8 Jun 18

Priorslee Lake and The Flash

Priorslee Lake: 07:40 – 09:15
The Flash: 07:15 – 07:35 // 09:25 – 09:40

c.13.0°C: Low overcast after overnight rain. Light E breeze. Moderate / good visibility.

Sunrise: 04:47 BST again

Priorslee Lake: 07:40 – 09:15

(72nd visit of the year)

Notes from today:
- both broods of Mute Swans and all 4 adults were on the water today
- the pair of Tufted Ducks most certainly flew over today – I was unsure on Tuesday as to whether they might have come off the water and flown off W
- the / a Common Tern appeared briefly c.08:45
- after several days when I have logged single digits of Wood Pigeons there were 23 on the football field this morning (with 7 Magpies, 4 Starlings and a Mistle Thrush). After the rain perhaps
- several big, noisy, mixed groups of tits – only Blue and Great positively ID-ed with separate groups of Long-tails elsewhere
- the cooler, cloudy weather again inhibited warbler song
- two Grey Wagtails appeared on the dam: apparently a female and a juvenile. Both uncharacteristically silent. My first here since 12 February
- a female Bullfinch with a juvenile feeding on ground – the public footpath at the W end: most unusual
and
- no butterflies noted
- no moths noted
- 1 species of dragonfly only
- Common Blue Damselfly
- no hoverflies noted
- 1 species of beetle
- Cantharis rustica (Sailor Beetle)
- 1 species of common fly
- Black Snipe flies (Chrysopilus cristatus)
- a small spider with red legs and a Nursery Web Spider (Pisaura mirabilis)

New species of flowering plants noted
None

Today’s bird totals

Birds noted flying over or flying near the lake:
- 1 (1♂) Mallard
- 2 (1♂) Tufted Ducks
- 2 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
- 1 Herring Gull
- 4 Wood Pigeons
- 1 Starling

Hirundines seen today
- 2 Common Swifts
- 2 House Martins

Warblers noted: figure in brackets is singing birds
- 5 (5) Chiffchaffs again
- 7 (7) Blackcaps
- 1 (1) Garden Warbler only
- 1 (1) (Common) Whitethroat only
- 9 (8) Reed Warblers

The counts from the lake area
- 4 + 8 (2) Mute Swans as usual
- 1 (1♂) Mallard
- 6 Great Crested Grebes yet again
- no Moorhens
- 24 + 16 (6 broods) Coots
- 1 Common Tern briefly

Yummy! A nice beakful of worms for breakfast!

I blame the poor light but here is a record of the female Bullfinch on the ground. Only when she flew away did I see that there was a juvenile with her – that would have made a better photo as they look most odd, devoid of the black cap.

The need to feed young means birds turn up in unusual places – the stones on the dam are not where you would expect to see a Great Tit.

The dam is not an unusual location for a Grey Wagtail. This very pale bird is a juvenile.

I think this is too, though there is a hint of yellow under the tail which is perhaps too long for a recently fledged bird. Could it be a female already in to its post-breeding moult?

Not many insects around today: about all I could find was this Cantharis rustica (Sailor Beetle).

The camera did not seem to want to give me a sharp image of this very small red and black spider. It might be Hypselistes jacksoni – but then again ....

(Ed Wilson)

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The Flash: 07:15 – 07:35 // 09:25 – 09:40

(55th visit of the year)

Notes from today
- in addition to the 4 broods of Coots counted another brood was still being brooded and yet another brood was heard but hidden amongst overhanging vegetation
- >30 Common Swifts in a tight swirling group again: these are only seen on my first pass and have dispersed later
- I almost trod on a Goldcrest that was most unusually on the ground. I wondered whether the heavy rain had washed all the insects etc. off the foliage and it was having to find food on the ground. However the camera revealed it was collecting nesting material
and
- a very faded Brimstone Moth on one of the lamp posts
- a Common Blue Damselfly on another lamp posts. I almost never see damselflies here, much less on the lamps

Birds noted flying over or flying near The Flash
None

Hirundines etc. seen today
- >30 Swifts
- 2 House Martins again

Warblers noted: figures in brackets is singing birds
- 2 (1) Chiffchaffs

The counts from the water
- 1 Mute Swan still – the cob
- 7 Greylag Geese
- 51 Canada Geese
- 11 (10♂) + 7 (1 brood) Mallard
- 9 (6♂) Tufted Ducks
- 1 Great Crested Grebe
- 1 Moorhen
- 24 + 7 (4 broods) Coots

On one of the lamps was this moth: For some reason it is completely devoid of colouration. However the wing shape and the marks on the wing edge identify it as a Brimstone moth – it should be pale yellow with brown spots.

I do not often see damselflies at The Flash. Less often do I see them resting on lamps posts. No doubt the chilly morning after a wet night.

Under the canopy in the NW corner there was very little light. Here is the Goldcrest I nearly trod on apparently collecting nesting material.

And another almost equally bad view!

And

On the roof of the tunnel under Priorslee Avenue a Silver-ground Carpet moth was taking shelter.

Noted between the lake and The Flash
- adult and begging juvenile Moorhens heard from both pools
- 1 Blackcap singing above the upper pool
- a Silver-ground Carpet moth on the roof of the tunnel under Priorslee Avenue

(Ed Wilson)

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

2016
Priorslee Lake
Today's Sightings Here

2015
Local Area
Today's Sightings Here

2014
Local Area
Today's Sightings Here

2013
Priorslee Lake
Great Spotted Woodpecker
Reed Warbler
Willow Tit.
(John Isherwood)

Redhill
Kestrel
Linnet
Stock Dove
Yellowhammer.
(John Isherwood)

2009
Priorslee Lake
9 Swifts
4 Chiffchaffs 
(Ed Wilson)

2007
Priorslee Lake
Raven
(Ed Wilson)

2006
Priorslee Lake
4 Great Crested Grebes
1 Tufted Duck
2 Ruddy Duck
1 Kestrel
3 Stock Doves
4 Swift
2 Swallow
12 House Martin
7 Reed Warbler
2 Lesser Whitethroat
1 Common Whitethroat
1 Garden Warbler
10 Blackcaps
5 Chiffchaffs
2 Willow Tit
19 Magpies
8 Greenfinch
6 Reed Bunting
(Ed Wilson)