Priorslee Lake and The Flash:
9.0°C > 11.0°C: Clear start. Cloud after 08:15 and light rain shower 09:00. Moderate / fresh W wind. Very good visibility.
Sunrise: 04:59 BST
NB: * means there is a photo today, however they will be uploaded tomorrow.
Priorslee Lake: 04:12 – 05:50 // 06:55 – 09:03
(133rd visit of the year)
Best today was the Curlew that flew S calling at 05:25. Bird species #92 for my 2020 lake list. I record this species infrequently, almost always in the Spring. Last on 18th March 2019.
Other bird notes:
- A second Grey Heron flew in: may have been the bird seen flying past to the N some 15 minutes earlier.
- A single Swift at 04:40 stayed alone for c.10 minutes. Another with 6 House Martins briefly at c.07:20
- A Kingfisher again. Seen intermittently by me and photographed by the fishermen more often. Must be nesting along the Wesley Brook to the E.
Birds noted flying over / near here:
- 1 Greylag Goose
- 9 Cormorants (three groups)
- 1 Grey Heron
- 1 Peregrine Falcon
- 1 Curlew
- 4 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
- 46 Wood Pigeons
- 7 Jackdaws
Hirundines etc. logged:
- 2 Swifts
- 6 House Martins
Count of warblers logged (singing birds in brackets):
Much, much quieter
- 9 (5) Chiffchaffs
- 10 (5) Blackcaps
- no Garden Warblers again
- 5 (2) Common Whitethroats
- 5 (3) Reed Warblers
Counts from the lake area:
- 2 + 5 Mute Swans
- 23 (?♂) Mallard again
- 2 Grey Herons
- 1 Little Grebe: heard only again
- 8 Great Crested Grebes again
- 5 + 1 (1 brood) Moorhens
- 37 + 18 (9 broods) Coots
- 6 Black-headed Gulls: all adults (see notes)
- 1 Kingfisher
On / around the street lights etc. pre-sunrise:
- 1 Common Grey (Scoparia ambigualis)
- 1 Garden Grass-veneer moth (Chrysoteuchia culmella)
- 1 Common Wasp (Vespula (Paravespula) vulgaris)
- 1 Leiobunum sp. (harvestman)
and moths still to be determined from photos
- 2 'wave'-types
- 1 Willow Beauty-type
Noted on the wall of the academy beside the security lights:
Nothing
On the football field ahead of the arrival of dog-walkers (Wood Pigeons and Magpies not included)
- 12 Black-headed Gulls: 1 juvenile
- 1 Pied Wagtail
- 1 Fox
Insects / other things etc. noted later:
Butterflies:
- Small Skipper (Thymelicus sylvestris)
- Large White (Pieris brassicae)
- Green-veined White (Pieris napi)
- Speckled Wood (Pararge aegeria)
- Ringlet (Aphantopus hyperantus)
- Red Admiral (Vanessa atalanta)
- Comma (Polygonia c-album)
Moths:
- Garden Grass-veneer moth (Chrysoteuchia culmella)
- Mother of Pearl (Pleuroptya ruralis)
Bees / wasps:
- Andrena mining bee sp.
- Honey Bee (Apis mellifera)
- Buff-tailed Bumblebee (Bombus terrestris)
- Common Wasp (Vespula (Paravespula) vulgaris)
plus several others to be confirmed from photographs
Damsel-/Dragon-flies:
- Common Blue Damselfly (Enallagma cyathigerum)
Hoverflies:
- Marmalade Hoverfly (Episyrphus balteatus)
- Common Drone-fly (Eristalis tenax)
- Migrant Hoverfly (Eupeodes corollae)
- Leucozona lucorum: very many of these: a new emergence?
- Chequered Hoverfly (Melanostoma scalare)
- Long Hoverfly (Sphaerophoria scripta)
- Syrphus vitripennis
- other Syrphus sp.
Bats:
None
Other things:
- Potato Capsid (Closterotomus norwegicus)
- Red Bug (Deraeocoris ruber)
- Harlequin Ladybird (Harmonia axyridis): single adult succinea
- 7 Spot Ladybird (Coccinella 7-punctata)
- Common Red Soldier Beetle (Rhagonycha fulva)
Additional flowering plant species recorded for the year at this site:
None
A 'record shot' of the Curlew over at 05:20
A Common Whitethroat looks pensively out.
