10.0°C > 13.0°C: Overcast. Light rain fading away with cloud lifting and becoming brighter. Fresh south-easterly breeze. Excellent visibility after the rain stopped.
[Sunrise: 04:49 BST]
* = a species photographed today
! = a first sighting of the species this year
$ = a new species for me in this area
I delayed my start until the rainfall radar suggested most of the rain had passed through – which it had. As usual with a late start I visited The Flash first.
Priorslee Balancing Lake: 08:40 – 10:30
(133rd visit of the year)
The conditions were those where almost anything might turn up: but usually doesn't. Two adult Black-headed Gulls were brief visitors on an unusual date. Either one of these, or another, was an equally brief visitor about ten minutes later.
Only viewing from the dam-top area.
Bird notes:
- once again the seven Greylag Geese goslings were present and correct. The third adult is clearly in wing-moult and unable to fly anywhere.
- no Mallard ducklings seen.
- I could only find a drake Tufted Duck.
- seven juvenile Coots seen from three broods noted.
- the pair of Great Crested Grebes do seem to have just one juvenile. They are always a long way away and it is hard to be certain.
- what was likely a family party of Jays was making much noise in the south-east area alongside the Castle Farm Interchange.
Bird(s) noted flying over here:
- *1 Stock Dove
- 5 Wood Pigeons
- 9 Jackdaws
That's all
Counts from the lake area:
- 3 + 7 (1 brood) Greylag Geese
- 2 Mute Swan: assuming the pen is still on the hidden nest
- 12 (10♂) Mallard
- 1 (1♂) Tufted Duck
- no Moorhens
- 22 + 7 (3 broods) Coots
- 6 + 1? (1 brood) Great Crested Grebes: see notes
- *2 (or 3) Black-headed Gulls
- 2 Grey Herons
Hirundines etc. noted:
These tended to move away as the cloud-base lifted
- 2 Swifts
- *>2 Sand Martins
- *>10 Barn Swallows
- *>10 House Martins
Warblers noted (the number in brackets refers to birds singing):
From the dam-top area only a few of the Reed Buntings were heard singing
Insects noted.
None
The Greylag Goose family with the additional adult. The goslings now have some colour in their bills. The additional adult is the foreground bird and is clearly missing many of its flight feathers.
Two drake Mallard fly off. These too are moulting with the leading bird having lost the curly tail feather and showing a distinctly blotchy chest.
And the wing from above: also dark-bordered. The two small dark marks on the inner wing are only just about visible at this angle. No white on the bend of the wing either.
I spent a long while photographing the hirundines in less than ideal light. As the weather brightened the birds moved away. There were at least two Sand Martins. Here is one. Brown toned.
The House Martins were more cooperative. Can this be one with a single long tail streamer? No. It is twisting its tail such that it is edge-on here.
A more typical view though I am not sure about the white patches on neck and back. Either I photographed this one multiple times or several were similarly marked.
This one has some white in the tail as well. The different tones between the back and the wings are well-shown here.
(Ed Wilson)
The Flash: 07:40 – 08:30
(130th visit of the year)
There was still light rain here and that meant most birds were not singing.
Bird notes:
- the count of adult Canada Geese had to be done in bits as birds were all over the place. Likely numbers were slightly under-recorded. Many are now clearly non-flyers as their wing-moult gets under way.
- still eight visiting Mute Swans.
- sixteen juvenile Coots found from eight broods two broods being new to me. Four of the juveniles are now independent. Today's higher number almost certainly due to my later visit when the most recent broods were no longer being brooded by a parent but out and about begging to be fed.
- still only one Great Crested Grebe.
- the Grey Heron was again standing on the island.
- one (or more) Great Spotted Woodpecker was making a lot of noise on the island. Nothing was seen.
Bird(s) noted flying over here:
One of the two (or possibly three) adult Black-headed Gulls that visited briefly.
