3.0°C > 9.0°C: A mostly clear start with cloud quickly spreading from the West. Light south-easterly wind, increasing moderate. Very good visibility.
Sunrise: 06:14 BST
* = a species photographed today
$ = a new species for me in this area
Still a good number of Willow Warblers passing.
Priorslee Balancing Lake: 05:30 – 06:30 // 07:40 – 09:10
(90th visit of the year)
Bird notes:
- unusually there were more Blackbirds (nine) than Song Thrushes (seven) noted singing. Many more Blackbirds seen only, though no non-singing thrushes seen.
Bird(s) noted flying over here:
- 2 Canada Geese: a pair flew West
- 1 Greylag Goose: flew East
- 1 Mute Swan: flew South 06:30
- 4 Herring Gulls: flew West together, two at least immatures
- 2 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
- *1 Great (White) Egret: flew East well to the South at 08:05
- 21 Wood Pigeons
- 68 Jackdaws: no large groups
- 9 Rooks
Counts from the lake area:
- *4 Canada Geese: of these a pair arrived and a pair departed
- 2 Mute Swans: the pen on the nest throughout
- *8 (6♂) + 3 (1 brood) Mallard
- 4 (3♂) Tufted Duck
- 6 Moorhens
- *21 Coots: only – why?
- 6 Great Crested Grebes
- 1 Lesser Black-backed Gull: adult, briefly c.05:50
- 1 Grey Heron again
- no Great (White) Egret at the lake
Hirundines etc. noted:
- c.10 Sand Martins
- 2 Barn Swallows
Warblers noted (the number in brackets refers to birds singing):
- 1 (1) Cetti's Warbler
- 7 (7) Willow Warblers
- 20 (18) Chiffchaffs
- 2 (2) Sedge Warbler
- 3 (3) Reed Warblers again
- 15 (13) Blackcaps
On the West end street lamp poles post-dawn:
Nothing on the heavily dew-covered poles on a chilly morning. Not helped by one of the lights having failed – typically the one that is well surrounded by vegetation and which produces the greatest number of moths.
Around the area later:
Nothing noted. Too chilly, windy and overcast
The early dawn with almost all the cloud behind me to the West.
Coloured up for a while.
Neither of the Mallard parents seem at all interested in what their three ducklings are doing.
Here are the ducklings. I think this is a different brood to the group of five I photographed last Friday.
A Coot in full cry.
Very distant. The only Great (White) Egret I noted this morning.
#2 also a female.
#3 another female. So?
(Ed Wilson)
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Woodhouse Lane: 06:30 – 07:40
(5th full visit of the year)
Bird notes:
Highlight here was one, and perhaps two, Common Whitethroat heard in song and then briefly seen as they flitted out of sight. My first for the year but outside my Priorslee Lake recording area. Perhaps tomorrow....
Other bird notes:
- a Coot was being very aggressive toward a Moorhen at the lower pool. Perhaps it also chased the Moorhen that ended up as a road casualty in Castle Farm Way yesterday.
- *one male Blackcap sat on the hedge right next to me and we looked at each other for a while!
- just one Sky Lark heard and then seen.
- *a few Linnets were being typically flighty and mainly in tree tops.
- *three Yellowhammers seen chasing. I later heard a male calling. The only Yellowhammer I got a good look at was a female.
Counts of significant species (the number in brackets refers to birds singing):
- 2 Pheasants: male seen and another heard calling
- 2 Canada Geese on the lower pool
- 1 (1♂) Mallard on the upper pool
- 1 Moorhen on the lower pool, being pursued by...
- 1 Coot on the lower pool
- 1 (1) Skylark: only
- 1 (1) Willow Warbler
- 1 (1) Chiffchaff
- *3 (2) Blackcaps
- 1 (1) Common Whitethroats: possibly a second
- 1 (1) Goldcrest
- *3 (2) Song Thrushes
- 1 Pied Wagtail
- *6 (3) Chaffinches
- *3 Linnets: at least
- 2 Goldfinches
- *3 Yellowhammers: no song
The sunrise from the concrete road leading to Woodhouse Lane.
The same group of trees looking the other way, sunlit against the incoming cloud.
Looking down Woodhouse Lane it is difficult to believe the new estate is less than half-a-mile away.
The male Blackcap that popped up on the cut, nay massacred, hedge alongside Woodhouse Lane.
We just looked at each other. After a minute or so the Blackcap flew off in no particular hurry.
An aggressive Robin coming in for the kill?
Not really. It was just leaving its perch because it thought I was too close.
...nothing visible seconds later.
A female Chaffinch devouring breakfast.
No better was this distant female Yellowhammer.
