Friends of Priorslee Lake Wildlife Site: August 2017

31 Aug 17

Priorslee Lake and The Flash

6.5°C > 11.0°C: Chilly and misty over the lake to start with very little cloud. More cloud from the W later. Calm / light and variable wind. Good visibility above the mist

Sunrise: 06:14 BST

Two stray dogs running about today. I was told that one of these has been loose for some time – its owners have allegedly split up and neither will take responsibility for the dog which is just let out to roam. The other was a very frightened puppy

Priorslee Lake: 05:20 – 06:55 // 07:45 – 09:05

(94th visit of the year)

Other notes from today:
- very few geese seen outbound; the few seen inbound pitched in to the lake while the Mute Swans were asleep and didn’t see. I suspect that the clear night and almost full moon meant most geese spent the night feeding in the fields – this would also explain the early arrival of > 200 birds at The Flash
- the Mallard are now flying about a lot and beginning to spar about pairing up making accurate numbers difficult to obtain
- 2 Little Grebes put in a typically brief appearance before disappearing back in to the reeds. These may have been present for a while as I heard pattering feet on Tuesday but failed to locate the source. I thought that might as easily have come for a spooked Moorhen
- 8 juvenile Great Crested Grebes again: however I now realise that both recent broods contain four juveniles: it was the fledged oldest juvenile that was not seen this morning
- a party of hirundines appeared at 08:35: it contained at least 2 Sand Martins, a species not often recorded here after their Spring arrival
- no Reed Warblers noted: there had obviously been a very heavy shower here yesterday and the N side reed-bed had been well flattened and any birds may have been forced to move [it did not rain in Newport]
and
- four Common Grass-veneer (Agriphila tristella) moths on the lamps
- just 1 Harvestman sp. seen, likely Leiobunum rotundum again
- 2 pipistrelle-type bats early
- a dead and partly eaten Brown Rat (Rattus norvegicus)

On with the bird totals

Birds noted flying over the lake:
- 49 (3 groups) Canada Geese all outbound
- 2 Black-headed Gulls
- 12 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
- 1 Feral Pigeon
- 48 Wood Pigeons
- 2 Pied Wagtails

Hirundines etc. seen today
- 2 Sand Martins
- 4 Barn Swallows
- 4 House Martins

Warblers counts: number in brackets = singing birds
- 11 (2) Chiffchaffs
- 4 (0) Blackcaps

The counts from the lake area
- 2 + 3 Mute Swans
- 21 Canada Geese
- 13 (?♂) Mallard
- 3 (0♂) Tufted Ducks
- 1 Grey Heron once more
- 2 Little Grebes
- 8 + 8 (2 broods) Great Crested Grebes (see notes)
- 6 + 4 Moorhens
- 76 Coots
- c.150 Black-headed Gulls again
- 2 Lesser Black-backed Gulls

A few gulls arriving in a misty sunrise.

The sunrise.

Amongst the heads of the Rosebay Willowherb (Chamerion angustifolium) is this juvenile Goldfinch. The very conical bill is one way to identify these juveniles until they develop their red faces in late October. They are usually with adults which is also a clue as is the reddish-brown area on the sides of the breast.

A rather mangled Brown Rat (Rattus norvegicus). We can still identify it by the long, bare tail. This is much longer than any vole found in the UK and voles have proportionally larger ears.

Between the lake and The Flash alongside the path
- one of the Common Rustic agg. group of moths on the roof of the tunnel under Priorslee Avenue.

This moth was on the roof of the tunnel: from below there is very little marking to get a determination.

A flash photo at an angle provides at least some hint of pattern in the wing. This seems to be one of the Common Rustic agg. group of moths. All are very variable and at the same time very similar as imago and can only be determined by examination of the genitalia.

