Priorslee Lake and The Flash:
14.0°C > 16.0°C: Another clear start after overnight rain that faded away as cloud spread over. Light SW wind. Very good visibility.
Sunrise: 06:06 BST
* = a photo today.
Priorslee Lake: 04:43 – 06:45 // 07:55 – 09:25
(171st visit of the year)
Bird notes:
- Seven inbound Canada Geese skimmed the water as they did so, deciding not to settle after all.
- A maximum of c.50 Black-headed Gulls were at the lake at any one time. I logged >160 on the academy playing field When they flushed from here a significant number perched on the academy roof. I cannot recall seeing any on this roof previously though they often perch on the Ricoh factory roof.
- A lone Swift seen at 06:00 but not thereafter.
- After yesterday's small passage of Jackdaws and Rooks none today.
- A party of five Barn Swallows flew high S c.09:10. Likely departing birds.
Birds noted flying over / near here:
- 2 Greylag Geese (lone bird outbound; single in with Canadas inbound)
- 28 Canada Geese (13 outbound in two groups; 15 inbound in three groups)
- 6 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
- 5 large gulls – too dark to specifically identify
- 1 Stock Dove again
- 35 Wood Pigeons
- no Jackdaws or Rooks
Hirundines etc. logged:
- 1 Swift
- 5 Barn Swallows
- >20 House Martins
Count of warblers logged (singing birds in brackets):
- 12 (0) Chiffchaffs
- 1 (0) Willow Warbler
- 5 (0) Blackcaps
- 4 (0) Reed Warblers
Counts from the lake area:
- *2 + 5 Mute Swans
- 12 (?♂) Mallard
- 1 Cormorant again: arrived
- 3 Grey Herons: all departed
- Little Grebe heard again
- 17 + 6 (4 broods) Great Crested Grebes: the fifth brood not seen
- 4 adult and juvenile Moorhens
- 67 adult and juvenile Coots
- >160 Black-headed Gulls
- 1 Kingfisher
Gulls on the academy playing field c.06:30:
- >160 Black-headed Gulls
On / around the street lights etc. pre-sunrise:
Moths:
- 1 Pale-streak Grass-veneer (Agriphila selasella)
- 3 Common Grass-veneer (Agriphila tristella)
- 1 Square-spot Rustic (Xestia xanthographa): different lamp from yesterday
14.0°C > 16.0°C: Another clear start after overnight rain that faded away as cloud spread over. Light SW wind. Very good visibility.
Sunrise: 06:06 BST
* = a photo today.
Priorslee Lake: 04:43 – 06:45 // 07:55 – 09:25
(171st visit of the year)
Bird notes:
- Seven inbound Canada Geese skimmed the water as they did so, deciding not to settle after all.
- A maximum of c.50 Black-headed Gulls were at the lake at any one time. I logged >160 on the academy playing field When they flushed from here a significant number perched on the academy roof. I cannot recall seeing any on this roof previously though they often perch on the Ricoh factory roof.
- A lone Swift seen at 06:00 but not thereafter.
- After yesterday's small passage of Jackdaws and Rooks none today.
- A party of five Barn Swallows flew high S c.09:10. Likely departing birds.
Birds noted flying over / near here:
- 2 Greylag Geese (lone bird outbound; single in with Canadas inbound)
- 28 Canada Geese (13 outbound in two groups; 15 inbound in three groups)
- 6 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
- 5 large gulls – too dark to specifically identify
- 1 Stock Dove again
- 35 Wood Pigeons
- no Jackdaws or Rooks
Hirundines etc. logged:
- 1 Swift
- 5 Barn Swallows
- >20 House Martins
Count of warblers logged (singing birds in brackets):
- 12 (0) Chiffchaffs
- 1 (0) Willow Warbler
- 5 (0) Blackcaps
- 4 (0) Reed Warblers
Counts from the lake area:
- *2 + 5 Mute Swans
- 12 (?♂) Mallard
- 1 Cormorant again: arrived
- 3 Grey Herons: all departed
- Little Grebe heard again
- 17 + 6 (4 broods) Great Crested Grebes: the fifth brood not seen
- 4 adult and juvenile Moorhens
- 67 adult and juvenile Coots
- >160 Black-headed Gulls
- 1 Kingfisher
Gulls on the academy playing field c.06:30:
- >160 Black-headed Gulls
On / around the street lights etc. pre-sunrise:
Moths:
- 1 Pale-streak Grass-veneer (Agriphila selasella)
- 3 Common Grass-veneer (Agriphila tristella)
- 1 Square-spot Rustic (Xestia xanthographa): different lamp from yesterday
Other things:
- *1 Red-legged Shieldbug (Pentatoma rufipes)
- 2 Common Wasps (Paravespula vulgaris)s
- 2 Orb-web spiders, presumed Larinioides sclopetarius
Insects / other things etc. noted later:
Another cloudy day
The full list of things noted:
- Small White (Pieris rapae)
- Buff-tailed Bumblebee (Bombus terrestris)
- Common Wasp (Paravespula vulgaris)
- Marmalade Hoverfly (Episyrphus balteatus)
- 1 Leiobunum rotundum harvestman on the Teece Drive fence
- 4 Grey Squirrels again
- 1 Brown Rat
- 6 Pipistrelle-type bats
Additional flowering plant species recorded for the year at this site:
- *1 Red-legged Shieldbug (Pentatoma rufipes)
- 2 Common Wasps (Paravespula vulgaris)s
- 2 Orb-web spiders, presumed Larinioides sclopetarius
Insects / other things etc. noted later:
Another cloudy day
The full list of things noted:
- Small White (Pieris rapae)
- Buff-tailed Bumblebee (Bombus terrestris)
- Common Wasp (Paravespula vulgaris)
- Marmalade Hoverfly (Episyrphus balteatus)
- 1 Leiobunum rotundum harvestman on the Teece Drive fence
- 4 Grey Squirrels again
- 1 Brown Rat
- 6 Pipistrelle-type bats
Additional flowering plant species recorded for the year at this site:
None
Another morning with the clear start giving way to cloud. A bit of a sunrise before the cloud was all the way across.
