackbirds
1 Fieldfare
3 Redwings
1 Chiffchaff
1 Willow Tit
18 Greenfinches
8 Siskins
1 Linnet
6 Reed Buntings
1 Yellowhammer.
(Ed Wilson)