4.0°C > 10.0°C: Clear and frosty again. A few puffy clouds developing. Lighter W breeze. Very good visibility.
Sunrise: 05:16 BST
Priorslee Lake: Early
(79th visit of the year)
Bird notes:
- The pen Mute Swan was looking more restless than recently. She remained sitting on the nest whenever I checked.
- The drake Gadwall was present early only. Likely the bird seen at The Flash. Apparently did not return.
- Mallard back in some number again. Where were they yesterday?
- Stock Dove heard calling from trees by the Teece Drive gate. The tree this species nested in of yore fell down about five years ago so where it will go remains to be seen.
- Rather fewer hirundines and Swifts. Probably due to lighter winds. The Swifts were sometimes in screaming parties – always a welcome sign of summer.
- Lighter winds and warmer temperatures probably the reason for more warbler song. Noticeably more intermittent though and harder to keep track.
Birds noted flying over / near here:
- 2 Greylag Geese (circled from & to E)
- 1 Sparrowhawk
- 1 Common Buzzard
- 1 Stock Dove
- 1 Wood Pigeon only
- 3 Jackdaws
- 5 Rooks
No birds noted on the academy playing field:
26 Starlings on the ‘football’ field
Count of hirundines etc logged:
- c.10 Swifts
- >15 Sand Martins
- >20 Barn Swallows
- >20 House Martins
Count of warblers logged (singing birds in brackets):
- 14 (13) Chiffchaffs
- 24 (21) Blackcaps
- 4 (3) Garden Warbler
- 3 (3) Common Whitethroats
- 7 (7) Reed Warblers still
Counts from the lake area:
- 2 Mute Swans
- 1 Canada Goose, briefly
- 1 (1♂) Gadwall: departed
- 10 (9♂) Mallard
- 2 (1♂) Tufted Duck
- [no Grey Heron]
- 4 Great Crested Grebes still
- 6 Moorhens
- 13 Coots
- 1 Common Sandpiper still
- 1 Lesser Black-backed Gulls: (near) adult, briefly.
Nothing on / around the street lights: too cold!
Insects etc. noted later:
Butterflies
- Green-veined White (Pieris napi)
Hoverflies
- probable Dasysyrphus venustus: a new species for me but see comment on photo
- Marmalade Hoverfly (Episyrphus balteatus)
- Tapered Drone-fly (Eristalis pertinax)
- Dead-head Hoverfly (Myathropa florea): my first 2020 record here.
Bees / wasps
- Tree Bumblebee (Bombus hypnorum)
- Buff-tailed Bumblebee (Bombus terrestris)
- possible spider-hunting wasp Agenioideus cinctellus
Damselflies
- Blue-tailed Damselfly (Ischnura elegans): my earliest date for this species here
Other things
- Red-and-Black Froghopper (Cercopis vulnerata)
very many of these
- Alder Fly (Sialis lutaria)
- Scorpion Fly (Panorpa communis)
- German Scorpionfly (Panorpa germanica)
- Tipula sp. crane fly: pair see coupled in flight
No additional plant species recorded for the year at this site:
It was untroubled by (unaware of?) my presence and allowed a close approach.
A rather splendid Tapered Drone-fly (Eristalis pertinax).
A female here – her body is less ‘tapered’ than the male. The yellow on the rear tarsus confirms.
A Buff-tailed Bumblebee (Bombus terrestris).
My earliest ever date for Blue-tailed Damselfly (Ischnura elegans)
(Ed Wilson)
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The Flash:
(66th visit of the year)
Bird notes:
- The drake Gadwall appeared very briefly. I heard it arrive but did not see it go. I assume the bird from the lake as that had gone by the time I returned there. Where is it now?
- No Mallard ducklings again.
- I doubt there ever was a second Great Crested Grebe nest site. The heap of sticks where a bird was noted alongside a few days ago is now occupied by Coots.
- Only one broods of Coots noted. The other known site with hatched juveniles is, as noted, well obscured by overhanging trees. They were likely there somewhere.
Birds noted flying over / near The Flash:
- 3 Lesser Black-backed Gulls: two (near) adults; one first year, together
- 2 Jackdaws
Hirundines etc logged:
- 2 Swifts
- 2 Barn Swallows
- 2 House Martins
Count of warblers logged (singing birds in brackets):
- 4 (4) Chiffchaffs
- 3 (3) Blackcaps
Counts from the water:
- 3 + 9 (1 brood) Mute Swans again
- 2 Greylag Geese: departed
- 9 Canada Geese: two of these arrived
- 1 (1♂) Gadwall: briefly
- 18 (15♂) + 0 (no broods) Mallard
- 4 (2♂) Tufted Duck
- 2 Great Crested Grebes still
- 3 Moorhens again
- 16 + 1 (1 brood) Coots
Also noted
- 1 Common European Earwig (Forficula auricularia) on a lamp post.
- 1 Grey Squirrel
Proud parents with eight of their offspring. Always a challenge to get them all in the open.
We try ... the last one just peering out behind the adult.
The Nuthatch at its nest again. I have no idea what it was doing ....
Certainly was working with a will ....
... all around the entrance ...
... from all angles.
(Ed Wilson)
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Between the lake and The Flash:
Noteworthy
- 1 adult Moorhen on the lower pool
- 1 adult and 2 juveniles Moorhens on the upper pool
- 1 Great Spotted Woodpecker calling by the lower pool
- 2 Song Thrushes singing: one by the lower pool; one above the upper pool
- 1 Chiffchaff singing above the upper pool
- 1 Blackcap singing above the upper pool
- 1 Starling on roof of house very upset with Magpie on the same roof – a nest site.
And here is the other one – can’t see this one’s feet. Infinitely less ugly that Coot chicks.
A portrait shot!
(Ed Wilson)
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If you are on your daily exercise and keeping a safe distance from others, we would love to see any photos or sightings you have, from Priorslee Lake and The Flash, by emailing them to us at priorsleelake@hotmail.com
We look forward to hearing from you.😊
(Martin Adlam and Ed Wilson)
Note:
Here are a few Garden Sightings from Ed Wilson Here on our Readers Corner from the past few days
And
A few of Martin Adlam's Sightings from the Isle of Portland Here.
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On this day..........
2019Priorslee 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