Another different shield-bug-type this morning after two species yesterday. This is a Red-legged Shieldbug (Pentatoma rufipes). Seems to have been unusually obvious this year.
The Flash: 06:50 – 07:50
(156th visit of the year)
Bird notes:
- Only Greylag Geese arrived while I was present. From their flight path I doubt whether they would have been visible from the lake.
- Many more birds out on the water – Mallard, Tufted Duck and Coots – all giving good counts.
- One of the adult Coots that had the most recent brood of two juveniles was seen refurbishing its nest – hopeful?
Birds noted flying over / near The Flash:
- 4 Black-headed Gulls
- 4 Wood Pigeons
- 1 Jackdaw
Hirundines etc. logged:
- 11 House Martins
Count of warblers logged (singing birds in brackets):
- 7 (0) Chiffchaffs
- 1 (0) Willow Warbler
- 2 (0) Blackcaps again
Counts from the water:
- 3 + 7 (1 brood) Mute Swans
- 51 Greylag Geese: all arrived
- 15 Canada Geese
- 32 (21♂) Mallard
- 40 (15?♂) Tufted Duck
- 2 Great Crested Grebes
- 5 adult and juvenile Moorhens
- 63 adult and juvenile Coots
- 1 Black-headed Gull
On various lamp poles:
Moths:
- *1 Elbow-stripe Grass-veneer (Agriphila geniculea)
The two adult Mute Swans with two of their five cygnets against the sunrise.
(Ed Wilson)
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The Flash: 06:50 – 07:50
(156th visit of the year)
Bird notes:
- Only Greylag Geese arrived while I was present. From their flight path I doubt whether they would have been visible from the lake.
- Many more birds out on the water – Mallard, Tufted Duck and Coots – all giving good counts.
- One of the adult Coots that had the most recent brood of two juveniles was seen refurbishing its nest – hopeful?
Birds noted flying over / near The Flash:
- 4 Black-headed Gulls
- 4 Wood Pigeons
- 1 Jackdaw
Hirundines etc. logged:
- 11 House Martins
Count of warblers logged (singing birds in brackets):
- 7 (0) Chiffchaffs
- 1 (0) Willow Warbler
- 2 (0) Blackcaps again
Counts from the water:
- 3 + 7 (1 brood) Mute Swans
- 51 Greylag Geese: all arrived
- 15 Canada Geese
- 32 (21♂) Mallard
- 40 (15?♂) Tufted Duck
- 2 Great Crested Grebes
- 5 adult and juvenile Moorhens
- 63 adult and juvenile Coots
- 1 Black-headed Gull
On various lamp poles:
Moths:
- *1 Elbow-stripe Grass-veneer (Agriphila geniculea)
Otherwise
- 1 Leiobunum rotundum harvestman
Also
- Mystacides longicornis (caddis flies)
- 1 Grey Squirrel again
- 1 Leiobunum rotundum harvestman
Also
- Mystacides longicornis (caddis flies)
- 1 Grey Squirrel again
I looked long and hard at this at the time and now at the photo. Are the marks as a result of wear or do they indicate a different species. Checking then the darker marks fit very well for Elbow-stripe Grass-veneer (Agriphila geniculea). The rather shorter palps also suggest it is not one of the other grass moths that I have been seeing recently. My 2020 moth species count at The Flash reaches a healthy 33.
(Ed Wilson)
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Of note
- A Willow Warbler singing at the lower pool
- A Willow Warbler singing at the lower pool
Otherwise: a moth on a lamp pole:
- *1 Pale-streak Grass-veneer (Agriphila selasella)
- *1 Pale-streak Grass-veneer (Agriphila selasella)
A very worn-looking grass moth – note the bare head and tatty wing-tip. Darker under what remains of the pale streak suggests Pale-streak Grass-veneer (Agriphila selasella).
(Ed Wilson)
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On this day..........