A Reed Warbler on the hunt for food.
I'm not sure I ever realised that Speckled Wood butterflies (Pararge aegeria) have more rings than Ringlet butterflies (Aphantopus hyperantus)
It is a strange evolution path has come up with the wing-shape of a Comma butterfly (Polygonia c-album).
A Mother of Pearl moth (Pleuroptya ruralis). Get the light at the right angle and the effect is amazing. I disturb this species from the grass more or less annually.
One of the many Andrena mining bees. This species – whatever it is(!) - is one that shows a well-developed hind leg for capturing pollen.
Had to double-check this bumblebee. Those with banded abdomen are sometimes cuckoo bumblebees. Not so here: 'just' an unusual view of a typical Common Carder Bee (Bombus pascuorum).
This pan view of a Buff-tailed Bumblebee (Bombus terrestris) shows how the apparent white tail of UK populations of this species has a thin buff band separating the tail from the rest of the abdomen.
Four for the price of one: two Cheilosia illustrata hoverflies (with pale bands across their middle); at the bottom a male Long Hoverfly (Sphaerophoria scripta); at the top the rear of a Buff-tailed Bumblebee (Bombus terrestris)
A particularly fine specimen of a Marmalade Hoverfly (Episyrphus balteatus) in contrast with one of those confusing hawk-things. Haven't managed to find one with dark tips to the petals.
The Fox – seems to be quite young – notices me...
..scarpers!
(Ed Wilson)
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The Flash: 05:55 – 06:50
(119th visit of the year)
Bird notes:
- One of the Mute Swan cygnets lagging a long way behind the main group with the pen. The cob was 'resting' on the island.
- All geese numbers somewhat suspect as they flushed when a dog barked at them as I was part way through the count. Many then decided to take refuge inside the island.
- Five Greylag Geese tried their new wings for a half-circuit of the water. This seemed to inspire two Canada Geese to have a go, but they barely lifted off.
- Three of the cross-bred geese always seem to be with one of the Greylags and slightly separate from any other geese. The other cross-breed is usually in with Canada Geese.
Birds noted flying over / near The Flash:
- 1 Common Buzzard
- 1 Feral Pigeon
- 2 Wood Pigeons
Hirundines etc. logged:
None
Count of warblers logged (singing birds in brackets):
- 2 (1) Chiffchaffs
- 3 (3) Blackcaps
Counts from the water:
- 3 + 7 (1 brood) Mute Swans
- 52 Greylag Geese
- 4 Greylag x Canada Geese
- 101 Canada Geese
- 14 (?♂) Mallard (see notes)
- 15 (12?♂) Tufted Duck
- 1 Grey Heron: arrived
- 2 + 2 (1 brood) Great Crested Grebes again
- 2 Moorhens again
- 12 + 17 (? broods) Coots
Otherwise of note, on different lamp poles:
Strange things asleep on the poles this morning
- 1 Little Grey moth (Eudonia lacustrata)
- 1 Common Carder Bee (Bombus pascuorum)
- 1 Migrant Hoverfly (Eupeodes corollae)
The incoming Grey Heron decides to perch at the top of the tallest tree on the island.
(Ed Wilson)
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Between the lake and The Flash:
Of Note
- 1 Little Grey moth (Eudonia lacustrata) on a lamp pole.
(Ed Wilson)
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On this day..........
2019
Priorslee Lake
Today's Sightings Here
2018
Priorslee Lake
Today's Sightings Here
2015
Priorslee Lake
Today's Sightings Here
2009
Priorslee Lake
12 Swifts
1 Lesser Whitethroat
(Ed Wilson)
The Flash
3 Great Crested Grebes
201 Canada Geese
4 Tufted Duck
(Ed Wilson)
2007
Priorslee Lake
After 29 days the 5 remaining Mute Swan Cygnets are still going strong. Last year, as you may recall, we had 9 but ended up with just 1, after a Mink devastated the family. This year it has been Mink clear and even though we lost 2 within the first two days, these guys I think will do really well.
(Martin Adlam)