The Flash: 06:00 – 06:55
13.0°C > 15.0°C: Clear to far east; very light rain from medium-high cloud for a while; cleared somewhat and finally lower cloud. Very light W breeze. Very good visibility.
Sunrise: 04:57 BST
Priorslee Lake:
(93rd visit of the year)
Construction work has recommenced on the housing site.
The council’s contractors were meeting their obligation in mowing the football field grass despite it hardly having grown in the interim dry spell. Rather like a dust bowl.
As I was leaving a van inscribed ‘Ground Control’ was arriving. Perhaps to deal with the Giant Hogweed?
Bird notes:
- The drake Gadwall was around all the time. No sign of the duck.
- A pair of Tufted Duck early. Two pairs for a while. One pair departed.
- The Great Crested Grebes still mainly together as pairs. Two pairs were actually fighting – usually they just lie along the surface and make threatening calls.
- Normally Jackdaws are obviously ‘paired’ no matter how large the groups are that pass over early. At the moment they are in loose groups of, mainly, four or five birds, likely family groups.
Birds noted flying over / near here:
- Canada Geese: heard only
- 2 Cormorants: duo
- 6 Lesser Black-backed Gull: one first year; otherwise ages not determined
- 1 Stock Dove once more
- 15 Wood Pigeons
- 27 Jackdaws
- 6 Rooks
Birds noted on the ‘football’ field [Magpies excluded]:
- 3 Starlings
Although I do not normally log the Wood Pigeons today’s total of 54 on the grass was noteworthy
Birds noted on the academy playing field [Wood Pigeons and Magpies excluded here too]:
- 1 Jackdaw
The sad-looking Feral Pigeon was perched on the academy roof again.
Count of hirundines etc logged:
- >25 Swifts
- 1 Barn Swallow again
- 3 House Martins
Count of warblers logged (singing birds in brackets):
- 10 (8) Chiffchaffs
- 11 (10) Blackcaps
- 4 (4) Garden Warblers again
- 6 (4) Common Whitethroats
- 13 (11) Reed Warblers
- birds, unusually, singing along the S side and in the SE area.
Counts from the lake area:
- 2 + 5 (1 brood) Mute Swans
- 1 (1♂) Gadwall
- 10 (9♂) Mallard
- 4 (2♂) Tufted Duck (see notes)
- 1 Grey Heron: departed 04:40
- 6 Great Crested Grebes again
- 3 Moorhens
- 21 + 6 (4 broods) Coots
- 2 Lesser Black-backed Gulls: both (near) adults
On / around the street lights:
- 3 Common Stretch-spiders (Tetragnatha extensa)
Insects / other things etc noted later:
Damselflies
- Common Blue Damselfly (Enallagma cyathigerum)
- Blue-tailed Damselfly (Ischnura elegans)
Moths
- Plain Gold moths (Micropterix calthella)
- Common Nettle-tap (Anthophila fabriciana)
- Silver-ground Carpet (Xanthorhoe montanata)
- Cinnabar (Tyria jacobaeae); moth species #16 here this year.
one of the few moths identifiable in flight
**several grass moths were flushed but could not be re-found to ID.
Bees
None, but
- Common Wasp (Vespula vulgaris)
Hoverflies
None
Other things:
- Harlequin Ladybirds (Harmonia axyridis): only the form succinea noted
- Soldier beetle Cantharis nigricans
- The leaf beetle Donacia simplex
- Another leaf beetle Galerucella sagittariae
- A Rhogogaster sawfly
- presumed Garden Spider (Arameus diadematus)
- Common Stretch-spiders (Tetragnatha extensa)
- An unidentified spider carrying eggs
- 3 Grey Squirrels
Additional plant species recorded for the year at this site:
- Wall Cotoneaster (Cotoneaster horizontalis)
It was slightly raining when I took this sunrise photo. Only clear to the very far east.
And making a big splash whilst about it.
Once peace was restored this pair celebrated with some posing.
Did someone say ‘perky’. A good epithet for a Wren.
Of course it would not stay silent.
“who me? Who made all that noise?”
Off toward the nest.
And here is just one as ‘monarch of the glen’.
This is a better picture of the small Common Nettle-tap moth (Anthophila fabriciana).
At first glance this insect appears dark with just a hint of green. But ...
These small, happy beetles on a grass stem seem to be the leaf-beetles Galerucella sagittariae.
The flowers are rather reminiscent of bramble flowers. The leaves are quite different.
(Ed Wilson)
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The Flash:
(80th visit of the year)
Bird notes:
- As I hoped the Canada Geese with goslings were hiding yesterday. Strange that there are three adults with the three goslings yet these look as if they are from the same brood.
- Some of the adult Coots still brooding an unknown additional number of juveniles. Very near the sluice there is a nest you can peer in to. I could hear what sounded like juveniles calling and both adults were off the nest – could I see any young?
- Big number of Swifts.
- Today’s Great Spotted Woodpecker bounded right over the lake calling loudly as it did so.
Birds noted flying over / near The Flash:
- 2 Feral Pigeon
- 2 Wood Pigeons
- 1 Great Spotted Woodpecker
- 3 Jackdaws
Hirundines etc logged:
- >30 Swifts
- 2 House Martins
Count of warblers logged (singing birds in brackets):
- 3 (2) Chiffchaffs yet again
- 4 (4) Blackcaps
Counts from the water:
- 3 + 8 (1 brood) Mute Swans
- 33 + 3 (1 brood) Canada Geese
- 24 (18♂) + 6 (1 brood) Mallard
- 7 (4♂) Tufted Duck
- 2 Great Crested Grebes: one on nest still
- 3 Moorhens
- 18 + >7 (4 broods) Coots
- 1 Lesser Black-backed Gull: (near) adult again
Also noted:
- Birch Shieldbug (Elasmostethus interstinctus)
- Stretch spider sp.
These six Mallard ducklings almost look small-enough to be a very new brood.
(Ed Wilson)
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Between the lake and The Flash:
Noteworthy
- adult Moorhens seen at both pools again
- Great Spotted Woodpecker flying in to use garden feeders.
- 1 Blackcap singing at the lower pool.
- Chaffinch singing – unusual just here.
- Bullfinches also using garden feeders.
(Ed Wilson)
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On this day..........
2018Priorslee Lake
Today's Sightings Here
2016
Priorslee Lake
Today's Sightings Here
2015
Priorslee Lake
Today's Sightings Here
2014
Priorslee Lake
Today's Sightings Here
2009
Priorslee Lake
Oystercatcher
Common Sandpiper
2 Common Terns
(Ed Wilson)
2007
Priorslee Lake
Common Tern
(Ed Wilson)