28 Jun 19

Priorslee Lake and The Flash

Priorslee Lake:  04:10 – 05:35 // 06:40 – 07:55
The Flash:  05:40 – 06:35

11.0°C > 13.0°C:  Early overcast slow to break. Brisk moderate E wind. Very good visibility.

Sunrise: 04:47 BST again

Priorslee Lake:  04:10 – 05:35 // 06:40 – 07:55

(161st visit of the year)

Bird notes from today
- two strange sightings of Tufted Ducks. While on the ‘football’ field c.05:10 two birds seen flying very low SE over the construction site almost as if they had left one of the ‘puddles’ on site: did not appear on the lake. At 06:35 one bird flew at medium height E: this may in fact have been a different species (though I cannot think what) as it seemed rather ‘elongated’, though not so much as (nor as big as) a Goosander.
- the Great Crested Grebe that has been seen with juveniles on its back in the last few days was not seen today in the brisk conditions. Its mate was seen asleep / on guard by the reeds
- A Green Woodpecker was calling loudly from the Ricoh copse. My first record in the area since 08 April after one or two birds most days earlier in the year.
- Recently the early corvid passage has been almost all Jackdaws with the Rooks departing much later. This morning the early passage was dominated by Rooks with very few birds later as well as fewer Jackdaws than recently.
- The only Barn Swallow seen today was hunting low over the relatively sheltered ‘football’ field at c.06:30.
- One Chiffchaff sounded as if it were learning to sing – the song was rather hesitant and discontinuous.
- After their day off yesterday a more normal number of Blackcaps heard singing. There remains rather little evidence of young calling.
- The reeds were really swaying about and making a lot of noise in the wind and probably helps explain why so few Reed Warblers heard. Probably explains the ‘missing’ Sedge Warbler too.

Bird totals:

Birds noted flying over or flying near the lake:
- 3 (?♂)Tufted Duck (see notes)
- 1 adult Black-headed Gull
- 2 Lesser Black-backed Gulls again
- 37 Wood Pigeons
- 39 Jackdaws
- 58 Rooks

Hirundines etc. noted:
- >20 Swifts
- 1 Barn Swallow
- 2 House Martins

Warblers noted (singing birds):
- 6 (4) Chiffchaffs
- 16 (13) Blackcaps
- 3 (3) Garden Warblers
- 1 (0) (Common) Whitethroats
- no Sedge Warbler
- 2 (2) Reed Warblers only

Counts from the lake area:
- 2 + 6 (1 brood) Mute Swans
- 13 (11♂) + 2 (1 brood) Mallard
- 4 + 2 (1 brood) Great Crested Grebes
- 2 + 2 (2 broods) Moorhens
- 30 + 26 (? broods) Coots

Nothing on the lamp poles pre-dawn:

Seen later:
With the cloud-cover remaining very little was seen:
- 1 noctule-type bat pre-dawn
- 1 Barred Fruit-tree Tortrix micro moth (Pandemis cerasana) found resting on vegetation

This micro moth is a Barred Fruit-tree Tortrix (Pandemis cerasana). Here I have resorted to flash and it appears rather brown. Moth species #32 here in 2019.

Trying without flash at a twentieth of a second give quite a different colour cast! A common-enough moth, like many micro moths not easy to separate from similar species. The current vogue amongst moth enthusiasts is towards DNA-checking of difficult groups. I am sure that will provide even more confusion and species to look for!

(Ed Wilson)

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The Flash:  05:40 – 06:35

(154th visit of the year)

Notes from here:
- One Great Crested Grebe appeared to catch some food and approached its mate which seemed to have young sheltering on the back. The only reaction was from a nearby drake Tufted Duck. He was chased away. Then in the continuing absence of any reaction the Great Crested Grebe ate the food itself and swam off. No juveniles yet seen from this pair.
and
- another report from a dog-walker of a Kingfisher seen yesterday (27th) early morning.

Birds noted flying over / near The Flash:
- 1 Common Buzzard
- 1 Lesser Black-backed Gull
- 3 Feral Pigeons (singles)
- 4 Jackdaws
- 1 Starling

Hirundines etc. noted.
- 4 Swifts in distance

Warblers noted (singing birds):
- 4 (3) Chiffchaffs
- 4 (3) Blackcaps

Counts from the water:
- 3 + 4 Mute Swans
- 42 Greylag Geese
- 1 Greylag x Canada Goose
- 129 Canada Geese
- 24 (13♂) + 3 (1 brood) Mallard
- 5 (3♂) Tufted Ducks
- 2 + ? (1 brood) Great Crested Grebes still
- no Moorhens
- 16 + 10 (5? broods) Coots

(Ed Wilson)

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Between the lake and The Flash:

- Moorhens heard at both pools – adults and juveniles
- 1 (1) Blackcap at the lower pool again
- at least two Bullfinches near the upper pool

(Ed Wilson)

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

2016
Priorslee Lake
Today's sightings Here

2009
Priorslee Lake
Yellow Wagtail
(Ed Wilson)

2006
Priorslee Lake
Common Tern
(Ed Wilson)