The Flash: 05:55 – 06:35
9.0°C: Mainly clear start with some high cloud. After 05:45 mist rolled in from the E. Calm. Very good visibility but poor after arrival of mist.
Sunrise: 05:04 BST
Priorslee Lake:
(87th visit of the year)
An abbreviated visit after the mist rolled in.
The site is now formally open with “Keep 2m (6 feet) apart” notices. The fishermen have returned.
Other bird notes:
- Saw something I have never seen before – a Coot flying in to the lake. One bird flew in from the E, high over the dam and circled down to the water. In all my 20+ years seeing variable numbers of this species (sometimes as many as 250 birds) I had never seen one flying more than a few feet above the water.
- A rather late record of Common Sandpiper.
- A Swift raced through at 05:00. A single over later
Birds noted flying over / near here:
- 2 Greylag Geese (singles inbound and outbound)
- 5 Canada Geese (two pairs and a single outbound)
- 10 Lesser Black-backed Gull: at least 4 immatures
- 10 Wood Pigeons
- 1 Collared Dove
- 30 Jackdaws
- 6 Rooks
Birds noted on the ‘football’ field [Wood Pigeons and Magpies excluded]:
- 2 Starlings only
The strange Feral Pigeon was on the academy roof again.
Birds noted on the academy playing field [Wood Pigeons and Magpies excluded here too]:
- 2 Jackdaws only
Count of hirundines etc logged:
- 2 Swifts
- 1 Barn Swallow
Count of warblers logged (singing birds in brackets):
- 11 (11) Chiffchaffs
- 18 (17) Blackcaps
- 4 (4) Garden Warblers
- 3 (3) Common Whitethroats
- 9 (9) Reed Warblers
Counts from the lake area:
- 2 + 6 (1 brood) Mute Swans
- [Gadwall not seen]
- 6 (5♂) Mallard
- 2 (1♂) Tufted Ducks
- 1 Grey Heron: departed
- 5 Great Crested Grebes
- 1 Moorhen only
- [Coots not counted]
- 1 Common Sandpiper
- 2 Lesser Black-backed Gulls: (near) adults, briefly
On / around the street lights:
- Common Green Lacewing (Chrysoperia carnea)
Insects / other things etc noted later:
- 1 Grey Squirrel
Later visit [c.10:00 – c.13:00]
Hot and sunny
While my car was being serviced I returned to the lake area mainly to find insects in the rather warm sun. This was mostly unrewarding. A few comments on things I noted. No formal log made and none of these sightings is included in my usual totals as given above.
- A second pair of Tufted Ducks arrived at some point.
- 3 Sparrowhawks circling over, one male at least in full display with fluffed up undertail.
- 1 Kestrel hovering over the SW grass until chased away by Magpies
- 2 Kingfishers flew in to bushes in the SW area, making a lot of noise. A number of people have asked me recently about Kingfishers here and I have told them it is unlikely as there are no banks for them to excavate their nest holes. The latter remains true so what they were doing here is a bit of a mystery.
- Reed Warblers were singing from tow locations where I had not heard them earlier. One of these was a new site for this year.
Very early there was a slight sunrise and no sign of the mist and fog that rolled in by 05:45
This Common Kestrel was hovering over the SW grass until chased away by the local Magpies.
One of the local Buzzards taking advantage of the thermals.
This is a Dock Bug (Coreus marginatus). A common insect that I see most years.
A not very blue male Common Blue Damselfly (Enallagma cyathigerum).
This is a female Red-eyed Damselfly (Erythromma najas). My first of the year.
Another view of what is a newly identified flower species for me.
Not able to identify this spider – I think in the genus Neriene, but far from confident about that.
(Ed Wilson)
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
The Flash:
(74th visit of the year)
Bird notes:
- Only three Canada Geese goslings seen. There were with a group of three adults sitting on the front lawn of one of the houses. One wing of one of these adults was being held at an unusual angle and may have been brooding the fourth, smaller, gosling.
- Unable to see the part of the island where the Great Crested Grebe is nesting to check whether the other bird was still sitting.
- Yesterday a plethora of Blackcaps: today fewer than usual.
- Both parent Nuthatches busy again.
Birds noted flying over / near The Flash:
None
Hirundines etc logged:
- House Martins heard over
Count of warblers logged (singing birds in brackets):
- 4 (4) Chiffchaffs
- 4 (4) Blackcaps
- 1 (1) Reed Warbler remains
Counts from the water:
- 3 + 9 (1 brood) Mute Swans
- 22 + 3 (1 brood) Canada Geese
- 19 (17♂) + 0 (0 broods) Mallard
- 7 (4♂) Tufted Duck
- 1 Great Crested Grebe
- 3 Moorhens
- 16 + >2 (3? broods) Coots
Otherwise of note:
- 1 Grey Squirrel
It makes my neck-ache. One of the adult Nuthatches at the nest-site with a tasty(?) morsel.
Checking the coast is clear.
(Ed Wilson)
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Between the lake and The Flash:
Noteworthy
- 1 adult Moorhen on the grass at the lower pool
- 1 adult Moorhen heard at the upper pool
- 1 Goldcrest singing at the lower pool again
- Long-tailed Tit party at lower pool again
and
- a picture-winged fly (Tephritidae sp.)
(Ed Wilson)
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
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.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
On this day..........
2019Priorslee Lake
Today's Sightings Here
2016
Priorslee Lake
Today's Sightings Here
2015
Priorslee Lake
Today's Sightings Here
2012
Priorslee Lake
Black Tern
(Ed Wilson)
2006
Priorslee Lake
2 Ruddy Ducks
(Ed Wilson)