25 Jul 19

Priorslee Lake and The Flash

Priorslee Lake:  04:10 – 05:50 // 06:40 – 08:20
The Flash:  05:55 – 06:35

16.0°C > 22.0°C:  Some very thin high cloud, otherwise clear. Very light E wind. Very good visibility though somewhat hazy.

Sunrise: 05:17 BST

Priorslee Lake:  04:10 – 05:50 // 06:40 – 08:20

(183rd visit of the year)

An abbreviated visit to avoid the heat

Bird notes from today
- All six adult Great Crested Grebes present and correct with the three juveniles.
- Another day with a number of large gulls passing early. Three arrived low over at 04:45, low-enough to identify as Lesser Black-backed Gulls. A group of 38 passing S at 04:50 decided to have a look at the lake and circled low before ‘the leader’ decided to move on and they all left. Some were obvious Lesser Black-backed Gulls, though most remained unidentified and I have treated them all as such. More passed directly over a few minutes later
- Just a single Swift seen at the relatively late time of 06:45. They were all screaming and chasing in tight flocks of >30 birds over my Newport house yesterday and perhaps many have now left (and thanks for all the fish?)
- At least 10 Magpies seen attacking a barely fledged Blackbird. I chased them away and stood guard, allowing the Blackbird to rest awhile and the Magpies to lose interest. I then moved the Blackbird under some bushes. I could not tell how badly it might have been hurt.
- Protracted corvid passage this morning, mainly in loose groups, giving highest totals for many weeks.
- The small party of eight House Martins included the calls of begging juveniles.
- Two family groups of Common Whitethroats with youngsters being fed.
- Two juvenile Linnets seen: first confirmed breeding here – indeed as far as I know first attempted breeding.

Bird totals:

Birds noted flying over or flying near the lake:
- 1 Greylag Goose (outbound)
- 18 Canada Geese (17 in 3 groups outbound; single inbound)
- 3 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
- 49 unidentified large gulls
- 2 Stock Doves
- 47 Wood Pigeons
- 94 Jackdaws
- 199 Rooks
- 5 Starlings

Hirundines etc. noted:
- 1 Swift only
- 4 Barn Swallows
- 8 House Martins

Warblers noted (singing birds):
- 9 (2) Chiffchaffs
- 5 (0) Blackcaps
- 6 (0) (Common) Whitethroats
- 4 (1) Reed Warblers

Counts from the lake area:
- 2 + 6 (1 brood) Mute Swans
- 1 Canada Goose (arrived)
- 14 (12♂) Mallard
- 2 Cormorants
- 3 Grey Herons again
- 6 + 3 (2 broods) Great Crested Grebes
- 3 Moorhens (ages?)
- 38 adult and juvenile Coots
- 1 Common Tern
- 27 Black-headed Gulls

On the lamp poles pre-dawn:
- 1 Garden Grass-veneer moth (Chrysoteuchia culmella)
- 1 Single-dotted Wave moth (Idaea dimidiata)
- 1 spider sp., perhaps Tegenaria agrestis (Hobo Spider)

The following logged later:
I left before it got too hot
- Butterflies (in species order) (numbers not recorded):
- Small Skipper (Thymelicus sylvestris)
- Green-veined White (Pieris napi)
- Ringlet (Aphantopus hyperantus)
- Gatekeeper (Pyronia tithonus)
- Red Admiral (Vanessa atalanta)
- Peacock (Aglais io)
- Small Tortoiseshell (Aglais urticae)
- Comma (Polygonia c-album)
- Moths (in species order):
- >10 Garden Grass-veneers (Chrysoteuchia culmella)
- 1 Shaded Broad-bar (Scotopteryx chenopodiata) again
- Damselflies etc. (alphabetic order of vernacular name):
- Blue-tailed Damselflies
- Common Blue Damselflies
- Southern Hawker Dragonfly
- The usual hoverflies with no species of note
And other things:
- a few Hogweed Bonking beetles (Rhagonycha fulva)

Here is the juvenile Blackbird I hopefully rescued from a gang of Magpies. After letting it rest and with the Magpies apparently losing interest and moving off I then took the Blackbird and left it under bushes where I hope it was able to recover.

These Common Whitethroats were busy as a family party this morning. This is a juvenile – hard to see any gape-line however the iris colour of adults is always brown (reddish-brown in adult males). The cocked tail is characteristic of this species.

