6.0°C > 10.0°C: Clear early apart from a few patches of high cloud. More cloud later. Light south-westerly wind. Very good visibility
Sunrise: 05:56 BST
* = a species photographed today.
All numbers, especially at the Balancing Lake, affected by the rain and poor visibility
Priorslee Balancing Lake: 05:20 – 06:35 // 07:40 – 09:30
(100th visit of the year)
Bird notes
New today was a Garden Warbler singing in the usual area of the tall bushes between the South side of the lake and the M54. Bird species #90.5 for the year (the White Wagtails a few weeks back only count 0.5).
Other bird notes:
- the pair of Gadwall were on the south-west grass at 05:35 and then by the dam running the gauntlet of the aggressive Coots later..
- I was engaged in warbler hunting and did not visit the area to bee whether the duck Pochard was present.
- no Tufted Duck.
- a significant arrival of Sedge Warblers with at least six in reeds, sedges and scrub along the South side and another in reeds along the North side.
- many more Blackcaps both singing and calling this morning.
Bird(s) noted flying over here:
- 6 Canada Geese: a pair outbound; two pairs inbound
- 2 Greylag Geese: pair outbound
- 13 Wood Pigeons
- 2 Herring Gulls
- 2 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
- 4 Jackdaws
- 4 Rooks
- 1 Starling: probably from nest in the estate
Counts from the lake area:
- 7 Canada Geese: of these a pair arrived
- 2 Mute Swans
- 2 (1♂) Gadwall
- 4 (2♂) Mallard
- ? (0♂) Pochard
- no Tufted Duck
- 7 Moorhens
- 29 + 14 (4 broods) Coots
- 6 Great Crested Grebes
- 2 Lesser Black-backed Gulls: adults on the football field c.06:20
Hirundines etc. noted:
None
Warblers recorded (the figure in brackets is birds noted singing):
An almost full house!
- 1 (1) Cetti's Warbler
- 1 (1) Willow Warbler
- 17 (13) Chiffchaffs
- 7 (7) Sedge Warblers
- 7 (6) Reed Warblers
- 17 (12) Blackcaps
- 1 (1) Garden Warbler
- 1 (1) Common Whitethroat
Noted on the West end street lamp poles pre-dawn:
Warblers recorded (the figure in brackets is birds noted singing):
An almost full house!
- 1 (1) Cetti's Warbler
- 1 (1) Willow Warbler
- 17 (13) Chiffchaffs
- 7 (7) Sedge Warblers
- 7 (6) Reed Warblers
- 17 (12) Blackcaps
- 1 (1) Garden Warbler
- 1 (1) Common Whitethroat
Noted on the West end street lamp poles pre-dawn:
Flies:
A female plumed midge Chironomus plumosus
Noted later:
A female plumed midge Chironomus plumosus
Noted later:
Butterflies:
Speckled Wood Pararge aegeria
Speckled Wood Pararge aegeria
Hoverflies:
Chequered Hoverfly Melanostoma scalare [Long-winged Duskyface]
Syrphus sp. S. ribesii / S. vitripennis
So where are all the Tapered Droneflies Eristalis pertinax that were abundant around a fortnight ago?
Chequered Hoverfly Melanostoma scalare [Long-winged Duskyface]
Syrphus sp. S. ribesii / S. vitripennis
So where are all the Tapered Droneflies Eristalis pertinax that were abundant around a fortnight ago?
Alder Flies:
Alder Fly Sialis lutaria
Alder Fly Sialis lutaria
Other flies
unidentified crane fly
unidentified Muscid fly
unidentified crane fly
unidentified Muscid fly
Spiders:
Nursery Web Spider Pisaura mirabilis
Nursery Web Spider Pisaura mirabilis
New flowers for the year:
Marsh Marigold (aka Kingcups) Caltha palustris
Ground-ivy Glechoma hederacea
Pendulous Sedge Carex pendula
This species is one of the "scrub warbler" group that have stouter beaks than, say Chiffchaffs which are part of the "leaf warbler" group.
I mentioned yesterday that Common Whitethroats have a brown back. Here again in better light it shows a black-edged brown feathers.
A male Syrphus hoverfly, either S. ribesii or S. vitripennis. Males cannot be identified from photos: females can if the upper part of the hind leg is visible – it is normally obscured by the folded wing.
The only inhabitant of the dew-covered West end street lamp poles was this female plumed midge Chironomus plumosus.
We are now out of the "winter cranefly" period and if I thought that was hard... A recently published guide has revealed there are 350 species of cranefly in the UK. While some are easily identifiable, most are not. This is one I cannot identify!
