5.0°C > 9.0°C: A clear start with high cloud encroaching from the West. Light south-easterly wind. Good visibility with haze and mist over the water again.
Sunrise: 05:50 BST
* = a species photographed today.
Priorslee Balancing Lake: 05:05 – 06:15 // 07:35 – 09:35
* = a species photographed today.
Priorslee Balancing Lake: 05:05 – 06:15 // 07:35 – 09:35
(103rd visit of the year)
Bird notes:
- once again the pair of Gadwall did their 'appearing' trick on the south-west grass: by 08:45.
- the duck Pochard still present.
- yesterday I thought I might have seen a second Cetti's Warbler. I was probably mistaken. The singing bird chased another bird in the same area today but that turned out to be a *Dunnock.
- four Sedge Warblers heard singing. All of them in the same place as yesterday.
- Blackcaps numbers back to full strength.
- what I presumed was the same Lesser Whitethroat was mostly heard singing from the dense Hawthorns alongside the West end path. It made at least two forays across the path and was seen in the bushes around the sailing club's boat yard where it seemed to be pursuing another though I did not see that well-enough to positively identify it.
just a pair of Common Whitethroats noted at the West end. The previously photographed bird along the South side not seen or heard.
Bird(s) noted flying over here:
- 3 Canada Geese: a single and a pair outbound
- 14 Wood Pigeons
- 1 Herring Gull
- 1 Lesser Black-backed Gull
- 62 Jackdaws
- 9 Rooks
Counts from the lake area:
- 12 Canada Geese: of these two pairs and a trio arrived separately
- 1 Greylag Goose: briefly
- 2 Mute Swans: one on the nest throughout
- 2 (1♂) Gadwall
- 5 (4♂) Mallard
- 1 (0♂) Pochard
- *8 Moorhens again
- *23 + 5 (2 broods) Coots again
- 7 Great Crested Grebes
- 1 Lesser Black-backed Gull: adult seen leaving the football field c.06:05 again
- 1 Cormorant: arrived; a different bird to that seen yesterday
- 1 Grey Heron: flew across the water c.05:30 and not seen again
Hirundines etc. noted:
- 1 Barn Swallow
Warblers recorded (the figure in brackets is birds noted singing):
- 1 (1) Cetti's Warbler
- 16 (14) Chiffchaffs
- 4 (4) Sedge Warblers
- 8 (8) Reed Warblers
- 18 (18) Blackcaps
- *1 (1) Garden Warbler
- 1 (1) Lesser Whitethroat: perhaps a second
- *2 (1) Common Whitethroats
On the West end street lamp poles pre-dawn:
Nothing noted. Too much dew?
Noted elsewhere:
Hoverflies:
*female Tapered Dronefly Eristalis pertinax
*female Tapered Dronefly Eristalis pertinax
Alder Flies:
Alder Fly Sialis lutaria
Alder Fly Sialis lutaria
Other flies
*unidentified midge sp.
*unidentified midge sp.
Spiders:
*Bridge Orb-web Spider Larinioides sclopetarius
*Bridge Orb-web Spider Larinioides sclopetarius
New flowers for the year:
*Red Dead-nettle Lamium purpureum
"Now where is home? I can't see". It seems late for this species to be nest-building. A replacement nest for one destroyed by the tree cutting?
*Red Dead-nettle Lamium purpureum
A clear if hazy start.
No real colour, just a tinge to the haze layer.
If you look hard there is a sliver moon showing in the eastern sky.
Moorhens and Coots usually manage to tolerate each other. This Moorhen is taking no chances.
Mrs. Blackbird with nesting material (a nest?).
"Perhaps it is over there".
It would be a good photo without the twig.
A female Tapered Dronefly Eristalis pertinax.
Not fully open and covered in dew this is Red Dead-nettle Lamium purpureum.
(Ed Wilson)
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In the Priorslee Avenue tunnel:
Flies
*7 Psychodidae sp. [Drain Fly, Moth Fly or Owl Fly]
various *craneflies and midges
*7 Psychodidae sp. [Drain Fly, Moth Fly or Owl Fly]
various *craneflies and midges
Arthropods:
*1 White-legged Snake Millipede Tachypodoiulus niger
*1 White-legged Snake Millipede Tachypodoiulus niger
I still can't work out what species of cranefly this is. I photographed one like this yesterday.
(Ed Wilson)
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The Flash: 06:20 – 07: 30
(100th visit of the year)
Bird notes:
- a visiting pair of Mute Swans was being seen off by the resident cob just as I arrived.
- again two Great Crested Grebes noted, and again only loosely together and not particularly close to the island either.
