11.0°C > 15.0°C: Mainly cloudy. Light showers after 08:15. Calm start: light SW breeze later. Very good visibility, but poor in showers.
Sunrise: 05:41 BST
* = a photo today
Priorslee Lake: 04:25 – 06:00 // 07:00 – 09:10
Priorslee Lake: 04:25 – 06:00 // 07:00 – 09:10
(170th visit of the year)
Bird notes:
- One Tufted Duck flew off E. Later it, or another, flew in from the E.
- Four adult Great Crested Grebes are part of two family groups. Both the other adults are likely keeping guard on females siting on nests hidden in the reeds.
- Although there was no significant change in Black-headed Gull numbers there were many more juveniles in the early group on the football field.
Overhead:
- 49 Canada Geese: all outbound in four groups
- 41 Greylag Geese: 11 outbound in two groups; 30 inbound together
- 3 Stock Doves: together
- 78 Wood Pigeons
- 1 Herring Gull
- 4 Lesser Black-backed Gull
- 1 Grey Heron
- no Jackdaws
- 1 Rook
Hirundines etc., noted:
- 6 House Martins
Warblers noted:
- 13 Chiffchaffs
- 1 Sedge Warbler
- 7 Reed Warbler
- 4 Blackcaps
Count from the lake area:
- 2 + 4 (1 brood) Mute Swans
- 10 (?♂) Mallard
- 3 or 4 (?) Tufted Ducks
- 4 + 1 (1 brood) Moorhen
- 49 Coots: adults and immatures
- 6 + 3 (2 broods) Great Crested Grebes still
- 132 Black-headed Gulls: at least nine juveniles
- 1 Lesser Black-backed Gull: juvenile
- 2 Cormorants: arrived separately; one departed
- 1 Grey Heron
On / around the street lamps pre-dawn:
Bird notes:
- One Tufted Duck flew off E. Later it, or another, flew in from the E.
- Four adult Great Crested Grebes are part of two family groups. Both the other adults are likely keeping guard on females siting on nests hidden in the reeds.
- Although there was no significant change in Black-headed Gull numbers there were many more juveniles in the early group on the football field.
Overhead:
- 49 Canada Geese: all outbound in four groups
- 41 Greylag Geese: 11 outbound in two groups; 30 inbound together
- 3 Stock Doves: together
- 78 Wood Pigeons
- 1 Herring Gull
- 4 Lesser Black-backed Gull
- 1 Grey Heron
- no Jackdaws
- 1 Rook
Hirundines etc., noted:
- 6 House Martins
Warblers noted:
- 13 Chiffchaffs
- 1 Sedge Warbler
- 7 Reed Warbler
- 4 Blackcaps
Count from the lake area:
- 2 + 4 (1 brood) Mute Swans
- 10 (?♂) Mallard
- 3 or 4 (?) Tufted Ducks
- 4 + 1 (1 brood) Moorhen
- 49 Coots: adults and immatures
- 6 + 3 (2 broods) Great Crested Grebes still
- 132 Black-headed Gulls: at least nine juveniles
- 1 Lesser Black-backed Gull: juvenile
- 2 Cormorants: arrived separately; one departed
- 1 Grey Heron
On / around the street lamps pre-dawn:
Moths:
- 3 Common Grass-veneers (Agriphila tristella)
- *1 Ruby Tiger (Phragmatobia fuliginosa): dead in web
- 3 Common Grass-veneers (Agriphila tristella)
- *1 Ruby Tiger (Phragmatobia fuliginosa): dead in web
and
- *1 mayfly sp.
- 2 Bridge Orb-web Spiders (Larinioides sclopetarius)
- 1 Cucumber Green Orb Spider (Araniella cucurbitina-type)
- 4 Dicranopalpus sp. harvestmen.
Things seen later:
The showers put paid to finding insects!
- *1 mayfly sp.
- 2 Bridge Orb-web Spiders (Larinioides sclopetarius)
- 1 Cucumber Green Orb Spider (Araniella cucurbitina-type)
- 4 Dicranopalpus sp. harvestmen.
Things seen later:
The showers put paid to finding insects!
Moths:
- *Common Grass-veneer (Agriphila tristella)
- *Common Grass-veneer (Agriphila tristella)
Bees / Wasps etc.:
- Common Wasp (Paravespula vulgaris)
- Common Wasp (Paravespula vulgaris)
Hoverflies:
- Chequered Hoverfly (Melanostoma scalare)
- Chequered Hoverfly (Melanostoma scalare)
Other flies:
- *Unidentified fly
- *Unidentified fly
Other insects:
- *Unidentified possible Thrip
- *Unidentified larvae: possibly either from a plant bug or Alder Leaf Beetle (Agelastica alni)
- *Unidentified possible Thrip
- *Unidentified larvae: possibly either from a plant bug or Alder Leaf Beetle (Agelastica alni)
Molluscs:
- White-lipped Snails (Cepaea hortensis)
- White-lipped Snails (Cepaea hortensis)
Mammals:
- 7 Pipistrelle-type bats
- 7 Pipistrelle-type bats
Plant confirmed:
- *Hoary Ragwort (Senecio erucifolius)
- *Hoary Ragwort (Senecio erucifolius)
Success! This is confirmed as Hoary Ragwort (Senecio erucifolius) from the slim and well-separated lobes on the leaves. Note that both Senecio and Jacobaea are used as the genus name for ragworts, the former seemingly preferred these days.
