- a female Pochard
- Two large flocks of Long-tailed Tits; there were 20 on the northeast corner of the lake accompanied by 3 Great Tit, 3 Blue Tits, 2 Goldcrest, 3 Chiffchaff and 1 Blackcap. The other group of 10 was in the southeast corner by the motorway accompanied by 4 Great Tit, 4 Blue Tit, 2 Coal Tit, 2 Goldcrest and 2 Chiffchaff. Around Wesley Brook there was a smaller group of 4 birds.
- still small numbers of Meadow Pipit moving overhead.
- Song Thrushes calling from all round the lake. Still no Redwing or Fieldfare yet.
- standing on the overflow I heard a Kingfisher and then realised it was under the road.
- Circling the lake were a pair of Buzzards and a lone female Kestrel was sitting on the wires above the fields to the east of the lake.
Birds logged today were:
nil [2] Grey Heron; Still 4 adult Great Crested Grebes and 3 juveniles; Still 2 adult Swans and 1 cygnet; 1 [1] Canada Geese (on the south bank); 54 [55] Mallards; 1 [0 ]Pochard; 29 [25] Tufted Ducks; 2 [0] Buzzard; 1 [1] Kestrel; 5 [11] Moorhens; 34 [45] Coots; 62 [313] Black-headed Gulls; 3 [5] Lesser Black-backed Gull; nil [1] Feral Pigeon; 10 [18] Wood Pigeons; 1 [0] Kingfisher; nil [73] Swallows; nil [69] House Martins; 13 [8] Meadow Pipits; nil [2] Yellow Wagtails; 2 [1] Grey Wagtail; 2 [35] Pied Wagtails; 6 [11] Wrens; 4 [6] Dunnocks; 12 [17] Robins; 4 [7] Blackbirds; 7 [11] Song Thrushes; nil [5] Mistle Thrushes; nil [1] Reed Warbler; nil [1] Sedge Warbler; 1 [0] Blackcap; 6 [7] Chiffchaffs; 6 [6] Goldcrest; 34 [4] Long-tailed Tits; 1 [0] Coal Tit; 10 [11] Blue Tits; 9 [8] Great Tits; nil [1] Tree Creeper; nil [1] Jay; 4 [8] Magpies; 1 [6] Jackdaw; nil [18] Rooks; 2 [4] Crows; 2 [0] Starlings; 2 [14] Chaffinches; 2 [21] Greenfinches; nil [2] Goldfinch; 2 [0] Linnet; 1 [9] Reed Buntings [Yesterday's figures in brackets]
Mammals:
- No Mammals
Insects:
- 1 Dragonfly
- 2 Comma butterflies
- 2 Small Copper butterflies
(Martin Adlam)
19th September, Tuesday (06:30pm - 07:45pm) - A pleasant evenings walk in the company of
1st Priorslee and St Georges
Scout Group, who asked me to show them the wildlife around the lake.
Highlight this evening:
- 4 Bar-tailed Godwit flew east over the lake (spotted by the eagle eyes of the scout group. Thank you)
- 6 Long-tailed Field Mice (Also known as Wood Mouse seen under the boards by the car park by Water Sports Association gate).
- 1 Grey Squirrel
Birds logged this evening were:
4 adult Great Crested Grebes and 3 juveniles; 2 adult Swans and 1 cygnet; Mallard; Tufted Ducks; Moorhen; Coots; 4 Black-tailed Godwit; 80 Black-headed Gulls; 45 Lesser Black-backed Gull; Wood Pigeon; 1 Green Woodpecker; 1 Grey Wagtail; 2 Pied Wagtails; Wren; Dunnock; Robins; Blackbirds; Song Thrushes; Mistle Thrushes; 1 Blackcap; 1 Chiffchaff; 3 Goldcrest; Long-tailed Tits; Blue Tits; Great Tits; Magpies; Jackdaw; Rooks; Chaffinches; Greenfinches; Goldfinch; 2 Bullfinches;
Mammals:
- 6 Long-tailed Field Mice (Click here to see image)
- 1 Grey Squirrel
Insects:
- Dragonflies hawking over trees on northbank.
Plants in Fruit:
- Blackthorn
- Hawthorn
- Elder
- Dog Rose
- Guilder Rose (Click here to see image - then scroll down page)
- Oak
- Blackberry
- Ash
- Alder
(Martin Adlam & The
1st Priorslee and St Georges
Scouts)
16th September, Saturday (06:30 - 09:30) - A very misty start to the day which ended up as drizzle by 09:30am. Temperature a little higher than last week at 12 degrees C.
Highlights this morning:
- a pair of Wigeon which landed on the water at around 6:40am. Drake lacking cream forehead
- Sedge Warbler along the RICOH hedgerow
- Kingfisher in Wesley Brook.
- Redpoll and Siskin around the lake
- small numbers of Meadow Pipit moving overhead.
- a party of 3 Grey Wagtail flew north over the lake
- Song Thrushes calling from all round the lake, no Redwing or Fieldfare yet.
- Too misty to count Corvids
with just 1 Jackdaw seen and 2 Carrion Crows
Birds logged today were:
1 [0] Grey Heron; 4 adult Great Crested Grebes and 3 juveniles; 2 adult Swans and 1 cygnet; nil [2] Greylag Geese; 20 [20] Canada Geese (none landed); 2 [0] Wigeon; 53 [58] Mallards; 19 [20] Tufted Ducks; 1 [0] Kestrel; 9 [8] Moorhens; 64 [51] Coots; 12 [97] Black-headed Gulls; 1 [5] Lesser Black-backed Gull; 6 [1] Feral Pigeon; 15 [30] Wood Pigeons; 1 [1] Kingfisher; nil [1] Great Spotted Woodpecker; nil [1] Sky Lark; nil [2] Sand Martins; nil [5] Swallows; nil [c.100] House Martins; 15 [0] Meadow Pipits; 4 [2] Grey Wagtail; 21 [17] Pied Wagtails; 10 [11] Wrens; 8 [5] Dunnocks; 21 [17] Robins; 5 [6] Blackbirds; 6 [2] Song Thrushes; 4 [0] Mistle Thrushes; nil [1] Reed Warbler; 1 [0] Sedge Warbler; 1 [3] Blackcap; 6 [8] Chiffchaffs; 3 [4] Goldcrest; 3 [8] Long-tailed Tits; 1 [1] Coal Tit; 1 [1] Willow Tit; 4 [7] Blue Tits; 4 [10] Great Tits; 1 [1] Tree Creeper; 2 [1] Jay; 8 [6] Magpies; 1 [1] Jackdaw; 0 [9] Rooks; 2 [5] Crows; 1 [0] Starlings; nil [3] Chaffinches; 7 [23] Greenfinches; 1 [6] Goldfinch; 2 [1] Linnet; 2 [0] Siskin; 2 [0] Redpoll; 2 [2] Bullfinches; 5 [2] Reed Buntings [Last Saturday's figures in brackets]
Mammals:
- 3 Adult, 1 Juv Rabbits
Insects:
Dragonflies hawking over trees on northbank.
(Martin Adlam / John Isherwood)
9th September, Saturday (06:10 - 08:30) - A bright sunny morning. It was a bit chilly despite the temperature at 10 degrees. There was a little bit of mist rising off the lake.
Highlights this morning:
- a female Wheatear on the dam at 07:40am. It was well camouflaged in amongst the boulders and when it took flight it headed up and over the M54 to the south.
- First House Martin seen were at 6:12am and then at 7:30 over 100 came across the lake from Priorslee village.
- a pair of Sand Martins feeding over the tree tops on the northbank.
- a pair of Lesser Whitethroats seen feeding amongst the Hawthorn between the sailing club and RICOH.
- 1 Reed Warbler heard briefly in the Wesley Brook Reedbeds.
- 1 Kingfisher in Wesley Brook.
Birds logged today were:
3 adult Great Crested Grebes and 3 juveniles; 2 adult Swans and 1 cygnet; 2 Greylag Geese (didn't land); 20 Canada Geese (none landed); 58 Mallards; 20 Tufted Ducks; 8 Moorhens; 51 full-grown Coots
with 2 juveniles; 97 Black-headed Gulls; 5 Lesser
Black-backed Gulls; 1 Feral
Pigeon; 30 Wood Pigeons; 1
Kingfisher; 1 Great Spotted Woodpecker; 1 Sky
Lark; 2 Sand Martins; 5 Swallows; c.100 House Martins; 2
Grey Wagtail; 17 Pied Wagtails; 11 Wrens; 5 Dunnocks; 17 Robins;
6 Blackbirds; 2 Song Thrushes; no Mistle Thrushes; 1 Reed Warbler;
3 Blackcap; 8 Chiffchaffs; no Willow Warblers; 4 Goldcrest; 8 Long-tailed
Tit parties; 1 Coal Tit; 1 Willow Tit; 7 Blue Tits; 10 Great Tits; 1
Tree Creeper; 1 Jay; 6 Magpies; 1 Jackdaw; 9 Rooks; 5 Crows; no Starlings; no House Sparrows; 3 Chaffinches; 23 Greenfinches; 6 Goldfinches; 1 Linnet; 2 Bullfinches; 2 Reed Buntings; no
Yellowhammer.
Mammals:
- 5 Rabbits
- New Mole hills, one that was excavated possibly by a Fox.
(Martin Adlam)
8th September, Friday (05:31 - 08:48) -
A cool and fresh morning with almost a hint of ground frost. Mist over the
lake and grass with some good web-effects (that I did not really have time
to exploit). Otherwise excellent visibility and the mist soon cleared
anyway. Light S wind brought a lot of M-way noise
Highlights were
- fledged juvenile Great Crested Grebe back (? or another)
- 1 Cormorant flying in the distance
- 2 Herons seen flying together
- 3 adult Swans flew in and were chased off
- 3 Teal were new in
- at least 37 Tufted Ducks!
