15 Aug 18

Priorslee Lake and The Flash

Priorslee Lake: 05:05 – 06:40 // 07:35 – 09:15
The Flash: 06:45 – 07:30

16°C > 19°C: Some clear spells but also periods of low cloud, drizzle and mist. Moderate SW wind. Very good visibility except in drizzle

Sunrise: 05:51 BST

Priorslee Lake: 05:05 – 06:40 // 07:35 – 09:15

(96th visit of the year)

Bird notes from today:
- yet again the geese logged ‘on the lake’ were additional inbound birds that stopped off
- the Mallard seem to have found their post-moult wings and 5 of them flew off pre-dawn. Another seen flying over
- a pair of Tufted Duck new arrivals though they had left by 09:00
- 2 Little Grebes also new in
- still no sighting of additional juvenile Great Crested Grebes
- the original pair of Great Crested Grebes was seen displaying in front of the children – and before the watershed too. After they had finished one of the adults chased the juveniles away for a while
- 5 Garden Warblers seen flying off together: likely a family party
- a Great Spotted Woodpecker seen flying high W to the N until it disappeared from view even with binoculars

Today’s bird totals

Birds noted flying over or flying near the lake:
- 1 (?♂) Mallard
- 21 Greylag Geese [6 (4 groups) outbound; 15 (1 group) inbound]
- 49 Canada Geese [45 (5 groups) outbound; 4 (1 group) inbound]
- 1 Grey Heron
- 6 Black-headed Gulls
- 1 Lesser Black-backed Gull again
- 3 Stock Doves
- 46 Wood Pigeons
- 1 Collared Dove
- 5 Jackdaws
- 1 Great Spotted Woodpecker

Hirundines etc. seen today
- 22 House Martins

Warblers noted:
- 9 Chiffchaffs
- 4 Blackcaps
- 5 Garden Warblers
- 8 Reed Warblers

The counts from the lake area
- 2 + 3 (1) Mute Swans
- 5 Greylag Geese again
- 16 Canada Geese
- 16 (?♂) + 2 (1 brood) Mallard
- 2 (1♂) Tufted Ducks
- 2 Little Grebes
- 6 + >3? (2? broods) Great Crested Grebes again
- 7 + 10 (6? broods) Moorhens
- 87 (near) adult + 10 dependent juvenile Coots
- 17 Black-headed Gulls

And other notes
insects, at least partly identified
- butterflies seen
- 1 Green-veined White again
- 1 Small White
- 2 Speckled Woods again
- moths seen on the lamps
- 1 Agriphila tristella (Common Grass-veneer)
- 1 Agriphila inquinatella (Barred Grass-veneer)
- moths seen elsewhere
- 1 Agriphila straminella (Straw Grass-veneer)
- damselflies / dragonflies
- >2 Common Blue Damselflies
- >5 Blue-tailed Damselflies
- 1 Common Darter
- hoverflies
- 1 Episyrphus balteatus (Marmalade hoverfly)
- 1 Myathropa florea (Dead-head Hoverfly)
- no other flies etc. identified apart from
- 1 Common Wasp (Paravespula vulgaris)
- no beetles or bugs noted
- no spiders noted
- no different plants noted, but
- first berries of Woody Nightshade or Bittersweet (Solanum dulcamara):

“Breakfast anyone?”

“Thanks: I’ll have that!”. Did not stop the juvenile begging for more.

It is moult time in birds so look out for feathers lying around. This seems to be a Common Buzzard feather – it looked browner than this in real life.

This much smaller feather – look at the size of the leaves – is likely from a Great Tit.

This rather smaller grass moth was on one of the lamps today. It seems to be Agriphila inquinatella (Barred Grass-veneer), a species I seem to have overlooked previously as it is a common-enough moth.

With the light just right we see all the wing venation of this Common Darter dragonfly. How did such a complex pattern evolve?

A more conventional view of the same Common Darter.

Another Myathropa florea (Dead-head Hoverfly). Until this year I had only recorded a single specimen of this species.

A wasp sp. doing what wasps like to do – chewing wood to take back to enlarge the nest for more eggs to be laid and increase the size of the colony.

The powerful jaws in action – you can hear the munching. From this angle the face-pattern confirms it is a Common Wasp (Paravespula vulgaris). It is eating the wooden fence erected between Teece Drive and the Wesley Brook at the time Holy Trinity Academy was built and the road reconstructed. A friend of mine had a nest in his loft which had been made out of his eaves. Extensive support work was needed once the wasp colony had died out in late Autumn!

Now what could possibly be going on here. Perhaps it is just the angle but it seems what I assume to be the male is somewhat smaller than the female.

Whatever they seem to have an audience.

The poisonous berries of Woody Nightshade or Bittersweet (Solanum dulcamara).

(Ed Wilson)

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The Flash: 06:45 – 07:30

(79th visit of the year)

Notes from today
- a duck Mallard at the edge of overhanging vegetation with the sound of unseen ducklings chomping away: likely the most recent brood
- no Tufted Duck juveniles identified and number of birds reduced: perhaps joined the moulting Mallards deep inside the island?
- Great Crested Grebes back to normal
- sudden influx of >60 Black-headed Gulls to join the few present when I arrived
- calling Willow Warbler was unexpected if not exceptional
and
- just 1 Grey Squirrel today
- a Red-legged Shieldbug (Pentatoma rufipes) on the wall of the medical practice at the S end

Birds noted flying over or near to The Flash
- 2 Feral Pigeons again
- 1 Stock Dove
- 7 Wood Pigeons

Hirundines etc. seen
- 6 House Martins

Warblers noted
- 1 Chiffchaff yet again
- 1 Willow Warbler

The counts from the water
- 2 + 3 Mute Swans as usual
- 1 Greylag Goose
- 6 Canada Geese
- 19 (?♂) + >2 (2 broods) Mallard (see notes)
- 16 Tufted Ducks
- 1 Grey Heron
- 2 + 3 (1 brood) Great Crested Grebes
- 1 Moorhen
- 19 + 7 (5 broods) Coots
- 84 (4 juveniles) Black-headed Gulls
- 1 Lesser Black-backed Gull, briefly

Here we see a rather scruffy looking juvenile Dunnock (Hedge Sparrow). Note the white tips to the greater coverts. These will soon wear away.

Of interest between the lake and The Flash
- 1 Blackcap again calling by the upper pond

(Ed Wilson)

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

2016
Local area
Today's Report Here

2014
Local area
Today's Report Here

2013
Priorslee Lake
1 Common Sandpiper
(Ed Wilson)

2012
Priorslee Lake
Location
1 Common Sandpiper
(Ed Wilson)

2007
Priorslee Lake
Little Egret
Common Sandpiper
Common Gull
Hobby
Wheatear
(Ed Wilson)

2005
Priorslee Lake
Yellow Wagtail
Kingfisher
(Ed Wilson)