8.0°C > 14.0°C: A few patches of mainly high cloud. Some (Autumn?) mist over the lake early. Calm start with very light 'W' wind developing. Very good visibility.
Sunrise: 05:15 BST
* = a photo today
Priorslee Lake: 04:35 – 05:50 // 06:45 – 09:25
(111th visit of the year)
Bird notes:
- The Common Sandpiper was a surprise: it is rather late for a passage bird. It was also unusual in that it was flushed on at least five occasions and at no time did I hear it call. They are typically noisy birds.
- It is some days since I saw or heard a Common Buzzard at the time I visit. One of the residents enquired as to whether they are nesting in the Ricoh copse this year. They may be: they are often unobtrusive until the young start begging for food.
- The Willow Warbler was singing at the W end throughout today.
- I am reasonably confident that there were four singing Garden Warblers this morning.
Birds noted flying over here:
- 7 Canada Geese: outbound together
- 2 Stock Doves: pair again
- 12 Wood Pigeons
- 1 Collared Dove
- 2 Lesser Black-backed Gulls: (near) adults
- 5 Cormorants: quartet and single
- 23 Jackdaws
- 2 Rooks
Hirundines etc. noted:
- 4 Swifts
- 2 Barn Swallows
Probably more individual Swifts as sometimes four; sometimes none; sometimes four again
Warblers noted (figures in brackets relate to singing birds):
- 1 (1) Cetti's Warbler
- 1 (1) Willow Warbler
- 13 (12) Chiffchaffs
- 2 (2) Sedge Warblers
- 9 (8) Reed Warblers
- 19 (17) Blackcaps
- 4 (4) Garden Warblers
- 1 (1) Common Whitethroat
Counts from the lake area:
- 2 + 2 (1 brood) Canada Geese: goslings still surviving
- 2 Mute Swans: pen seen still on nest with cob often in close attendance
- 6 (5♂) Mallard
- 4 Moorhens
- 23 + 14 (5 broods) Coots
- *6 Great Crested Grebes again
- 1 Common Sandpiper
- 1 Lesser Black-backed Gull: (near) adult, briefly
- 1 Grey Heron
On / around the street lamp poles pre-dawn:
Again nothing noted
Noted later in mainly cloudy conditions:
A Great Crested Grebe doing its Dagwood impression. I did wonder whether the hunched back feathers might indicate there were juveniles on the back. I saw no further evidence.
Noted later in mainly cloudy conditions:
Butterflies:
- Green-veined White (Pieris napi)
- *Speckled Wood (Pararge aegeria)
- Green-veined White (Pieris napi)
- *Speckled Wood (Pararge aegeria)
Moths
- *Green Long-horn (Adela reaumurella)
- Common Nettle-tap (Anthophila fabriciana)
*** yesterday's unknown moth has been identified by the Shropshire recorder as a Thistle Bell (Epiblema scutulana)
Bees / wasps etc.
- *Early Bumblebee (Bombus pratorum)
- Buff-tailed Bumblebee (Bombus terrestris)
- *Possibly a Flavous Nomad Bee (Nomada flava)
- *Green Long-horn (Adela reaumurella)
- Common Nettle-tap (Anthophila fabriciana)
*** yesterday's unknown moth has been identified by the Shropshire recorder as a Thistle Bell (Epiblema scutulana)
Bees / wasps etc.
- *Early Bumblebee (Bombus pratorum)
- Buff-tailed Bumblebee (Bombus terrestris)
- *Possibly a Flavous Nomad Bee (Nomada flava)
Hoverflies:
- Stripe-backed Fleckwing (Dasysyrphus albostriatus)
- Common Spotted Field Syrph (Eupeodes luniger)
- Chequered Hoverfly (Melanostoma scalare)
- *Pellucid Fly (Volucella pellucens) [Pied Plumehorn]
- Stripe-backed Fleckwing (Dasysyrphus albostriatus)
- Common Spotted Field Syrph (Eupeodes luniger)
- Chequered Hoverfly (Melanostoma scalare)
- *Pellucid Fly (Volucella pellucens) [Pied Plumehorn]
Dragon- / damsel- flies:
- none
- none
Flies:
- *Dark-edged Bee-fly (Bombilius major)
- Greenbottle Lucilia sp.