- 2 juvenile Ruddy Ducks
- unusual passage of Lesser Black-backed Gulls, with 117 logged flying E / NE
- Great Spotted Woodpecker flew out of SW area - roost? source of the call
the other morning?
- very few hirundines today
- party of 41 small birds flushed from the W by unseen action seemed to
all be Pied Wagtails (the Black-headed Gulls went up too)
- at least 8 Mistle Thrushes on the wires to the E
- Chiffchaffs were the only warblers seen / heard this morning
also
- nothing else of note
So here we go with the more detailed avian notes from the lake today [all
figures in square brackets are yesterday's figures]
- all 4 adult Great Crested Grebes noted: the 3 resident juveniles present
as was a full-grown fledged bird
- 1 adult Cormorant flew S to the W 06:58
- Heron seen arriving again this morning: later 2 birds seen flying W
together - to the W. Assumed different birds
- the surviving cygnet with the resident adult Swans were troubled by 3
adult interlopers today. 2 'got the message' left within 2 minutes, but
other took over 20 minutes before it to left the way they had come - from
the E
- 10 Greylag Geese seen flying E, though I thought I heard at least one
other while it was still dark; a group of 11 flew W later
- slightly better Canada Geese outbound movement today and I logged just
75 [58] flying E. Only 2 returning, but I left the lake early and was
within the trees at their usual passage time
- 3 Teal in the NE area looked like an eclipse / immature drake and 2 ducks
- the adult Mallard count on the lake was almost a record at 69. I noted
10 arriving before 06:00 both from E & W
- a massive count of at least 39 Tufted Ducks! 17 were logged in flight
before I did the count, presumably arriving!
- no raptors seen at all today, though something put up all the birds to
the W at 06:50
- better count of Moorhens yet again: 4 adults and 7 well-grown juveniles:
no small juveniles noted
- only 2 [2] obvious juveniles again with just 69 [79] adult Coot today
- slightly better number of gulls:
- - 128 [51] Black-headed Gulls all drifted in from the W, starting with a
lone bird at 05:49, but no more for nearly 30 minutes. 32 of these arrived
when something spooked them in the fields to the W
- - 117 [152] Lesser Black-backed-type Gulls logged (not all were
specifically checked and some could have been Herring Gulls). all 117 of
these were moving E, sometimes then turning N. None was passing W today,
which is the normal post-dispersal route for this species [I was at
Ivetsey Bank last evening and several hundred were noted flying E toward
Gailey and / or Belvide in very casual observation from the table of the
Indian Restaurant!
- - no Herring Gull specifically identified today
- 44 [15] Feral Pigeons logged. Largest party of 26 [8] birds seen
circling over towards The Flash: otherwise 7 singles / small groups
- 1 Stock Dove on the wires to the NE again
- better count of Wood Pigeons today, only partly to do with my
positioning: 232 [71] flew E: and 22 [17] flew W. There was a maximum of
11 [13] birds on the wires: and there were again 15 [15] birds around the
lake itself. So my tally today was 280 [116]
- no Collared Doves
- no Swifts
- no Kingfisher today
- 1 Great Spotted Woodpecker flew out of the SW bushes and off to the W
end. Upon reflection I wonder whether it is roosting there and was the
source of the strange call I heard the other morning?
- just 3 [26] Swallows logged today: a pair and a lone bird a few minutes
later
- only local House Martins again with a maximum of 6 feeding in the lee of
the poplars today
- in addition there were a few unidentified hirundines. A lone, small bird
flew high W against the pre-dawn sky at 06:19 and might have been a Sand
Martin. 2 birds very high to the N at 07:05 could have been almost
anything, but seemed too high for Swallows
- 2 Grey Wagtails with the first seen on the dam for a few days
- as many as 53 Pied Wagtails logged this morning. At 06:52 something put
all the birds up to the W and a scattered group of 42 birds was seen
heading vaguely N / NE / E and seemed to be all this species. 6 others
seen and at least 5 more heard, also all heading E / NE in apparent
roost-dispersal
- amazingly I logged but a single Blackbird - and that when one called
just as I was getting in he car to leave!
- the Song Thrush not heard either
- several sighting of up to 8 Mistle Thrushes on the wires to the E
- no warblers other than ..
- 11 [15] Chiffchaffs again, with two heard in song
- at least 2 Goldcrests in different areas
- Long-tailed Tits left the roost in the S side bushes at the later time
of 06:40 this morning
- Willow Tit not heard here today
- Jay(s) heard in both the NW and SW areas
- corvid roost dispersal today was different with no large flock and
almost continuous passage for over 30 minutes of mainly small groups of
Rooks. In total I logged 126 [195] Jackdaws and 246 [206] Rooks
- 40 Starlings logged this morning in 6 sightings. 24 of these were with
the 'spooked' Pied Wagtails
- the SW Greenfinch roost produced the huge count of 15 birds today! I
noted another 15 birds elsewhere
- a fine party of at least 15 Goldfinch flew S
- no identified Linnets on the wires to the E
- 1 Bullfinch awake early in the SW bushes at 06:54
- 1 Reed Bunting heard and then seen at the W end
- only 5 finches seen on the wires to the NE Also
- late examination of the by then sun-lit street lights produced no moths
- left before any butterflies were flying
- no Rabbits today
- probably too cold for bats today - I caught but 3 moths in my Newport
light-trap last night
My complete log of the birds at and around the lake today is set out below
no Little Grebes; 4 adult Great Crested Grebes and 2 juveniles; 1
Cormorant; 3 Herons; 5 adult Swans and 1 cygnet; 11 Greylag Geese; at
least 75 Canada Geese (none landed); 3 Common Teal; 69 Mallards; at least
37 Tufted Ducks; 2 juvenile Ruddy Ducks; no Sparrowhawks; no Buzzards; no
Kestrels; no Pheasants; 11 Moorhens (4 adults; 7 well-grown juveniles; no
small juveniles); 69 full-grown Coots with 2 apparent juveniles; no
waders; 128 Black-headed Gulls; 117 Lesser Black-backed-type Gulls; no
specifically identified Herring Gulls; 44 Feral Pigeons; 1 Stock Dove; 280
Wood Pigeons; no Collared Doves; no Swifts; no Kingfishers; no Green
Woodpeckers; 1 Great Spotted Woodpecker; no Sky Larks; 1 possible Sand
Martins; 3 Swallows; 6 House Martins; 2 other unidentified hirundines; no
Meadow Pipits; 2 Grey Wagtails; up to 53 Pied Wagtails; 14 Wrens; 8
Dunnocks; 37 Robins; only 1 Blackbird; no Song Thrushes; 8 Mistle
Thrushes; no Reed Warblers; no Blackcaps; 11 Chiffchaffs; no Willow
Warblers; 2 Goldcrests; 1 Long-tailed Tit party; 1 Coal Tit; no Willow
Tits; 14 Blue Tits; 7 Great Tits; no Tree Creepers; 1 or 2 Jays; 9
Magpies; 126 Jackdaws; 246 Rooks; 15 Crows; no Ravens;40 Starlings; no
House Sparrows; 1 Chaffinches; 30 Greenfinches; 15 Goldfinches; no
Linnets; 1 Bullfinch; 1 Reed Bunting; no Yellowhammer; and 5 unidentified
finch sp. Also recorded
Mammals:
- no Rabbits
- no Grey Squirrels
- no new molehills
- no bats
Insects:
no species of butterfly
no species of moth
[numbers are the British Checklist Numbers]
no dragonfly species
(Ed Wilson)
7th September, Thursday
05:31 - 10:05 [07:45 - 09:00 absent walking to, around and back from The Flash - see Local Bird News]
My last full report before another holiday in South America - at the
'other' end of the Amazon, in Ecuador
A much fresher morning than of late - almost autumnal, though the brisk NW
wind driving light showers across the lake kept the autumn mists away!
Quiet
Highlights were
- 1 Cormorant flew over
- 2 Buzzards and a Sparrowhawk seen again - and the Kestrel
- Green Woodpecker calling
- fewer hirundines today: small Swallow passage after 09:00
- at least 26 Mistle Thrushes on the wires to the E and probably 4 more noted
- 1 Reed Warbler
- still good number of Chiffchaffs heard this morning
also
- a scatter of butterflies
- yesterday's splendid Shaggy Ink Cap was already defunct
The birds on the wires all moved off soon after the Sparrowhawk moved
through as the farmer emerged with his tractor and a spreader and
proceeded to cover the area in 'dust' - wind taking it away I am pleased
to say
So here we go with the more detailed avian notes from the lake today [all
figures in square brackets are yesterday's figures]
- only 3 adult Great Crested Grebes noted, but did not look that hard: the
3 juveniles present
- 1 adult Cormorant flew over high E at 07:20
- Heron seen this morning
- the surviving cygnet with the resident adult Swans untroubled by any
interlopers today
- just 2 Greylag Geese recorded and these were flying W at the 'interim'
time of 06:47
- not sure where the Canada Geese were today: I was at a different vantage
point due to the wind direction and should have been able to see them but I logged just 58 [151] flying E. But 189 [42] flying W on return. None [0]
arrived at the lake.
- the adult Mallard count on the lake at 09:30 was just 12 [57] today.
This is odd as I noted 20 arriving before 06:00 both from E & W!
- no Tufted Ducks today [all at The Flash?]
