9 Jun 20

Priorslee Lake, Woodhouse Lane and The Flash:

9.0°C > 12.0°C: Mostly cloudy. The few brighter spells again failed to last. Very light SE breeze. Very good visibility but rather hazy.

Sunrise: 04:46 BST again

Firstly a mea culpa. Feedback – always welcome – has pointed out my photo was a male Peregrine and not a Hobby as I misidentified. Apologies. I could blame the early hour (05:00) and poor light but on looking again identification from the photo should have been obvious to me.

Secondly an apology. I had a major PC failure this morning (it was 15 years old) and this report has been produced on a laptop and back up software and photo-editing which I have never used in anger before. Errots? Waht errots?

A very different approach to today. After a circuit of the lake, an extended period in Woodhouse Lane. After a quick look from the dam back at the lake a later than normal visit to The Flash.

Highlight perhaps seeing all three common species of wagtail on the same day here – Pied, Grey and, in Woodhouse Lane, Yellow.

Priorslee Lake: 04:15 – 06:00 // 08:15 – 08:55

(107th visit of the year)

Bird notes:
- Gadwall gone again.
- Three Mallard ducklings remain.
- A Reed Warbler singing from yet another 'new' location. Whether these are birds moving around ahead of a possible restart to nesting is hard to say. Many birds are only singing very sporadically now
- First Grey Wagtail for several weeks.

Birds noted flying over / near here:
- 10 Greylag Geese: quartet outbound; two singles and group of six inbound
- 8 Canada Geese: group inbound
- 2 (1♂) Tufted Duck: flew E
- 7 Lesser Black-backed Gulls: ages not all determined
- 2 Herring Gull: both first years
- 4 Stock Doves: pair each way; same?
- 7 Wood Pigeons
- 39 Jackdaws
- 11 Rooks

Birds noted on the ‘football’ field [Wood Pigeons and Magpies not included]:
None

The long-term ‘Homing Pigeon’ was on the roof of the academy early at least.

Birds noted on the academy playing field [Wood Pigeons and Magpies not included here either]:
- 2 Jackdaws flying off, because ...
- 1 Fox
and on the wall by one of the security lights at the academy
- Silver-ground Carpet moth (Xanthorhoe montanata)

Count of hirundines etc. logged:
- c.20 Swifts: first at 04:35 taking over from the bats. Most flew through.
- no Barn Swallows
- 4 House Martins

Count of warblers logged (singing birds in brackets):
- 11 (11) Chiffchaffs
- 11 (11) Blackcaps
- 2 (2) Garden Warblers
- 3 (3) Common Whitethroats
- 9 (8) Reed Warblers

Counts from the lake area:
- 2 + 5 Mute Swans
-10 (9♂) + 3 (1 brood) Mallard
- 1 (1♂) Tufted Duck: as yesterday, arrived
- 1 Grey Heron: left 05:35
- 7 Great Crested Grebes
- 5 Moorhens again
- 25 + 7 (4 broods) Coots

On / around the street lights pre-sunrise:
- 1 Garden Grass-veneer moth (Chrysoteuchia culmella)
- 1 Satin Wave moth (Idaea subsericeata)

Insects seen in brief later view from the dam
None

Other things:
- 5 Noctule-type large bats sp.
- 1 Fox as noted above

Additional plant species recorded in flower for the year at this site:
None

Not quite on a lamp pole but on vegetation beside one: a Satin Wave moth (Idaea subsericeata)

This juvenile Robin hopped out of cover at my feet and I nearly trod on it. It fluttered away and looked back at me accusingly.

To complete the trio of wagtails after I got back from Woodhouse Lane this Grey Wagtail landed on the dam face. The black throat probably means it is a male – older females are known to show this feature. Hiding it tail here ...

... but not here. The tail is longer than other wagtails and pumped more vigorously. The call is sharper too – to carry over rushing water, its favourite breeding habitat. 'Grey' wagtail because of the back colour.

A short almost steady video of it tail-wagging and you can hear that sharp call.

(Ed Wilson)

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The Flash: 09:00 – 09:50

(92nd visit of the year)

Main achievement was finally tracking down and photographing a calling male Reed Bunting. This at the top end. My elation was rather tempered by then hearing a Reed Bunting singing by one of the cut-off bridges. Could there be two pairs here?

Other bird notes:
- One of the goslings seems not to have survived the encounter with the cob Mute Swan yesterday.
- Three parties of Mallard ducklings.
- There were certainly three adult Great Crested Grebes. Two adults were seen well away from the adult with two young on its back. Later an adult (a 4th?) provided food for the young, one of which was in the water briefly.

Birds noted flying over / near The Flash:
- 1 Sparrowhawk
- 2 Lesser Black-backed Gulls: both (near) adults
- 1 Feral Pigeon
- 2 Wood Pigeons
- 1 Jackdaw

Hirundines etc. logged:
- no Swifts
- 1 Barn Swallow
- 2 House Martins

Count of warblers logged (singing birds in brackets):
- 3 (3) Chiffchaffs
- 2 (2) Blackcaps
- 1 (1) Reed Warbler: very sporadic song

Counts from the water:
- 3 + 7 (1 brood) Mute Swans
- 13 Greylag Geese
- 3 Greylag x Canada Geese
- 112 + 2 (1 brood) Canada Geese
- 20 (14♂) + 13 (3 broods) Mallard
- 12 (8♂) Tufted Duck
- 3? + 2 (1 brood) Great Crested Grebes: see notes
- 4 + 2 (1 brood) Moorhens
- 16 + 10 (5 broods) Coots
- 1 Lesser Black-backed Gull: very worn second year?

