Priorslee Lake and The Flash
Priorslee Lake: 05:35 – 06:40 // 07:35 – 09:20
The Flash: 06:45 – 07:30
13°C > 16°C: Started with both low and medium overcast after overnight rain. Mid-level cloud moved away c.06:00 with low cloud beginning to break after 06:30. Hazy sun thereafter. Calm start; light WSW breeze later. Very moderate visibility to start, becoming very good with clearance
Sunrise: 06:03 BST
Priorslee Lake: 05:35 – 06:40 // 07:35 – 09:20
(101st visit of the year)
Bird notes from today:
- the same(?) small group of Greylag and Canada Geese stopped off inbound
- I fear for the juvenile from the ‘second’ pair of Great Crested Grebes. It came off the parent’s back and both adults went away leaving it bobbing about close to Coot territories. I did not see them return. The juvenile was not heard to call / beg for food either
- a Coot seen gathering sticks to add to its nest: too late I would have thought
- 2 Barn Swallows high overhead were flying W. South Africa is the other way guys
- just 4 House Martins seen over the area today
- strangely there were just 2 Magpies on the football field – there are usually 8 – 14 birds here. They were not obviously elsewhere either
- 2 Carrion Crows flew high, and flew past 2 flying high the other way. Did not seem to be connected with the resident pairs at each end of the area
- male Reed Bunting seen this morning: the first I have seen since mid-July
Today’s bird totals
Birds noted flying over or flying near the lake:
- 121 Greylag Geese [98 (7 groups) outbound; 23 (4 groups) inbound]
- 128 Canada Geese [110 (8 groups) outbound; 18 (2 groups) inbound]
- 10 Black-headed Gulls
- 3 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
- 3 Herring Gulls again
- 12
Feral Pigeons
- 6 Stock Doves (2 pairs; 2 singles)
- 64 Wood Pigeons
- 3 Jackdaws
- 4 Carrion Crows
Hirundines etc. noted
- 2 Barn Swallows flew W!
- 4 House Martins
Warblers noted:
- 10 (1) Chiffchaffs
- 7 Blackcaps
- 1 Reed Warbler
The counts from the lake area
- 4 Greylag Geese
- 6 Canada Geese
- 2 + 3 (1) Mute Swans
- 16 (?♂) Mallard
- 1 Grey Heron again
- 6 + 4 (2 broods) Great Crested Grebes again
- 6 + 9 (6? broods) Moorhens
- 90 (near) adult + 8 dependent juvenile Coots
- 17 Black-headed Gulls
And other notes
- the sheer number of wasps makes picking and eating the Blackberries rather a risky business
insects etc., at least partly identified
- no butterflies
- moths on the lamps
- 4
Agriphila tristella (Common Grass-veneer)
- 1
Agriphila inquinatella (Barred Grass-veneer) again
- no moths identified elsewhere
- damselflies / dragonflies
1 Common Blue Damselfly
2 Blue-tailed Damselflies
- hoverflies
- >1
Episyrphus balteatus (Marmalade hoverfly)
- >5 drone flies (
Eristalis sp.): at least 1 an
Eristalis pertinax (Tapered Drone-fly)
- 1
Melanostoma scalare (Chequered Hoverfly)
- 1 male
Sphaerophoria scripta (Long Hoverfly)
- flies etc. identified
- VERY many wasps sp. again
- many ‘greenbottle’ flies
- no beetles or bugs noted
- no spiders noted
- no different plants noted
There must have been some heavy rain and / or strong winds last night: these reeds are looking rather flattened. Just as well the Reed Warblers have finished nesting.
The lonely waif of a Great Crested Grebe juvenile with a Coot looking on. The parents were some distance away and not showing any real interest.
How does it do that – land on top of a yacht mast? Wood Pigeons must be more agile than they look.
An upgrade: my best-ever photo of
Agriphila tristella (Common Grass-veneer) showing the pale yellow longitudinal (at rest) stripe to good effect.
Several drone flies around today. This, at least, is an
Eristalis pertinax (Tapered Drone-fly). Not only does the body look tapered but we see the diagnostic yellow tarsi that
Eristalis tenax (the Common Drone-fly) lacks.
An intriguing hoverfly with a very obvious yellow scutellum.
The same specimen perched at a different angle. It is a male
Sphaerophoria scripta (Long Hoverfly). Males are easy to identify because it is the only species of hoverfly where the body is longer than the wings. Females have shorter bodies and are difficult to separate from other Sphaerophoria species.
I keep hoping to find a supposedly common Emerald Damselfly – not common around here for some reason. This is ‘just’ a female Blue-tailed Damselfly – females do not show a ‘blue tail’.
(Ed Wilson)
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The Flash: 06:45 – 07:30
(83rd visit of the year)
A very quiet morning with low counts of most things. No obvious reason
Other notes from today
- no Canada Geese at all!
- almost all the Mallard were by the edge of the water today allowing critical examination. From that I concluded that no fewer than 27 of the birds were immatures of this year from at least 6 broods. The most recent brood of 5 was present and correct
- juvenile Moorhen again seen trying to fly up, jumping and flapping from same spot. Full marks for persistence
- one bird of the Coot pair with the two still small and dependent juveniles had taken them across the water: meanwhile the other bird was adding more sticks to the nest!
Birds noted flying over or near to The Flash
- 18
Feral Pigeons (2 groups, 1 single)
- 7 Wood Pigeons
Hirundines etc. noted
None
Warblers noted
- 1 Chiffchaff
The counts from the water
- 2 + 3 Mute Swans
- 9 Greylag Goose: 7 flew off
- no Canada Geese
- 9 (3♂) + 27 (6 broods) Mallard (see notes)
- 9 Tufted Ducks only
- 2 + 3 (1 brood) Great Crested Grebes again
- 1 + 2 (2 broods) Moorhens
- 11 + 2 dependent juvenile Coots
- 7 (no juveniles) Black-headed Gulls only
Of interest between the lake and The Flash
- 1 adult Moorhen seen at the upper pool
- 2 House Martins over
- 1 Blackcap calling above the upper pool
and
- 1 Flounced Rustic moth on the roof of the tunnel under Priorslee Avenue.
On the roof of the Priorslee Avenue tunnel was this Flounced Rustic moth. The characteristic (if somewhat variable in strength) marks in the middle of the wings where they touch are diagnostic of this species. My first in the area for three years even though it is a very common species.
(Ed Wilson)
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On this day..........
2016
Local Area
Today's Sightings Here
2013
Nedge Hill
1 Redstart
(John Isherwood)
2006
Priorslee Lake
3 Common Terns
(Ed Wilson)