- Sparrowhawk seen high to the NE of Castle Farm Way flushing everything
from the fields and wires
- 2 Buzzards again: 1 high to the N; and then 1 chased out of the N-side
trees by the local crows
- the Kestrel was noted flying S very high and fast at 06:00 while it was
still rather dark
- low count of Moorhens yet again: 2 adults and 4 well-grown juveniles: no
small juveniles noted
- only 2 [5] obvious juveniles with the 79 [73] adult Coot logged today
- the low numbers of especially Black-headed Gulls continues:
- - 51 [37] Black-headed Gulls: 40 drifted in from the W, starting at the
late time of 06:13 - normally well before daybreak. A party of 11 heading
W came from the S
- - 152 [38] Lesser Black-backed-type Gulls logged (not all were
specifically checked and some could have been Herring Gulls). No fewer
than 78 of these were moving E early, though many turned and headed N /
NW: later a party of 35 was high to the N, probably from the tip.
Otherwise mainly singles passing W
- - 1 immature Herring Gull specifically identified flying W again
- 15 [59] Feral Pigeons logged. Largest party of 8 [16] birds flew NW:
otherwise 3 singles / small groups
- 1 Stock Dove on the wires to the NE
- poor count of Wood Pigeons today: just 71 [171] flew E: and 17 [57] flew
W. There was a maximum of 13 [11] birds on the wires: and there were 15
[21] birds around the lake itself. So my tally today was 116 [260]
- no Collared Doves
- no Swifts
- 1 Kingfisher heard doing its usual early circuit of the lake again
- 1 Green Woodpecker heard calling from the N side
- 26 [22] Swallows logged today. The party of 15 flying S at 09:20 made up
most of these birds
- only local House Martins I think with a maximum of 5 both calling high
overhead and feeding in the lee of the poplars today
- 1 sightings of Grey Wagtail only
- all 13 Pied Wagtails logged were only heard - could not find the line
for these heard flying over, apparently on roost dispersal
- the Song Thrush not heard today, but was not near where the bird has
been roosting recently
- when the Sparrowhawk flew over the wires to the NE it flushed at least
26 Mistle Thrushes. I had logged 3 earlier flying N and these were
possibly different birds, as perhaps was the lone bird seen in the NW much
later
- 1 Reed Warbler was calling near the N-side reed bed. Tried yesterday's
trick of 'squeaking' at the NW reeds, but no response
- only 1 Blackcap heard today
- back to 11 [15] Chiffchaffs today, with two heard in song
- at least 5 different Goldcrests heard: 1 in NE area; 2 alongside the
Teece Drive gate; and 2 at S end of the W side
- Long-tailed Tits back roosting in the S side bushes and started calling
at 06:24 this morning
- Willow Tit not heard here today [but both on the walk to The Flash and
at The Flash]
- just 1 Jay in the NW area, but noisy throughout and there may have been
more
- corvid roost dispersal today was mostly a single large mixed flock of at
least 270 birds high to the far NE at 06:07. In total I logged 195 [225]
Jackdaws and 206 [179] Rooks
- 3 Starlings was all I could muster today
- the SW Greenfinch roost produced just 4 birds! For the third day running
I noted another 20 birds
- 6 Goldfinch today
- no identified Linnets on the wires to the E
- 2 Reed Buntings today, both heard calling at dawn
- about 35 finches left the wires to the NE when the Sparrowhawk appeared
- experience suggests these would be a mix of Greenfinches and Linnet
Also
- the usual examination of the street lights produced nothing this fresher
and, at times, breezy morning
- warm-enough for Speckled Woods to be flying
- 1 Rabbit today
- 1 bat seen very briefly over the N side
- and new molehills again
- the splendid Shaggy Ink Cap was reduced to a rotting stem after just 1 day
My complete log of the birds at and around the lake today is set out below
no Little Grebes; 3 adult Great Crested Grebes and 3 juveniles; 1
Cormorant; 1 Heron; 2 adult Swans and 1 cygnet; 2 Greylag Geese; at least
189 Canada Geese (none landed); 20 Mallards; no Tufted Ducks; 1
Sparrowhawk to the NE; 2 Buzzards; 1 Kestrel; no Pheasants; 6 Moorhens (2
adults; 4 well-grown juveniles; no small juveniles); 79 full-grown Coots
with 2 apparent juveniles; no waders; 51 Black-headed Gulls; 152 Lesser
Black-backed-type Gulls; 1 specifically identified Herring Gulls; 15 Feral
Pigeons; 1 Stock Dove; 116 Wood Pigeons; no Collared Doves; no Swifts; 1
Kingfisher; 1 Green Woodpecker; no Great Spotted Woodpeckers; no Sky
Larks; no Sand Martins; 26 Swallows; 5 House Martins; no Meadow Pipits; 1
Grey Wagtail; at least 13 Pied Wagtails; 15 Wrens; 5 Dunnocks; 28 Robins;
6 Blackbirds; no Song Thrushes; up to 30 Mistle Thrushes; 1 Reed Warbler;
1 Blackcap; 11 Chiffchaffs; no Willow Warblers; 5 Goldcrest; 2 Long-tailed
Tit parties; no Coal Tits; no Willow Tits; 9 Blue Tits; 4 Great Tits; no
Tree Creepers; 1 Jay; 6 Magpies; 195 Jackdaws; 206 Rooks; 13 Crows; no
Ravens; 3 Starlings; no House Sparrows; no Chaffinches; 24 Greenfinches
again; 6 Goldfinches; no Linnets; 2 Bullfinches; 2 Reed Buntings; no
Yellowhammer; but 35 unidentified finch sp.
Also recorded
Mammals:
- 1 Rabbit
- no Grey Squirrels
- still more new molehills
- 1 bat sp.
Insects:
1 species of butterfly
- 3 Speckled Wood [1614]
no species of moth
[numbers are the British Checklist Numbers]
no dragonfly species
(Ed Wilson)
6th September, Wednesday -
(05:31 - 10:00) - [08:05 - 08:55 in lanes and fields to the E - see Local Bird News]
An extended visit to the lake this rather dull morning, but still humid
and mild
Again it seemed a quiet morning, but managed to dig out a few goodies
eventually!
Highlights were
- 2 Cormorants flew over
- the adult Swans had 6 adult interlopers to deal with
- 2 Buzzards and a Sparrowhawk seen to the E
- unusual records of over-flying Tufted Ducks
- fewer hirundines today: no real passage until the weather began to clear
after 09:00
- staggering party of at least 27 Mistle Thrushes on the wires to the E -
3 calling, even singing, Reed Warblers a surprise after several blank days
- even more Chiffchaffs heard this morning
- a Spotted Flycatcher by the Yacht Club hut
- really weird unidentified pre-dawn call also
- moths, butterflies and dragonflies all seen today - nothing stunning but
- no Swifts again
So here we go with the more detailed avian notes from the lake today [all
figures in square brackets are yesterday's figures]
- the 4 adult Great Crested Grebes and 3 juveniles as usual
- 2 Cormorants flew over S at 06:55 - one a white-bellies juvenile
- no
Heron recorded again
- the surviving cygnet with the resident adult Swans throughout. Party of
6 adults arrived from the E at 06:45 and had been seen off by 07:00,
though did not see where they went
- 11 Greylag Geese recorded flying E, most with the Canadas, though one
lone bird flew in from the S. 7 birds flew back W after 08:00 but these
were not with what few Canada Geese there were
- 151 [179] Canada Geese were noted flying E. Just 42 [177] recorded
flying W on return over a 2-hour period! Must have missed some? None [0]
arrived at the lake.
- the adult Mallard count on the lake was 57 [51] today. 3 of these birds
were seen flying in from the W before 06:00
- not sure how many Tufted Ducks there were. 3 birds (all drakes) on the
lake at 08:00 but 2 birds were seen flying high S (with Rooks, above
out-bound Canada Geese) at 06:07. And then 2 drakes flew W at 10:00 just
as I was leaving
- Sparrowhawk seen over the streamside trees to the E of Castle Farm Way
-
2 Buzzards also to the E of Castle Farm Way: one over the fields and the
other in the streamside trees
- no Kestrel seen on wires to E or elsewhere again today
- low count of Moorhens again: 1 adults and 5 well-grown juveniles: no
small juveniles noted
- 5 obvious juveniles with just 73 [81] adult Coot logged today
- the low numbers of gulls continues:
- - just 37 [36] Black-headed Gulls, all but 1 (that arrived from the S)
arrived from the W
- - 38 [33] Lesser Black-backed-type Gulls logged (not all were
specifically checked and some could have been Herring Gulls). The first 10
were all moving E before sun-up: later they were all moving W, almost all
as single birds
- - 1 immature Herring Gull specifically identified flying W
- 59 [41] Feral Pigeons logged. Largest party of 16 [19] birds flew W:
otherwise 17 singles / small groups
- 5 Stock Doves logged mainly to the NE again
- today's count of Wood Pigeons was 171 [205] flying E: and high count of
57 [27] flying W. There was a maximum of 11 [1] birds on the wires: and
there were 21 [22] birds around the lake itself. So my tally today was 260
[255]
- a Collared Dove flew low across the lake at 06:50 - just as yesterday
and also perhaps from the S side trees?