(Ed Wilson)

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The Flash: 07:00 – 07:40

(72nd visit of the year)

Notes from here
- 170 Greylag, the Greylag x Canada Goose and 82 Canada Geese all flew in at 07:10
- the unusually small proportion of drake Mallard seems to be because there are several late and full-grown broods of young that are still very hard to sex
- Willow Warbler heard calling: rather late for this species with most birds having started for their winter quarters S of the Sahara
and
- many fungus fruits on one of the tree-trunks felled along ‘squirrel alley’ – probably Sulphur Tuft (Hypholoma fasciculare)

Birds noted flying over
None

Hirundines etc. noted
None

Warblers counts: number in brackets = singing birds
- 3 (0) Chiffchaffs
- 1 (0) Willow Warbler

The counts from the water
- 2 + 4 Mute Swans
- 223 Greylag Geese
- 1 Greylag x Canada Goose
- 109 Canada Geese
- 1 white feral goose
- 24 (11♂) Mallard
- 21 (5♂) Tufted Ducks
- 2 + 3 (1 brood) Great Crested Grebes again
- 1 + 1 Moorhens again
- 9 Coots
- 6 Black-headed Gulls
- 1 Kingfisher

Just part of the >200 geese that arrived together.

Along ‘squirrel alley were these fungus. I am pretty sure these are Sulphur Tuft (Hypholoma fasciculare). It is a poisonous species that typically grows in clusters on dead wood.

Only when looking at this photo did I realise that there may just possibly be two different species involved: are the lower, flatter and half-fruits the same species? All fungi can change shape depending upon the growing position and I am not sure that two species would grow in such close proximity.

(Ed Wilson)

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

2016
Priorslee Lake
Today's News Here

2013
Priorslee Lake
Possible Little Ringed Plover
Raven
(John Isherwood)

2012
Priorslee Lake
Hobby
Common Tern
(Ed Wilson)

2011
Nedge Hill
Wheatear
(John Isherwood)

2010
Priorslee Lake
Yellow Wagtail
Little Grebe
Shoveler
(Ed Wilson)

The Flash
58 Tufted Duck
(Ed Wilson)

30 Aug 17

Priorslee Lake

11.0°C > 11.5°C: Medium overcast with light rain: lower cloud and more persistent rain for a while. Light SW wind. Very good visibility, even in rain.

Sunrise: 06:16 BST

Best today was the Tawny Owl heard calling at 05:30 from the Teece Drive gate area. There remains much confusion about which calls are given by which sex, but is seems the wavering hooting call I heard indicates a male. Whatever it is my first record here since 11 April 2014 and becomes my 98th species recorded at the lake this year

Priorslee Lake: 05:25 – 08:25

(93rd visit of the year)

Other notes from today:
Very quiet again, especially passerines, mainly hiding from the rain (as was I some of the time)
- my earlier arrival failed to find any overhead corvid roost dispersal
- one Reed Warbler seen: what seemed to be a different bird making begging calls suggests a very late brood
and
- three Common Grass-veneer (Agriphila tristella) moths on one lamp
- 7 Harvestman sp. seen, likely all Leiobunum rotundum
- 1 pipistrelle-type bats
- a new species of plant for me here – Gypsywort (Lycopus europaeus)

On with the bird totals

Birds noted flying over the lake:
- 21 Greylag Geese: 21 (5 groups) outbound
- 178 Canada Geese: 143 (20 groups) outbound; 25 (2 groups) inbound
- 95 Black-headed Gulls
- 5 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
- 1 Herring Gull
- 40 Wood Pigeons
- 1 Collared Dove
- 4 Pied Wagtails

Hirundine etc. seen or heard today
None

Warblers counts: number in brackets = singing birds
- 10 (2) Chiffchaffs
- 2 (1) Blackcaps
- 2 (?) Reed Warblers (seen notes)

The counts from the lake area
- 2 + 3 Mute Swans
- 16 (?♂) Mallard
- 5 (0♂) Tufted Ducks
- 8 + 8 (3 broods) Great Crested Grebes again
- 1 Grey Heron again
- 4 + 3 Moorhens
- 70 Coots
- c.150 Black-headed Gulls
- 5 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
- 1 Herring Gull
- 1 Kingfisher

I think this is Gypsywort (Lycopus europaeus): a new plant for me. Literature suggests the leaves should be rather more deeply cut, at least at the base the plant – but we cannot see that here.

Water Mint (Mentha aquatica) is now in full flower as shown here.

This appears to be Common (or Perforate) St. John's Wort (Hypericum perforatum) though the number of leaves seems rather excessive for the relatively few flowers. Perhaps because it is growing on the poor soil atop the dam?

The (wet) flowers in close-up.

