Priorslee Lake: 05:00 – 06:50 // 07:45 – 09:30
The Flash: 06:55 – 07:40
10°C > 15°C: Fine and clear with a few patched of cloud to N that melted away. Puffy clouds after 09:00. Moderate, even fresh at times, WNW breeze. Very good visibility
Sunrise: 06:06 BST
Priorslee Lake: 05:00 – 06:50 // 07:45 – 09:30
(102nd visit of the year)
Best bird today was the Green Sandpiper that I flushed off the SW area at 06:00. My 91st species of bird here this year; only my 3rd record here in >25 years; and my first here for at least 5 years. Unfortunately because I did my first circuit of the lake ‘the other way around’ this morning I had little opportunity to see this bird before it flushed and apparently left
Bird notes from today:
- a pair(?) of adult Mute Swans visited but was soon sent packing
- different behaviour from the geese this morning. For the past few weeks they have left outbound between 05:45 and 06:00; and returned inbound after 08:00, mostly after 09:00. A few in mixed parties but often in single-species groups. This morning I heard Canada Geese c.05:30 but was not in a position to see them. Almost all the geese outbound at the normal time were Greylags. Then at 06:20 a large mixed group (too large to even guess at separate species totals) flew inbound. I am assuming these had been feeding in the fields overnight – it was a bright moonlight night. A few more Greylags inbound later and the usual mixed party stopping off at the lake
- 2 Tufted Ducks pitched in at 05:40 and left again at 05:55. Two on the water by 08:30 then stayed (same?)
- the juvenile from the ‘second’ pair of Great Crested Grebes was still some way from its parents most of the time: at least it is still here
- the local Common Buzzards went for a fly-about and got as far away as the other side of The Flash, causing consternation amongst the Wood Pigeons and Black-headed Gulls. 2 other birds seen high to the N
- just 4 House Martins seen again: these to the E, downwind of the dam, presumably feeding on insects blown across the water and up over the dam
Today’s bird totals
Birds noted flying over or flying near the lake:
- 117 Greylag Geese [105 (10 groups) outbound; 12 (1 group) inbound]
- 28 Canada Geese [28 (4 groups) outbound; none inbound]
- >120 unidentified geese [>120 (1 group) inbound] (see notes)
- 2 Common Buzzards
- 6 Black-headed Gulls
- 1 Lesser Black-backed Gull
- 2 Stock Doves (pair)
- 62 Wood Pigeons
- 9 Jackdaws
- 2 Carrion Crows
- 1 Greenfinch
Hirundines etc. noted
- 4 House Martins again
Warblers noted:
- 9 Chiffchaffs
- 3 Blackcaps
- 1 Reed Warbler again
The counts from the lake area
- 4 + 3 (1) Mute Swans
- 4 Greylag Geese again
- 9 Canada Geese
- 12 (?♂) + 2 (1 brood) Mallard
- 2 (4?) Tufted Ducks
- 1 Grey Heron yet again
- 6 + 4 (2 broods) Great Crested Grebes remain
- 8 + 9 (6? broods) Moorhens
- 87 (near) adult + 8 dependent juvenile Coots
- 1 Green Sandpiper
- 32 (8 juveniles) Black-headed Gulls
And other notes
Not doing well for moths on the lamps this year: low number and just a few species
- butterflies
- 1 Small White
- 4 Speckled Wood
- moths on the lamps
- 3 Agriphila tristella (Common Grass-veneer)
- no moths identified elsewhere
- damselflies / dragonflies
4 Common Blue Damselfly
3 Blue-tailed Damselflies
- hoverflies
- 1 Myathropa florea (Dead-head Hoverfly)
- flies etc. identified
- not quite so many wasps sp. again
- many ‘greenbottle’ flies again
- no beetles or bugs noted
- no spiders noted
- no different plants noted
A half-decent sunrise.
Flaring briefly as the sun came up.
And allowing an arty shot of a Mallard.
(Ed Wilson)
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
The Flash: 06:55 – 07:40
(84th visit of the year)
Notes from today
- probably even more geese as new arrivals quickly sought shelter inside the island
- quite why so many of the Mallard were clearly adults today when so many had appeared to be juveniles yesterday will probably remain on of life’s mysteries
- the juvenile Great Crested Grebes are more or less independent now. Still to be taught to fly
- the Common Buzzard overhead was one of the birds from the Ricoh copse by the lake on a fly-about, scattering the gulls
Birds noted flying over or near to The Flash
- 1 Sparrowhawk
- 1 Common Buzzard
- 8 Wood Pigeons
Hirundines etc. noted
None
Warblers noted
None
The counts from the water
- 2 + 3 Mute Swans as usual
- 76 Greylag Geese: 37 of these arrived
- 112 Canada Geese
- 27 (16♂) + 11 (2 broods) Mallard (see notes)
- 16 Tufted Ducks
- 2 + 3 (1 brood) Great Crested Grebes
- 2 Moorhens
- 13 + 2 dependent juvenile Coots
- 54 (2 juveniles) Black-headed Gulls only
Of interest between the lake and The Flash
- 1 Common Buzzard over
and
- 1 Flounced Rustic moth (the same as yesterday) on the roof of the tunnel under Priorslee Avenue
(Ed Wilson)
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
On this day..........
2016Priorslee Lake
Today's Sightings Here
2015
Local Area
Today's Sightings Here
2012
Priorslee Lake
Yellow Wagtail
(Ed Wilson)