- no Swifts
- no Kingfisher today
- 1 Great Spotted Woodpeckers heard calling as a Buzzard passed overhead
the streamside trees to the E
- 22 [83] Swallows logged today with sporadic birds until the cloud
cleared about 09:00 when a small passage mainly SW started. I thought
birds were supposed to see polarised light and hence know where the sun is
and be able to navigate even when it is cloudy
- fewer House Martins as well - 33 I reckon [71]: as yesterday there was a
party of at least 16 [30] birds high to the NE. In the NW area I could
only find 4 birds that seemed to be local birds. I assume it was one of
these over the lake at 09:00. Later there were parties of at least 8
(there sounded as if there were more) at 09:20; and then 5 more at 09:30
all very high up and that seemed to be moving though
- 3 sightings of Grey Wagtails again - at least 2 birds
- 3 Pied Wagtails seen over with at least another 7 heard
- the Song Thrush did its early scold at 05:55 today but was not noted later
- a few Mistle Thrushes seen on the wires to the E and also flying around
that area before an astonishing count of at least 27 birds on wires and
pylons to the E / NE (mixed in with Starlings and Greenfinches and always
with 1 or 2 birds moving about making accurate counts hard) [interestingly
I noted between 27 and 32 in a party sharing the wires NW of Newport with
Jackdaws and Greenfinches last evening]
- a major surprise was the 3 Reed Warblers in the NW reed bed. I was not
expecting these here as it is some days since I saw my last and these were
all along the N side. But as I walked by I noticed a bulky warbler-like
bird dive in to the reeds and 'squeaking' in the area produced instant
response from 3 different birds, all of which were making noises a mixture
of calls and song
- 2 Blackcaps heard today: no other Sylvia warblers heard
- at least 15 [11] Chiffchaffs today, with two heard in song
- at least 1 Goldcrest heard
- a Spotted Flycatcher in the trees alongside the Yacht Club hut at 09:45
was another nice surprise as I was recovering from the unexpected Reed
Warblers. Still long-enough for me to get a photo of it!
- Long-tailed Tits did not seem to be roosting in the S side bushes and I
did not see or hear any until after 09:30 when a party moved up the W side
where I was able to count 15 in the party with at least 6 Blue Tits
-
Willow Tit heard along the N side today
- a Tree Creeper was heard near the Teece Drive gate and then about 10
minutes later what was perhaps the same bird was heard around the Wesley
Brook footbridge
- just 1 encounter with a Jay, unusually in the NE area today
- corvid roost dispersal today, again far to NE, gave me counts of 225
[123, but 222 the day before that!] Jackdaws and 126 [179] Rooks
- no sizeable parties of Starlings seen today, but a scatter of small
parties totalling 43 [156] birds, the largest group being 17; and much
later 14 on the wires to the E with the Mistle Thrushes
- was again in the Greenfinch roost area of the SW bushes: another day
with just 3 birds seen leaving! Once again I noted another 20 birds
- 3
Goldfinch today
- 13 Linnets noted on the wires to the E
- 4 Reed Buntings today, with a full-plumage male; and 2 birds seen flying
off from the W end reeds
- the most frustrating observation was a loud, short and sharp cry,
apparently from the bushes on the SW side of the lake. I cannot recall
having heard the call before and sounded at the same time rather
reminiscent of an owl and a falcon or other bird of prey. But nothing was
seen and no further calls heard. 'Tis a mystery
Also
- the usual examination of the street lights produced yet another (but
different) Tortrix on the same light; and another Common Wainscot on a
different light: the wasps were marauding around the lights while it was
still dark and the lamps (well, most of them!) still lit
- the wasps were a problem while I tried to eat some of the blackberries
-
we were competing: I won and did not get stung once! The blackberries are
neither as plentiful or as tasty as last year and areas of them are
'rotting on the vine' covered in a white fungus
- though dull it was bright enough for Speckled Woods to be flying - the
small butterfly with very erratic flight seen again today, but only ever
as a silhouette high around the trees
- 2 hawker dragonflies seen briefly were unidentified
- no Rabbits today
- only Pipistrelle bat seen today - over the SE area
- and new molehills again
- a splendid Shaggy Ink Cap that posed for photographs (was not there
yesterday!)
My complete log of the birds at and around the lake today is set out below:
no Little Grebes; 4 adult Great Crested Grebes and 3 juveniles; 2
Cormorants; no Heron; 8 adult Swans and 1 cygnet; at least 11 Greylag
Geese; at least 151 Canada Geese (none landed); 57 Mallards; up to 7
Tufted Ducks (4 in flight); 1 Sparrowhawk to the E; 2 Buzzards also to the
E; no Kestrels; no Pheasants; 7 Moorhens (2 adults; 7 well-grown
juveniles; no small juveniles); 73 full-grown Coots with 5 apparent
juveniles; no waders; 37 Black-headed Gulls; 38 Lesser Black-backed-type
Gulls; 1 specifically identified Herring Gulls; 59 Feral Pigeons; 5 Stock
Doves; 260 Wood Pigeons; 1 Collared Dove; no Swifts; no Kingfishers; no
Green Woodpeckers; 1 Great Spotted Woodpeckers to the E; no Sky Larks; no
Sand Martins; 22 Swallows; 33 House Martins; no Meadow Pipits; 2 Grey
Wagtails; at least 10 Pied Wagtails; 21 Wrens again; 5 Dunnocks; 38
Robins; 4 Blackbirds; 1 Song Thrush; at least 27 Mistle Thrushes; 3 Reed
Warblers; 2 Blackcaps; 15 Chiffchaffs; no Willow Warblers; 1 Goldcrest; 1
Long-tailed Tit party; 1 Coal Tits; 1 Willow Tit; 14 Blue Tits; 9 Great
Tits again; no Tree Creepers; 1 Jay; 12 Magpies; 225 Jackdaws; 126 Rooks;
18 Crows; no Ravens; 43 Starlings; no House Sparrows; 2 Chaffinch; 23
Greenfinches again; 3 Goldfinches; 13 Linnets; 1 Bullfinch; 4 Reed
Buntings; and no Yellowhammer
Also recorded
Mammals:
- no Rabbit
- no Grey Squirrels
- more new molehills
- 1 bat sp.
Insects:
4 species of butterfly
- 3 Small White [1550]
- 1 Green-veined White [1551]
- 11 Speckled Wood [1614]
- 1 possible fritillary sp. - Small Pearl-bordered Fritillary [1600]?
2 species of moth
- 1 Tortrix sp.
- 1 Common Wainscot (Mythimna pallens) [2199]
[numbers are the British Checklist Numbers]
1 dragonfly species
- 2 hawker sp., assumed the same species
(Ed Wilson)
5th September, Tuesday - (05:31 - 09:15) [Walked to and from Priorslee Flash at 09:20 onwards - see Local Bird News]
Another great sunrise this morning as the scattered areas of overnight
high-level clouds moved away, leaving a sunny, clear and very mild and
humid morning with light / moderate WSW wind
The sunrise diverted my attention again, but overall it seemed a quieter
morning, though an excellent mix of species again.
Highlights were:
- the adult Swans seemed to be trying to persuade the cygnet to fly
- 2
Buzzards circling together over the lake were being lit by the reflected
sunlight and the under-wing plumage looked fantastic as a result. Today
the only raptors
- 83 Swallows logged, all passing through in small groups
- two good-sized parties of House Martins, perhaps not all local birds
- 2
different Great Spotted Woodpeckers seen in flight
- only 7 Mistle Thrushes on the wires to the E, but generally all the
birds 'disappeared' from that area
- an initially puzzling Chiffchaff seen
- Tree Creeper heard in two different locations
- several sizeable groups of Starlings totalling at least 156 birds
- 4
Linnets were seen flying out of the NW trees - Linnets unusual at the
except on the dam / flying over
also
- moths, butterflies and dragonflies all seen today - nothing stunning but
- no Swifts: tempted to say they may have gone, but with warm weather and
light winds there would have been little reason for them to use the 'lee'
of the north-shore poplars as hunting ground this morning
So here we go with the more detailed avian notes from the lake today [all
figures in square brackets are yesterday's figures]
- the 4 adult Great Crested Grebes and 3 juveniles as usual. Yesterday's
fledged juvenile seems to have moved on
- no Heron recorded
- the surviving cygnet with the resident adult Swans. On several occasions
both adults would take-off and fly a short distance, perhaps to encourage
the cygnet to try its wings. But it only paddled to them, only for them to
take wing again for a short distance
- 12 Greylag Geese flew E, again after most of the Canada Geese
- 179 [240] Canada Geese were noted flying E. 177 [150] recorded flying W
on return. None [5] arrived at the lake.
- the adult Mallard count on the lake was 51 [50] today
- 5 Tufted Ducks, all apparently drakes on the water. Another drake flew E
overhead 07:50
- 2 Buzzards circling in excellent light over the N side at 08:30
- no Kestrel seen on wires to E or elsewhere today
- low count of Moorhens again: 3 adults (2 with a smallish juvenile) and 4
well-grown juveniles
- 4 obvious juveniles with just 81 [87] adult Coot logged today. In the
last few days nearly all the birds have left their breeding areas and most
have also moved from the dam and are using the SW grass. All I do it wait
for the next dog-walker and hey-presto all the birds are back in water and
easy to count!
- poor count of gulls today:
- - just 36 [153] Black-headed Gulls, all from the W
- - 33 [11] Lesser Black-backed-type Gulls logged (not all were
specifically checked and some could have been Herring Gulls). The first 16
were all moving E before sun-up: later they were all moving W
- - no Herring Gulls specifically identified
- 41 [76] Feral Pigeons logged! Largest party of 19 [37] birds flew W:
otherwise 8 singles / small groups
- 6 Stock Doves logged mainly to the NE
- sunrise-affected count Wood Pigeons again! 205 [178] flying E: and 27
[25] flying W. There was a maximum of just 1 [5] bird on the wires: and
there were 22 [16] birds around the lake itself. So my tally today was 255
[225] [yesterday's figures]
- a Collared Dove flew low across the lake at 06:30 - perhaps even from
the S side trees?
- no Swifts
- the Kingfisher briefly heard once only
- 2 Great Spotted Woodpeckers seen. 1 flew off NW up Teece Drive; another
flew deep in the bushes in the SW area - where the Greenfinches aren't!