A mass of harvestmen here – all seem to be Leiobunum rotundum, five together, and with the legs of a sixth at the bottom right. Hope they can get their legs sorted out! Note the fuzzy area at top left: this looks like two feathered seeds trapped in a web which have been there for some weeks so probably nothing to do with the harvestmen. We can also see a very small beetle.

This feather was trapped in a spider-web. I assume a loose moulted feather blown in to the web and that there are not any bird-eating spiders at the lake!

(Ed Wilson)

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

2016
Priorslee Lake
Today's News Here

2012
Priorslee Lake
Black Tern
(Arthur Harper)

2010
Priorslee Lake
Yellow Wagtail
Kingfisher
(Ed Wilson)

29 Aug 17

Priorslee Lake and The Flash

15.5°C > 12.5°C: Clouding up from W with occasional mainly light drizzle and low cloud later. Light SE at first, then light / moderate NW. Very good visibility to start becoming moderate, even poor, in drizzle

Sunrise: 06:14 BST

First day back after three weeks in Brazil’s Amazon jungles was a shock to the system

Priorslee Lake: 05:35 – 06:50 // 07:40 – 08:45

(92nd visit of the year)

The work on and around the dam is now complete with several access covers on and around the dam

For some reason the Council or its contractors have seen fit to flail some of the hedges around the football field, removing hips and haws that would have been food for winter thrushes later in the year

Notes from today:
- probably more geese than I logged: many of the parties very distant both to the N and S with some barely above tree-height
- one pair of Great Crested Grebes still with 4 now well-grown juveniles; another pair with 3 quite new juveniles; 2 more pairs not showing any inclination to nest; and a fledged juvenile
- many Black-headed Gulls flew overhead directly from roost (Middle Pool?) to the fields to the E. These may have been among the c.175 birds seen on the lake later – there were <60 earlier
- >95 Lesser Black-backed Gulls flew SE mainly to the NE early with a few of these stopping off at the lake for a while. Later >20 large gulls dropped in to the lake for a while
- single Jackdaw and Rook this morning: perhaps I arrived too late for the overhead roost dispersal?
- for the first tine this year there were no Song Thrushes singing today
- Robins now back in full song – 36 logged this morning. A month ago I was logging as few as 12
- no sight or sound of any Reed Warblers: they have likely left, but is always difficult to prove the absence of anything
and
- two moths on the lamps: a Six-stripe Rustic which is a new species for me; and my first Common Grass-veneer (Agriphila tristella) of the year
- single Syrphus sp. hoverfly seen, not well-enough to specifically ID
- probably too late arriving to see any pipistrelle-type bats
- lots of Common Ragwort (Jacobaea vulgaris) on the dam – rather late this year?

On with the bird totals

Birds noted flying over the lake:
- 4 Greylag Geese: 4 (1 group) outbound
- 138 Canada Geese: 138 (11 groups) outbound
- 1 Cormorant
- >88 Black-headed Gulls
- >83 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
- 9 Wood Pigeons
- 1 Jackdaw
- 1 Rook
- 3 Pied Wagtails

Hirundine etc. seen or heard today
- c.40 House Martins

Warblers counts: number in brackets = singing birds
- 6 (1) Chiffchaffs
- 4 (0) Blackcaps

The counts from the lake area
- 2 + 3 Mute Swans
- 23 (?♂) Mallard
- 8 + 8 (3 broods) Great Crested Grebes
- 1 Grey Heron
- 4 + 4 Moorhens
- 66 (>3 juveniles) Coots
- c.175 Black-headed Gulls
- 26 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
- 2 Herring Gulls
- 1 Kingfisher

Spent a long while looking hard at the gull in the middle here. It looked rather small for either Lesser Black-backed or Herring Gulls – compare with the adult Lesser Black-backed Gull behind. The paleness of the plumage suggests Herring rather than Lesser Black-back though that species is generally the larger of the two. The bill is all dark and too heavy for Common Gull.

I managed to sneak a closer view without flushing the birds and it does appear it is ‘just’ a small juvenile Herring Gull.

A new moth for me: a Six-stripe Rustic.

A very common grass moth – Common Grass-veneer (Agriphila tristella): my first this year.