A Stock Dove flies by. No white on the neck and pale-centred wings with a dark border from below.
This may or may not be the same individual.
The Barn Swallows gave me more trouble in obtaining (reasonably) sharp photos. Here is one.
Another speeds across the grass. A female judging by the short tail-streamers.
As shown here...
...and here.
Not sure what this House Martin is doing!
Nor this one!
A reflective view.
(Ed Wilson)
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
The Flash: 07:40 – 08:30
(130th visit of the year)
There was still light rain here and that meant most birds were not singing.
Bird notes:
- the count of adult Canada Geese had to be done in bits as birds were all over the place. Likely numbers were slightly under-recorded. Many are now clearly non-flyers as their wing-moult gets under way.
- still eight visiting Mute Swans.
- sixteen juvenile Coots found from eight broods two broods being new to me. Four of the juveniles are now independent. Today's higher number almost certainly due to my later visit when the most recent broods were no longer being brooded by a parent but out and about begging to be fed.
- still only one Great Crested Grebe.
- the Grey Heron was again standing on the island.
- one (or more) Great Spotted Woodpecker was making a lot of noise on the island. Nothing was seen.
Bird(s) noted flying over here:
None
Noted on / around the water:
- *134 + 1 (1 brood) Canada Geese
- 5 Greylag Geese
- 10 Mute Swans: assuming the pen is still on the hidden nest.
- 21 (16♂) Mallard
- 4 Moorhens
- 43 + 16 (8 broods) Coots
- 1 Great Crested Grebe
- 1 Grey Heron again
Hirundines etc. noted:
Noted on / around the water:
- *134 + 1 (1 brood) Canada Geese
- 5 Greylag Geese
- 10 Mute Swans: assuming the pen is still on the hidden nest.
- 21 (16♂) Mallard
- 4 Moorhens
- 43 + 16 (8 broods) Coots
- 1 Great Crested Grebe
- 1 Grey Heron again
Hirundines etc. noted:
None
Warblers noted (the number in brackets refers to birds singing):
- no Chiffchaffs
- 2 (2) Blackcaps
Noted around the area:
Warblers noted (the number in brackets refers to birds singing):
- no Chiffchaffs
- 2 (2) Blackcaps
Noted around the area:
On one of the sheltered street lamp poles I found, unidentified:
- 1 cranefly
- *1 fly
Otherwise zilch.
No they are not drowning: just feeding. You can see on the front Canada Goose that the primary flight feathers have been dropped and the white ahead of the tail is exposed. It will not be flying for a few weeks.
The unidentified fly on a street lamp pole. Obsidentify initially also had it as "unknown fly". After I edited the photo it made suggestions of two species of hoverfly. It is most certainly not a hoverfly. Google Lens suggested a genus of fly that is not included in NatureSpot's photo gallery. I give up!
(Ed Wilson)
2012
Priorslee Lake
1 Common Sandpiper
(John Isherwood)
Nedge Hill
10 Wheatear
(John Isherwood)
2008
Nedge Hill
5 Wheatear
Yellow Wagtail
(Ed Wilson)
2006
Priorslee Lake
Hobby
1 Common Sandpiper
1 Cuckoo
2 Ruddy Ducks
(Ed Wilson / Martin Adlam)
Nedge Hill
1 Ring Ouzel
4 Wheatear
(Arthur Harper)
- 1 cranefly
- *1 fly
Otherwise zilch.
(Ed Wilson)
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
2012
Priorslee Lake
1 Common Sandpiper
(John Isherwood)
Nedge Hill
10 Wheatear
(John Isherwood)
2008
Nedge Hill
5 Wheatear
Yellow Wagtail
(Ed Wilson)
2006
Priorslee Lake
Hobby
1 Common Sandpiper
1 Cuckoo
2 Ruddy Ducks
(Ed Wilson / Martin Adlam)
Nedge Hill
1 Ring Ouzel
4 Wheatear
(Arthur Harper)