The gape-line is visible here. Not sure whether it is the same bird – three were moving around and hard to keep track of.

In this view we see some of the rusty-brown feathering in the wing.

 Looking pensive!

I always think that young birds look ‘fuzzy’ with the fine ends to the feathers yet to wear off.

Two bird took off ahead of me making an unfamiliar call. One perched inside vegetation and I was able to take this shot. Must be a juvenile Linnet – the stubby bill; the pale area around the eye; the black in the wings; and what looks like should be a forked tail. I would have expected it to look streakier, though this photo was shooting in to deep cover and hard to get too much detail. Not sure I have ever seen recently fledged juveniles. Seems they have bred here – a first!

A deceased Shaded Broad-bar moth (Scotopteryx chenopodiata). It was just lying in the vegetation and here it is lying in my hand. The antennae should not really point like this!

A Buddleia (‘butterfly bush’) alongside Teece Drive was active this morning. The underwing patterns of butterflies can provide a challenge. Not too much trouble here with a Red Admiral (Vanessa atalanta).

This underwing is really tricky. The tongue seems to be vibrating with delight at the nectar. But what is it?

Slightly easier here as the ‘eyes’ on the left upperwing are just visible and identify it as a Peacock (Aglais io).

No problem when it is this way up.

A Small Tortoiseshell (Aglais urticae) tucks in.

A splendid Comma (Polygonia c-album). And we can see the white ‘comma’ mark on the underwing that gives this species its name.

I am glad this was on a lamp post and not in my bath! 

Does not look any less nasty from this angle. It might be a Tegenaria agrestis (Hobo Spider) or some other member of the genus.

(Ed Wilson)

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The Flash:  05:55 – 06:35

(176th visit of the year)

Notes from here:
- The fourth cygnet has been returned and seemed to have been happily accepted by its siblings. The parents were as casual as ever with their brood
- A Buzzard calling from around squirrel alley was unusual – normally they are over the top of the wooded hill.
and
- 1 Pellucid Fly (Volucella pellucens) resting on a lamp pole.

Birds noted flying over / near The Flash:
- 1 Feral Pigeon
- 9 Wood Pigeons
- 3 Jackdaws

Hirundines etc. noted:
- 2 Swift in the distance
- 1 House Martin

Warblers noted (singing birds):
- 3 (0) Chiffchaffs

Counts from the water:
- 3 + 4 Mute Swans
- 37 Greylag Geese
- 1 Greylag x Canada Goose again
- 56 Canada Geese
- 24 (11♂) Mallard
- 19 (10♂) Tufted Ducks
- 2 + 2 (1 brood) Great Crested Grebes still
- 0 + 1 (1 brood) Moorhens
- 15 + 5 (3? broods) Coots
- 7 Black-headed Gulls: 1 of them a juvenile

Well if it was going to sit there I was going to take its photo. An adult Black-headed Gull showing little sign of moult in to winter plumage. The black hood is more ‘faded’ than being moulted out.

(Ed Wilson)

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Between the lake and The Flash:

- Moorhens heard from the upper pool
- single Blackcaps calling around both upper and lower pools
and
- 1 moth – The Snout (Hypena proboscidalis) – found on the wall of the Priorslee avenue tunnel

On the wall of the tunnel was this moth called The Snout (Hypena proboscidalis) – for obvious reasons. A common moth.

(Ed Wilson)

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

2017
Priorslee Lake
Today's Report Here

2007
Priorslee Lake
Oystercatcher
300+ Lesser Black-backed Gulls
3 Herring Gulls
1 Yellow-legged Gull
1 Reed Warbler
3 Blackcaps
4 Chiffchaffs
4 Sand Martins
(Ed Wilson)

2006
Priorslee Lake
3 Great Crested Grebes
3 Herons
3 Greylag Geese
17 Tufted Ducks
1 Kestrel
6 Stock Doves
303 Wood Pigeons
12 Swifts
1 Kingfisher
4 Sand Martins
7 Swallows
6 House Martins
2 Grey Wagtails
8 Reed Warblers
2 Lesser Whitethroats
1 Common Whitethroat
1 Garden Warbler
9 Blackcaps
6 Chiffchaffs
2 Willow Warblers
3 Willow Tits
1 Jay
248 Jackdaws
485 Rooks
205 Greenfinches
3 Bullfinches
8 Reed Buntings
(Ed Wilson)