(Ed Wilson)

Between the lake and The Flash alongside the path
- juvenile Moorhen(s) heard from the upper pool
- two Chiffchaffs heard calling

(Ed Wilson)

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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)

4 Aug 17

Priorslee Lake and The Flash

14.0°C > 17.0°C: Well-broken areas of cloud to start with light shower at 06:45: sky cleared for a while c.08:00 before more puffy clouds developed. Moderate W wind. Very good visibility

Sunrise: 05:32 BST

Because it is a species wholly associated with water I am in future going to include Kingfishers in the counts from the water bodies – when seen!

Priorslee Lake: 04:35 – 06:15 // 07:20 – 09:05

(90th visit of the year)

Best today was a (Common) Redshank calling and circling over the lake at 06:15. My 97th species here in 2017

Other notes from today:
- many (most?) of the inbound geese and those on the lake for a while were likely some of those seen outbound
- the Black-headed Gulls were coming and going as usual with eventually >350. Earlier I noted just 63 present with 36 of these being juveniles – an unusually high proportion
- very noisy Green Woodpecker heard both in the Ricoh copse and presumed same along the N side
- three Barn Swallows at 08:30 in the SW area were likely local birds
- at least 46 House Martins high over the estate at 06:15 – so perhaps breeding has been very successful this year. Only 4 seen over the lake later
- a hirundine sp., not specifically identified, appeared to be leaving its roost in the NW reeds
- after weeks with no / very small numbers of Jackdaws and Rooks a party of 171 Rooks with 3 Jackdaws flew on the usual route at 05:29: a few more birds followed later. Where have they been? And why change?
and
- no moths on the lamps today
- 9 pipistrelle-type bats seen today. Still no sign of the larger bats that are usually around pre-dawn to the N and E of the water
- Speckled Wood and Meadow Brown butterflies – the latter my first of the year here (more of a reflection on my trips away I feel)
- a Brown Hawker dragonfly and a Common Blue damselfly
- the hoverflies Eristalis tenax (Common Drone-fly) and Volucella pellucens (Pellucid Fly)
- a hairy bee, possibly Megachile willughbiella (or Leaf-cutter Bee)
- a very small wasp sp., unidentified

On with the bird totals

Birds noted flying over the lake:
- 129 Greylag Geese: 78 (9 groups) outbound; 51 (10 groups inbound
- 233 Canada Geese: 160 (24 groups) outbound; 73 (7 groups inbound
- 3 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
- 28 Wood Pigeons
- 10 Feral Pigeons (2 groups)
- 4 Jackdaws
- 181 Rooks
- 1 Pied Wagtail yet again

Hirundine etc. seen
- 3 Barn Swallows
- >46 House Martins
- 1 unidentified hirundine sp.

Warblers counts: number in brackets = singing birds
- 6 (0) Chiffchaffs
- 2 (0) Willow Warbler
- 4 (0) Blackcaps
- 1 (0) Common Whitethroat
- 3 (0) Reed Warblers

The counts from the lake area
- 2 + 3 Mute Swans
- 3 Greylag Geese
- 14 Canada Geese
- 21 (?♂) Mallard
- 3 (2♂) Tufted Ducks
- 1 Grey Heron
- 7 + 5 (2 broods) Great Crested Grebes again
- 9 + 6 (4 broods) Moorhens
- 41 + 11 (? broods) Coots
- 1 Common Redshank over
- >350 (>40 juveniles) Black-headed Gulls
- 3 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
- 1 Herring Gull
- 1 Kingfisher

Two Greylag Geese leave the lake after stopping off while returning from the fields.

Detail of the upper-wing pattern is better shown on this lone bird. The rather strange head mark is shadow!

Designed to confuse: many of the geese parties this morning had mixed composition – here we see 5 Greylag Geese in with 7 Canada Geese.

Three of the four juvenile Great Crested Grebes with an adult.

The other adult brings breakfast.

A record shot only showing the white wing panel diagnostic of Common Redshank. The call is too which was what first alerted me.

An adult Lesser Black-backed Gull. We see some of the effect of the moult in to winter plumage with the yet to be moulted outer primaries much longer than the regrowing inner primaries and outer secondaries. The white ‘spot’ in the wing is the white tip of the regrowing secondaries. Note the head has already started to acquire the winter streaking.

