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16 Jun 19

Priorslee Lake and The Flash

Priorslee Lake:  04:05 – 05:45 // 06:35 – 08:05
The Flash:  05:50 – 06:30 again

7.0°C – 11.0°C:  Scattered cloud at dawn: low cloud ‘hat’ for a while: cleared to medium / high overcast with a few spits. Light SE wind, veering moderate S. Good visibility.

Sunrise: 04:44 BST again

Priorslee Lake:  04:05 – 05:45 // 06:35 – 08:05

(154th visit of the year)

Bird notes from today
- The two Mute Swans perhaps landed: at the time (05:15) I was in the ‘football’ field area and heard the wings as they flew over and away. Both looked like adults.
- The nine Cormorants were all in a single-file group flying S to the E.
- Swifts were early arriving today with the first bird at 04:10.
- Another Sand Martin record: at least one bird flew through at 05:20.

Bird totals:

Birds noted flying over or flying near the lake.
- 2 Mute Swans
- 2 Greylag Geese (outbound)
- 6 Canada Geese (outbound)
- 2 (1♂) Tufted Duck
- 9 Cormorants
- 1 Feral Pigeon
- 6 Wood Pigeons
- 29 Jackdaws
- 38 Rooks

Hirundines etc. noted:
- >40 Swifts again
- 1 Sand Martin
- 3 Barn Swallows
- >10 House Martins

Warblers noted (singing birds):
- 8 (8) Chiffchaff
- 16 (14) Blackcaps
- 4 (3) Garden Warblers
- 3 (1) (Common) Whitethroats
- 1 (1) Sedge Warbler again
- 7 (7) Reed Warblers

Counts from the lake area:
- 2 + 6 (1 brood) Mute Swans
- 8 (6♂) + 2 (1 brood) Mallard
- 5 + 2 (1 brood) Great Crested Grebes remain
- 3 + 2 (1 brood) Moorhens
- 24 + 24 (8 broods) Coots

On the lamp poles pre-dawn:
- 1 unidentified shield bug sp. – sitting at wrong angle to see properly

Seen later:
- 4 noctule-type bats
- 1 Silver-ground Carpet moth

There was a ‘real’ sunrise this morning. (There had been a big full moon as well, though that set at 03:55 and I missed it. It will be an hour later tomorrow so if it is fine ... IF!)

Just as the sun peeps over the remnant clouds .... 

It was ‘juvenile morning’ with the camera. Here we see two small Moorhens. Look almost cuddly in comparison with juvenile Coots and their nasty spiky red heads.

Enlarged as much as I dare here is a juvenile Whitethroat. To my eyes the plumage looks rather ‘fuzzy’ – especially the crown. However the best indication that this is a juvenile is the almost complete lack of eye-ring.

Also enlarged as much as I dare to show this juvenile Reed Bunting. There is a hint of yellow still around the gape. I was surprised how like a female it looked already.

(Ed Wilson)

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The Flash:  05:50 – 06:30

(147th visit of the year)

Notes from here:
- The only duckling Mallards seen today were the surviving trio from the very latest brood. All the heavy rain has caused a lot of the water-side vegetation to bend over. Uncounted birds were hiding under this making the totals incomplete.
- In addition to the group of five Starlings that flew over another group of seven birds, unusually, landed briefly on a house roof along Derwent Drive.
- The Garden Warbler in intermittent song again.
and
- 1 Silver-ground Carpet moth on a lamp pole

Birds noted flying over / near here:
- 8 Feral Pigeons
- 2 Stock Doves
- 1 Collared Dove
- 5 Starlings

Hirundines etc. noted:
- 4 Swifts (in the distance)
- 2 House Martins

Warblers noted (singing birds):
- 1 (1) Chiffchaff
- 3 (3) Blackcaps
- 1 (1) Garden Warbler

Counts from the water:
- 3 + 4 Mute Swans
- 3 Greylag Geese
- 117 Canada Geese
- 17 (9♂) + 3 (1 brood) Mallard
- 4 (2♂) Tufted Ducks
- 2 Great Crested Grebes
- 4 Moorhens
- 25 + 12 (5 broods) Coots

(Ed Wilson)

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Between the lake and The Flash:

At or around the lower pool (singing birds):
- 1 (1) Chiffchaff

Nothing of note at or around the upper pool (singing birds).

(Ed Wilson)

Note: Click Here for a few images from Conwy RSPB Reserve on Sat 15 Jun 19

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On this day..........
2018
Priorslee Lake
Today's Sightings Here

2016
Priorslee Lake
Today's Sightings Here

2008
Priorslee Lake
Spotted Redshank
(Ed Wilson)

2006
Priorslee Lake
2 Ruddy Duck
(Ed Wilson)