Priorslee Lake and The Flash
13.0°C > 17.0°C: Very mixed: started with patches of medium cloud and rather hazy; by 05:45 became very misty for a while then that lifted to low cloud; cleared from the S back to broken medium level clouds after 07:30 with a little sun at times. Light S breeze. Moderate visibility then poor for a while, becoming good.
Sunrise: 04:59 BST
* = a photo today
Priorslee Lake: 04:10 – 05:35 // 06:40 – 08:50
(143rd visit of the year)
Bird notes:
- One now quite well-grown Mallard ducklings seen.
- A Swift few straight through at 04:55. Two arrived at 05:05 but did not stay. No others seen.
- The first of five adult Black-headed Gulls arrived at 04:50 and presumably the same five left and returned throughout.
- The recently arrived Sedge Warbler was singing loudly pre-07:00: I did not see or hear it later. Neither did I see or hear the nesting pair.
- Three House Sparrow (two males) were along the dam-face again.
- An adult male Grey Wagtail seen only briefly: did not seem to have any rings, as shown by the bird that bred locally and seen well in to May.
Overhead:
- 19 Wood Pigeons
- 1 Lesser Black-backed Gull: age not determined again
- 2 Jackdaws again
- 13 Rooks
Hirundines etc., noted:
- 3 Swifts
- 2 Barn Swallow
- 10 House Martins
Warblers noted (the number in brackets is singing birds):
- 9 (9) Chiffchaffs
- 1 (1) Sedge Warblers
- 6 (5) Reed Warblers
- 12 (9) Blackcaps
- 2 (2) Garden Warblers still
- 5 (2) Common Whitethroats
Count from the lake area
- 2 + 5 (1 brood) Mute Swans
- 12 (10♂) + 1 (1 brood) Mallard
- 2 Moorhens
- 33 + 12 (6 broods again) Coots
- *1 Common Sandpiper
- 5 Black-headed Gulls: adults
- 1 Lesser Black-backed Gull: adult, again
- 8 Great Crested Grebes again
- 1 Cormorant: arrived
- 2 Grey Herons: departed separately
On / around the street lamps pre-dawn:
13.0°C > 17.0°C: Very mixed: started with patches of medium cloud and rather hazy; by 05:45 became very misty for a while then that lifted to low cloud; cleared from the S back to broken medium level clouds after 07:30 with a little sun at times. Light S breeze. Moderate visibility then poor for a while, becoming good.
Sunrise: 04:59 BST
* = a photo today
Priorslee Lake: 04:10 – 05:35 // 06:40 – 08:50
(143rd visit of the year)
Bird notes:
- One now quite well-grown Mallard ducklings seen.
- A Swift few straight through at 04:55. Two arrived at 05:05 but did not stay. No others seen.
- The first of five adult Black-headed Gulls arrived at 04:50 and presumably the same five left and returned throughout.
- The recently arrived Sedge Warbler was singing loudly pre-07:00: I did not see or hear it later. Neither did I see or hear the nesting pair.
- Three House Sparrow (two males) were along the dam-face again.
- An adult male Grey Wagtail seen only briefly: did not seem to have any rings, as shown by the bird that bred locally and seen well in to May.
Overhead:
- 19 Wood Pigeons
- 1 Lesser Black-backed Gull: age not determined again
- 2 Jackdaws again
- 13 Rooks
Hirundines etc., noted:
- 3 Swifts
- 2 Barn Swallow
- 10 House Martins
Warblers noted (the number in brackets is singing birds):
- 9 (9) Chiffchaffs
- 1 (1) Sedge Warblers
- 6 (5) Reed Warblers
- 12 (9) Blackcaps
- 2 (2) Garden Warblers still
- 5 (2) Common Whitethroats
Count from the lake area
- 2 + 5 (1 brood) Mute Swans
- 12 (10♂) + 1 (1 brood) Mallard
- 2 Moorhens
- 33 + 12 (6 broods again) Coots
- *1 Common Sandpiper
- 5 Black-headed Gulls: adults
- 1 Lesser Black-backed Gull: adult, again
- 8 Great Crested Grebes again
- 1 Cormorant: arrived
- 2 Grey Herons: departed separately
On / around the street lamps pre-dawn:
Moths
- *1 Common Plume (Emmelina monodactyla)
- 1 Riband Wave (Idaea aversata)
- *1 Common Plume (Emmelina monodactyla)
- 1 Riband Wave (Idaea aversata)
And
- 1 Common Green Lacewing (Chrysoperia carnea)
- 3 caddis fly sp.