Otherwise of note:
- 2 Leiobunum rotundum (harvestmen) on the usual lamp pole.
- 1 Mystacides longicornis (caddis fly) on a different lamp pole
and
- Buff-tailed Bumblebees (Bombus terrestris)

A brood of well-grown Mallard ducklings. I took the photo as with the binoculars against the light I couldn't make out how many juveniles and how many adults. Even tweaking the photo makes it little better. I think, from the right, #3 is the mother and #5 the father with five ducklings. If I look again I may change my mind.

I think this was an 'extra' Great Crested Grebe. The resident pair have always been shy of humans (and cameras).

A case in point. It seems there are only two juveniles. One on a parent's back and the other in the water having just been fed.

A female House Sparrow with a mouthful of willow 'fluff' that was blowing about. House Sparrows are closely related to African Weaver birds and inveterate nest-builders, not that the nest is much to write-home about especially when compared with a weaver. She seems to be in moult with feathers misplaced.

This naughty juvenile Robin was shooed away by a fisherman as it helped itself to some tasty morsel from his box of fish food.

At last: the male Reed Bunting I have been hearing in song on and (mainly) off for some weeks.

(Ed Wilson)

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Woodhouse Lane area: 06:00 – 08:15

(8th visit of the year)

A longer than usual visit. Also less extensive with the workers in the composting centre using noisy machines before 06:30(!) making hearing anything at the bottom of the lane impossible.

Notes from here:
- Two Yellow Wagtails the undoubted highlight. Seemed to be nesting in the rape field.
- Two different Reed Buntings singing from the rape fields.

Notable species counts (singing birds in brackets):
- 1 Sparrowhawk
- 3 (3) Skylarks
- [no Chiffchaffs]
- 1 (1) Blackcaps
- 1 (1) Garden Warbler, briefly
- 5 (4) Common Whitethroats
- 1 (1) Song Thrush
- 2 (1) Yellow Wagtails
- 4 (3) Chaffinches
- 1 (1) Greenfinch
- 5 (0) Goldfinches
- 3 Linnets at least
- 3 (3) Yellowhammers
- 2 (2) Reed Bunting

Insects etc. noted:
Mainly too overcast and cool.
- Buff-tailed Bumblebee (Bombus terrestris)
- Pupa of a Harlequin Ladybird (Harmonia axyridis)
- Many glass snail sp.

Additional plant species recorded for the year at this site:
- Dogwood (Cornus sanguinea)
- Foxglove (Digitalis purpurea)
- Meadowsweet (Filipendula vulgaris)
- Rosebay Willowherb (Chamerion angustifolium)
- Tansy (Tanacetum vulgare)
- Wood Spurge (Euphorbia amygdaloides)

At (very) extreme range on top of the stone favoured by Wheatears on Spring migration is a Skylark. The small crest is just about visible. He was using it as a song post – saves energy!

One of the stars of the morning. I heard the call and then this Yellow Wagtail pitched in almost alongside. Looking this way ...

And that. The head is rather grey and the throat area not especially yellow. I think a female.

Deserves another view.

While walking away this other bird – the male – pitched in to the same spot. Much yellow-er. These seemed to be nesting in the same field as the Reed Buntings.

One of two Reed Buntings singing from the ripening oil-seed rape.

And here is the other. 'Rape Bunting' does not sound correct does it?

The pupa of a Harlequin Ladybird (Harmonia axyridis).

This cluster of star-like flowers is Dogwood (Cornus sanguinea).

My first Foxglove (Digitalis purpurea). Strangely the only one here at the moment and growing in deep shade.

Just about to fully open as a white inflorescence is Meadowsweet (Filipendula vulgaris). Strangely classified as part of the Rose family.

This is Rosebay Willowherb (Chamerion angustifolium). Not at all sure why the photo shows the flowers as mauve when they are pink. Very strange

A tight cluster of yellow flowers is Tansy (Tanacetum vulgare).

This is Wood Spurge (Euphorbia amygdaloides)

(Ed Wilson)

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

2019
Priorslee Lake
Today's Sightings Here

2018
Priorslee 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

2014
Local Area
Today's Sightings Here

2009
Priorslee Lake
7 Reed Warblers
2 Willow Warbler
(Ed Wilson)

2007
Priorslee Lake
3 Great Crested Grebe
1 Ruddy Duck
1 Great Spotted Woodpecker
2 House Martin
2 Swallow
Reed Warbler
1 Sedge Warbler
3 Blackcap
1 Garden Warbler
2 Willow Warbler
3 Chiffchaff
4 Bullfinch
2 Reed Bunting
(Martin Adlam)

2006
Priorslee Lake
4 Great Crested Grebes
1 Heron
2 Cormorants
2 Tufted Ducks
1 Kestrel
3 Stock Dove
3 Swift
4 Swallow
11 House Martin
6 Reed Warblers
1 Lesser Whitethroat
9 Blackcap
5 Chiffchaff
7 Greenfinch
3 Bullfinch
6 Reed Bunting
(Ed Wilson)