Bird(s) noted flying over here:
- 1 Herring Gull: immature
- 1 Lesser Black-backed Gull: adult
- 5 Jackdaws: singles
Noted on / around the water:
- 18 Canada Geese again
- 3 Greylag Geese again
- 3 Mute Swans: a pair chased off; the other resident presumed to be on the island.
- 18 (16♂) Mallard
- 12 (7♂) Tufted Duck
- 6 Moorhens
- 26 + 6 (1 brood) Coots
- 2 Great Crested Grebes
Warblers recorded (the figure in brackets is birds noted singing):
- 6 (5) Chiffchaffs
- 5 (5) Blackcaps
Noted elsewhere:
*1 possible Robber fly Dioctria sp.
A flying Jay.
"Do you want a photo of me?"
"This is my best photo pose". A cooperative Song Thrush.
(Ed Wilson)
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2014
Priorslee Lake
1 Reed Warbler
1 Sedge Warbler
(John Isherwood)
Nedge Hill
1 Lesser Whitethroat
5 Wheatear
(John Isherwood)
2013
Priorslee Lake
Tawny Owl
4 Great Crested Grebes
2 Cormorants
2 Lapwings
2 Common Sandpiper
3 Reed Warblers
14 Blackcaps
8 Chiffchaffs
2 Willow Warblers
(Ed Wilson)
The Flash
2 Great Crested Grebe
1 Greylag Goose
1 Richardson's / Cackling-type Canada Goose
12 Tufted Duck
5 Song Thrushes
3 Blackcaps
3 Chiffchaffs
3 Willow Warblers
(Ed Wilson)
Woodhouse Lane
3 Common Whitethroats
2 Linnets.
7 Yellowhammers
Blackcaps
Chiffchaffs
Willow Warbler
(Ed Wilson)
Nedge Hill
4 Meadow Pipits
4 Skylark
20 Wheatear
2 Fieldfare
1 Lesser Whitethroat.
2 Common Whitethroats.
3 Blackcaps.
2 Chiffchaffs.
1 Linnet.
2 Yellowhammer
(Ed Wilson, John Isherwood)
Long Lane, Wellington
1 Whimbrel
2 Curlew
6 Dunlin
2 Ringed Plover
(JW Reeves)
2012
Priorslee Lake
35 Swallows
2 House Martins
Grey Wagtail
Blackcap
Chiffchaff
2 Swift
1 Grasshopper Warbler
(John Isherwood, J W Reeves, Martin Grant)
Nedge Hill
1 Wheatear
(John Isherwood)
2011
Priorslee Lake
1 Yellow Wagtail
Common Sandpiper
(John Isherwood)
Nedge Hill
9 Wheatear
(John Isherwood)
2010
Priorslee Lake
3 Common Sandpiper
(Andy Latham)
Nedge Hill
Swift
12 Wheatear
1 Whinchat
Lesser Whitethroat
2 Whitethroat
Blackcap
(Andy Latham)
2009
Priorslee Lake
1 Wheatear
(John Isherwood)
Nedge Hill
19 Wheatear
1 Lesser Whitethroat
2 Turtle Doves
(John Isherwood)
2008
Priorslee Lake
4 Great Crested Grebes
Sand Martins
Swallows
1 Tufted Duck
1 Sedge Warbler
4 Reed Warblers
1 Lesser Whitethroat
1 Common Whitethroat
3 Blackcaps
6 Chiffchaffs
1 Willow Warbler
(Ed Wilson)
Nedge Hill
2 Wheatear
1 Common Whitethroat
(Ed Wilson)
2007
Priorslee
3 Great Crested Grebes
1 Tufted Duck
1 Wheatear
1 Chiffchaff
1 Willow Tit
1 Willow Warbler
(Ed Wilson)
Nedge Hill
5 Wheatears
1 Whinchat
1 Sedge Warbler
Common Whitethroat
4 Linnets
(Ed Wilson)
Priorslee Flash
Swallows
1 Grey Wagtail
6 Blackcaps
6 Willow Warbler
(Ed Wilson)
2006
Priorslee Lake
7 Great Crested Grebes
4 Herons
4 Greylag Geese
4 Tufted Ducks
2 Ruddy Duck
2 Kestrels
2 Common Sandpipers
1 Skylark
23 Sand Martins
12 Swallows
29 Wrens
2 Sedge Warblers
2 Reed Warblers
11 Blackcaps
8 Chiffchaffs
2 Willow Warblers
2 Jays
7 Greenfinches
21 Redpolls
5 Reed Buntings.
Lanes
3 Whitethroats
2 Skylarks
3 Whitethroats
2 Blackcaps
1 Chiffchaff
4 Linnets
6 Yellowhammers
(Ed Wilson)