Priorslee Lake: 04:15 – 05:55 // 06:45 – 08:15
The Flash: 06:00 – 06:40
14.0°C > 16.0°C: Started with a medium overcast. Clearance from the S after 05:30 made slow progress. Light SW wind. Very good visibility.
Sunrise: 05:23 BST
Priorslee Lake: 04:15 – 05:55 // 06:45 – 08:15
(185th visit of the year)
Bird notes from today
- An adult Mute Swan present for a while c.07:15. Was not ‘pressured’ in to leaving: but left anyway.
- Single Swifts seen over at 05:55 and 06:50.
- No idea where the corvids were this morning – none by 05:40. Just a scatter of Rooks later.
- Calling Willow Warbler was no doubt starting its migration to Africa.
- Pied Wagtails back on the ‘football’ field in some number – 34 counted at 06:55.
Bird totals:
Birds noted flying over or flying near the lake:
- 11 Greylag Geese (2 groups outbound)
- 17 Canada Geese (5 singes / groups outbound)
- 13 Black-headed Gulls
- 1 Stock Dove again
- 78 Wood Pigeons
- no Jackdaws
- 7 Rooks
- 2 Starlings
Hirundines etc. noted:
- 2 Swifts: singles
- 8 House Martins
Warblers noted (singing birds):
- 12 (1) Chiffchaffs
- 1 (0) Willow Warbler
- 2 (0) Blackcaps only again
- 2 (0) (Common) Whitethroats
- 10 (1) Reed Warblers
Counts from the lake area:
- 3 + 6 (1 brood) Mute Swans
- 2 Canada Geese throughout
- 11 (9♂) Mallard
- 1 Cormorant: arrived
- 3 Grey Herons: left
- 6 + 3 (2 broods) Great Crested Grebes again
- 1 + 3 (2 broods) Moorhens
- 59 adult and (independent) juvenile Coots: in addition two small juveniles
- 1 Common Sandpiper: early only
- 10 Black-headed Gulls: 2 juveniles
Moths on the lamp poles pre-dawn
- 2 Little Greys (Eudonia lacustrata)
- 3 White Plumes (Pterophorus pentadactyla)
- 1 Single-dotted Wave (Idaea dimidiata)
- 1 Dingy Dowd (Blastobasis adustella)
- 1 Bulrush Cosmet (Limnaecia phragmitella)
also
- 1 Stretch spider
The following logged later:
I left before the insects really ‘got going’
- Butterflies (in species order) (numbers not recorded):
- Large White (Pieris brassicae)
- Green-veined White (Pieris napi)
- Gatekeeper (Pyronia tithonus)
- Moths (in species order):
- some ‘grass moths’ all hiding from the camera
- 1 Shaded Broad-bar (Scotopteryx chenopodiata) once more
- Damselflies etc. (alphabetic order of vernacular name):
- Common Blue Damselflies
- Southern Hawker
- No hoverfly species of note
- 1 Grey Squirrel demolishing Hazel nuts.
The visiting Mute Swan leaves. From the orange tone of the bill an adult.
Always have a surprised look on their faces. One of the three Grey Herons this morning leaves.
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The Flash: 06:00 – 06:40
(178th visit of the year)
Notes from here:
- The only cygnet seen today was what appeared to be one lying dead on the island. It was reported that three cygnets were together yesterday evening.
and
- 1 Little Grey (Eudonia lacustrata) moth on a lamp pole.
- 1 Grey Squirrel demolishing Hazel nuts here too.
Birds noted flying over / near The Flash:
- 11 Feral Pigeons (1 group)
- 6 Wood Pigeons
Hirundines etc. noted.
None
Warblers noted (singing birds):
- 3 (0) Chiffchaffs
- 1 (0) Blackcap again
Counts from the water:
- 3 Mute Swans (see notes)
- 33 Greylag Geese
- 43 Canada Geese
- 28 (>14♂) Mallard
- 18 (11♂) Tufted Ducks
- 2 + 2 (1 brood) Great Crested Grebes as usual
- 1 Moorhen
- 12 + 6 (3? broods) Coots
- 5 Black-headed Gulls: no juveniles
(Ed Wilson)
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Between the lake and The Flash:
- 1 Stock Dove calling from trees around the upper pool
- 1 Great Spotted Woodpecker at the upper pools
- single Blackcap calling around the lower pool
and
- 1 very faded ‘grey’ moth on lamps
- 1 Grey Squirrel – guess what: demolishing Hazel nuts
(Ed Wilson)
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