3 Aug 19

Priorslee Lake and The Flash

Priorslee Lake:  04:20 – 06:05 // 07:00 – 08:45
The Flash:  06:10 – 06:55

14.0°C > 16.0°C:  Plenty of mainly thin high cloud making it hazy. Light, mainly E breeze. Moderate visibility.

Sunrise: 05:31 BST

Priorslee Lake:  04:20 – 06:05 // 07:00 – 08:45

(190th visit of the year)

Bird notes from today
- The Greylag Goose that has been on the dam for several days seems to be getting increasingly lethargic – or perhaps unworried by humans.
- Was the Little Grebe new in or has it been hiding?
- One of the resident Great Crested Grebes not located: yesterday’s new juvenile present again.
- Bird of the morning was perhaps the Common Sandpiper seen only prior to 05:00.
- 12 Swifts arrived at 05:30 but stayed only a few minutes.
- A Green Woodpecker heard from the Ricoh copse: heard for four of the last five days. This species was regular all last winter and until March time but did not seem to breed along the N side as it did last year.
- This morning the football field was rather devoid of birds. Last week as many as 70 Wood Pigeons were on the grass c.05:45. Today just eight. And no Pied Wagtails seen on any of three visits this morning.

Bird totals:

Birds noted flying over or flying near the lake:
- 4 Greylag Geese (2 outbound; 2 inbound)
- 48 Canada Geese (23 (1 group) outbound; 25 (5 groups) inbound)
- 3 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
- 16 Feral Pigeons (3 groups)
- 3 Stock Doves again
- 113 Wood Pigeons
- 2 Jackdaws
- 1 Rook
- 9 Starlings (3 groups)

Hirundines etc. noted:
- 12 Swifts
- 7 Barn Swallows
- 13 House Martins

Warblers noted (singing birds):
multiple feeding groups: accurate numbers hard to ascertain
- 12 (2) Chiffchaffs
- 2 (0) Willow Warblers
- 6 (0) Blackcaps
- 4 (0) Common Whitethroats
- 1 (0) Sedge Warbler
- 7 (0) Reed Warblers

Counts from the lake area:
- 2 + 6 (1 brood) Mute Swans
- 2 Greylag Geese (1 throughout; 1 arrived)
- 11 (9♂) Mallard
- 1 Cormorant (arrived)
- 2 Grey Herons
- 1 Little Grebe
- 5 + 4 (3 broods) Great Crested Grebes
- 1 + 2 (1 brood) Moorhens
- 43 adult and juvenile Coots: also both small juveniles from the newest brood
- 1 Common Sandpiper
- 9 Black-headed Gulls

Nothing at all on the lamp poles pre-dawn!

The following logged later:
The Fox was a good sighting: only my second here this year.
The high cloud ensured the sun had little power. Not many insects seen.
- Butterflies (in species order : no totals)
- Meadow Brown (Maniola jurtina)
- Moths (in species order):
- 1 Common Footman (Manulea lurideola)
- many unidentified grass moths
- Damselflies etc:
        - only a few Common Blue Damselflies noted
- Hoverflies:
- only Marmalade hoverfly (Episyrphus balteatus) noted
And other things:
- 1 Fox
- 1 Grey Squirrel: still eating Hazel nuts

A Little Grebe at long range and in the shade. The markings are none too clear but with stripes on the face this has to be an immature. Looks full-size so may well have flown in, though this secretive species could well have bred here.

A rather better photo of a Common Footman (Manulea lurideola). Strangely in the open and in almost the same place I found one three days ago.

I have found out a ‘trick’ to accentuate the markings under the folded wings of hoverflies – use flash. Here, deep in a convolvulus flower, we see a female Chequered Hoverfly (Melanostoma scalare). A female both because the eyes do not meet and because the yellow marks are lozenge-shaped. On a male they are squared-off and more appropriate for the species name of chequered.

This striking fly was in a very shady place for a decent photo. It is likely a species called Norellisoma spinimanum though we need to count rows of hairs on the legs(!) to be sure. The most common of the genus and is associated with dock (Rumex sp.) which is plentiful in the area.

(Ed Wilson)

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

The Flash:  06:10 – 06:55

(183rd visit of the year)

Notes from here:
- Now all the geese have finished moulting many of those still using this water have left prior to my arrival and will not return for some hours.
- The very late brood of seven Mallard ducklings was perhaps not too unexpected after the brief sighting of two small ducklings on Wednesday.
and, moths on lamp poles
- 1 Garden Grass-veneer (Chrysoteuchia culmella)
- 1 Little Grey (Eudonia lacustrata) on a different lamp from yesterday.

Birds noted flying over / near The Flash:
- 4 Feral Pigeons
- 2 Wood Pigeons
- 1 Jackdaw

Hirundines etc. noted:
- 2 House Martins

Warblers noted (singing birds):
- 3 (0) Chiffchaffs
- 1 (1) Willow Warbler

Counts from the water:
- 3 Mute Swans
- 11 Greylag Geese
- 12 Canada Geese
- 24 (>12♂) + 7 small ducklings (1 brood) Mallard
- 19 (?♂) Tufted Ducks
- 2 + 2 (1 brood) Great Crested Grebes still
- 3 + 2 (1 brood) Moorhens
- 20 adult and well-grown juvenile Coots
- 3 Black-headed Gulls: no juveniles

“Come on Mum”. Six of the seven Mallard ducklings in this very late brood seem anxious to get on with it.

(Ed Wilson)

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

Between the lake and The Flash:

Nothing of note


(Ed Wilson)

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

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

2017
Priorslee Lake
Today's Sightings Here

2012
Priorslee Lake
Kingfisher
(Ed Wilson)

2011
Priorslee Lake
Immature Common Tern
(Ed Wilson)

Nedge Hill
1 (imm/fem) Common Redstart
(John Isherwood)

2010
Priorslee Lake
4 Shoveler (all females/immatures)
(John Isherwood)