- 2 Bridge Orb-web Spiders (Larinioides cornutus)
In the sailing club shelter pre-dawn:
- 1 Snout moth (Hypena proboscidalis)
- 2 craneflies
- 2 Bridge Orb-web Spiders (Larinioides cornutus)
Other things:
Moths:
- *Common Nettle-tap (Anthophila fabriciana)
- Common Marble (Celypha lacunana)
- Garden Grass-veneer (Chrysoteuchia culmella)
- 1 Common Green Lacewing (Chrysoperia carnea)
- 3 caddis fly sp.
- 2 Bridge Orb-web Spiders (Larinioides cornutus)
In the sailing club shelter pre-dawn:
- 1 Snout moth (Hypena proboscidalis)
- 2 craneflies
- 2 Bridge Orb-web Spiders (Larinioides cornutus)
Other things:
Moths:
- *Common Nettle-tap (Anthophila fabriciana)
- Common Marble (Celypha lacunana)
- Garden Grass-veneer (Chrysoteuchia culmella)
Bees / Wasps:
- Common Wasp (Paravespula vulgaris)
- Common Wasp (Paravespula vulgaris)
Hoverflies:
- Marmalade Hoverfly (Episyrphus balteatus)
- Syrphus sp. (S. ribesii / S. vitripennis)
- Pellucid Fly (Volucella pellucens) [Pied Plumehorn]
- Marmalade Hoverfly (Episyrphus balteatus)
- Syrphus sp. (S. ribesii / S. vitripennis)
- Pellucid Fly (Volucella pellucens) [Pied Plumehorn]
Beetles:
- Harlequin Ladybird (Harmonia axyridis): larva and pupae
- Common Red Soldier Beetle aka Hogweed Bonking-beetle (Rhagonycha fulva)
- Harlequin Ladybird (Harmonia axyridis): larva and pupae
- Common Red Soldier Beetle aka Hogweed Bonking-beetle (Rhagonycha fulva)
Molluscs:
- White-lipped Snail (Cepaea hortensis)
- *Two species of glass snails, not specifically identified
- White-lipped Snail (Cepaea hortensis)
- *Two species of glass snails, not specifically identified
Mammals:
- 2 Noctule-type bats at 04:30
- 2 Noctule-type bats at 04:30
Flowers new for the year:
- *Common (or Perforate) St. John's-wort (Hypericum perforatum)
- *Common (or Perforate) St. John's-wort (Hypericum perforatum)
...when you hold a leaf up to the light it is perforated!
(Ed Wilson)
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- 1 Chiffchaff sang by the lower pool as I walked to The Flash
- 1 Blackcap sang by the lower pool as I walked back.
- 1 Common Grey moth (Scoparia ambigualis) on a lamp pole
(Ed Wilson)
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- *1 Single-dotted Wave moth (Idaea dimidiata)
- 1 Crane fly sp.
- *2 unidentified spiders
(Ed Wilson)
The Flash: 05:40 – 06:35
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(128th visit of the year)
Bird notes:
- Still many Mallard apparently hiding
- All five juvenile Moorhens were seen together but on size seemed to be from two different broods.
Birds noted flying over here:
- Still many Mallard apparently hiding
- All five juvenile Moorhens were seen together but on size seemed to be from two different broods.
Birds noted flying over here:
None
Hirundines etc., noted:
None
Warblers noted (the number in brackets is singing birds):
- 3 (3) Chiffchaffs again
- 3 (3) Blackcaps
On /around the water:
- 130 Canada Geese
- 43 Greylag Geese
- no Greylag x Canada Goose
- 3 + 2 (1 brood) Mute Swan
- 17 (12♂) Mallard
- 27 (?♂) Tufted Duck
- 4 + 5 (2? broods) Moorhens
- 9 juvenile Coots (5 broods)
- 1 Great Crested Grebe
Also noted, moths on different lamp posts:
- 2 Garden Grass-veneers (Chrysoteuchia culmella)
- *1 Small Fan-footed Wave (Idaea biselata): on a different lamp
- 3 (3) Chiffchaffs again
- 3 (3) Blackcaps
On /around the water:
- 130 Canada Geese
- 43 Greylag Geese
- no Greylag x Canada Goose
- 3 + 2 (1 brood) Mute Swan
- 17 (12♂) Mallard
- 27 (?♂) Tufted Duck
- 4 + 5 (2? broods) Moorhens
- 9 juvenile Coots (5 broods)
- 1 Great Crested Grebe
Also noted, moths on different lamp posts:
- 2 Garden Grass-veneers (Chrysoteuchia culmella)
- *1 Small Fan-footed Wave (Idaea biselata): on a different lamp
And
- 1 Grey Squirrel
- 1 Grey Squirrel
(Ed Wilson)
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On this day
2020