Thus neither was sexed / aged
- 83 Swallows logged in almost continuous passage of mainly small groups -
and had I had complete visibility throughout I suspect I would have seen
more. A party of 24 flew E at 07:35, but most of the other birds were
flying W / SW
- 71 House Martins at least: there was a party of at least 30 birds high
to the NE at 06:40; an unusual direction as there are no breeding birds in
this area. Five minutes later I counted at least 41 birds to the NW, and
these are assumed to be local birds (I counted 48 overhead when I was
walking back from The Flash) and the origin of singles and small group
occasionally seen over the lake
- 3 sightings of Grey Wagtails seen or heard today - at least 2 birds
-
only 1 Pied Wagtail seen over with at least another 4 heard
- no Song Thrush today
- at least 7 Mistle Thrushes: various numbers logged on the wires to the
E, with 7 together the highest count. When I walked over to the fields I
was unable to locate these (or any other birds!)
- 3 Blackcaps heard today: no other Sylvia warblers heard (I had a Common
Whitethroat near Newport last evening)
- 11 Chiffchaffs again today, with two heard in song. One initially
puzzling bird seen. It was in the reed-bed along the N side and battling
with a sizeable insect of some sort. The bird seemed to have a very long
bill, reminiscent of Reed Warbler, but to me it looked rather small and
'colder' in tone. It was also continually tail-dipping in the manner of
Chiffchaff. I had just concluded that it was an adult Chiffchaff in moult
and this with more of the base of the bill exposed than usual when it
finished its meal and flew away and started singing. Instructive
- at least 3 Goldcrests heard
- Long-tailed Tits were again roosting in the S side bushes and started
their calls at 06:11: they then moved in to the SW area and off to the W
end where I was able to count 17 in the party
- no Willow Tit(s) heard today
- a Tree Creeper was heard near the Teece Drive gate and then about 10
minutes later what was perhaps the same bird was heard around the Wesley
Brook footbridge
- several encounters with Jays, usually they were calling, but 2 flew S
over the W end of the lake at 08:55
- corvid roost dispersal today, again far to NE, gave me counts of 123
[222] Jackdaws and 179 [98] Rooks. Odd how one day there will be more
Jackdaws than Rooks; and the next day more Rooks than Jackdaws
- 4 sizeable parties of Starlings seen flying E to the N. Totalling at
least 156 birds the largest group was 60+ birds
- yet again persevered at the normal Greenfinch roost area in the SW
bushes: a dire day with just 3 birds! I noted another 20 birds. Again
there seemed to be a larger roost in the NW area
- 2 Goldfinch today
- only 4 Linnets noted today and none using the wires to the E. Somewhat
unusually these flew out of the trees in the NW area - this species is
unusual at the lake except on the dam and flying over
- 2 Reed Buntings today, with a moulting male / immature beginning to get
new finery
Also
- the usual examination of the street lights produced what was probably
the same specimen of The Sallow - it was on the same street light, albeit
in a slightly different position: a Common Wainscot: and a Caddis Fly sp.
No idea how to identify these - seems you have to count the spurs on the
legs!
- though dull it was bright enough for Speckled Woods, Small White and
Green-veined Whites to be flying
- A small orange butterfly with very erratic flight was possibly a
fritillary as it seemed too large for a Small Copper. But which?
- a
second-brood Small Pearl-bordered Fritillary? Certainly too small for
Silver-washed
- the Speckled Woods gave me a problem too as several were seen fighting
high in the tree-tops reminiscent of Purple Hairstreak
- a hawker seen briefly was unidentified
- 1 Rabbit today
- again 2 different species of bat - the usual large bats seen to the far
NE from 05:49: later there were 2 possibly smaller bats over the N side
poplars at the rather late time of 05:56
- and new molehills again
My complete log of the birds at and around the lake today is set out below:
no Little Grebes; 4 adult Great Crested Grebes and 3 juveniles; no
Cormorant; no Heron; 2 adult Swans and 1 cygnet; 12 Greylag Geese; at
least 179 Canada Geese (none landed); 51 Mallards; 6 Tufted Ducks (1 flew
over); 2 juvenile Ruddy Ducks; no Sparrowhawk; 2 Buzzards; no Kestrels; no
Pheasants; 8 Moorhens (3 adults; 4 well-grown juveniles; 1 small
juvenile); 81 full-grown Coots with just 4 apparent juveniles; no waders;
36 Black-headed Gulls; 33 Lesser Black-backed-type Gulls; no specifically
identified Herring Gulls; 41 Feral Pigeons; 6 Stock Doves; 255 Wood
Pigeons; 1 Collared Dove; no Swifts; 1 Kingfisher; no Green Woodpeckers; 2
Great Spotted Woodpeckers; no Sky Larks; no Sand Martins; 83 Swallows; 71
House Martins; no Meadow Pipits; 2 Grey Wagtails; at least 5 Pied
Wagtails; 21 Wrens; 9 Dunnocks; 26 Robins; 6 Blackbirds; no Song Thrushes;
at least 7 Mistle Thrushes; no Reed Warblers; 3 Blackcaps; 11 Chiffchaffs;
no Willow Warblers; 3 Goldcrests; 1 Long-tailed Tit party; no Coal Tits;
no Willow Tits; 17 Blue Tits; 9 Great Tits; 1 Tree Creeper; at least 2
Jays; 8 Magpies; 123 Jackdaws; 179 Rooks; 12 Crows; no Ravens; 156
Starlings; no House Sparrows; 1 Chaffinch; 23 Greenfinches; 2 Goldfinches;
4 Linnets; no Bullfinches; 2 Reed Buntings; and no Yellowhammer
Also recorded
Mammals:
- 1 Rabbit
- no Grey Squirrels
- more new molehills
- 2 bat sp.
Insects:
4 species of butterfly
- 2 Small White [1550]
- 2 Green-veined White [1551]
- 10 Speckled Wood [1614]
- 2 possible fritillary sp. - Small Pearl-bordered Fritillary [1600]?
2 species of moth
- 1 Common Wainscot (Mythimna pallens) [2199]
- 1 fine The Sallow (Xanthia icteritia) [2274]
[numbers are the British Checklist Numbers]
1 dragonfly species
- hawker sp.
(Ed Wilson)
4th September, Monday - (05:31 - 09:17) -A great sunrise this morning with scattered high cloud lit by the rising
sun before it became generally cloudy but bright-enough to give good views
of over-flying birds The sunrise diverted my attention and I may have missed some things - Wood
Pigeon parties? - as a result. But for the start of 'back to work /
school' the traffic noise was surprisingly muted
Highlights were
- an additional fledged juvenile Great Crested Grebe on the lake
- all the 'local' raptors again with (another) 3 Buzzard sightings; a
Sparrowhawk; and the usual Kestrel
- a very newly-fledged Black-headed Gull on the boat platform
- one or more late Swift(s) briefly
- good-sized party of probable local House Martins
- my first Meadow Pipit of the autumn overhead
- Kingfisher seemed to roost at the lake
- 12 Mistle Thrushes on the wires to the E: while the number of birds
using the wires was lower than on Saturday then I managed to add Collared
Dove and Linnet to the log this morning
- 2 'new' moths
So here we go with the more detailed avian notes from the lake today
- the
4 adult Great Crested Grebes and 3 juveniles as usual. Also a fledged
juvenile on the lake
- 1 Heron flushed off the S side
- the surviving cygnet with the resident adult Swans
- 28 birds in two parties of apparently small and presumed Greylag Geese
would be a record count for me
- 240 [246] Canada Geese were noted flying E. 150 [none] recorded flying W
on return to The Flash (not all the E-bound birds seem to be from The
Flash). Later 5 [5] arrived at the lake without me seeing or hearing them
arrive! [yesterday's figures]
- the adult Mallard count on the lake was 50 today
- 3 Tufted Ducks, all drakes (one seems to be a first-winter bird with a
'lump' but no 'tuft'); one of them flew in from the W at 05:40
- Sparrowhawk low S over the lake - seemed large-enough to be a female
- 3
Buzzard sightings with one to the N at 06:14: perhaps the same bird low
over the lake 10 minutes later: and then at 07:50 one seemed to descend in
to the trees along the N side
- Kestrel on wires to E again, with presumed the same - a male - choosing
to perch on the faulty 'always-on' street light in Castle Farm Way - low
count of Moorhens again: 3 well-grown juveniles (2 of which now show red
on the bill); and 2 adults
- 4 obvious juveniles with 87 adult Coot logged today
- the count of gulls today:
- - about 153 Black-headed Gulls. 43 birds noted moving E through the lake
just after first light. Thereafter birds were coming and going to the W
where I noted 110 up in the air together when something spooked them. One
of the birds seen at the lake was a very recent juvenile - almost the
blackest / most-ginger bird I have seen all year [photo to be sent to
Martin for the web site]
- - just 11 Lesser Black-backed-type Gulls logged (not all were
specifically checked and some could have been Herring Gulls). Again 2
birds appeared at / before first light
- - no Herring Gulls specifically identified
- no fewer than 76 Feral Pigeons logged! One party of 37 birds flew W:
otherwise 9 singles / small groups
- 3 Stock Doves flying over
- sunrise-affected count Wood Pigeons today! 178 [224] flying E: and 25
[8] flying W. There was a maximum of 6 [7] birds on the wires: and there
were 16 [17] birds around the lake itself. So my tally today was 225 [256]
[yesterday's figures]
- a Collared Dove was, rather unusually, on the wires over the fields to
the E
- very late Swifts yet again: 1 first seen again in its usual haunt around
the N shore poplars at 06:19 (may have been earlier while I was
photographing the sunrise) seemed to have gone by 06:35. The same or
another was seen briefly in the same area at 06:49
- the Kingfisher started calling before 06:00 from the SW bushes and then
flew off to its favourite spot in the SE area at 06:01. May have roosted
at the lake
- a Great Spotted Woodpecker called in the NW area, but not seen
- just 5 Swallows, all singles logged. One was amazing - I was using the
telescope to photograph some sunlit cloud formations high overhead when a
very high-level bird flew through: much too high to see on a casual basis!
