1.0°C > 8.0°C: Areas of mainly thin high cloud: otherwise clear. Light southerly breeze. Very good visibility.
Sunrise: 06:33 BST
* = a species photographed today
$ = a new species for me in this area
Priorslee Balancing Lake: 05:35 – 07:10 // 08:15 – 09:45
(81st visit of the year)
New bird species:
An addition to the bird year list from here was my *first Common Sandpiper of Spring. Species #74 here this year for me.
Other bird notes:
- a trio of Pied Wagtails were still playing(?) chase around the dam-top area.
Bird(s) noted flying over here:
- 6 Canada Geese: two pairs flew East; one pair flew North
- 4 Greylag Geese: two pairs flew West again
- 2 Lesser Black-backed Gulls: adults; singles
- 12 Wood Pigeons
- 116 Jackdaws
- 1 Rook only
Counts from the lake area:
- 7 Canada Geese at various times: two pairs noted leaving
- no Greylag Geese
- 2 Mute Swans: the pen on / at the nest site
- 7 (6♂) Mallard
- *15 (12♂) Tufted Duck: 5 (4♂) of these departed together
- 7 Moorhens
- 28 Coots
- *1 Common Sandpiper
- 6 Great Crested Grebes
- 1 Lesser Black-backed Gull: (near) adult, briefly around dawn
- 1 Cormorant
- *1 Grey Heron
- *1 Great (White) Egret
Hirundines etc. noted:
- >25 Sand Martins
- *2+ Barn Swallows
Warblers noted (the number in brackets refers to birds singing):
- 1 (1) Cetti's Warbler
- 4 (4) Willow Warblers
- 19 (17) Chiffchaffs
- 11 (9) Blackcaps
On the West end street lamp poles pre-dawn:
Poles frost-covered so:
Beetles:
- 1 Alder Leaf Beetle Agelastica alni
Of note around the area later:
- 1 Alder Leaf Beetle Agelastica alni
Of note around the area later:
Flies:
- *more unidentified flies.
- *more unidentified flies.
Spiders, harvestmen etc.:
- *1 small male spider
This small group of Tufted Duck took off, flew around briefly and then left high to the north-west. Certainly four drakes with the bird at the front of the lower group looking to be a duck.
My first sighting of today's Common Sandpiper flying on typically bowed wings, not raised above the horizontal.
I think I have been seen! The white on the belly extends up toward the shoulder and is diagnostic of this species (apart from the equivalent New World species, Spotted Sandpiper. which is a vary rare vagrant to the UK and, in Summer, can be identified by having black spotting on the belly)
The many Sand Martins mainly stayed high in the sky. The few (two?) Barn Swallows, as here, stayed low over the water.
This may be a male Missing Sector Orb-web Spider Zygiella x-notata. The cephalothorax marking of a wide dark band on an otherwise brown area is a good match. Its other common name of Silver-sided Sector Spider does not seen apposite here. So?
- *1 small male spider
A splendid sunrise, my best of the year here so far. Starting early.
Spreading across the width of the eastern horizon.
Then out across the sky.
A different perspective.
There might not be many Coots here this year but that doesn't mean it is all sweetness and light.
I managed to find where it had settled on the dam-face.
The Great (White) Egret did not stay this morning, flying off..
...noisily...
...as it did so. The legs on this species stick out more than they do on...
...Grey Heron. Was everyone leaving?
Today's unidentified fly though I think I saw this species yesterday.
(Ed Wilson)
In the Priorslee Avenue tunnel:
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
In the Priorslee Avenue tunnel:
Flies
- *4 unidentified midges
- *1 moth fly Psychodidae sp. [Drain Fly or Owl Fly]
- *4 unidentified midges
- *1 moth fly Psychodidae sp. [Drain Fly or Owl Fly]
And a moth fly Psychodidae sp. today
(Ed Wilson)
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
The Flash: 07:15 – 08:10
(79th visit of the year)
Bird notes:
- at least one Siskin still around.
