Priorslee Lake: 04:10 – 05:40 // 06:40 – 08:45
The Flash: 05:45 – 06:35
15.0°C > 16.0°C: Clear to E / SE with cloud soon arriving from the W and a few light spots of rain by the time I left. Light W wind. Very good visibility.
Sunrise: 04:53 BST
Priorslee Lake: 04:10 – 05:40 // 06:40 – 08:45
(168th visit of the year)
Best today was a Tawny Owl calling from somewhere in the Ricoh ground at 04:15.
Other bird notes from today
- The newest brood of small Mallard ducklings still clinging on with the lone survivor. The long-term two ducklings still with their mother but now almost full-grown and difficult to identify.
- The juvenile Great Crested Grebes in the NW area were not seen in the water: the adult was holding its back feathers as if there were still juvenile(s).
- Two adult Black-headed Gulls at 04:15 had probably roosted. 17 more arrived overhead at 04:40 with 15 of these leaving. Thereafter a few adults, perhaps the same birds, throughout.
- Two heavily moulting Lesser Black-backed Gulls stopped for a ‘gas and go’ at 04:55. Another adult arrived for a drink at 08:15 and then decided it wanted to stand on the only buoy which was already occupied by a Black-headed Gull. Having done so it reckoned without the Common Tern that was not about to share the water with such a brute and harassed it until it decided it was best to leave.
- The Common Tern arrived at 07:55 this morning.
Bird totals:
Birds noted flying over or flying near the lake:
- 1 Lesser Black-backed Gull
- 21 Wood Pigeons
- 49 Jackdaws
- 52 Rooks
Hirundines etc. noted:
- 4 Swifts only
- 3 Barn Swallows
- 6 House Martins
Warblers noted (singing birds):
- 8 (5) Chiffchaffs again
- 8 (7) Blackcaps
- 1 (1) Garden Warbler
- 1 (1) (Common) Whitethroat
- 1 (1) Sedge Warbler
- 3 (2) Reed Warblers
Counts from the lake area:
- 2 + 6 (1 brood) Mute Swans
- 17 (13♂) + 4 (2 broods) Mallard
- 6 + >2 (2 broods) Great Crested Grebes
- 2 + 4 (1 brood) Moorhens
- 21 + 26 (? broods) Coots
- 19 Black-headed Gulls
- 3 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
- 1 Common Tern again
After yesterday’s bonanza the lamp poles pre-dawn produced just
- 1 Small Fan-footed Wave moth (Idaea biselata)
- 1 Chironomus plumosus (plumed midge sp.)
Seen later, much reduced in cloudy conditions:
The following insects logged
- Butterflies (in species order):
- 1 Ringlet (Aphantopus hyperantus)
- Moths (in species order):
- 2 Garden Grass-veneers (Chrysoteuchia culmella)
- 2 Common Marble (Celypha lacunana)
- 1 possible Silver-ground Carpet, though this species should no longer be flying
- Damselflies etc. (alphabetic order of vernacular name):
- 2 Blue-tailed Damselfly only
- Hoverflies noted: only one species this dull morning
- 5 Marmalade Hoverfly (Episyrphus balteatus)
Other things:
- >10 pupa of Harlequin Ladybirds (Harmonia axyridis)
- 1 Snipe fly sp.
- 1 Nephrotoma quadrifaria cranefly
Just before the cloud rolled in from the west there was a short sunrise – like this.
The Common Tern passing by.
Here as well. We see very clearly the dark primaries and the dark tip to the bill.
This seems to be a ladybird pupa ....
A snipe fly sp. with its prey. Perhaps it is getting ready to present it as a gift to a female.
(Ed Wilson)
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The Flash: 05:45 – 06:35
(161st visit of the year)
Notes from here:
- One very small duckling Mallard could have been another new brood. The other obvious juveniles were a reasonably well-grown trio.
- Many of yesterday’s Tufted Duck gone again.
- Confirmed there are still two Great Crested Grebe juveniles.
also
- 2 Grey Squirrels
- 1 Riband Wave moth (Idaea aversata) on a lamp pole.
- 2 Little Grey moths (Eudonia lacustrata) on different lamp poles.
Birds noted flying over / near The Flash:
- 3 Cormorants
Hirundines etc. noted.
None
Warblers noted (singing birds):
- 3 (3) Chiffchaffs
- 1 (1) Blackcap
Counts from the water:
- 3 + 4 Mute Swans still
- 59 Greylag Geese
- 1 Greylag x Canada Goose still
- 127 Canada Geese
- 24 (11♂) + 5 (2 broods) Mallard
- 7 (7♂) Tufted Ducks
- 2 Grey Herons again
- 2 + 2 (1 brood) Great Crested Grebes
- 2 Moorhens
- 17 + 8 (3 broods) Coots
- 1 Black-headed Gull
The most accessible Riband Wave moth (Idaea aversata) so far and hence my best photo.
Another presumed Little Grey moth.
(Ed Wilson)
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Between the lake and The Flash:
- still no Moorhens noted
- 1 calling Chiffchaff near the upper pool
- 1 (1) Blackcap still at the lower pool
- 2 Bullfinches, one of them a juvenile, around the upper pool
and
- 1 Grey Squirrel
- 1 Small Dusty Wave moth (Idaea seriata) on the tunnel-wall under Priorslee Avenue
(Ed Wilson)
Note
Here are a few images from RSPB Burton Mere on Thu 4 Jul 19. Click Here.
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