- I think all the House Martins noted were the same local birds - as I was
leaving through Priorslee estate and party of c.25 birds burst out from
under one of the eaves there. There were 11 birds high to the NW of the
lake at 06:55 but on rechecking the area at 07:05 I logged 39 at least.
Just 2 visible at 07:10, but over 30 again at 08:25. Just the odd bird
seemed to stray to the lake - perhaps just to drink
- 1 Meadow Pipit heard and then seen flying E at 08:47
- no Grey Wagtails seen or heard
- 6 Pied Wagtails seen over with at least another 4 heard
- even higher number of Robins today - 35
- the Song Thrush gave its alarm call at 05:44: again nothing seen / heard
later
- 6 Blackbirds today: creeping up!
- at least 12 Mistle Thrushes: 1 seen flying E to the N 06:50 assumed to
be one of the many birds subsequently seen on the wires to the E. Various
numbers logged, with 12 together the highest count
- spent some while in the area where the Reed Warblers bred and could find
no sign of them: seem to have gone
- brief call of Sylvia warbler at W end did not seem like a Blackcap, but
too brief to identify and it did not show
- 2 Blackcaps heard
- 11 Chiffchaffs at least today, with three heard in song and 1 immature seen
- at least 2 Goldcrests: after yesterday's fall I had neither seen nor
heard anything until I was about to leave when quiet contact notes alerted
me to two birds foraging together
- Long-tailed Tits were again roosting in the S side bushes and started
their calls early at 06:15
- no Willow Tit(s) heard today
- corvid roost dispersal today, still far to NE, gave me counts of 222
[163] Jackdaws and 98 [122] Rooks [yesterday's totals]
- 3 Jays: after an early bird calling along the S side I noted 1 flying in
from the NW where it engaged in noisy conversation with an unseen bird
already there!
- 3 Starling flew E to the N and were presumed to be the 3 seen on the
wires to the E some 10 minutes later. There were eventually at least 6 on
the wires
- yet again persevered at the normal Greenfinch roost area in the SW
bushes: a better day with 10 birds! I noted another 19 birds, 12 of which
seemed to fly out of another roost in the NW area
- 3 Goldfinch today - one over early; and then 2 juveniles together at the
W end
- 22 Linnets noted using the wires to the E at 08:20
- no Reed Bunting today
Also
- the usual examination of the street lights produced another Tortrix sp.
and a fine specimen of The Sallow
- too dull even for Speckled Woods to be abroad
- a Grey Squirrel in the NW area
- 2 Rabbits today
- probably 2 different species of bat - the usual large bat over the N
side poplars from 05:39. Then what seemed to be a smaller individual flew
directly across most of the lake at medium-height before heading off W -
and new molehills again
My complete log of the birds at and around the lake today is set out below:
no Little Grebes; 4 adult Great Crested Grebes and 4 juveniles; no
Cormorant; 1 Heron; 2 adult Swans and 1 cygnet; up to 28 Greylag Geese; at
least 240 Canada Geese (5 landed later again); 50 Mallards; 3 Tufted
Ducks; 1 Sparrowhawk; 3 sightings of Buzzard; 1 male Kestrel; no
Pheasants; 5 Moorhens (3 well-grown juveniles); 87 full-grown Coots with
just 4 apparent juveniles; no waders; about 153 Black-headed Gulls; 11
Lesser Black-backed-type Gulls; no specifically identified Herring Gulls;
76 Feral Pigeons; 3 Stock Doves; 225 Wood Pigeons; 1 Collared Dove; 1 or 2
Swifts; 1 Kingfisher; no Green Woodpeckers; 1 Great Spotted Woodpecker; no
Sky Larks; 1 Sand Martins; 26 Swallows; 43 House Martins; 1 Meadow Pipit
over; no Grey Wagtails; at least 10 Pied Wagtails; 19 Wrens; 11 Dunnocks;
35 Robins; 5 Blackbirds; 1 Song Thrush; at least 12 Mistle Thrushes; no
Reed Warblers; 1 possible Lesser Whitethroat; no Common Whitethroats; no
Garden Warblers; 2 Blackcaps; 11 Chiffchaffs (1 juvenile seen); no Willow
Warblers; 2 Goldcrests; 2 Long-tailed Tit parties; 1 Coal Tit; no Willow
Tits; 21 Blue Tits; 16 Great Tits; no Tree Creepers; 3 Jays; 9 Magpies;
222 Jackdaws; 98 Rooks; 9 Crows; no Ravens; 6 Starlings; no House
Sparrows; 3 Chaffinches; 29 Greenfinches; 3 Goldfinches; 22 Linnets; 2
Bullfinches; no Reed Buntings; and no Yellowhammer
Also recorded
Mammals:
- 2 Rabbits
- 1 Grey Squirrel
- more new molehills
- 2 bat sp.
Insects:
0 species of butterfly
- -
2 species of moth
- 1 Tortrix-type the photo of which is none too clear (it was rather dark
under the 'hood' of the lights!), but seems probably a Variegated Golden
Tortrix (Archips xylosteana) [980]
- 1 fine The Sallow (Xanthia icteritia) [2274]
[numbers are the British Checklist Numbers]
no dragonfly species
No visits elsewhere!
(Ed Wilson)
3rd September, Sunday (05:31 - 09:59) - [walked to & around The Flash in between (07:15 - 08:40)- see Local Bird News]
A dull and drizzly start, but brightened up a bit for a while. Somewhat
windy at time. Good visibility
Highlights were
- all the 'local' raptors with 3 Buzzards and a Sparrowhawk as well as the
usual Kestrel
- yet again one or more late Swift(s)
- small passage of all hirundines
- Kingfisher at the lake (and The Flash)
- 9 Mistle Thrushes
- at least 4 different Goldcrests with more en route to The Flash: a small
fall?
- excellent tit party with at least 29 Long-tailed Tits
- few finches today as the wind seemed to be keeping them off the wires.
Birds were put up to the E by one of the Buzzards but they were too far to
identify apart from some of the Mistle Thrushes So here we go with the more detailed avian notes from the lake today
- the
4 adult Great Crested Grebes with 3 juveniles from the late brood still
doing well
- 1 Cormorant seen flying to the N
- 2 sightings of Heron flying to the N were probably the same bird - the
surviving cygnet with the resident adult Swans
- 4 Greylag Geese noted flying W
- 246 Canada Geese were noted flying E. Later 5 at the lake and 2 lone
birds flying W. Return passage was while I was at The Flash
- the adult Mallard count on the lake was just 43 today, with 2 of these
seen flying in from the W at first light
- 2 Tufted Ducks at the W end at first light; later a lone bird seen in
the NE area assumed a different bird
- Sparrowhawk seen circling to the NW had put up all the Black-headed
Gulls (from where? The Flash?)
- 3 Buzzards recorded: 2 flew low W along the N side; then 1 seen
scattering the birds in the fields to the E
- Kestrel on wires to E again
- dire count of Moorhens: just 3 well-grown juveniles
- just 3 obvious juveniles with 82 adult Coot logged today
- the count of gulls today:
- - up to 229 Black-headed Gulls: very few at the lake (though one seemed
to be there overnight), with a party of 31 arriving from the E. Otherwise
parties of 56 and 48 passed through going W: and at least 50 were put up
to the NW by the Sparrowhawk. Just a scatter of others
- - only 15 Lesser Black-backed-type Gulls logged (not all were
specifically checked and some could have been Herring Gulls). Only 2 birds
came in at first light from the W. Almost all the others were flying W as
singles / small groups. One adult in wing moult was showing big white
patches in the upper-wings where the secondary coverts were being replaced
- - no Herring Gulls specifically identified
- 6 Feral Pigeons logged
- no Stock Doves
- slightly higher count Wood Pigeons today: 224 [145] flying E: and 8 [12]
flying W. There was a maximum of 7 [4] birds on the wires: and there were
17 [15] birds around the lake itself. So my tally today was 256 [196]
-
very late Swifts again: 1 first seen again in its usual haunt around the N
shore poplars at 06:08 seemed to have gone by 06:25. The same or another
was in the same area at 06:40 and was then seen flying off W at 06:57
-
the Kingfisher sped across the lake at 06:06 - 2 minutes later than
yesterday! Again it was then heard flying about several times
- a late Sand Martin with the House Martins over the lake at 09:45 - 26
Swallows were seen passing in 5 groups - 16 E at 06:36; a lone bird flew W
06:41; 6 flew S at 06:53; 2 flew W at 07:05; and then a lone bird W much
later at 09:00
- after 2 House Martins high over the W end at 06:30 there were at least
27 high to the NW flying S 10 minutes later. These seemed not to be the
local birds whereas the 14 over the lake at 09:00 probably were. 43 a good
count
- 1 Grey Wagtail only again
- 6 Pied Wagtails seen over in a group with another heard
- same high number of Robins today - 32; though it was very quiet when I
arrived at the lake and it was some 5 minutes before the first calls - a
Song Thrush gave an alarm call at 05:47 but nothing seen / heard later
- 5
Blackbirds was slightly better!
