Priorslee Lake: 07:45 – 09:30
The Flash: 07:15 – 07:40
c.8.0°C > c.12.0°C: Fine and clear start with thin low cloud later. Moderate E breeze. Good visibility
Sunrise: 04:47 BST
Priorslee Lake: 07:45 – 09:30
(71st visit of the year)
Cooler start this morning with fewer warblers singing and fewer broods of Coot on the water. Also one of the broods of Mute Swans failed to show
Other notes from today:
- a Buzzard being harried by Magpies again: I wonder whether this is because the Magpies have unfledged / recently-fledged juveniles to protect
- a Wood Pigeon seen carrying a sticks as if it is still nest-building. I saw one doing this at The Flash yesterday and dismissed it as aberrant behaviour
- 2 Collared Doves over: despite this species being regular around the estate and at The Flash this is my first record here since 8th February!
- in addition to the one or two Sly Larks heard singing over the fields to the E of Castle Farm Way a Skylark flew E over the lake – an unusual date to see one overhead
and
- the following species of butterfly noted – all new for me here this year
- Speckled Wood
- skipper sp.
- no moths
- 3 species of damsel-flies
- Common Blue Damselfly
- Azure Damselfly
- Blue-tailed Damselfly
- three hoverfly species
- Helophilus pendulus (The Footballer)
- Eristalis sp. probably E. tenax (Common Drone-fly)
- Parhelophilus sp. (the three sps. are not separable without genitalia examination)
- one Crane Fly species
- Common Crane-fly (Tipula oleracea)
- the following currently common flies
- Black Snipe flies (Chrysopilus cristatus)
- three species of ladybird
- Harlequin Ladybird (Harmonia axyridis)
- 7 Spot Ladybird (Coccinella 7-punctata)
- 16 Spot Ladybird (Tytthaspis sedecimpunctata) – a new species for me
with
- a few Common stretch-spiders (Tetragnatha extensa)
No new species of flowering plants noted today but
- yesterday’s Hedge Woundwort (Stachys sylvatica) is no more – strimmed when the grass alongside Teece Drive was cut
Today’s bird totals
Birds noted flying over / near the lake:
- 2 Cormorants
- 2 Collared Doves
- 2 Jackdaws
- 1 Sky Lark
Hirundines seen today
- 6 Common Swifts
- 2 Barn Swallows
- 4 House Martins
Warblers noted: figure in brackets is singing birds (not all the males seen might have been singing)
- 5 (5) Chiffchaffs
- 8 (8) Blackcaps
- 3 (3) Garden Warblers
- 2 (2) (Common) Whitethroats
- 5 (5) Reed Warblers
The counts from the lake area
- 3 + 3 (1) Mute Swans
- 2 Greylag Geese briefly
- 8 (7♂) Mallard
- 6 Great Crested Grebes again
- 2 + 3 (1 brood) Moorhens
- 23 + 8 (4 broods) Coots
This Goldfinch looks rather aggressive when viewed head-on ...
... but looks rather more benign with the highlight in the eye and side-on.
The hoverfly Helophilus pendulus (aka The Footballer).
... as is this – a different specimen.
Two Common Blue Damselflies, paired but not mating as yet.
And another pair.
A 7 Spot Ladybird (Coccinella 7-punctata). Just about the most common ladybird.
And a Harlequin Ladybird (Harmonia axyridis).
A Red-tailed Bumblebee (Bombus lapidarius). Only some individuals show an orange/yellow collar.
I like orchids: a collection of spikes on the dam.
And
In the tunnel under Priorslee Avenue yesterday’s presumed Common Swift moth had re-orientated and from a better angle the markings could be seen to positively ID it.
(Ed Wilson)
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The Flash: 07:15 – 07:40
(54th visit of the year)
Notes from today
- numbers of Tufted Ducks changed yet again!
- one brood of Coots missing: another probably still in nest due to the rather chilly start
- >30 Common Swifts in a tight swirling group again, but only briefly
Birds noted flying over
- 1 Feral Pigeon again
- 3 Wood Pigeons
- 1 Jackdaw
Hirundines etc. seen today
- >30 Swifts
- 2 House Martins again
Warblers noted: figures in brackets is singing birds (not all the males seen might have been singing)
- 1 (1) Blackcap again
The counts from the water
- 1 Mute Swan again – the cob again
- 24 Canada Geese
- 9 (8♂) + 7 (1 brood) Mallard
- 3 (2♂) Tufted Ducks
- 1 Great Crested Grebe still
- 2 + 1 (1 brood) Moorhen
- 23 + 12 (4 broods) Coots
Noted between the lake and The Flash
- 1 Blackcap singing at the lower pool
- the same Common Swift moth in the tunnel under Priorslee Avenue
(Ed Wilson)
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On this day..........
2016Priorslee Lake
Today's Sightings Here
2015
Priorslee Lake
Today's Sightings Here
2009
Priorslee Lake
15 House Martins
15 Swifts
2 Chiffchaffs
Willow Warbler
(Ed Wilson)
The Flash
1 Tufted Duck
(Ed Wilson)