9 Aug 18

Priorslee Lake and The Flash

Priorslee Lake: 05:20 – 06:40 // 07:30 – 09:10
The Flash: 06:50 – 07:25

12°C > 15°C: Broken medium-high level cloud, clearer to the W but never clearing and becoming a mainly high overcast. Calm start with light NW wind later. Very good visibility

Sunrise: 05:41 BST

Priorslee Lake: 05:20 – 06:40 // 07:30 – 09:10

(91st visit of the year)

Highlight today was the single Black-tailed Godwit that appeared, calling, low over the water at c.08:30 and flew around for a while before climbing away to the NW. My last record of this species here was many years ago – before I computerised my year lists. It became my 89th bird species here this year

Bird notes from today:
- the 2 Greylag Geese were unusually on the football / cricket field adjacent to the academy – until the dogs chased them on to the water
- the same 2 unattached juvenile Mallard as seen yesterday: also three more well-grown juveniles with one of the ducks
- as many Moorhens as I can remember on the water today – a good breeding season
- managed to flush the Common Sandpiper without it calling – most unusual
- also unusual was a Feral Pigeon on the SW grass at 05:45. Wearing both coded rings and colour rings this was certainly an non-homing racing pigeon taking a break (or lost)
- at least two Willow Warblers heard calling: these probably birds beginning their long migration to sub-Saharan Africa

Today’s bird totals

Birds noted flying over or flying near the lake:
- 16 Greylag Geese [4 (1 group) outbound; 12 (1 group) inbound]
- 162 Canada Geese [101 (13 groups) outbound; 61 (6 groups) inbound]
- 2 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
- 2 Feral Pigeons again
- 72 Wood Pigeons
- 7 Jackdaws

Hirundines etc. seen today
- 16 House Martins

Warblers noted: song now over
- 9 Chiffchaffs
- 2 Willow Warblers
- 7 Blackcaps
- 2 Common Whitethroats
- 9 Reed Warblers

The counts from the lake area
- 2 + 3 (1) Mute Swans
- 2 Greylag Geese
- 14 (10♂) + 5 (2 broods) Mallard
- 1 Grey Heron
- 5 + 3 (1 brood) Great Crested Grebes
- 10 + 15 (8? broods) Moorhens
- 84 (near) adults + 9 (4 new-ish broods) Coots
- 1 Black-tailed Godwit
- 1 Common Sandpiper
- 4 Black-headed Gulls
- 1 Lesser Black-backed Gull

And other notes
insects, at least partly identified
- no butterflies seen
- moths seen on the lamps
- 4 Agriphila tristella (Common Grass-veneer)
- 1 Udea lutealis (Pale Straw Pearl)
- moths elsewhere
- 1 Agriphila straminella (Straw Grass-veneer) flushed
- damselflies / dragonflies
- 1 Black-tailed Skimmer – a late date for this species
- hoverflies
- 1 Episyrphus balteatus (Marmalade hoverfly)
- flies etc.
many Mystacides longicornis (caddis flies): another big emergence
a ‘greenbottle fly’ probably Lucilia sericata
many wasps, including some obviously small individuals that never paused to allow ID
- no beetles and bugs noted
- no spiders noted

The two Greylag Geese on the field just before the dogs chased them away. The bright green strip is the artificial cricket pitch.

“Where is my breakfast?”

Is it my eyes or does this juvenile Great Crested Grebe – from the same brood as the previous photo – look more well-developed?

One of two ‘record shots’ of the Black-tailed Godwit. We can see the white upper-tail above the black tail and the prominent wing bar. Also the long bill, even though the angle foreshortens it a bit.

Here we see that the prominent wing bar shows on the underside too. We also see the bill length rather better. No change of the ‘black tail’ in this view.

On the SW grass pre-sunrise was this Feral Pigeon. From the rings clearly a racing pigeons stopping off or lost.

For one moment when I glanced at this bird I thought it might be a Hooded Crow. Not so: a ‘normal’ Carrion Crow in moult.

A typically surprised look on this grass moth. I logged 4 Agriphila tristella (Common Grass-veneer) on the lamps but this was the only one I noted flushed from the grass (straw!?) and is the closely-related Agriphila straminella (Straw Grass-veneer).

Not sitting too helpfully and against the background of the sluice control for the lake is this Mystacides longicornis caddis fly. Had been abundant in May but not seen recently. Clouds dancing above the lake-side vegetation this morning after a new hatch.

Nothing too unusual: a ‘greenbottle fly’ probably Lucilia sericata, the commonest of several very similar species.

The first few Snowberry (Symphoricarpos sp. probably S. albus) fruits are appearing. Do not eat!

(Ed Wilson)

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The Flash: 06:50 – 07:25

(74th visit of the year)

Notes from today
- three old groups of Mallard ducklings and the new brood apparently now reduced to 7 individuals
- the juvenile Tufted Ducks were initially hiding this morning: they were with adults and it was hard to determine exactly how many of these full-grown juveniles there were: at least 7
and
- a Dun-bar moth on one of the lamp stands

Birds noted flying over or flying near The Flash
- 5 Wood Pigeons

Hirundines etc. seen today
- 5 House Martins

Warblers noted
None

The counts from the water
- 2 + 3 Mute Swans again
- 1 Greylag Goose
- 9 Canada Geese again
- 17 (13♂) + 16 (4 broods) Mallard
- 20 (?♂) Tufted Ducks
- 2 Grey Herons again
- 2 + 3 (1 brood) Great Crested Grebes remain
- 1 + 1 (1 brood) Moorhens
- 18 + 8 (5 broods) Coots
- 33 (3 juveniles) Black-headed Gulls

Found this on one of the lamps. This is a worn Dun-bar moth, though I have never seen this species rest with the wings other than flat – the ‘tented’ wings confused me. My first at this site.

Of interest between the lake and The Flash
- one of the Buzzards from the Teece Drive copse appeared over the houses here
- a Chiffchaff calling around the lower pool

(Ed Wilson)

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

2015
Priorslee Lake
Today's Sightings Here

2014
Priorslee Lake
Report from today Here

2012
Priorslee Lake
Green Sandpiper
(Ed Wilson)

2011
Priorslee Lake
2 Lapwings
(Ed Wilson)

2009
Priorslee Lake
4 Little Egrets
(Ed Wilson)

2008
Priorslee Lake
Peregrine Falcon
(Ed Wilson)

2007
Priorslee Lake
Redshank
(Ed Wilson)