Priorslee Lake: 05:00 – 06:40 // 07:40 – 09:25
The Flash: 06:45 – 07:35
8°C > 15°C: Misty over the lake early, otherwise fine and clear. Calm > light and variable breeze. Very good visibility
Sunrise: 05:44 BST
Priorslee Lake: 05:00 – 06:40 // 07:40 – 09:25
(93rd visit of the year)
Bird notes from today:
- a single Greylag Goose on the football field today: on the water later after the dog-walkers were about
- a duck Tufted Duck pitched down in front of me at c.06:30. Not seen later
- 3 single Lesser Black-backed Gulls paused for a few minutes before 05:30. Only fly-overs later
- a single Common Swift over at 08:05, present until 08:20 at least
- another early House Martin record with bird(s) heard overhead d at 05:45
- >8 Barn Swallows and >6 House Martins were feeding above the vegetation at the base of the dam, presumably on the hatch of Mystacides longicornis caddis flies. They seemed unconcerned about me but at one point without any apparent alarm calls they all started to climb high in the sky and disappeared from view. I search for a possible predator and it is true that two Sparrowhawks were having a dispute in the far, far distance but that seemed unlikely to be the cause. They started to return some five minutes later. Most odd
- single Chiffchaff and Willow Warblers heard briefly in song. Not that unusual at this time of year
Today’s bird totals
Birds noted flying over or flying near the lake:
- 15 Greylag Geese [6 (1 group) outbound; 11 (3 groups) inbound]
- 94 Canada Geese [84 (15 singles / groups) outbound; 10 (1 group) inbound]
- 2 Sparrowhawks
- 7 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
- 2 Stock Doves
- 57 Wood Pigeons
- 10 Jackdaws
- 1 Linnet again
Hirundines etc. seen today
- 1 Swift again
- >8 Barn Swallows
- >20 House Martins
Warblers noted:
- 8 (1) Chiffchaffs
- 3 (1) Willow Warbler
- 6 Blackcaps
- 3 Garden Warblers
- 1 Common Whitethroat
- 4 Reed Warblers
The counts from the lake area
- 2 + 3 (1) Mute Swans
- 1 Greylag Goose
- 16 (10♂) + 2 (1 brood) Mallard
- 1 Grey Heron
- 5 + 3 (1 brood) Great Crested Grebes
- 8 + 11 (8? broods) Moorhens
- 82 (near) adults + 11 (5 new-ish broods) Coots
- 13 Black-headed Gulls
- 3 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
And other notes
insects, at least partly identified
- butterflies seen
- 1 Speckled Wood
- moths seen on the lamps
- 6 Agriphila tristella (Common Grass-veneer)
- damselflies / dragonflies
- 2 Common Darters
- hoverflies
- >1 Eristalis pertinax (Tapered Drone-fly)
- >1 Eristalis tenax (Common Drone-fly)
- 1 Melanostoma scalare (Chequered Hoverfly) pre-dawn
- >2 Myathropa florea (Dead-head Hoverfly)
- flies etc.
>50 Mystacides longicornis (caddis flies)
- a few wasps
- a possible Lake Olive (Cloeon simile) mayfly
- a Tachina fera fly
- no beetles and bugs noted
- no spiders noted
- no different plants noted
Autumn approached methinks with mist over the lake ....
Providing a diffusion to the glow of sunrise.
As the mist starts to roll away.
And lift.
Well they were a VERY long way away. Two Sparrowhawks chasing with the larger female above.
“A Buzzard a day ....”. Looks cross-eyed to me.
It does have a slight eye-ring. And note too the rather grey nape.
A Reed Warbler being unhelpful and preening away. Note the long and rather pointed tail-feathers.
(Ed Wilson)
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The Flash: 06:45 – 07:35
(76th visit of the year)
Notes from today
- 7 ducklings remain from the newest brood of Mallard; another 6 from mid-aged brood that I have not logged this week. None of the ‘almost grown’ ducklings seen – birds noted inside the island but too hidden to identify and count
- only one adult Great Crested Grebe seen. Two juveniles were sleeping with one of the parents in the middle of the water. The other juvenile was on its own near the island
- not sure why the Moorhens are not more evident here – as they are at the lake. There are at least 4 nesting places that I am aware of, as well as birds dispersing from the pools between the lake and The Flash. The upper pool is very dry at the moment
and
- 1 Common Grass-veneer (Agriphila tristella) moth on a lamp
Birds noted flying over or flying near The Flash
- 1 Lesser Black-backed Gull
- 7 Feral Pigeons (single and party of 6)
- 2 Wood Pigeons again
- 1 Jackdaw
Hirundines etc. seen again today
None
Warblers noted
- 2 Chiffchaffs
- 1 Blackcap
The counts from the water
- 2 + 3 Mute Swans
- 26 Greylag Geese (25 of these flew in)
- 18 Canada Geese (11 of these flew in)
- 17 (14♂) + 13 (2 broods) Mallard
- 22 (?♂) + 6 (1 brood) Tufted Ducks
- 1 + 3 (1 brood) Great Crested Grebes
- 1 + 2 (2 broods) Moorhens
- 17 + 8 (4 broods) Coots
- 21 (1 juvenile) Black-headed Gulls
The pen Mute Swan and her three cygnets. Much smaller than those at the lake no doubt due to the hiatus when the original pen had to be put-down after breaking a wing. A replacement pen fortuitously(?) arrived a few days later. Whether she took over the nest (and the eggs?) we may never know – DNA might tell us about the eggs. Whatever they seem to be doing OK though the cob seems rather disinterested.
Of interest between the lake and The Flash
- 2 Blackcaps calling around the upper pool
Ed Wilson)
(Ed Wilson)
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On this day..........
2015Priorslee Lake
Today's Sightings Here
2011
Priorslee Lake
Green Sandpiper
Tree Pipit
(Ed Wilson)
2008
Priorslee Lake
Wheatear
(Ed Wilson)
2007
Priorslee Lake
Possible Wood Sandpiper
A female Peregrine
(Ed Wilson)