The extent of the wing moult is more apparent in this view.

A different bird with only a loose feather to suggest moulting. No head-spotting on this one yet though the evil-looking bill has lost some of its breeding colour. I suppose those legs are yellow – it is hard to get the exposure right on black and white birds in full sun.

Peering out at me was this Song Thrush: just 3 singing this morning as song continues too fade away. Is that a hint of a yellow gape indicating a juvenile?

A rather scruffy Chiffchaff apparently still with baby feathers on its breast. Note too the lack of tail so I guess this bird is not long fledged.

It was attempting to preen but it still looks rather scruffy.

Note here there seems to be well-defined supercilium, but only in front of the eye.

A change of angle of the light and the supercilium now seems to extend behind the eye.

Well buried in the foliage but still identifiable as a Reed Warbler by the dagger-like bill and sloping forehead.

A female Common Blue Damselfly. The thick stripe down the back of the thorax is, on this individual, split. Not sure whether this is unusual or not.

A bit of a shadow over one wing, otherwise a very smart Speckled Wood butterfly.

A rather faded and worn specimen: a Meadow Brown butterfly. Larger than a Gatekeeper also distinguished by having a single white dot in the black circle on the forewing.

Head-on view.

This hoverfly is a female Eristalis tenax – a very common and widespread species.

Not showing too well here is the long antenna that suggests this is a bee rather than a hoverfly. I do not have any books on UK bees: neither do I have much experience. A trawl around the excellent Nature Spot web site suggests it might be Megachile willughbiella, a leaf-cutter bee.

The work on the dam and surrounding area to install sensors and monitor goes on: this is the small compound.

.. that has now sprouted a ‘standard’ Health and Safety notice much of which seems entirely irrelevant.

Even better, the board with Severn-Trent’s rules has been appropriated to denote the Fire Assembly point! It is outdoors for heavens sake. No wonder Health and Safety gets a bad press.

Between the lake and The Flash alongside the path
- adult Moorhen seen on grass around upper pool

(Ed Wilson)

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The Flash: 06:25 – 07:15

(69th visit of the year)

A report from one of the locals suggests that the three cygnets that have not made it thus far seemed to be weak birds that the adults just abandoned each in turn

I was also told of an ‘all-white heron a few days ago’ – perhaps a Little Egret?

For anyone interested there is a Facebook group run by residents of the estate. Mainly the usual concerns about dog pooh, wanting reliable tradesmen and reporting white-van-man snooping about. But some snippets on the wildlife. More Here

Notes from here
- most of the geese likely away feeding in the fields while I was walking around here
- in addition to the Coot totals a very recently dead adult bird was floating in the SW area – a bird has seemed rather lethargic here for some days
- Sparrowhawk, female on size, seen carrying prey across the N end
- the Barn Swallow briefly: my first here since 13 May when probably a late Spring arrival. It seems none has bred in the area this year
and
- Wednesday’s large group of fungus, possibly Mycena aetites (aka Drab Bonnet) just about decayed
- several Leiobunum rotundum (harvestmen) on the lamps

Birds noted flying over
- 6 Feral Pigeons
- 7 Wood Pigeons

Hirundine etc. noted
- 1 Barn Swallow
- 4 House Martins

Warblers noted
- 4 (0) Chiffchaffs

The counts from the water
- 2 + 4 Mute Swans
- 1 Greylag Goose
- 22 Canada Geese
- 1 white feral goose
- 21 (14♂) Mallard
- 13 (3♂) Tufted Ducks
- 1 Grey Heron
- 2 + 3 (1 brood) Great Crested Grebes
- 2 + 4 (3 broods) Moorhens
- 11 + 5 (4 broods) Coots
- 23 (5 juvenile) Black-headed Gulls
- 1 Kingfisher

(Ed Wilson)

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

2015
Priorslee Lake
Today's Sightings here

2013
Trench Lock Pool
4 Common Terns
(Dave Tromans)

2012
Priorslee Lake
Green Sandpiper
(Ed Wilson)

2011
Priorslee Lake
3 Common Terns
(Ed Wilson)

2008
Priorslee Lake
Black-tailed Godwit
Little Grebe
(Ed Wilson)

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