5 Aug 17

Priorslee Lake and The Flash

13.0°C > 15.0°C: Cloud to S and W; clearer to N and E and clearance partially spread over. Moderate WNW wind. Very good visibility

Sunrise: 05:34 BST

Priorslee Lake: 04:35 – 06:20 // 07:10 – 08:45

(91st visit of the year)

Other notes from today:
- many of the inbound geese flew by while I was inside tree cover and unable to see then
- the Greylag x Canada Goose flew outbound with a group of Canada Geese but then peeled off and returned the way it had come
- 3 of the Mallard looked as if they might be (almost?) full-grown ducklings: where from? could they be fledged and have flown in? why have I not seen them before if they were raised here?
- Tufted Ducks confusing: initially I saw just a drake and a duck; later two ducks in a different part of the water; then a drake and a duck with the drake certainly a different bird showing much more retained breeding plumage
- the ‘other’ juvenile / immature Great Crested Grebe seems to have left
- a Common Sandpiper this morning: did I overlook it amongst the mass of gulls yesterday? or a new arrival?
- many fewer Black-headed Gulls than yesterday: why?
- in addition to the 44 Wood Pigeons there were c.100 put up from the fields to the E
- the Green Woodpecker heard from the Ricoh copse again
- no House Martins seen or heard here this morning (there were just 3 over The Flash)
- no sign of any Jackdaws or Rooks this morning
- Dunnocks have been very quiet the last two weeks with just one or two going in my log. Today they had re-found their voice and were with several recently fledged juveniles
and
- no moths on the lamps again
- just 3 pipistrelle-type bats seen today
- two different species of fungus found on the football field
- a bumble bee sp. on Ragwort – probably Buff-tailed Bumblebee (Bombus terrestris)
also
- the caddis fly Limnephilus lunatus under the Priorslee Avenue tunnel

On with the bird totals

Birds noted flying over the lake:
- 20 Greylag Geese: 15 (5 groups) outbound; 5 (1 group inbound
- 1 Greylag x Canada Goose: outbound and inbound
- 314 Canada Geese: 264 (32 groups) outbound; 50 (3 groups inbound
- 3 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
- 15 Feral Pigeons (1 group: Racing Pigeons?)
- 44 Wood Pigeons

Hirundine etc. seen or heard today
None

Warblers counts: number in brackets = singing birds
- 9 (0) Chiffchaffs
- 1 (0) Willow Warbler
- 4 (0) Blackcaps again
- 6 (1) Reed Warblers

The counts from the lake area
- 2 + 3 Mute Swans
- 4 Greylag Geese
- 27 Canada Geese
- 24 (17♂) Mallard (see notes)
- 6 (2♂) Tufted Ducks
- 7 + 4 (1 brood) Great Crested Grebes
- 4 + 1 (1 brood) Moorhens
- 46 + 10 (? broods) Coots
- 1 Common Sandpiper
- 46 (? juveniles) Black-headed Gulls
- 1 Lesser Black-backed Gull

Another interesting sunrise this morning: the start.

The sun eventually broke through.

With a trace of colour right across the eastern sky.

Mute Swan of course – enhanced by the sunrise colours?

Alarming in close-up. A bumble bee on Ragwort. From this angle it is difficult to see the ‘tail’: other features suggest it is likely a Buff-tailed Bumblebee (Bombus terrestris).

Found on the roof of the bridge under Priorslee Avenue was this caddis fly sp. Looks like Limnephilus lunatus. ‘Lunatus’ after the half-moon mark on the trailing edge of the wing.

One of two species of fungus found on the football field this morning. I find identification of many species – this one included – very difficult. I do not have many books and many web sites are very confusing for the beginner – too many species! Also the fruiting bodies are often only visible for just a few days during which time they can change shape and colour very quickly.

For scale a fruit in my grubby hands.

Gill colour of often important in fungus identification.

The other species ‘in the wild’. This view looks similar to the poisonous species Sulphur Tuft (Hypholoma fasciculare) but that species does not seem to grow in open fields but on buried dead wood.

Again for scale. 

And the gills again.

Between the lake and The Flash alongside the path
- Moorhen(s) heard around upper pool
- single Chiffchaffs and Blackcaps heard calling

(Ed Wilson)

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The Flash: 06:30 – 07:05

(70th visit of the year)

Notes from here
- 3 Starlings flew on to roofs in the estate. After the juveniles fledge all the birds leave. The residents usually start to return in August. Most birds we see in winter are from the Continent

Birds noted flying over
- 2 Feral Pigeons
- 8 Wood Pigeons
- 2 Jackdaws

Hirundine etc. noted
- 3 House Martins

Warblers noted
- 4 (0) Chiffchaffs
- 1 (1) Willow Warbler
- 2 (0) Blackcaps

The counts from the water
- 2 + 4 Mute Swans
- 2 Greylag Geese
- 26 Canada Geese
- 1 white feral goose
- 24 (16♂) + 5 (1 brood) Mallard
- 11 (2♂) Tufted Ducks
- 1 Grey Heron again
- 1 + 3 (1 brood) Great Crested Grebes
- 5 + 1 (1 brood) Moorhens
- 10 + 4 (3 broods) Coots
- 5 (no juvenile) Black-headed Gulls

(Ed Wilson)

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On this day..........

2015
Priorslee Lake
Today's Sightings here

2012
Priorslee Lake
Common Sandpiper
(Ed Wilson)

2010
Priorslee Lake
A female Teal
(John Isherwood)

2009
Priorslee Lake
30 House Martins
(Ed Wilson)

2008
Priorslee Lake
Little Grebe
Common Sandpiper
(Ed Wilson)