26 Aug 18

Priorslee Lake only

9°C > 10°C: Lowering overcast with rain after 07:30. Calm: light SSE wind later. Very good visibility, decreasing at onset of rain
Sunrise: 06:09 BST

Priorslee Lake: 05:30 – 08:30

(104th visit of the year)

Two new species for my 2018 site year-list
- a Black Tern first noted at c.07:15 and present throughout thereafter. A species normally seen in Spring during spells of E wind and especially during and after thunderstorms. My second autumn record and my first record for two years
- 5 Common Shelduck flew around at c.08:15 but did not land. Another species that normally only drops in on Spring passage. Probably my first autumn record and certainly my largest one-day number
Takes my site total this year to 93 bird species

Other bird notes from today:
- 2 adult Mute Swans dropped in briefly at 06:50. Soon seen off
- the Greylag Geese on the lake were outbound birds that stopped off (not counted in fly-overs)
- one of the Canada Goose parties was outbound at the same time (07:05) as the Greylag Geese were inbound
- the Tufted Duck was seen leaving 06:30
- fewer Coots likely because some were hiding from the rain
- apart from the 3 Feral Pigeons overhead there were at least 45 in a mixed party with Stock Doves and Wood Pigeons put up from stubbles to the NE
- the only House Martins seen today were 5 over the estate that flew away E – I think they were just passing over rather than local birds

Today’s bird totals

Birds noted flying over or flying near the lake:
- 59 Greylag Geese [25 (2 groups) outbound; 34 (1 group) inbound]
- 62 Canada Geese [62 (5 groups) outbound]
- 5 Shelduck
- 1 Grey Heron
- 1 Common Buzzard
- 2 Black-headed Gulls
- 3 Feral Pigeons
- 2 Stock Doves
- 92 Wood Pigeons
- 8 Jackdaws
- 4 Carrion Crows
- 3 Starlings
- 1 Pied Wagtail

Hirundines etc. noted
- 5 House Martins

Warblers noted:
- 10 (2) Chiffchaffs
- 2 Blackcaps

The counts from the lake area
- 4 + 3 (1 brood) Mute Swans
- 11 Greylag Geese
- 2 Canada Geese
- 10 (?♂) + 2 (1 brood) Mallard
- 1 Tufted Duck
- 1 Grey Heron
- 6 + 4 (2 broods) Great Crested Grebes remain
- 7 + 10 (? broods) Moorhens
- 87 (near) adult + 7 dependent juvenile Coots
- 1 Black Tern
- 9 (2 juveniles) Black-headed Gulls

And other notes
Too dull and chilly and, latterly, wet for any insects to be flying
- moths on the lamps
- 2 Agriphila tristella (Common Grass-veneer)
- 1 Centre-barred Sallow
- flies etc. identified
- just a few wasps sp.
- spiders noted
- 1 probable Garden Spider (Arameus diadematus) attacking a wasp sp. on a lamp

The party of five (Common) Shelduck flying over and away. Ageing not really possible here.

Three seen here: from the right what seems to be an adult male with the larger breast band (they lack the swollen bill-base at this time of year); an adult female next; and then a juvenile with just a hint of the breast band. The group was likely a family party of parents and their three offspring. All Shelduck fly, post-breeding, to Heligoland Bight where they all moult their flight-feathers simultaneously.

Several necessarily poor record shots of this morning’s Black Tern. Poor because the light-level was low, the bird was some way away and it is a rather small species. Not much ‘black’ on the head at this time of year. The only confusion species is the very uncommon White-winged Black Tern which would not show such a strong dark shoulder (carpal bar) and has an obviously shorter bill.

In this view we see the breast-side is marked – never is on White-winged Black Tern.

And a flight shot.

Not an identification shot but shows the size comparison with Black-headed Gull. Black Tern about two-thirds the size: it is c.25mm long with a wing-span of c.60mm: a Black-headed Gull is c.38mm long and has a wing-span of c.90mm.

This is a Centre-barred Sallow moth. All sallow moth species are to be found heading in to Autumn. My first here since 2015.

A spider – I think a Garden Spider (Arameus diadematus) – gets its own back on a wasp sp.

(Ed Wilson)

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

2016
Priorslee Lake
Today's Sightings Here

2013
Priorslee Lake
Yellow Wagtail
(Ed Wilson)