(Ed Wilson)
The Flash: 06:05 – 06:55
The Tufted Ducklings are real characters and are no acquiring some adult features. The one on the right is preening its pointed tail-feathers.
(Ed Wilson)
Between the lake and The Flash:
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On various lamp poles:
- *1 Little Grey moth (Eudonia lacustrata)
- 1 Single-dotted Wave moth (Idaea dimidiata)
- *1 Little Grey moth (Eudonia lacustrata)
- 1 Single-dotted Wave moth (Idaea dimidiata)
These grey moths are always a challenge. If I have this right the extensive unmarked area in the centre of the forewings means this is a Little Grey (Eudonia lacustrata).
(Ed Wilson)
In the Priorslee Avenue tunnel:
(Ed Wilson)
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- *1 Notch-wing Button moth (Acleris emargana)
- 1 Single-dotted Wave moth (Idaea dimidiata)
- 1 Caddis fly sp.
- 1 Single-dotted Wave moth (Idaea dimidiata)
- 1 Caddis fly sp.
I was going to say "the unique shape of the Notch-wing Button moth (Acleris emargana) needs no further comment". I now read that there is a species A. effractana, newly resurrected after being considered a form of A. emargana. This is unlikely to be that resurrected species as it occurs mainly in Scotland and it has a shallower emargination to the forewing. I struggled to get any markings on this small moth against the off-white roof of the tunnel.
(Ed Wilson)
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(155th visit of the year)
Bird notes:
- Two Mallard with ducklings: broods of two (some days old) and four (looked very new).
- The Great Crested Grebe pair still too far away to determine the number of juveniles.
- One of the two intermittently singing Willow Warblers was in the same tree as it was yesterday and probably the same or adjacent tree when noted on 2nd August.
Birds noted flying over here:
- 12 Wood Pigeons
Hirundines etc., noted:
Bird notes:
- Two Mallard with ducklings: broods of two (some days old) and four (looked very new).
- The Great Crested Grebe pair still too far away to determine the number of juveniles.
- One of the two intermittently singing Willow Warblers was in the same tree as it was yesterday and probably the same or adjacent tree when noted on 2nd August.
Birds noted flying over here:
- 12 Wood Pigeons
Hirundines etc., noted:
None
Warblers noted:
- 2 Willow Warblers: both singing intermittently
- 8 Chiffchaffs
On /around the water:
- 10 Canada Geese
- 1 Greylag Goose
- 3 + 2 (1 brood) Mute Swan
- *52 (?♂) + 6 (2 broods) Mallard
- *39 (?♂) + 4 (1 brood) Tufted Duck
- 2 + 1 (1 brood) Moorhens
- 7 juvenile Coots (4 broods)
- 2 + ? (1 brood) Great Crested Grebes
- 2 Black-headed Gull no juveniles
On various lamp poles:
- 1 Small Fan-footed Wave (Idaea biselata)
- 1 Single-dotted Wave moth (Idaea dimidiata)
- 6 Dicranopalpus sp. harvestmen.
- 2 Willow Warblers: both singing intermittently
- 8 Chiffchaffs
On /around the water:
- 10 Canada Geese
- 1 Greylag Goose
- 3 + 2 (1 brood) Mute Swan
- *52 (?♂) + 6 (2 broods) Mallard
- *39 (?♂) + 4 (1 brood) Tufted Duck
- 2 + 1 (1 brood) Moorhens
- 7 juvenile Coots (4 broods)
- 2 + ? (1 brood) Great Crested Grebes
- 2 Black-headed Gull no juveniles
On various lamp poles:
- 1 Small Fan-footed Wave (Idaea biselata)
- 1 Single-dotted Wave moth (Idaea dimidiata)
- 6 Dicranopalpus sp. harvestmen.
These four Mallard ducklings look very new to me.
Rather like puppies the feet look disproportionately large.
And here is a video of them with their mother. I could have gone on (and on) but the camera battery went flat. By the time I had changed it they had moved out of range. I had hoped to capture at least one of the ducklings flapping its wings – just the stubby bone structure at the moment with the flight feathers still to grow.
(Ed Wilson)
NOTE:
For Ed Wilson's visit to Venus Pool on 7 Aug 21 click HERE.
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On this day
2020Priorslee Lake
Today's Sightings Here
Today's Sightings Here
2019
Priorslee Lake
Today's Sightings Here
2018
Priorslee Lake
Today's Sightings Here
2015
Priorslee Lake
Today's Sightings Here
2014
Priorslee Lake
Today's Sightings Here
2012
Priorslee Lake
Green Sandpiper
(Ed Wilson)
2011
Priorslee Lake
2 Lapwings
(Ed Wilson)
2009
Priorslee Lake
4 Little Egrets
(Ed Wilson)
2008
Priorslee Lake
Peregrine Falcon
(Ed Wilson)
2007
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Redshank
(Ed Wilson)