18 Jul 20

Priorslee Lake and The Flash

16.0°C: Mainly cloudy with spells of light rain and drizzle at times. Light / moderate SW wind. Good visibility.

Sunrise: 05:09 BST

NB: * means there is a photo today.

Priorslee Lake: 04:19 – 05:45 // 06:30 – 08:53

(140th visit of the year)

Highlights this morning were
- A Ring-necked Parakeet flying W, calling loudly (as they do) at 08:00. My first here since the long-staying bird here and at The Flash between November 2018 and January 2019. Bird species #93 here in 2020.
- A Willow Tit heard singing and then seen near the Teece Drive gate. My first here since the lone male that sang throughout the breeding season in both 2016 and 2017. A strange date for song. Bird species #94 here in 2020.
- A Badger trundling along the W end footpath at 04:35. Only my second record of this mammal here.

Bird notes:
- Several small groups of geese seen passing in the distance (more heard passing below tree-height).
- The first Great Crested Grebe juvenile(s). At least one with the pair in the NW area.
- Another low Coot count.
- Several large loose groups of Wood Pigeons over, apparently flushed out of fields to the E
- My first post-breeding record of Willow Warbler this year.

Birds noted flying over / near here:
- >12 Canada Geese
- >2 Greylag Geese
- 1 Cormorant
- 3 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
- 1 Herring Gull
- 23 unidentified large gulls: too dark to ID
- 1 Feral Pigeon
- 2 Stock Doves (singles)
- 103 Wood Pigeons
- 1 Ring-necked Parakeet
- 11 Jackdaws
- 16 Rooks

Hirundines etc. logged:
- 1 Swift
- 1 Barn Swallow
- 9 House Martins

Count of warblers logged (singing birds in brackets):
- 8 (2) Chiffchaffs
- 1 (0) Willow Warbler
- 3 (2) Blackcaps
- 1 (0) Common Whitethroat
- 11 (4) Reed Warblers

Counts from the lake area:
- 2 + 5 Mute Swans
- 18 (?♂) Mallard
- 2 Grey Herons
- 12 + >1 (1 brood) Great Crested Grebes
- 4 + 4 (2 broods) Moorhens
- 38 adult and juvenile Coots
- 31 Black-headed Gulls: 1 juvenile
- 3 Lesser Black-backed Gulls: all near adults; all briefly

On / around the street lights etc. pre-sunrise:
- 1 Meadow Neb (Metzneria metzneriella)
- 1 still to be identified moth.

Insects / other things etc. noted later:

The full list of things noted:

Butterflies:
- Large White (Pieris brassicae)
- Gatekeeper (Pyronia tithonus)

Moths:
- Common Grass-veneer (Agriphila tristella)
- Buff Footman (Eilema depressa) form unicolor
NB: What I incorrectly identified on Thursday's as a Dingy Footman (Eilema griseola) form straminola was also a Buff Footman (Eilema depressa) form unicolor.

Bees / wasps:
- Red-tailed Bumblebee (Bombus lapidarius)
- Common Wasp (Paravespula vulgaris)

Damsel-/Dragon-flies:
- Blue-tailed Damselfly (Ischnura elegans)

Hoverflies:
- Marmalade Hoverfly (Episyrphus balteatus)
- Chequered Hoverfly (Melanostoma scalare)

Mammals:
- 1 Badger

Other things:
- Semaphore Fly (Poecilobothrus nobilitatus)

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

The first Great Crested Grebe juveniles here this year – a very late date. One juvenile in the water and I thing at least one other on the parent's back.

One of the Lesser Black-backed Gulls briefly at the lake. On the left wing it is just possible to make out the four outer remaining full-length primaries with new primaries inboard not quite grown. The rather mottled appearance of the upper wings is where the worn coverts are being replaced.

A Willow Warbler. The call was distinctive but clues here are the rather long and well-defined supercilium and the pale legs. I would have expected it to look more yellow-toned that this on the breast. Perhaps the very dull light at the time? My first on post-breeding dispersal / passage.

One that I misidentified on Thursday. It is a Buff Footman (Eilema depressa) of the form unicolor.

A Common Wasp (Paravespula vulgaris) doing what they like to do – chewing wood to take away for their nest.

(Ed Wilson)

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The Flash: 05:50 – 06:25

(126th visit of the year)

Bird notes:
- Despite the geese seen and heard flying near the lake there were still substantial numbers present here. A few flew off while I was present.

Birds noted flying over / near The Flash:
None

Hirundines etc. logged:
- 1 Swift

Count of warblers logged (singing birds in brackets):
- 2 (0) Chiffchaffs
- 2 (2) Blackcaps

Counts from the water:
- 3 + 7 (1 brood) Mute Swans
- 44 Greylag Geese
- 80 Canada Geese
- 18 (?♂) Mallard
- 11 (6?♂) Tufted Duck
- 2 + 2 (1 brood) Great Crested Grebes
- 3 + 3 (2 broods) Moorhens
- 20 adult and juvenile Coots
- 2 Black-headed Gulls

On the lamp poles:
Nothing found on any of them

(Ed Wilson)

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Between the lake and The Flash:

Nothing of note

(Ed Wilson)

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On this day..........
2019
Priorslee Lake
Today's Sightings Here

2018
Priorslee Lake
Today's Report Here

2016
Priorslee Lake
Today's Report Here

2015
Priorslee Lake
Today's Report Here

2014
Priorslee Lake
Today's Report Here