- at least 9 Mistle Thrushes: 1 seen in the NW area. Later when one of the
Buzzards flushed all the birds in the fields to the E a party was seen in
flight: I counted 8 birds but there seemed to be many more
- no Reed Warblers or whitethroats seen or heard today
- 3 Blackcaps heard again
- 9 Chiffchaffs at least today, with three sporadically in song
- at least 4 Goldcrests all around the lake (and 4 more in the walk to The
Flash) suggests a small 'fall'
- Long-tailed Tits were again roosting in the S side bushes and started
their calls slightly later at 06:29. Perhaps part of the large tit party
seen moving up the W side which contained at least 29 Long-tailed Tits, 1
Coal Tit, 9 Blue Tits, 4 Great Tits and 1 Chiffchaff
- no Willow Tit(s) heard (though at least 1 was alongside Teece Drive)
-
corvid roost dispersal today, still far to NE, gave me counts of 163 [87]
Jackdaws and 122 [167] Rooks [yesterday's totals]
- 2 Jays: 1 seen in the NW area with another making Buzzard-like calls in
the same area - oddly I have never noted this call in SW England where
they are garden birds where I stay
- 2 parties Starlings noted: a good-sized group of 34 flew high to the W
at 06:45; later 14 more seen to the N
- persevered at the normal Greenfinch roost area in the SW bushes, but it
was very quiet with just 3 seemed to fly out of these bushes! I noted
another 10 birds
- 1 Goldfinch today - but after 09:30!
- no Linnets noted with no finches using the wires to the E
- Bullfinches were abroad reasonably early again this morning, with one
calling along the S side at 06:33
- a Reed Bunting heard only
Also
- the usual examination of the street lights produced just a Common Wainscot
- the only butterflies were a scatter of Speckled Woods
- a Grey Squirrel along the N side
- just 1 Rabbit again
- 2 different species bats - 2 large bats well to the NE revealed again
whilst scoping - the outbound Canada Geese today: then 1 over the N side
poplars at the rather late time of 06:05 and only just before the arrival
of the first Swift!
- and new molehills again
My complete log of the birds at and around the lake today is set out below:
no Little Grebes; 4 adult Great Crested Grebes and 3 juveniles; 1
Cormorant; 1 Heron; 2 adult Swans and 1 cygnet; 4 Greylag Geese; at least
246 Canada Geese (5 landed later); 43 Mallards; 2 or 3 Tufted Ducks; 1
Sparrowhawk; 3 Buzzards; 1 Kestrel; no Pheasants; 3 Moorhens (all
well-grown juveniles); 82 full-grown Coots with just 3 apparent juveniles;
no waders; about 229 Black-headed Gulls; 15 Lesser Black-backed-type
Gulls; no specifically identified Herring Gulls; 4 Feral Pigeons; no Stock
Doves; 256 Wood Pigeons; no Collared Doves; 1 or 2 Swifts; 1 Kingfisher;
no Green Woodpeckers; no Great Spotted Woodpeckers; no Sky Larks; 1 Sand
Martins; 26 Swallows; 43 House Martins; no Pipits; 1 Grey Wagtail; at
least 8 Pied Wagtails; 14 Wrens; 7 Dunnocks; 32 Robins again; 5
Blackbirds; 1 Song Thrush; at least 8 Mistle Thrushes; no Reed Warblers;
no Lesser Whitethroats; no Common Whitethroats; no Garden Warblers; 3
Blackcaps; 9 Chiffchaffs; no Willow Warblers; 4 Goldcrests; 2 Long-tailed
Tit parties, one of at least 29 birds; 1 Coal Tit; no Willow Tits; 14 Blue
Tits; 10 Great Tits; no Tree Creepers; 2 Jays; 9 Magpies; 163 Jackdaws;
122 Rooks; 8 Crows; no Ravens; 48 Starlings; no House Sparrows; 5
Chaffinches; 13 Greenfinches; 1 Goldfinch; no Linnets; 2 Bullfinches; 1
Reed Bunting; and no Yellowhammer
Also recorded
Mammals:
- 1 Rabbit
- 1 Grey Squirrel
- many new molehills
- 2 bat sp.
Insects:
1 species of butterfly
- 10 Speckled Wood [1614]
1 species of moth
- 1 Common Wainscot (Mythimna pallens) [2199]
[numbers are the British Checklist Numbers]
no dragonfly species
(Ed Wilson)
2nd September, Saturday (10:30 - 11:00) - A Little Egret landed on the northbank briefly this morning and then flew along the northbank before alighting on the trees overhanging Wesley Brook. It seemed pretty happy sitting above the water so John Isherwood, who spotted the bird, decided to go and find Ed Wilson at the Priorslee Flash to bring him back to see it. Unfortunately Ed had since left the area, so John returned to watch the Little Egret for another 20 minutes or so, before heaading of home himself. Click here to see an image of a Little Egret
2nd September, Saturday (05:31 - 08:14) - Started dry and even a brief fiery sunrise before lowering cloud brought light rain by 07:15, driving me away soon after 08:00 Highlights were
- late Swift(s) again
- passage of c.25 hirundines
- Kingfisher at the lake
- at least 17 Mistle Thrushes
- Lesser Whitethroat again
- at least 50 Linnets still around fields to NE
So here we go with the more detailed avian notes from the lake today
- the 4 adult Great Crested Grebes with 3 juveniles from the late brood still doing well
- 4 sightings of Heron were probably 2 different birds, one certainly an immature
- the surviving cygnet with the resident adult Swans
- 3 Greylag Geese noted flying W
- 238 Canada Geese were noted. Started at 06:00 and all but 1 went E before 06:20. Lone straggler at 07:30!
- the adult Mallard count on the lake was 60 today
- 9 Tufted Ducks: two of these ducks - I think: they can be hard at this time of year
- Kestrel on wires to NE and then perhaps the same flew S over the lake later
- better count of Moorhens: 4 adults and 7 all well-grown juveniles
- 5 obvious juvenile with 79 adult Coot logged today: wet by the time I did the count of this species
- the count of gulls today:
- - 34 Black-headed Gulls I think: 1 noted 27 arriving from the W in very small groups. A count of the birds on the lake at 07:25 produced a total of 24 birds, but there were 34 by 07:30
- - 32 Lesser Black-backed-type Gulls logged (not all were specifically checked and some could have been Herring Gulls). 5 birds came in at first light from the W with 18 more later. The other 9 flying N at various times
- - no Herring Gulls specifically identified
- 3 Feral Pigeons logged
- 3 Stock Doves, with 1 on the wires to the E; and 2 over
- lower count of Wood Pigeons today: 145 [326] flying E: and 12 [21] flying W. There was a maximum of 4 [11] birds on the wires: and there were 15 [12] birds around the lake itself. So my tally today was 196 [370]. No doubt affected somewhat by the weather, numbers were well-down even before the rain started. While there are some 'groups' of double-figures these parties are much looser and scattered as well as lower down than 'migration parties' and seem likely to be post-roost dispersal to feeding areas
- very late Swifts again: 1 first seen in its usual haunt around the N shore poplars at 06:24 was gone by 06:30 without any company! The same or another was briefly in the same area 06:55
- a Kingfisher sped across the lake at 06:04 and was then heard flying about several times
- 23 Swallows were seen passing in 3 groups
- 12 high SE; 3 SSW and 8 W to the N of the lake. 3 birds at 06:35 seen to the N seemed to be small-enough to be Sand Martins, but it was impossible to be sure
- 1 Grey Wagtail only - flying down the Wesley Brook alongside Teece Drive
- 5 Pied Wagtails seen over in a group with another 7 at least heard
- the Dunnocks were very noisy this morning - calls not song. Have struggled in the last few weeks to log more than 3 or 4 - 11 today: and it was wet
- high number of Robins despite the rain today
- 32
- no Song Thrushes seen or heard again
- and again just 3 Blackbirds!
- at least 17 Mistle Thrushes: 16 flew E to N at 06:45, with another some 10 minutes later. Groups of 2 and 5 seen on the wires to the E an hour later assumed to be some of these birds
- no Reed Warblers heard this morning, but it was very wet by the time I got to the N side reeds and they may have been hiding (given the option I think I would have been off to Africa!)
- 1 Lesser Whitethroat heard calling and then briefly seen at the W end again, confusingly with a bird with white tail-sides
- a Reed Bunting!
- 3 Blackcaps heard
- 12 Chiffchaffs at least today, with one sporadically in song
- 1 Goldcrest heard in the NW area again
- Long-tailed Tits were again roosting in the S side bushes and started their calls at 06:20
- Willow Tit(s) heard along the N side
- corvid roost dispersal different again: early group of Rooks (revealing a still-flying bat!): then 2 large mixed groups of c.180 birds, but little else noted. As best I could judge the counts were 87 [106] Jackdaws and 167 [138] Rooks [yesterday's totals]
- no Starlings noted
- persevered at the normal Greenfinch roost area in the SW bushes, but again there were very few birds. Just 8 seemed to fly out of these bushes. I noted another 15, many of which seemed to be dispersing from the trees in the NW area
- no Goldfinches
- 3 Linnets flew over calling: with c.50 on the wires to the NE later
- Bullfinches were abroad early this morning, with one calling along the S side at 05:57
- a Reed Bunting seen briefly with the Lesser Whitethroat the only record
Also
- the usual examination of the street lights produced no fewer than 5 moths some of which will have to remain unidentified as it was too dark to get any pictures for later analysis.
Details below
- no butterflies of course
- just 1 Rabbit and that a rather lethargic animal that ran in to the reeds - a myxomatosis casualty?