This is a male fly from the Muscid family but I can't decide which of many similar species it might be. None of the photos on the NatureSpot web site show the combination of the two central lines on the thorax almost fused and the scutellum plain bronze.
A Nursery Web Spider Pisaura mirabilis. A spider with a very distinctive shape which usually sits with each of its front two legs held tightly together. The line down the thorax (strictly cephalothorax on spiders as there is now head as such) is another useful feature.
Previously only noted between the Balancing Lake and The Flash there are now a few Marsh Marigolds (aka Kingcups) Caltha palustris in flower here.
I have seen this flower at The Flash but this is my first Ground-ivy Glechoma hederacea of the year here.
A new species of "flower" for me, this is Pendulous Sedge Carex pendula. I have almost certainly overlooked it in the past.
(Ed Wilson)
The Flash: 06:40 – 07:35
(97th visit of the year)
Bird notes:
- where were many of the Mallard hiding?
- back to three Great Crested Grebes. A pair displaying close to the nest site. Another asleep in the middle of the water.
Bird(s) noted flying over here:
Marsh Marigold (aka Kingcups) Caltha palustris
Ground-ivy Glechoma hederacea
Pendulous Sedge Carex pendula
A sunrise worth getting up for.
A different angle.
Maximum colour.
At least there is no twig in the way of the Cetti's Warbler this time. Not a perfect angle though.
Yet another Sedge Warbler hiding in dense vegetation while it sings.
A warbler morning. Here is a female Blackcap: females (and juveniles, but too early in the season) have brown caps.
Males have a grey head and an often startlingly white throat.
I get the message!
This Speckled Wood butterfly Pararge aegeria stopped just long-enough for a quick snap.
A female Chequered Hoverfly Melanostoma scalare. Females have triangular-shaped yellow marks on the abdomen (males more square-shaped) as well as, with most fly species, having eyes well separated.
(Ed Wilson)
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
The Flash: 06:40 – 07:35
(97th visit of the year)
Bird notes:
- where were many of the Mallard hiding?
- back to three Great Crested Grebes. A pair displaying close to the nest site. Another asleep in the middle of the water.
Bird(s) noted flying over here:
None
Noted on / around the water:
- 17 Canada Geese: of these five departed
- 6 Greylag Geese: behaving as two singles and two pairs
- 1 Mute Swan: the other presumed to be on the island.
- 10 (8♂) Mallard
- 9 (7♂) Tufted Duck
- 6 Moorhens
- 24 Coots
- 3 Great Crested Grebes
Warblers recorded (the figure in brackets is birds noted singing):
- 6 (5) Chiffchaffs again
- 3 (3) Blackcaps
Noted elsewhere:
Noted on / around the water:
- 17 Canada Geese: of these five departed
- 6 Greylag Geese: behaving as two singles and two pairs
- 1 Mute Swan: the other presumed to be on the island.
- 10 (8♂) Mallard
- 9 (7♂) Tufted Duck
- 6 Moorhens
- 24 Coots
- 3 Great Crested Grebes
Warblers recorded (the figure in brackets is birds noted singing):
- 6 (5) Chiffchaffs again
- 3 (3) Blackcaps
Noted elsewhere:
Moths:
Frosted Green Polyploca ridens: its fifth day. Each day it has moved fractionally.
Frosted Green Polyploca ridens: its fifth day. Each day it has moved fractionally.
Alder Flies:
Alder Fly Sialis lutaria
The first in a long sequence of Goldcrest photos of variable quality as two birds sparred. Here one excitedly raises its crown feathers to look more like a Firecrest. It opens the normal 'gold crest' to expose these red display / warning feathers usually mostly concealed.
Here, despite the crown feathers being raised there is no suggestion of red. Thus this is a female and the previous bird is a male.
My Sony camera claims to focus (on something) in 0.1 seconds and the shutter was set to 1/1000 sec. Not always enough to 'freeze' these hyperactive sprites.
A not-very-good(!) photo of a flying Treecreeper. I have included it because it shows the long tail-feathers that this species uses as a prop as it climbs trees and twigs. This was one of two birds singing and carrying what seemed likely to be nesting material. I couldn't see to where they were taking it.
