Location
Late Morning: 11:20
1 Arctic Tern late morning then flew southwest. Via BirdGuides Here
Early Morning: 07:15 – 09:55
Sunrise: 05:03 BST
12°C > 14°C High cloud to E and lower-level cloud from west. Moderate SW wind. Good visibility
Highlight today was a Hobby high overhead being mobbed by a screaming party of Swifts
Running that close was a female Kestrel that appeared over head; then hovering over the SW grass; and later over the fields alongside Woodhouse Lane. My only previous log of this species here this year was as long ago as 13 February
The wind direction and strength made for much road-noise, making hearing birds hard work this morning. The reconstruction of the M54 seems to have made the road-noise worse not better: the supposedly quieter road surface seems to be more than off-set by the concrete barriers reflecting the sound more effectively
(80th visit of the year)
Other notes
- Mallard ducklings not seen but duck tucked up almost out of sight may well have had her brood with her
- Tufted Duck all seem to have gone
- larger numbers of Jackdaws and Rooks these days probably because birds ferrying food to the nest sites
- no Garden Warblers seen or heard here this morning
- the Reed Warbler in the S side brambles was not heard today; one was singing from the NE area – a new location for this year; someone has walked through the main N-side reed bed and only a single bird was singing there this morning
- 3 House Sparrows visited my recording area this morning: 2nd time this year birds have strayed from the estate area
And
- a Lime-speck Pug on one of the lamps
- my first damselfly of the year here – a Blue-tailed Damselfly
- a 7-spot Ladybird
- a Nettle Weevil
Counts of birds flying over the lake (in addition to those on / around lake)
- 2 Canada Geese
- 1 Cormorant
- 3 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
- 1 Herring Gull
- 8 Feral Pigeons (1 party and 2 singles)
- 5 Wood Pigeons
- 16 Jackdaws
- 23 Rooks
Hirundine etc. approximate maxima
- >40 Common Swifts
- >7 Sand Martins
- 2 Barn Swallows
- >8 House Martins
Warblers seen / heard around the lake: numbers in brackets are singing birds
- 1 (1) Cetti’s Warbler
- 8 (7) Chiffchaffs
- 13 (10) Blackcaps
- 2 (1) Common Whitethroats
- 5 (5) Reed Warblers
The counts from the lake area
- 2 + 4 Mute Swans
- 10 (7♂) + ? (1 brood) Mallard
- 1 Little Grebe heard yet again
- 5 Great Crested Grebes
- 2 Moorhens
- 24 + 0 juveniles Coots
The fish does indeed look rather wide as well as rather fat.
“if only I could get a better grip”
Look: a grebe with wings on its bill!
Perhaps if I throw it in the air that will help ....
I do not think it is going to fit.
At last: I managed to ‘nail’ a House Martin flying by.
A 7-spot Ladybird at rest.
A Blue-tailed Damselfly ...
(Ed Wilson)
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Woodhouse Lane: [07:55 – 08:40]
Location
Another visit to the fields and lane
Notes
- the Garden Warbler still near the sluice exit – the only one heard today
- a Reed Bunting singing from the oilseed rape crop. Quite a good place to nest as the plants are left for many weeks for the seeds to fully develop and long before harvesting the birds will have flown
Some numbers (numbers in brackets are singing birds)
- 6 (4) Sky Larks
- 3 (3) Chiffchaffs yet again
- 3 (3) Blackcaps again
- 1 (1) Garden Warbler
- 3 (2) Common Whitethroats
- 4 (4) Song Thrushes
- 1 (0) Mistle Thrush
- no Linnets again
- 3 (2) Yellowhammers
- 1 (1) Reed Bunting
A different vista of the oilseed rape fields alongside Woodhouse Lane.
Again
(Ed Wilson)
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On this day in ...........
2015Priorslee Lake
Today's Sightings Here
2012
Priorslee Lake
Black Tern
(Ed Wilson)
2006
Priorslee Lake
2 Ruddy Ducks
(Ed Wilson)