Bird(s) noted flying over here:
- 4 Wood Pigeons: flew high North and not local birds
Noted on / around the water:
- 17 Canada Geese: more(?) inside the island
- 13 Greylag Geese
- 2 Mute Swans: the pen was on the nest throughout again
- 19 (16♂) Mallard
- 18 (13♂) Tufted Duck
- 4 Moorhens again
- 25 Coots
- 2 Great Crested Grebes
- 1 Grey Heron
Warblers noted (the number in brackets refers to birds singing):
- 3 (3) Willow Warblers
- 9 (8) Chiffchaffs
- *3 (3) Blackcaps again
Of note around the area:
Flies:
- 1 female plumed midge Chironomus plumosus
- 1 female plumed midge Chironomus plumosus
Beetles:
- *1 Alder Leaf Beetle Agelastica alni
(Ed Wilson)
2014
Priorslee Lake
3 Cormorants
2 Grey Herons
12 Tufted Duck
7 Blackcaps
6 Chiffchaffs
2 Willow Warblers
(Ed Wilson)
The Flash
1 Cormorant
1 Cackling Goose
39 Tufted Ducks
1 Blackcap
4 Chiffchaffs
(Ed Wilson)
Trench Lock Pool
4 Great Crested Grebes
23 Tufted Ducks
1 Sand Martin
1 Blackcap
2 Chiffchaffs
1 Willow Warbler
(Ed Wilson)
2013
Priorslee Lake
1 Little Grebe
4 Great Crested Grebes
1 Cormorant
2 Gadwall
21 Tufted Ducks
6 Redwings
1 Fieldfare
372 Jackdaws
Kestrel
Willow Tit
(Ed Wilson, John Isherwood)
The Flash
2 Great Crested Grebes
1 Cormorant
1 Pochard
58 Tufted Duck
1 Brambling
(Ed Wilson, John Isherwood)
Trench Lock Pool
2 Great Crested Grebes
2 Cormorants
2 Greylag Geese
4 Shoveler
19 Tufted Duck
(Ed Wilson)
Nedge Hill
50 Meadow Pipit
100 Redwing
Green Woodpecker
3 Red legged Partridge
Fieldfare
7 Lapwing
Linnet
(John Isherwood)
2012
Nedge Hill
2 Wheatear
(John Isherwood)
2011
Nedge Hill
2 Common Redstart
4 Wheatear
(John Isherwood)
Priorslee Flash
Garden Warbler
(Ed Wilson)
2007
Priorslee Lake
20 Tufted Duck
2 Buzzard
1 Kestrel
1 Skylark
36 Meadow Pipit
9 Chiffchaff
1 Redpoll
8 Bullfinch
5 Reed Bunting
(Martin Adlam)
2006
Priorslee Lake
5 Great Crested Grebes
2 Cormorants
6 Tufted Ducks
1 Ruddy Duck
7 Stock Doves
235 Wood Pigeons
3 Great Spotted Woodpeckers
7 Meadow Pipits
20 Wrens
21 Blackbirds
2 Fieldfares again
2 Blackcaps
5 Chiffchaffs
3 Willow Warblers
1 Willow Tit
15 Greenfinches
3 Siskins
3 Reed Buntings
(Ed Wilson)
- *1 Alder Leaf Beetle Agelastica alni
A not-very-good photo of a disappearing male Blackcap...
...only to hide behind branches to confuse the camera.
An Alder Leaf Beetle Agelastica alni.
(Ed Wilson)
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
2014
Priorslee Lake
3 Cormorants
2 Grey Herons
12 Tufted Duck
7 Blackcaps
6 Chiffchaffs
2 Willow Warblers
(Ed Wilson)
The Flash
1 Cormorant
1 Cackling Goose
39 Tufted Ducks
1 Blackcap
4 Chiffchaffs
(Ed Wilson)
Trench Lock Pool
4 Great Crested Grebes
23 Tufted Ducks
1 Sand Martin
1 Blackcap
2 Chiffchaffs
1 Willow Warbler
(Ed Wilson)
2013
Priorslee Lake
1 Little Grebe
4 Great Crested Grebes
1 Cormorant
2 Gadwall
21 Tufted Ducks
6 Redwings
1 Fieldfare
372 Jackdaws
Kestrel
Willow Tit
(Ed Wilson, John Isherwood)
The Flash
2 Great Crested Grebes
1 Cormorant
1 Pochard
58 Tufted Duck
1 Brambling
(Ed Wilson, John Isherwood)
Trench Lock Pool
2 Great Crested Grebes
2 Cormorants
2 Greylag Geese
4 Shoveler
19 Tufted Duck
(Ed Wilson)
Nedge Hill
50 Meadow Pipit
100 Redwing
Green Woodpecker
3 Red legged Partridge
Fieldfare
7 Lapwing
Linnet
(John Isherwood)
2012
Nedge Hill
2 Wheatear
(John Isherwood)
2011
Nedge Hill
2 Common Redstart
4 Wheatear
(John Isherwood)
Priorslee Flash
Garden Warbler
(Ed Wilson)
2007
Priorslee Lake
20 Tufted Duck
2 Buzzard
1 Kestrel
1 Skylark
36 Meadow Pipit
9 Chiffchaff
1 Redpoll
8 Bullfinch
5 Reed Bunting
(Martin Adlam)
2006
Priorslee Lake
5 Great Crested Grebes
2 Cormorants
6 Tufted Ducks
1 Ruddy Duck
7 Stock Doves
235 Wood Pigeons
3 Great Spotted Woodpeckers
7 Meadow Pipits
20 Wrens
21 Blackbirds
2 Fieldfares again
2 Blackcaps
5 Chiffchaffs
3 Willow Warblers
1 Willow Tit
15 Greenfinches
3 Siskins
3 Reed Buntings
(Ed Wilson)