3.0°C > 10.0°C: Mostly clear overhead and to the East with just wisps of high cloud. More extensive medium-level cloud to the West. Almost calm. Very good visibility.
Sunrise: 06:46 BST
Back to twice around the lake and then to The Flash.
* = a species photographed today.
Priorslee Balancing Lake: 05:50 – 09:00
(78th visit of the year)
Bird notes:
- only the new pair of Mute Swans remain.
- the duck Pochard still here: also a lone Tufted Duck.
- eleven Great Crested Grebes counted.
- of course after noting yesterday that the Cetti's Warbler had been uncharacteristically subdued recently it was shouting its head-off today.
Bird(s) noted flying over here:
- 4 Canada Geese: quartet outbound
- 2 Greylag Geese: pair outbound
- 3 (2♂) Tufted Duck: together
- 38 Wood Pigeons
- 1 Black-headed Gull
- 2 Herring Gulls
- 5 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
- 35 Jackdaws
- 6 Rooks
Counts from the lake area:
- 5 Canada Geese
- 2 Mute Swans
- 7 (6♂) Mallard
- 1 (0♂) Pochard
- 1 (1♂) Tufted Duck
- 9 Moorhens
- 42 Coots
- 11 Great Crested Grebes
- no gulls
- no Cormorants
- 1 Grey Heron: flushed c.06:30 and not seen again
Warblers recorded (the figure in brackets is birds noted singing):
- 1 (1) Cetti's Warbler
- 22 (22) Chiffchaffs again
- 8 (8) Blackcaps
On the West end street lamp poles
Pre-dawn:
Moths:
1 March Moth Alsophila aescularia
On the same lamp pole as yesterday but in a very different position. Both days it has gone when I rechecked the poles later.
Nothing else on dew-covered poles
Noted later:
An earlier departure meant fewer insects around.
1 March Moth Alsophila aescularia
On the same lamp pole as yesterday but in a very different position. Both days it has gone when I rechecked the poles later.
Nothing else on dew-covered poles
Noted later:
An earlier departure meant fewer insects around.
Bees, wasps etc.:
Buff-tailed Bumblebee Bombus terrestris
Buff-tailed Bumblebee Bombus terrestris
Hoverflies:
Tapered Dronefly Eristalis pertinax
Tapered Dronefly Eristalis pertinax
Other flies:
cranefly, possibly Limonia nubeculosa
cranefly, possibly Limonia nubeculosa
New flowers for the year:
Wood Anemone Anemone nemorosa
I flushed this Common Buzzard then went and hid in a tree beside the M54. Two Jays decided it wasn't going to stay there and chased it out...
(76th visit of the year)
Bird notes:
- a Great Crested Grebe back again!
- just one singing Willow Warbler.
Bird(s) noted flying over here:
Wood Anemone Anemone nemorosa
Early dawn.
Slightly later dawn.
Two Great Crested Grebes seem surprised.
...and away.
You will be pleased to know that I did not photograph the other 21 singing Chiffchaffs.
A male Tapered Dronefly Eristalis pertinax rubbing its hands (wee, front legs) together.
On a wall I found this cranefly, possibly Limonia nubeculosa.
Must try harder with my generally rubbish flower photos. These are Wood Anemone Anemone nemorosa.
(Ed Wilson)
The Flash: 09:05 – 10:10
(Ed Wilson)
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
The Flash: 09:05 – 10:10
(76th visit of the year)
Bird notes:
- a Great Crested Grebe back again!
- just one singing Willow Warbler.
Bird(s) noted flying over here:
None
Noted on / around the water:
- 33 Canada Geese
- 5 Greylag Geese
- 2 Mute Swans
- 22 (19♂) Mallard
- 17 (12♂) Tufted Duck
- 7 Moorhens
- 27 Coots
Warblers recorded (the figure in brackets is birds noted singing):
- 1 (1) Willow Warbler
- 8 (8) Chiffchaffs
- 3 (3) Blackcaps
Noted later:
Noted on / around the water:
- 33 Canada Geese
- 5 Greylag Geese
- 2 Mute Swans
- 22 (19♂) Mallard
- 17 (12♂) Tufted Duck
- 7 Moorhens
- 27 Coots
Warblers recorded (the figure in brackets is birds noted singing):
- 1 (1) Willow Warbler
- 8 (8) Chiffchaffs
- 3 (3) Blackcaps
Noted later:
Bees, wasps etc.:
Buff-tailed Bumblebee Bombus terrestris
Buff-tailed Bumblebee Bombus terrestris
Hoverflies:
Tapered Dronefly Eristalis pertinax
Tapered Dronefly Eristalis pertinax
Spiders, harvestman etc.:
Long-jawed Orb-web Spider Tetragnatha sp.
I came across a trio of fighting Goldcrests with their crests erect showing red. The bundle of bird disappeared in to a bush and only this one emerged leaving the camera struggling to keep up.
A Tapered Dronefly Eristalis pertinax. This is of course a species of hoverfly and here doing what it says on the tin.
(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)
Long-jawed Orb-web Spider Tetragnatha sp.
Too many branches for the camera to 'lock-on' to the bird.
Perhaps the best of the bunch.
My first Long-jawed Orb-web Spider Tetragnatha sp. of the year.
(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)