13 Aug 18

Priorslee Lake and The Flash

Priorslee Lake: 05:00 – 06:40 // 07:35 – 09:10
The Flash: 06:50 – 07:30

15°C > 18°C: Low cloud and some light drizzle to start. Began to lift and clear from SW after 06:15 with more broken higher cloud. Light WNW breeze. Good visibility, becoming very good with clearance

Sunrise: 05:47 BST

Priorslee Lake: 05:00 – 06:40 // 07:35 – 09:10

(94th visit of the year)

With a moonless, humid and cloudy night the omens seemed good for moths to be attracted to the street lamps at the W end. Not so. Just three moths noted

My consequent early arrival should have allowed me to see the early roost-dispersal movement of Jackdaws and Rooks. Not so. Just 2 Jackdaws seen and they were ‘going the wrong way’. Rooks were scarce all last year but the Jackdaws have disappeared too. Very worrying

Bird notes from today:
- the geese logged on the lake were additional inbound birds that stopped off
- a pair of Great Crested Grebes in the NE area today with one of them showing raised back feathers suggesting that new juveniles were hiding. Just a single adult bird has been seen in this area recently. The erstwhile pair along the N side has been down to just one bird for a few days now so perhaps another bird is sitting on a nest in this area as well. The original pair have three well-grown juveniles
- House Martins heard over at 06:00 but lost in the low cloud as I could not find them. Later 16 seemed to commute between the estate and over the N side trees
- one group of Reed Warblers was still being fed. Likely to be a few weeks before these leave – usually this species moves off in mid-August

Today’s bird totals

Birds noted flying over or flying near the lake:
- 29 Greylag Geese [27 (2 groups) outbound; 2 (1 group) inbound]
- 1 Greylag x Canada Goose [inbound]
- 37 Canada Geese [20 (4 groups) outbound; 17 (1 group) inbound]
- 8 Black-headed Gulls
- 7 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
- 7 Stock Doves (3 pairs and a single)
- 56 Wood Pigeons
- 2 Jackdaws

Hirundines etc. seen today
- 2 Barn Swallows
- 16 House Martins

Warblers noted:
- 9 Chiffchaffs
- 1 Willow Warbler
- 5 Blackcaps
- 1 Common Whitethroat again
- 9 Reed Warblers

The counts from the lake area
- 2 + 3 (1) Mute Swans
- 4 Greylag Geese
- 6 Canada Geese
- 14 (10?) + 4 (2 broods) Mallard
- 5 + 3+ (2? brood) Great Crested Grebes (see notes)
- 8 + 11 (8? broods) Moorhens again
- 78 (near) adults + 9 dependent juvenile Coots
- 14 Black-headed Gulls
- 1 Lesser Black-backed Gull

And other notes
insects, at least partly identified
- no butterflies seen
- moths seen on the lamps
- 1 Emmelina monodactyla (Common Plume)
- 1 presumed Eudonia mercurella (Small Grey)
- no damselflies / dragonflies
- hoverflies
- >1 Melanostoma scalare (Chequered Hoverfly)
- no flies etc. identified
- no beetles and bugs noted
- 1 Common Froghopper (Philaenus spumarius)
- 2 Red-legged Shieldbugs (Pentatoma rufipes)
- no spiders noted
- no different plants noted

Another Reed Warbler – and not a reed in sight. They forage quite a ways away from the reed beds after they fledge, learning their surroundings. Another helpful view of the sloping forehead and rather long bill.

Rubbish photo on a gloomy morning but I am reasonably certain that this Great Crested Grebe is sheltering new juveniles between those raised back feathers.

In the darkest recess of one of the lamp post was this Emmelina monodactyla (Common Plume) moth. Feeds on convolvulus (bindweed).

This is likely a Eudonia mercurella (Small Grey) – there are several similar species separable mainly my genitalia examination. This is my far the most common in the group.

Also on a lamp post pre-dawn was this Common Froghopper (Philaenus spumarius) – "a spectacularly variable species, with many dramatically different colour forms" [Naturespot web site].

An upgrade to an earlier photo of the shieldbug with the power-shoulders – a Red-legged Shieldbug (Pentatoma rufipes).

Guess! Floating vegetation on the lake near the sluice.

Pretty patterns!

(Ed Wilson)

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

The Flash: 06:50 – 07:30

(77th visit of the year)

Notes from today
- one adult Great Crested Grebe thinks its work is done and stays well away from the family. One of the juveniles seen to catch its own breakfast. They have ceased their incessant begging calls
and
- one spider sp. noted on a lamp post

Birds noted flying over or flying near The Flash
- 1 Lesser Black-backed Gull again
- 1 Wood Pigeon

Hirundines etc. seen
- 8 House Martins

Warblers noted
- 1 Chiffchaff

The counts from the water
- 2 + 3 Mute Swans
- 3 Greylag Geese
- 18 Canada Geese
- 16 (12?) + 16 (3 broods) Mallard
- 18 Tufted Ducks
- 1 Grey Heron
- 2 + 3 (1 brood) Great Crested Grebes
- 2 Moorhens
- 15 + 9 (5 broods) Coots
- 6 Black-headed Gulls only

A dramatic-looking spider. Cannot identify! Looking at various web-sites I find a lot of spiders look the same to my untutored eye, but none of them looks like mine!
Nothing of interest between the lake and The Flash

(Ed Wilson)

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

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

2016
Priorslee Lake
Today's Sightings Here

2014
Priorslee Lake
Today's Report Here

2013
Priorslee Lake
1 Common Sandpiper
(Ed Wilson)