Priorslee Lake with Woodhouse Lane
8.5°C > 9.0°C: Cloudy, increasing and lowering. Light rain throughout. Light / moderate E wind. Moderate visibility and rather hazy again.
Sunrise: 05:18 BST
Priorslee Lake: 04:58 – 05:55 // 06:25 – 07:40
(63rd visit of the year)
We certainly need the rain: the Wesley Brook between The Flash and the lake is currently dried-up
Notes from today:
- all Tufted Ducks seem to have finally departed
- only 1 confirmed juvenile Great Crested Grebe this morning but viewing difficult
- missed the Jackdaws morning passage today
- the Lesser Whitethroat singing from the Castle Farm Interchange O-about again
- a Common Whitethroat in another new location but same overall number of songsters
- a Sedge Warblers this morning was in the W end reedy / scrubby area and occasionally singing but most often just scolding. Uncharacteristically shy and only glimpsed
- a Reed Warbler singing from the small patch of reeds adjacent to the dam. Along the N side two birds were seen chasing: apparently a pair as only 1 bird heard singing here
and
- again the only insects present on the lamps were plumed midge sps. Where are the moths?
- a couple of flowers that were new for me – at least not previously identified: Broad-leaved Willowherb and Shiny Crane's-bill
On with the totals
Birds noted flying over the lake:
- 2 Canada Geese (pair)
- 1 Jackdaw
- 2 Rooks yet again
- 1 Starling again
Hirundine etc. counts:
- 6 Swifts once more
- 6 Sand Martins
- 17 Barn Swallows
- 3 House Martins
Warblers counts: number in brackets = singing birds
- 11 (10) Chiffchaffs again
- 2 (2) Willow Warblers remain
- 16 (11) Blackcaps
- 4 (4) Garden Warblers
- 1 (1) Lesser Whitethroat again
- 7 (6) Common Whitethroats again
- 1 (1) Sedge Warbler again
- 7 (6) Reed Warblers
The counts from the lake area
- 1 Mute Swan (other presumed on nest)
- 10 (7♂) + 4 (1 brood) Mallard
- 2 Grey Herons
- 4 + 1? Great Crested Grebes
- 4 Moorhen
- 15 Coots only
This seems to be Broad-leaved Willowherb (Epilobium montanum). In the top left we can also see the very distinctive stems and leaves of Cleavers [AKA Goosegrass] (Galium aparine).
(Ed Wilson)
Woodhouse Lane: 05:55 – 06:25
(1st visit of year)
Now that all the road-works around the Castle Farm Interchange have finished it is possible to access Woodhouse Lane via the concrete path to the sluice without unnecessary risk
I walked the roadway to the bottom of the lane and then back around the fields alongside the Wesley Brook
Always hard to draw conclusions from single visits but
- a single Sky Lark only and that also audible from around the lake
- reasonable number of Common Whitethroats
- single Yellowhammer a very poor total
- no sign of any Linnets
- did find some flowers of the herb Borage
Some numbers from here
- 2 Pheasants heard only
- 1 (1) Sky Lark only
- 4 (3) Chiffchaffs
- 4 (4) Blackcaps
- 4 (3) Common Whitethroats
- 3 (3) Song Thrushes
- 1 (1) Yellowhammer only
This is Borage (Borago officinalis) found growing on a field entrance. Native to the Mediterranean this herb is naturalised in many parts of the UK. The leaves are used in salads and the seeds made in to an oil.”
8.5°C > 9.0°C: Cloudy, increasing and lowering. Light rain throughout. Light / moderate E wind. Moderate visibility and rather hazy again.
Sunrise: 05:18 BST
Priorslee Lake: 04:58 – 05:55 // 06:25 – 07:40
(63rd visit of the year)
We certainly need the rain: the Wesley Brook between The Flash and the lake is currently dried-up
Notes from today:
- all Tufted Ducks seem to have finally departed
- only 1 confirmed juvenile Great Crested Grebe this morning but viewing difficult
- missed the Jackdaws morning passage today
- the Lesser Whitethroat singing from the Castle Farm Interchange O-about again
- a Common Whitethroat in another new location but same overall number of songsters
- a Sedge Warblers this morning was in the W end reedy / scrubby area and occasionally singing but most often just scolding. Uncharacteristically shy and only glimpsed
- a Reed Warbler singing from the small patch of reeds adjacent to the dam. Along the N side two birds were seen chasing: apparently a pair as only 1 bird heard singing here
and
- again the only insects present on the lamps were plumed midge sps. Where are the moths?
- a couple of flowers that were new for me – at least not previously identified: Broad-leaved Willowherb and Shiny Crane's-bill
On with the totals
Birds noted flying over the lake:
- 2 Canada Geese (pair)
- 1 Jackdaw
- 2 Rooks yet again
- 1 Starling again
Hirundine etc. counts:
- 6 Swifts once more
- 6 Sand Martins
- 17 Barn Swallows
- 3 House Martins
Warblers counts: number in brackets = singing birds
- 11 (10) Chiffchaffs again
- 2 (2) Willow Warblers remain
- 16 (11) Blackcaps
- 4 (4) Garden Warblers
- 1 (1) Lesser Whitethroat again
- 7 (6) Common Whitethroats again
- 1 (1) Sedge Warbler again
- 7 (6) Reed Warblers
The counts from the lake area
- 1 Mute Swan (other presumed on nest)
- 10 (7♂) + 4 (1 brood) Mallard
- 2 Grey Herons
- 4 + 1? Great Crested Grebes
- 4 Moorhen
- 15 Coots only
I am fairly certain this is Shiny Crane's-bill [AKA Shining cranesbill] (Geranium lucidum).
(Ed Wilson)
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Woodhouse Lane: 05:55 – 06:25
(1st visit of year)
Now that all the road-works around the Castle Farm Interchange have finished it is possible to access Woodhouse Lane via the concrete path to the sluice without unnecessary risk
I walked the roadway to the bottom of the lane and then back around the fields alongside the Wesley Brook
Always hard to draw conclusions from single visits but
- a single Sky Lark only and that also audible from around the lake
- reasonable number of Common Whitethroats
- single Yellowhammer a very poor total
- no sign of any Linnets
- did find some flowers of the herb Borage
Some numbers from here
- 2 Pheasants heard only
- 1 (1) Sky Lark only
- 4 (3) Chiffchaffs
- 4 (4) Blackcaps
- 4 (3) Common Whitethroats
- 3 (3) Song Thrushes
- 1 (1) Yellowhammer only
(Ed Wilson)
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On this day in ...........
2016
Priorslee Lake
Today's Sightings Here
2015
Priorslee Lake
Today's Sightings Here