20 Aug 18

Priorslee Lake and The Flash

Priorslee Lake: 05:30 – 06:35 // 07:30 – 09:15
The Flash: 06:40 – 07:25

16°C > 18°C: Started with broken medium cloud with good breaks. After 07:30 low cloud arrived with some unexpected and un-forecast light drizzle. Light S breeze. Very good visibility even in drizzle.

Sunrise: 05:59 BST

Many House Martins seen today in sizeable groups. There have been many fewer around the Newport area in the last few days and I wonder whether the long spell of fine weather has meant good and timely breeding and they are migrating earlier than usual

Priorslee Lake: 05:30 – 06:35 // 07:30 – 09:15

(98th visit of the year)

Best bird today was a juvenile Kestrel that flew E over the S side of the water. This is my first record of Kestrel here this year – it has become very scarce over the last few years. Prior to that it used to nest in the Greenfields area – the old buildings have been tarted up over time. It becomes my 90th bird species for my 2018 Priorslee Lake list

Other bird notes from today:
- 6 Tufted Ducks were on the water when I arrived. They took off, circled and left to the N at 05:55. There were 4 on the water again at 08:15 – some of the same?
- at least two juvenile Great Crested Grebes could be seen on the back of the parent: I have yet to see them venture in to the water
- in addition to the fly-over Feral Pigeons a very patchy blue and white bird briefly pitched on to the SW grass
- c.35 House Martins high over the estate at 06:30. A party of 18 seemed to be heading S at 07:30. Another party of 22 birds seen heading SE at 07:40. All different birds?

Today’s bird totals

Birds noted flying over or flying near the lake:
- 50 Greylag Geese [50 (2 groups) outbound]
- 55 Canada Geese [55 (5 groups) outbound]
- 1 female Kestrel
- 49 Black-headed Gulls
- 19 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
- 1 Herring Gull
- 19 Feral Pigeons
- 1 Stock Dove again
- 98 Wood Pigeons
- 1 Jackdaw

Hirundines etc. seen today
- 3 Barn Swallows
- >70? House Martins (see notes)

Warblers noted:
- 8 (1) Chiffchaffs
- 7 Blackcaps
- 1 Common Whitethroat
- 5 Reed Warblers

The counts from the lake area
- 2 + 3 (1) Mute Swans again
- 14 (?♂) + 2 (1 broods) Mallard
- 6 (or 10) Tufted Ducks (see notes)
- 1 Grey Heron
- 6 + >5? (2 broods) Great Crested Grebes
- 9 + 11 (8? broods) Moorhens
- 93 (near) adult + 9 dependent juvenile Coots
- 17 Black-headed Gulls

And other notes
insects etc., at least partly identified
- no butterflies
- moths on the lamps
- 1 Agriphila tristella (Common Grass-veneer) again
- no moths elsewhere
- damselflies / dragonflies
- 1 male Migrant Hawker
- hoverflies
- >2 Episyrphus balteatus (Marmalade hoverfly)
- flies etc. identified
- several wasps sp.
- no beetles or bugs noted
- spiders noted
- several unidentified spiders on the lamps pre-dawn
no different plants noted

The sunrise – such as it was ahead of the drizzle.

Not often a hawker dragonfly allows me to photograph it: usually the first I know is I have flushed them from their rest position and off they go. Even when ‘hawking’ they tend to go around and around their territory and you are lucky to see them perch. This one came and hovered by me several times and eventually I managed this shot to identify it as a male Migrant Hawker. The broad blue band behind the thorax and the yellow triangle at the front of the thorax are the best features. A Southern Hawker would show a ‘waisted’ body. A male Common Hawker would show small yellow triangles in the body. Females of all species differ from the males.

After deliberation and searching my books and the web I have concluded this is ‘just’ a Episyrphus balteatus (Marmalade hoverfly). It seemed rather larger than usual and I was alerted by the very white-looking bands below the black bands – these are normally orange – hence the vernacular name. The pattern seems to fit no other species so ...

Not been able to identify this fly sp. I thought a Phaonia sp. but the wing venation is wrong so I am stumped.

(Ed Wilson)

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The Flash: 06:40 – 07:25

(81st visit of the year)

Notes from today
- the newest brood of Mallard ducklings comprised 5 ducklings this morning: did I overlook 2 birds yesterday or is this yet another brood? The group of 8 juveniles seen again
- an adult Tufted Duck with the 7 juveniles were in a flotilla today. Just 2 other Tufted Ducks on the water
- party of 9 House Martins flew SE at 07:00; another(?) party of 8 flew SE at 07:05. At least 4 more birds over St Georges to the N (where they breed)

Birds noted flying over or near to The Flash
- 7 Wood Pigeons

Hirundines etc. seen
- >20 House Martins

Warblers noted
- 1 Chiffchaff

The counts from the water
- 2 + 3 Mute Swans as usual
- 1 Greylag Goose
- 6 Canada Geese
- 25 (16♂) + 17 (3 broods) Mallard (see notes)
- 3 + 7 (1 brood) Tufted Ducks
- 1 Grey Heron
- 1 + 1 (1 brood) Great Crested Grebes only seen
- 2 Moorhens
- 17 + 2 (1 brood dependent juveniles) Coots
- 21 (8 juveniles) Black-headed Gulls

Duck Mallard with her brood. How old are these?

I know its not sharp but shows the size difference between a Wood Pigeon and a Collared Dove. There are exceptions (Stock Dove for one) but ‘pigeons’ tend to be large fat; ‘doves’ more elegant.

Of interest between the lake and The Flash
- 1 adult Moorhen on the grass at the lower pool
- c.26 House Martins high over heading S
- 1 Green Woodpecker heard calling
- (the same?)2 Chiffchaffs calling between the two pools

(Ed Wilson)

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

2014
Priorslee Lake
Today's Report Here

2009
Priorslee Lake
1 Common Sandpiper
(Ed Wilson)

2007
Priorslee Lake
1 Wheatear
(Ed Wilson)