9 Jun 19

Priorslee Lake and The Flash

Priorslee Lake:  04:10 – 05:40 // 06:30 – 08:35
The Flash:  05:45 – 06:25

8.0°C > 13.0°C:  Scattered cloud to start, melted away. Some thin high cloud later. Mainly light SSW wind after calm start. Very good visibility.

Sunrise: 04:46 BST

Priorslee Lake:  04:10 – 05:40 // 06:30 – 08:35

(149th visit of the year)

Bird notes from today
- The Mute Swans have lost one of their cygnets – apparently overnight as one of the fishermen counted seven yesterday evening. One of the them did often seem to lag behind and / or me shunned by the others. Early loss of one or two cygnets is not unusual.
- Even more juvenile Coots now with two additional broods. Some of the birds from early broods are now venturing away from their nest areas and it will soon be hard to determine how many broods are extant.
- Swifts first appeared at 04:20 and numbers were somewhat larger than recently with at least 60 birds early on and more than 40 more or less throughout. Possibly a response to yesterday’s rain when finding insects must have been a challenge.
- Rooks seem to have stopped to-ing and fro-ing with almost all birds logged today seen flying outbound (SSE).
- 18 Starlings were collecting food from the ‘football’ field and ferrying it back to nest-sites around the estate.
And
- One of the fishermen reported a Kingfisher almost landing on his rods this morning. This is only the second report I have had this year of this normally regular species.

Bird totals:

Birds noted flying over or flying near the lake:
- 7 Greylag Geese (2 outbound; 5 inbound)
- 10 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
- 1 Herring Gull again
- 9 Wood Pigeons
- 53 Jackdaws
- 25 Rooks

Hirundines etc. noted:
- >60 Swifts
- 1 Barn Swallow
- 2 House Martins

Warblers noted (singing birds):
- 8 (8) Chiffchaffs again
- 14 (14) Blackcaps again
- 2 (2) Garden Warblers
- 2 (1) (Common) Whitethroats
- 3 (3) Reed Warblers only

Counts from the lake area:
- 2 + 6 (1 brood) Mute Swans
- 2 Canada Geese (arrived and departed)
- 8 (8♂) Mallard
- 4 (2♂) Tufted Ducks (separate pairs arrived and departed
- 1 Grey Heron (early only)
- 5 + 2 (1 brood) Great Crested Grebes
- 2 Moorhens
- 23 + 24 (10 broods) Coots

On the lamp poles pre-dawn:
- 1 ladybird larva (to be ID-ed)

Seen later:
- 4 large bats flying around pre-dawn – all noctule-types?
- Marmalade Hoverflies; Syrphus sp. hoverflies and Tapered Drone Flies
- 1 unidentified hawker-type dragonfly
- Azure, Blue-tailed, Common Blue and Red-eyed Damselflies
- >5 Harlequin Ladybirds
- >10 Red-and-Black Froghoppers
- >25 Scorpion Flies
- 1 wasp sp.
- hundreds of flies of many different species: especially abundant today
also
- first flowers this year of Cleavers (Galium aparine)
- also first flowers this year here of Bittersweet (Solanum dulcamara)

Note: I have a number of photos of other insects – micro moths, hoverflies, bees and ladybirds that I have yet to attempt to ID. Watch this space.

Another day, another sunrise! 

Coloured up when I was not in a position to get the reflection, but still worthwhile.

Some days since any juvenile Long-tailed Tits posed for me. This way ... 

... and that ... 

... and sideways too. 

A species that has been quiet recently – but no more! A Dunnock gives forth.

This micro moth is a Plum Tortrix (Hedya pruniana). Moth species #26 for me here this year. 

A very small micro-moth with a very distinctive wing shape. It a Common Nettle-tap (Anthophila fabriciana). Note the barred antenna even on something this small.

‘Red-eyed Damselfly’ seems an appropriate name! 

This hoverfly looks rather small, rather more orange and less markedly striped on the thorax than Helophilus pendulus, the species known as The Footballer. I am inclined to think it is a Parhelophilus versicolor. This is a genus with several species hard to separate.