- 2 different bats
- a Pipistrelle briefly over the SW area; and a much larger bat, well to the NE revealed only whilst scoping a distant Rook party
My complete log of the birds at and around the lake today is set out below:
no Little Grebes; 4 adult Great Crested Grebes and 3 juveniles; no Cormorants; probably 2 Herons; 2 adult Swans and 1 cygnet; 3 Greylag Geese; 238 Canada Geese (none landed); 60 Mallards; 9 Tufted Ducks (7 drakes); at least 1 Kestrel; no other raptors; no Pheasants; 11 Moorhens (4 adults, 7 well-grown juveniles); 79 full-grown Coots with 5 juveniles; no waders; 34 Black-headed Gulls; 32 Lesser Black-backed-type Gulls; no specifically identified Herring Gulls; 3 Feral Pigeons; 3 Stock Doves; 196 Wood Pigeons; no Collared Doves; 1 or 2 Swifts; 1 Kingfisher; 1 Green Woodpecker; no Great Spotted Woodpeckers; no Sky Larks; 3 presumed Sand Martins; 23 Swallows; no House Martins; no Pipits; 1 Grey Wagtail; at least 10 Pied Wagtails; 13 Wrens; 11 Dunnocks; 32 Robins; only 3 Blackbirds again; no Song Thrushes; at least 17 Mistle Thrushes; no Reed Warblers; 1 Lesser Whitethroat; no Common Whitethroats; no Garden Warblers; 3 Blackcaps; 12 Chiffchaffs (1 in song); no Willow Warblers; 1 Goldcrest; 2 Long-tailed Tit parties; no Coal Tits; 1 Willow Tit; 7 Blue Tits; 8 Great Tits; no Tree Creepers; no Jays; 8 Magpies; 87 Jackdaws; 167 Rooks; 13 Crows; no Ravens; no Starlings; no House Sparrows; 2 Chaffinch; 23 Greenfinches; no Goldfinches; 53 Linnets; 2 Bullfinches; 1 Reed Bunting; and no Yellowhammer
Also recorded
Mammals:
- 1 Rabbit
- no new molehills
- 2 bat sp.
Insects:
no species of butterfly]
1 species of moth some still to be identified
- 1 Tortrix sp.
- 1 Carpet sp., probably Common Marbled Carpet (Chloroclysta truncata) [1764]
- 1 Red Underwing (Catocala nupta) [2451]
- 1 Silver Y (Autographa gamma) [2441]: today a complete hulk sucked dry in a web!
[numbers are the British Checklist Numbers]
no dragonfly species
(Ed Wilson)
1st September, Friday (05:34 - 09:17) [with diversion to check the wires to the NE between 07:50 and 08:40 - See Local News]
Back from a week's sea-watching in the SW (Manx, Balearic, Cory's and Sooty Shearwaters; Storm Petrels; Common Scoter; Arctic & Great Skuas; Sandwich, Common & Arctic Terns; and heaps of Little Egrets) and in harness at a rather damp Priorslee before dawn - timing slightly awry and arrived too early.
Rain showers soon cleared but it stayed rather dull at times and with a brisk S wind and rather moderate visibility.
Highlights were
- Buzzard to the NE
- a very brief view of a rather puzzling Common-type Tern
- Green Woodpecker heard
- 2 late Swifts around
- passage of c.80 hirundines
- party of - both Reed Warbler and Lesser Whitethroat still around as well as the expected Chiffchaffs
- over 100 Linnets over fields to NE So here we go with the more detailed avian notes from the lake today
- no sign of any Little Grebes
- the 4 adult Great Crested Grebes with 3 juveniles from the late brood still doing well
- 1 Heron flew in from the N
- the surviving cygnet with the resident adult Swans
- 15 Greylag Geese noted flew E after the Canada Geese parties - living up to the name: the grey geese that lag behind!
- 187 Canada Geese were noted, all after 06:00, flying E. just 3 returning birds logged. Also a party of 5 came in to the lake from the NE and thereafter stayed - the adult Mallard count on the lake was 66 today
- 4 Tufted Ducks: one a duck; one of the drakes flew off
- no Kestrel today
- a Buzzard circling to far NE at early time of 06:10
- Moorhens still rather elusive - 4 adults and 3 well-grown juveniles probably from separate broods was all I could find
- just 4 obvious juvenile with 87 adult Coot logged today: not a very productive year from the 22 broods noted
- the count of gulls today:
- - 38 Black-headed Gulls logged arriving from the W, though one may have been present overnight. Amazingly at 09:10 there were still(?) 37 present - the same?
- - 46 Lesser Black-backed-type Gulls logged (not all were specifically checked and some could have been Herring Gulls). 8 birds came in at first light from the W. A party of 17 birds flew NW to the S. Otherwise there were the usual scattered small flocks heading generally W
- - 2 Herring Gulls specifically identified, both separate from the other large gulls, both immatures (juveniles) and both flying E
- at 06:45 I very briefly saw a tern sp. that flew to the W end of the lake and back again - I was blocked by trees from more than the briefest glimpse and it puzzled me. Clearly the size of a Common Tern, the head seemed to be all-black like an adult. But the upper-wing seemed to be somewhat speckled / flecked with ginger especially on the inner wing, though I failed to notice any obvious darker carpal bar. So it will have to stay as a 'Common-type' tern
- 24 Feral Pigeons logged: 5 of these were feeding on the fields to the E
- 4 Stock Doves, with 3 on the wires to the E; and another over
- the count of Wood Pigeons was: 326 flying E: and 21 flying W. There was a maximum of 11 birds on the wires: and there were 12 birds around the lake itself. So my tally today was 370. While around the fields to the E there were at least 150 birds put up by 4 low-passing Utterley Butterley Stearman biplanes(!), but I judge these to be birds that I had seen flying E earlier
- a Collared Dove flew N over the W end again
- very late Swifts, behaving like those of a 10 days ago: the first at 06:25: 2 birds by 06:35 and these present until after 07:00
- a Green Woodpecker calling in the NW area after 09:00
- quick tapping in the low scrubby trees behind the N shore were clearly not a Great Spotted Woodpecker and needed investigating: should have known - a Great Tit!
- a scattered distant group of at least 58 hirundines flew at medium-level SE to the E of the dam at 06:30. I was contemplating what species these might be when an equally-scattered party of 14 Swallow flew SE over the lake - I suspect the others were Swallows as well. Clearly a migration movement - early? Otherwise just 2 Swallows seen. House Martins heard high over at 06:50, but the only birds seen were 4 local birds at the W end much later
- 2 Grey Wagtails seen together in the SW area: one of these(?) later on the dam
- 5 Pied Wagtails seen over with another heard
- back to the high number of Robins today - 31
- no Song Thrushes seen or heard
- and just 3 Blackbirds!
- 6 Mistle Thrushes on the wires to the NE at 06:20. By 06:30 there were 8 birds. Later several observations of 1 or 2 birds assumed to be some of these birds - 2 Reed Warblers heard and then seen today around the N side reed bed - late?
- 1 Lesser Whitethroat heard calling and then seen at the W end
- also rather late? - 2 Blackcaps heard
- 11 Chiffchaffs at least today, with two briefly in song
- no Willow Warblers: probably gone?
- 1 Goldcrest heard in the NW area
- Willow Tit(s) also heard in the NW area
- another difficult day with the corvid roost: the sky was once again darkest to the NE, but in any event the first were noted some 10 minutes after the street-lights had gone out (normally they start passing while the lights are still on): and then they were very low and a long way to the ENE. I struggled
- there were Canada Geese and Wood Pigeons passing concurrently - and was well-pleased with counts of 106 Jackdaws and 138 Rooks in the circumstances - 9 Starlings noted as 4 singles / parties
- I was at the normal Greenfinch roost area, but the birds were not! Just 6 seemed to fly out of these bushes. And there were only another 7 around the lake!
- a party of 5 'bouncy' finches to the N were likely Goldfinches
- lots of finches on the wires to the NE, but not identifiable from the lake - we will come to them later!
- no Reed Buntings seen or heard
Also
- the usual examination of the street lights produced one wing of a Silver Y moth caught in a web!
- a few Speckled Woods flying
- 3 mammals again (Grey Squirrel; 4 rabbits; and many more mole-hills): no sign of any bats
My complete log of the birds at and around the lake today is set out below:
no Little Grebes; 4 adult Great Crested Grebes and 3 juveniles; no Cormorants; 1 Heron; 2 adult Swans and 1 cygnet; 15 Greylag Geese; at least 157 Canada Geese (5 landed); 66 Mallards; 4 Tufted Ducks (3 drakes); 1 Buzzard; no Kestrels; no other raptors; no Pheasants; 7 Moorhens (4 adults, 3 well-grown juveniles); 87 full-grown Coots with 4 juveniles; no waders; 38 Black-headed Gulls; 46 Lesser Black-backed-type Gulls; 2 specifically identified Herring Gulls; Common-type Tern; 24 Feral Pigeons; 4 Stock Doves; 370 Wood Pigeons; 1 Collared Dove; 2 Swifts; no Kingfisher; 1 Green Woodpecker; no Great Spotted Woodpeckers; no Sky Larks; no Sand Martins; 74 Swallows; 4 House Martins; no Pipits; 3 Grey Wagtails; 6 Pied Wagtails; 19 Wrens; 8 Dunnocks; 31 Robins; only 3 Blackbirds; no Song Thrushes; 8 Mistle Thrushes; 2 Reed Warblers; 1 Lesser Whitethroat; no Common Whitethroats; no Garden Warblers; 2 Blackcaps; 11 Chiffchaffs (2 briefly in song); no Willow Warblers; 1 Goldcrest; 3 Long-tailed Tit parties again; no Coal Tits; 1 Willow Tit; 11 Blue Tits; 12 Great Tits; no Tree Creepers; no Jays; 8 Magpies; 106 Jackdaws; 138 Rooks; 15 Crows; no Ravens; 9 Starlings; no House Sparrows; 1 Chaffinch; 13 Greenfinches; 5 Goldfinches; no Linnets; 1 Bullfinch; no Reed Bunting; and no Yellowhammer
Also recorded
Mammals:
- 1 Grey Squirrel
- 4 Rabbits
- new molehills noted in the SW area
- no bat sp.
Insects:
1 species of butterfly
- 4 Speckled Wood [1614]
1 species of moth still to be identified
- 1 Silver Y (Autographa gamma) [2441] wing in a web
[numbers are the British Checklist Numbers]
no dragonfly species
(Ed Wilson) |