(Ed Wilson)
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A later visit: nothing found
(Ed Wilson)
The Flash: 09:15 – 10:15
(Ed Wilson)
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The Flash: 09:15 – 10:15
(87th visit of the year)
New bird species:
Yet another addition to my 2026 bird list for this site. A Sand Martin flew away over my head as I was arriving. Later at least three were seen over the water. Bird species #63 for me here. I do not see this species very often. I have only ever seen it here on Spring passage when the weather has not been sunny. My previous sighting was on 19 March 2023.
Bird notes:
- a Mute Swan flew South overhead without ever looking as if it had any intention of visiting.
- a Common Sandpiper was heard in flight but not seen.
- a Great Crested Grebe was seen on the open water. Later one was on the nesting platform – same?
- a Stock Dove was calling at the top end.
- no Sedge Warbler heard today.
Bird(s) noted flying over here:
- 1 Mute Swan: see notes
- 1 Herring Gull: immature
- 3 Lesser Black-backed Gulls: adults, together
- 1 Sparrowhawk
- 1 Common Buzzard
Noted on / around the water:
- 11 Canada Geese: only. More inside the island?
- 5 Greylag Geese: of these a pair arrived
- 2 Mute Swans
- 25 (20♂) Mallard
- 10 (7♂) Tufted Duck
- 6 Moorhens
- 21 Coots
- 1 Great Crested Grebe: see notes
- 1 Common Sandpiper: heard only
- 4 Lesser Black-backed Gulls: adults, together briefly
Hirundines etc. noted:
- 4 Sand Martins
Warblers noted (the number in brackets refers to birds singing):
- 7 (7) Willow Warblers
- *8 (7) Chiffchaffs
- 9 (8) Blackcaps
Around the area later:
Nothing noted. Too chilly, windy and overcast
(Ed Wilson)
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2014
Priorslee Lake
3 Great Crested Grebes
12 Cormorants over
3 Grey Herons
2 Tufted Duck
4 Common Sandpipers
c.6 Sand Martins
1 Swallow
Green Woodpecker
9 Blackcaps
7 Chiffchaffs
2 Willow Warbler
193 Jackdaws
(Ed Wilson)
The Wrekin
Tree Pipit
Pied Wagtail
Willow Tit
Marsh Tit
5 Pied Flycatchers
2 Common Redstarts
Willow Warblers
Siskins
(Ed Wilson)
2013
Priorslee Lake
2 Little Ringed Plover
6 Willow Warbler
5 Chiffchaff
1 House Martin
4 Sand Martin
(Martin Grant)
2012
Priorslee Lake
Willow Warbler
Chiffchaff
Blackcap
Willow Tits
2 Jays
(Martin Grant)
Nedge Hill
4 Common Redstart
31 Wheatear
(John Isherwood)
The Wrekin
5 Pied Flycatcher
1 Common Redstart
2 Tree Pipit
6 Willow Warbler
Marsh Tit
Goldcrest
Green Woodpecker
Great Spotted Woodpecker
Siskin
Lesser Redpoll
Crossbill
(Glenn Bishton)
2011
Priorslee Lake
4 Common Sandpiper
1 Reed Warbler
(Ed Wilson)
Nedge Hill
4 Wheatear
(Ed Wilson)
2008
Priorslee Lake
1 Osprey
4 Gadwall
12 Sand Martin
2 Swallows
6 Willow Warblers
4 Chiffchaffs
1 Blackcap
(Ed Wilson)
The Flash
1 Common Sandpiper
6 Willow Warbler
4 Chiffchaffs
(Ed Wilson)
Trench Lock
5 Sand Martin
Swallows
4 Willow Warbler
2 Chiffchaffs
(Ed Wilson)
Nedge Hill
2 Swallows
1 Willow Warbler
2 Chiffchaffs
(Ed Wilson)
2007
Priorslee Lake
1 Pintail x Mallard
17 Tufted Duck
1 Grey Heron
2 Willow Warblers
8 Chiffchaffs
5 Blackcaps
20 Wrens
2 Linnet
6 Reed Bunting
(Martin Adlam)
Nedge Hill
2 Willow Warblers
1 Blackcap
2 Chiffchaff
1 Fieldfare
1 Great Spotted Woodpecker
1 Swallow
1 Buzzard
4 Skylark
2 Meadow Pipit
4 Yellowhammer
3 Greenfinch 3
4 Linnet
(Martin Adlam)
2006
Priorslee Lake
5 Great Crested Grebes
1 Heron
7 Tufted Ducks
2 Ruddy Duck
1 Water Rail
3 Common Sandpiper
8 Chiffchaff
5 Willow Warbler
5 Blackcaps
1 Garden Warbler
3 Swallows
1 Kestrel
2 Great Spotted Woodpecker
1 Skylark
1 Willow Tit
2 Siskin
5 Reed Bunting
(Martin Adlam)