A different specimen – a male in which the eyes do not meet. 

This seems to be a hoverfly in the genus Neoascia. Sadly the folded wing obscures some of the body markings to allow specific identification. This genus has these very distinctively marked legs. Would have been a new species for me.

This is a hoverfly of the genus Syrphus. As usual the diagnostic femur (top segment) of the hind leg is not evident in this photo. It is a fine-looking insect though.

This bee (long antenna) with the ginger thorax and white tail is a Tree Bumblebee (Bombus hypnorum). This species is a recent arrival in the UK and has spread throughout England and Wales to date.

Although the white tail is very reduced here I think this is another Tree Bumblebee. 

With the yellow collar, yellow band across the abdomen and white tail we have a Garden Bumblebee (Bombus hortorum).

Obviously a ladybird, but which species? I think, on the basis of the ‘face’ markings this is a 10 Spot Ladybird (Adalia decempunctata). Many species of ladybird have very variable amounts of spotting.

Another odd-looking ladybird that I could access any closer in order to get a sharper image. It is a 14 Spot ladybird (Propylea quattuordecimpunctata).

A particularly cooperative Harlequin Ladybird (Harmonia axyridis) of the succinea form

This is wasp-waisted and looks somewhat like an ichneumon, though the antenna are rather short. Will have to pass.

We are all familiar with that ‘sticky’ plant Cleavers (Galium aparine). The stickiness is small spines that attach to anything and everything and allow the plant to propagate vegetatively. Well it does have flowers too, though they are small and inconspicuous. Note a small bug has hopped aboard.

(Ed Wilson)

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

The Flash:  05:45 – 06:25

(142nd visit of the year)

Notes from here:
- The post-breeding build-up of geese numbers continues.
- Willow Warbler heard calling in area where one sang for weeks, being last heard by me on 29th May.
- Brief burst of Garden Warbler song as well, last heard by me here on 30th May.
- Some Coot juveniles still being brooded: count likely incomplete.

Birds noted flying over / near The Flash:
- 3 Rooks

Hirundines etc. noted:
- 1 House Martin

Warblers noted (singing birds):
- 1 (1) Chiffchaff
- 1 (0) Willow Warbler
- 2 (1) Blackcap
- 1 (1) Garden Warbler

Counts from the water:
- 3 + 4 Mute Swans
- 1 Greylag Goose
- 109 Canada Geese
- 31 (20♂) + 13 (2 broods) Mallard
- 14 (9♂) Tufted Ducks
- 2 Great Crested Grebes again
- 4 Moorhens
- 22 + 7 (3 broods) Coots

(Ed Wilson)

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Between the lake and The Flash:

Nothing of note at or around the lower pool.

At or around the upper pool (singing birds):
- 1 Moorhen calling

(Ed Wilson)

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

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

2018
Priorslee Lake
Today's Sightings Here

2017
Priorslee Lake
Today's Sightings Here

2016
Priorslee Lake
Today's Sightings Here

2015
Priorslee Lake
Today's Sightings Here

2014
Local Area
Today's Sightings Here

2009
Priorslee Lake
7 Reed Warblers
2 Willow Warbler
(Ed Wilson)

2007
Priorslee Lake
3 Great Crested Grebe
1 Ruddy Duck
1 Great Spotted Woodpecker
2 House Martin
2 Swallow
Reed Warbler
1 Sedge Warbler
3 Blackcap
1 Garden Warbler
2 Willow Warbler
3 Chiffchaff
4 Bullfinch
2 Reed Bunting
(Martin Adlam)

2006
Priorslee Lake
4 Great Crested Grebes
1 Heron
2 Cormorants
2 Tufted Ducks
1 Kestrel
3 Stock Dove
3 Swift
4 Swallow
11 House Martin
6 Reed Warblers
1 Lesser Whitethroat
9 Blackcap
5 Chiffchaff
7 Greenfinch
3 Bullfinch
6 Reed Bunting
(Ed Wilson)