Priorslee Lake: 07:35 – 10:15
The Flash: 07:15 – 07:30 // 10:20 – 10:35
c.9.0°C > c.14.0°C: Fine and clear with persistent con-trails making it rather hazy. A few puffy clouds later. Mainly light E breeze. Good visibility, becoming very good.
Sunrise: 04:48 BST again
Priorslee Lake: 07:35 – 10:15
(70th visit of the year)
I again spoke with the contractors cutting the weed in the lake. They confirmed that their contract did not cover removal of the weed from alongside the water where the cut weed has been piled up. It seems it is the Yacht Club’s responsibility
Notes from today:
- several Buzzards seen around the lake. I am used to seeing these harried by Carrion Crows (never Rooks it seems). This morning they were getting a hard time from the
- in the fine weather the broods of Coots were out and available to count. Still seem to be doing less-well here than at The Flash
- an immature Lesser Black-backed Gull dropped in briefly: my first gull on the water for weeks
- at least two groups of Long-tailed Tits with juveniles: one part of at least 9 birds
- must have been the cooler weather yesterday that inhibited warbler song – back to normal numbers today. Indeed there seemed to be a 4th Garden Warbler singing: as previously noted these birds are mobile within their territories yet these are close-together making it hard to sort them out
- several juvenile (Common) Whitethroats seen today
and
- the following species of butterfly noted – all new for me here this year
- Speckled Wood
- Common Blue
- Large Skipper
- the following moth flushed from the vegetation
- 2 Yellow-barred Longhorn (Nemophora degeerella)
- 5 species of dragon- / damsel- flies with many 100s seen
- a single female Broad-bodied Chaser: my first-ever at this site
- Common Blue Damselfly
- Azure Damselfly
- Blue-tailed Damselfly
- Red-eyed Damselfly
- two hoverfly species
- Syrphus ribesii / vitripennis
- <tbc>
- at least two different Crane Fly species
- only Common Crane-fly (Tipula oleracea) ID-ed
- the following currently common flies
- Black Snipe flies (Chrysopilus cristatus)
- Scorpion Fly (Panorpa communis): new for me this year
- the first dancing parties of
- Mystacides longicornis – caddis flies
with
- a Rhagonycha fulva (Common Red Soldier Beetle aka Hogweed Bonking-beetle)
- a few Common stretch-spiders (Tetragnatha extensa)
New species of flowering plants noted today
- Snowberry (Symphoricarpos albus?)
- Hedge Woundwort (Stachys sylvatica)
Today’s bird totals
Birds noted flying over / near the lake:
- 6 Greylag Geese (2 groups inbound)
- 1 Cormorant
- 3 Wood Pigeons
- 3 Jackdaws
- 1 Starling
Hirundines seen today
- 4 Common Swifts
- 1 Barn Swallow heard only
- 1 House Martin
Warblers noted: figure in brackets is singing birds (not all the males seen might have been singing)
- 7 (6) Chiffchaffs again
- 12 (12) Blackcaps
- 4 (4) Garden Warblers
- 6 (2) (Common) Whitethroats
- 7 (7) Reed Warblers
The counts from the lake area
- 4 + 8 (2) Mute Swans as usual
- 7 (7♂) Mallard
- 6 Great Crested Grebes
- 2 + 1 (1 brood) Moorhens
- 22 + 12 (6 broods) Coots
- 1 Lesser Black-backed Gull, briefly
A fine study of a Common Buzzard overhead.
Rather distant but here is a bird hovering again.
They were giving it a good seeing off.
And would not let up.
A trio of very new Coots with one of their parents.
This one was rather shy and shuts its wings. Not too often we see the underside.
Another specimen showing off.
I only had one shot at this Common Blue butterfly before it was off to places unseen. Sadly a waving grass stem in the foreground has slightly blurred things.
A very fresh Large Skipper butterfly with a clean neat yellowish tip to the wings.
This hoverfly awaits positive identification.
Hard to fit in – ‘just’ a Common Crane-fly (Tipula oleracea).
Two spikes of the orchid with spotted leaves. And ...
The small flowers of the Snowberry bush (Symphoricarpos albus).
Just opening is this Hedge Woundwort (Stachys sylvatica).
And a close-up as seen by pollinators!
The heap of cut Canadian Pondweed after two days. Should be large by the end of the week!
(Ed Wilson)
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The Flash: 07:15 – 07:30 // 10:20 – 10:35
(53rd visit of the year)
Notes from today
- both broods of Mallard ducklings well-seen today: it turns out BOTH have seven ducklings
- numbers of Tufted Ducks changes again!
- more broods of Coots out in the fine weather: one bird still sitting; another pair with an unfinished nest
- >40 Common Swifts in a tight swirling group today
- as expected the fine weather meant the Barn Swallows to the N could desert the wires they were sitting on conserving energy and had likely gone off hunting insects. So no photos
Birds noted flying over
- 1 Feral Pigeon
Hirundines etc. seen today
- >40 Swifts
- 2 House Martins
Warblers noted: figures in brackets is singing birds (not all the males seen might have been singing)
- 1 (1) Chiffchaff
- 1 (1) Blackcap
The counts from the water
- 1 Mute Swan again – the cob
- 14 Greylag Geese
- 33 Canada Geese
- 10 (7♂) + 14 (2 broods) Mallard
- 8 (5♂) Tufted Ducks
- 1 Great Crested Grebe again
- 1 Moorhen
- 21 + 18 (6 broods) Coots
The ‘other’ younger group of ducklings and we see there are in fact seven in this brood too.
Noted between the lake and The Flash
- Moorhens heard from both pools
- 2 Blackcap singing: one above the upper pool; 1 at the lower pool
- and a Common Swift moth in the tunnel under Priorslee Avenue
(Ed Wilson)
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On this day..........
2015Priorslee Lake
Today's Sightings Here
2014
Priorslee Lake
Today's Sightings Here
2012
Holmer Lake
Black Swan
(Martin Ryder)
2009
Priorslee Lake
Common Terns
(Ed Wilson)