(Ed Wilson)
2013
Nedge Hill
1 Whinchat
20 Wheatear
1 Blackcap
Willow Warbler
(Ian Grant)
2012
Priorslee Lake
6 Great Crested Grebes
1 Heron
5 Tufted Duck
12 Blackcaps
4 Willow Warblers
12 Chiffchaffs
(Ed Wilson)
Priorslee Flash
6 Great Crested Grebes
5 Greylag Geese
31 Tufted Duck
1 Heron
1 Buzzard
6 Blackcaps
4 Willow Warblers
4 Chiffchaffs
(Ed Wilson)
Nedge Hill
5 Lapwings
1 Green Woodpecker
3 Skylarks
1 Blackcap
1 Willow Warbler
3 Chiffchaffs
6 Linnets
(Ed Wilson)
2011
Priorslee Lake
1 Yellow Wagtail
5 Common Sandpiper
1 Lesser Whitethroat
1 Sedge Warbler
(John Isherwood)
Nedge Hill
1 Yellow Wagtail
10 Wheatear
(John Isherwood)
2008
Priorslee Lake
3 Great Crested Grebes
2 Gadwall
1 Common Sandpiper
Swallows
Sand Martins
Common Whitethroat
(Ed Wilson, Martin Adlam)
The Nedge
Blackcap
Willow Warbler
Chiffchaff
(Martin Adlam)
2007
Priorslee Lake
2 Sedge Warblers
Reed Warbler
Common Sandpipers
(Ed Wilson)
Nedge Hill
1 Wheatear
1 Cuckoo
(Ed Wilson)
2006
Priorslee Lake
6 Great Crested Grebes
5 Greylag Geese
12 Tufted Ducks
2 Ruddy Duck
27 Sand Martins
11 Swallows
5 House Martins
1 Sedge Warbler
8 Blackcaps
7 Chiffchaffs
4 Willow Warblers
25 Wrens
23 Blackbirds
5 Greenfinches
1 Siskin
1 Redpoll
3 Reed Buntings.
Lanes to the east of Priorslee Lake
6 Pheasants
8 Skylarks
2 Whitethroats
4 Blackcaps
2 Chiffchaffs
1 Greenfinch
6 Yellowhammers
(Ed Wilson)
Alder Fly Sialis lutaria
From the side the raised feathers are seen but not the red feathers in the centre.
The red feathers visible again. As these birds zip around it can be difficult to see the red clearly.
Two birds here: female top left; what I assume to be the male flying off bottom right.
A male again.
Mrs. (?) Grumpy!
Perhaps not as there is some red evident in the crest here...
...and here. I think it will be a long, lone while before I get the chance for such a set of photos.
Tippy-toes!
A back flight view.
A standard view before off and away. I let the camera cool down.
(Ed Wilson)
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
2013
Nedge Hill
1 Whinchat
20 Wheatear
1 Blackcap
Willow Warbler
(Ian Grant)
2012
Priorslee Lake
6 Great Crested Grebes
1 Heron
5 Tufted Duck
12 Blackcaps
4 Willow Warblers
12 Chiffchaffs
(Ed Wilson)
Priorslee Flash
6 Great Crested Grebes
5 Greylag Geese
31 Tufted Duck
1 Heron
1 Buzzard
6 Blackcaps
4 Willow Warblers
4 Chiffchaffs
(Ed Wilson)
Nedge Hill
5 Lapwings
1 Green Woodpecker
3 Skylarks
1 Blackcap
1 Willow Warbler
3 Chiffchaffs
6 Linnets
(Ed Wilson)
2011
Priorslee Lake
1 Yellow Wagtail
5 Common Sandpiper
1 Lesser Whitethroat
1 Sedge Warbler
(John Isherwood)
Nedge Hill
1 Yellow Wagtail
10 Wheatear
(John Isherwood)
2008
Priorslee Lake
3 Great Crested Grebes
2 Gadwall
1 Common Sandpiper
Swallows
Sand Martins
Common Whitethroat
(Ed Wilson, Martin Adlam)
The Nedge
Blackcap
Willow Warbler
Chiffchaff
(Martin Adlam)
2007
Priorslee Lake
2 Sedge Warblers
Reed Warbler
Common Sandpipers
(Ed Wilson)
Nedge Hill
1 Wheatear
1 Cuckoo
(Ed Wilson)
2006
Priorslee Lake
6 Great Crested Grebes
5 Greylag Geese
12 Tufted Ducks
2 Ruddy Duck
27 Sand Martins
11 Swallows
5 House Martins
1 Sedge Warbler
8 Blackcaps
7 Chiffchaffs
4 Willow Warblers
25 Wrens
23 Blackbirds
5 Greenfinches
1 Siskin
1 Redpoll
3 Reed Buntings.
Lanes to the east of Priorslee Lake
6 Pheasants
8 Skylarks
2 Whitethroats
4 Blackcaps
2 Chiffchaffs
1 Greenfinch
6 Yellowhammers
(Ed Wilson)