Priorslee Lake and The Flash
11.0°C > 13.0°C: Once again an overcast and dull summer's morning. Light NNW wind. Very good visibility.
Sunrise: 06:11 BST
* = a photo today
Priorslee Lake: 04:40 – 06:25 // 07:25 – 09:10
(187th visit of the year)
On Wednesday council contractors cleared the side of the very overgrown public footpath along the W end. Should not affect the insects too much, though fewer things will be able to crawl from the vegetation on to the lamps.
Today they were starting on the wide verge between Teece Drive and Ricoh. Depends how much they cut – "boys with toys?" – as to what effect it has on me being able to find interesting insects. I am pleased that 'no mow May' has lasted this long. I am aware that some of the residents have regarded it as unsightly but "wildlife does not do tidy".
Bird notes:
- The adult and three cygnet Mute Swans were all asleep together for a change. The fourth cygnet appeared later but stayed well-away from the others.
- Most of the large number of Wood Pigeons were passing W almost continually after 07:45. There were no significant groups as if they had been flushed from feeding locations. They all seemed to be on local movements as none was much above a hundred feet
Overhead:
- 65 Canada Geese: 57 outbound in four groups; eight inbound in four singles/duo/quartet
- 2 Feral Pigeons: together
- 17 Racing Pigeons: together
- 2 Stock Doves: together
- 277 Wood Pigeons
- 3 Herring Gulls
- 37 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
- 2 Jackdaws
- no Rooks
Hirundines etc., noted:
- 1 Barn Swallow flew W calling loudly at 08:10
Warblers noted:
- 10 Chiffchaffs: none noted in song
- 2 Blackcaps again
Count from the lake area:
- 2 + 4 (1 brood) Mute Swans
- 10 (?♂) Mallard again
- 1 (1♂) Tufted Duck still here
- 6 Moorhens: adults and immatures
- 57 Coots: adults and immatures
- *9 + 5 (3 broods) Great Crested Grebes still
- 214 Black-headed Gulls
- 1 Herring Gull: briefly
- 17 Lesser Black-backed Gulls: all stopped only briefly
- 1 Grey Heron
On / around the street lamps pre-dawn:
Moths
- 1 Common Grass-veneer (Agriphila tristella)
- 1 Elbow-stripe Grass-veneer moth (Agriphila geniculea)
- *1 Green Carpet (Colostygia pectinataria)
And
- 1 Common Wasp (Paravespula vulgaris): dead in web
- 1 Plumed midge (Chironomus plumosus)
- *1 beetle sp.
- 2 Bridge Orb-web Spider (Larinioides sclopetarius)
- 5 Dicranopalpus sp. harvestmen
In the sailing club shelter pre-dawn:
Spiders etc.:
- Bridge Orb-web Spiders (Larinioides sclopetarius)
- Noble False Widow (Steatoda nobilis)
Other things
- caddis fly sps. not identified
Very few things seen later in yet more dull and chilly conditions:
Bees / wasps:
- unidentified bee sp. in flight only
Caddis flies:
- Grouse Wing caddis flies (Mystacides longicornis): many dancing over vegetation
Molluscs:
- White-lipped Snail (Cepaea hortensis)
Mammals:
- 7 Pipistrelle-type bats in full walk around: fewer on this chilly morning, one in a different place to usual.
The third brood of Great Crested Grebes are now growing fast and usually out in the open.
I don't really have any idea about this beetle. There are very many all-black beetles that look like this. I see relatively few beetles and this was, unusually sitting around under a street light.
(Ed Wilson)
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Between the lake and The Flash:
- A Blackcap calling near the upper pool
Also noted on a lamp pole:
- 1 Single-dotted Wave moth (Idaea dimidiata)
- 1 Chequered Hoverfly (Melanostoma scalare)
- 1 Dicranopalpus sp. harvestman
(Ed Wilson)
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In the Priorslee Avenue tunnel:
- 1 Leiobunum rotundum harvestman
- 1 Common Rough Woodlouse (Porcellio scaber)
(Ed Wilson)
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The Flash: 06:30 – 07:20
(171st visit of the year)
Bird notes:
- The Common Buzzard overhead sounded like a begging juvenile and was probably the same bird that flew out of the Ricoh copse and ahead of me as I walked up the path between the lake and The Flash.
- House Martins were heard to the E while trees were blocking my view. By the time my view was clear there was no sign of them.
Birds noted flying over here:
- 2 Wood Pigeons
- 1 Common Buzzard
- 2 Jackdaws
Hirundines etc., noted:
- House Martins heard only
Warblers noted:
- 8 Chiffchaffs: three heard in song
- 1 Blackcap
On /around the water:
- 9 Canada Geese: three of these flew in together
- 2 Greylag Geese: these flew in together
- 3 + 2 (1 brood) Mute Swan
- 58 (?♂) Mallard
- 44 Tufted Duck
- 9 adult and juvenile Moorhens again
- 36 adult and juvenile Coots again
- 2 + 3 (1 brood) Great Crested Grebes
- 19 Black-headed Gulls: at least five first-winter birds
- 2 Grey Herons again
On various lamp poles:
All moths
- 1 Single-dotted Wave (Idaea dimidiata)
- *1 Iron Prominent (Notodonta dromedarius)
- *1 Square-spot Rustic (Xestia xanthographa)
From this angle the 'prominent' part of its name shows where the wings close to leave a 'tuft'.
A good example of a Square-spot Rustic (Xestia xanthographa). The 'square spot' refers to the white mark closest to wing tip which is called the kidney mark. On this species it is usually especially obvious and more square-shaped than on many similar species. It is not always this easy as this species can be very variable in ground colour, from reddish brown as here, through grey or deep brown, even almost black. On dark examples the marking are frequently obscure.
(Ed Wilson)
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On this day can be found via the yearly links in the right-hand column.
Sightings from previous years without links are below
2013
Priorslee Lake
Green Sandpiper
3 eclipse Teal
(Ed Wilson)
2010
Priorslee Lake
Greenshank
(Ed Wilson)
2005
Priorslee Lake
Black Swan flew over
233 Canada Geese over
11 Greylag Geese over
123 Jackdaws
234 Rooks
143 Greenfinches
1 Willow Warbler
2 Blackcaps
Cormorant flew over
(Ed Wilson)