Priorslee Lake: 04:35 – 06:25 // 07:20 – 09:30
The Flash: 06:30 – 07:15
11.0°C > 15.0°C: Much medium-level cloud until after 09:00. Light W wind. Very good visibility
Sunrise: 05:59 BST
Priorslee Lake: 04:35 – 06:25 // 07:20 – 09:30
(201st visit of the year)
Bird notes from today:
- Some of the cygnets were trying their wing-muscles today. The feathers are still much too short to support flight.
- A Grey Heron flew off W at 04:45 and no more seemed to be present. It may have returned as one was present by 07:45. Or it may have been the bird that flew over at 09:25.
- The earlier breeding pair of Great Crested Grebes now have at least two small juveniles from a second brood - keeping their distance and hard to be certain. The second pair still have one well-grown juvenile. The third pair, relatively recent arrivals, were seen together only first-thing: thereafter only a single adult noted. The fledged juvenile present could be from the first brood or the 'extra' bird first seen two weeks ago.
- Still just a single very new juvenile Coot located from the latest brood. An adult in the same area was still optimistically collecting nesting material.
- A Hobby flew fast over W-bound at 06:20.
- A party of 51 Racing Pigeons was released nearby c.08:15 and these birds flew off NW. Two other small groups were more likely Feral Pigeons
- At c.08:30 a large group of Wood Pigeons was put up from the fields to the E with at least 94 of these flying off W (these included in the count of birds overhead). At least 70 more circled back (these not included in the counts).
- In addition to the three Collared Doves that flew over another bird was, unusually, flushed from trees in the SE area.
- Four Swifts arrived at 06:00 but had gone by 06:20. Two by 07:50 assumed to be different birds.
- Four small groups of Barn Swallows flew through. Did not seem to be migrating as some birds flew N and others W.
- at least 60 House Martins high over to W at 06:15
- 34 Pied Wagtails on the ‘football' field at 06:20.
Bird totals:
Birds noted flying over or flying near the lake:
- 8 Greylag Geese (inbound in one group)
- 74 Canada Geese (all inbound in four groups)
- 1 Grey Heron
- 1 Hobby
- 20 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
- 60 Feral / Racing Pigeons (3 groups)
- 2 Stock Doves
- 176 Wood Pigeons
- 3 Collared Doves
- 2 Jackdaws
- no Rooks again
Hirundines etc. noted:
- 6 Swifts
- 10 Barn Swallows
- c.60 House Martins
Warblers noted (singing birds):
- 14 (3) Chiffchaffs
- 5 (0) Blackcaps again
- 1 (0) Reed Warbler only
Counts from the lake area:
- 2 + 6 (1 brood) Mute Swans
- 1 Canada Goose: departed
- 10 (5 drakes) Mallard
- 2 Grey Herons
- 2 Little Grebes (unaged)
- 5 + 4♂ (3 broods) Great Crested Grebes
- 2 + 3 (2 broods) Moorhens
- 64 Coots: also one (of two) recent juvenile; and the single 'red-headed' juvenile from the very latest brood
- 57 Black-headed Gulls: no juveniles
- 4 Lesser Black-backed Gulls ('gas and go' as usual)
- 1 Kingfisher
On the lamp poles pre-dawn:
- 6 Common Grass-veneer moths (Agriphila tristella)
- 2 green lacewings, likely Chrysoperla carnea
- 1 harvestman Dicranopalpus ramosus again
The following logged later:
- Butterflies
- Meadow Brown (Maniola jurtina)
- Gatekeeper (Pyronia tithonus)
- Moths (in species order):
- a few unidentified grass moths
- 1 Mother of Pearl (Patania ruralis): *** first of year
- No damselflies etc:
- Hoverflies (in alphabetic order of scientific name):
- Tapered Drone Fly (Eristalis pertinax)
- Common Drone Fly (Eristalis tenax)
- Volucella inanis (wasp mimic)
And other things:
- a few Honey Bees (Apis mellifera)
- 1 Common Carder Bumblebee (Bombus pascuorum)
- several wasps (Vespula sp.)
- 2 Grey Squirrels
- 1 pipistrelle-type bat
A rather cheerless start with cloud spreading from behind me.
Still an impressive-looking - and quite harmless - insect. The yellow face shows well here.
Even better from this angle. Note the really thin and short antenna, typical of nearly all hoverflies.
A Common Carder Bumblebee (Bombus pascuorum).
(Ed Wilson)
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
The Flash: 06:30 – 07:15
(192nd visit of the year)
Notes from here:
- The latest brood of Mallard is now down to a single duckling.
- Only one of the usual duo of adult and juvenile Great Crested Grebes was noted
- The single House Martin overhead sounded like a juvenile.
and, all on lamp poles:
- 1 Common Grass-veneer moth (Agriphila tristella)
- 1 White-streak Grass-veneer moth (Agriphilla latistria)*** new for me in Shropshire
- 1 Elbow-stripe Grass-veneer moth (Agriphila geniculea)*** first of the year
- 1 Willow Beauty moth (Peribatodes rhomboidaria)***also first of the year
- 1 Harlequin Ladybird (Harmonia axyridis) pupa
- 1 harvestman Leiobunum rotundum again
Birds noted flying over / near The Flash:
- 7 Feral Pigeons (2 groups)
- 5 Wood Pigeons
Hirundines etc. noted:
- 1 House Martin only
Warblers noted (singing birds):
- 4 (1) Chiffchaffs
- 2 (0) Blackcaps
Counts from the water:
- 3 Mute Swans
- 1 Greylag Goose
- 6 Canada Geese
- 36 (19 drakes) + 1 (1 brood) Mallard
- 22 (10 drakes) Tufted Ducks
- 1 + 1 (1 brood) Great Crested Grebes only
- 2 + 1 (1 brood) Moorhens
- 16 Coots again
- 2 Black-headed Gulls again: no juveniles
(Ed Wilson)
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Between the lake and The Flash:
- 1 Chiffchaff now calling at the upper pool
- 1 Blackcap calling at the lower pool again
also
- 1 Common Grass-veneer moth (Agriphila tristella)
- 1 harvestman Dicranopalpus ramosus again
(Ed Wilson)
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------