Priorslee Lake: 05:29 – 06:49
15.0°C > 14.0°C: Clear to E with angry-looking clouds spreading from the W with heavy spots of rain by 06:45. Light SE wind. Good visibility
Sunrise: 04:57 BST
(66th visit of the year)
First day back after 2 weeks in Europe and an abbreviated visit due to threatening clouds and forecast thunderstorms. Just time for a single lap
notes from today:
- resident Mute Swans have 5 cygnets
- the 4 Mallard ducklings still doing well
- a juvenile Great Crested Grebe seen diving seen likely to be from a different brood to two very dependent singles seen, each close to one adult. However seen once only and unconfirmed
- still no sign of any juvenile Coots: strange
- loose part of 12 very scruffy-looking Lesser Black-backed Gulls about the only birds flying over
- Great Spotted Woodpecker juvenile along N side indicates successful breeding
- low numbers of some warbler species may be due to birds busy raising broods: always difficult after some time away to pinpoint all the territories and it was a rather brisk tour ahead of the rain
and
- still no moths on the lamps: just a single caddis fly sp. noted
- Silver-ground Carpet moth flushed from vegetation
- a Timothy Tortrix (Aphelia paleana) moth in the vegetation
- a probable Black Snipe fly (Chrysopilus cristatus)
- new flowers noted this morning included
.... Common Hogweed (Heracleum sphondylium)
.... Ox-eye daisy (Leucanthemum vulgare)
.... Meadow Vetchling (Lathyrus pratensis)
.... Dog Rose (Rosa canina agg.)
.... Guelder Rose (Viburnum opulus) [aka dogberry; water elder; cramp bark; snowball tree; European cranberry bush]
.... Yellow Flag (Iris pseudacorus)
.... Common Bird's-foot Trefoil (Lotus corniculatus)
.... White Clover (Trifolium repens) [but only outside the Teece Drive gate]
.... Hawkweed (Hieraceum brittanicum)
with the following plants that have insignificant flowers
.... Cleavers (Galium aparine)
.... Broad-leaved dock (Rumex obtusifolius)
.... Common or Stinging Nettle (Urtica dioica)
On with the totals
Birds noted flying over the lake:
- 12 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
- 1 Rook
Hirundine etc. counts:
- 2 Swifts
- 2 House Martins
Warblers counts: number in brackets = singing birds
- 5 (5) Chiffchaffs
- 1 (1) Willow Warblers
- 14 (14) Blackcaps
- 3 (3) Garden Warblers
- 2 (0) Common Whitethroats
- 1 (1) Sedge Warblers
- 5 (5) Reed Warblers
The counts from the lake area
- 2 + 5 Mute Swans
- 12 (8♂) + 4 (1 brood) Mallard
- 3 (2♂) Tufted Duck
- 5 + 2 (1 brood?) Great Crested Grebes (see notes)
- 2 Moorhens
- 26 Coots
(Ed Wilson)
15.0°C > 14.0°C: Clear to E with angry-looking clouds spreading from the W with heavy spots of rain by 06:45. Light SE wind. Good visibility
Sunrise: 04:57 BST
(66th visit of the year)
First day back after 2 weeks in Europe and an abbreviated visit due to threatening clouds and forecast thunderstorms. Just time for a single lap
notes from today:
- resident Mute Swans have 5 cygnets
- the 4 Mallard ducklings still doing well
- a juvenile Great Crested Grebe seen diving seen likely to be from a different brood to two very dependent singles seen, each close to one adult. However seen once only and unconfirmed
- still no sign of any juvenile Coots: strange
- loose part of 12 very scruffy-looking Lesser Black-backed Gulls about the only birds flying over
- Great Spotted Woodpecker juvenile along N side indicates successful breeding
- low numbers of some warbler species may be due to birds busy raising broods: always difficult after some time away to pinpoint all the territories and it was a rather brisk tour ahead of the rain
and
- still no moths on the lamps: just a single caddis fly sp. noted
- Silver-ground Carpet moth flushed from vegetation
- a Timothy Tortrix (Aphelia paleana) moth in the vegetation
- a probable Black Snipe fly (Chrysopilus cristatus)
- new flowers noted this morning included
.... Common Hogweed (Heracleum sphondylium)
.... Ox-eye daisy (Leucanthemum vulgare)
.... Meadow Vetchling (Lathyrus pratensis)
.... Dog Rose (Rosa canina agg.)
.... Guelder Rose (Viburnum opulus) [aka dogberry; water elder; cramp bark; snowball tree; European cranberry bush]
.... Yellow Flag (Iris pseudacorus)
.... Common Bird's-foot Trefoil (Lotus corniculatus)
.... White Clover (Trifolium repens) [but only outside the Teece Drive gate]
.... Hawkweed (Hieraceum brittanicum)
with the following plants that have insignificant flowers
.... Cleavers (Galium aparine)
.... Broad-leaved dock (Rumex obtusifolius)
.... Common or Stinging Nettle (Urtica dioica)
On with the totals
Birds noted flying over the lake:
- 12 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
- 1 Rook
Hirundine etc. counts:
- 2 Swifts
- 2 House Martins
Warblers counts: number in brackets = singing birds
- 5 (5) Chiffchaffs
- 1 (1) Willow Warblers
- 14 (14) Blackcaps
- 3 (3) Garden Warblers
- 2 (0) Common Whitethroats
- 1 (1) Sedge Warblers
- 5 (5) Reed Warblers
The counts from the lake area
- 2 + 5 Mute Swans
- 12 (8♂) + 4 (1 brood) Mallard
- 3 (2♂) Tufted Duck
- 5 + 2 (1 brood?) Great Crested Grebes (see notes)
- 2 Moorhens
- 26 Coots
(Ed Wilson)
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On this day in ...........
2016Priorslee Lake
Today's Sightings Here
2015
Priorslee Lake
Today's Sightings Here
2014
Priorslee Lake
Today's Sightings Here
2009
Priorslee Lake
3 Little Egrets
(Ed Wilson)
2007
Priorslee Lake
Little Ringed Plover
(John Isherwood)