- Alder Fly (Sialis lutaria)
- Scorpion Fly (Panorpa sp.)
- *Yellow Dung Fly (Scathophaga stercoraria)
- plus the usual many other flies of many species
- *Dark-edged Bee-fly (Bombilius major)
- Greenbottle Lucilia sp.
- Alder Fly (Sialis lutaria)
- Scorpion Fly (Panorpa sp.)
- *Yellow Dung Fly (Scathophaga stercoraria)
- plus the usual many other flies of many species
Bugs etc.:
- 1*4 Spot Ladybird (Propylea quattuordecimpunctata)
- Nettle Weevil (Phyllobius pomaceus)
- Red-and-Black Froghopper (Cercopis vulnerata)
- White-lipped Snail (Cepaea hortensis)
- 1*4 Spot Ladybird (Propylea quattuordecimpunctata)
- Nettle Weevil (Phyllobius pomaceus)
- Red-and-Black Froghopper (Cercopis vulnerata)
- White-lipped Snail (Cepaea hortensis)
Spiders
- Cucumber Green Orb Spider-type (possibly Araniella cucurbitina)
- *Crab spider Misumena vatia
- Tetragnatha sp. stretch spider
- Cucumber Green Orb Spider-type (possibly Araniella cucurbitina)
- *Crab spider Misumena vatia
- Tetragnatha sp. stretch spider
Not an inspiring sunrise with very little colour.
A rather scruffy-looking bumblebee. It is an Early Bumblebee (Bombus pratorum).
Possibly a Flavous Nomad Bee (Nomada flava)
Hairy or what? A Yellow Dung Fly (Scathophaga stercoraria).
I am also always happy to see a 14 Spot Ladybird (Propylea quattuordecimpunctata).
This Crab spider Misumena vatia is still on the same Cow Parsley (Anthriscus sylvestris) as it was a week ago. Each time it seems rather less yellow and more white which I suppose blends better with the flowers. It still is easy to spot though.
The Flash: 05:55 – 06:40
(Ed Wilson)
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(108th visit of the year)
Bird notes:
- I give up with the goslings! No Canada Goose goslings found. A single Greylag gosling with a pair of adults and a group of five goslings with a single adult Greylag! Perhaps others inside the island?
- Two Mallard ducklings on the edge of the island with a duck Mallard: possibly more as hard to see as they clambered between all the tree roots.
- Yesterday's battling group of Tufted Ducks not seen, All the five noted eventually climbed inside the island and essentially disappeared.
- The two Swifts seen were very distant and over historic breeding area of St Georges.
- Only two juvenile Coots noted in what was usually the group of four. Were the others just hiding? They seem a bit big to have been predated.
- A third Great Crested Grebe was keeping out of the way.
Birds noted flying over here:
Bird notes:
- I give up with the goslings! No Canada Goose goslings found. A single Greylag gosling with a pair of adults and a group of five goslings with a single adult Greylag! Perhaps others inside the island?
- Two Mallard ducklings on the edge of the island with a duck Mallard: possibly more as hard to see as they clambered between all the tree roots.
- Yesterday's battling group of Tufted Ducks not seen, All the five noted eventually climbed inside the island and essentially disappeared.
- The two Swifts seen were very distant and over historic breeding area of St Georges.
- Only two juvenile Coots noted in what was usually the group of four. Were the others just hiding? They seem a bit big to have been predated.
- A third Great Crested Grebe was keeping out of the way.
Birds noted flying over here:
None
Hirundines etc. noted:
- 2 Swifts
- 1 Barn Swallow again
Warblers noted (figures in brackets relate to singing birds):
- 5 (3) Chiffchaffs
- 2 (2) Blackcaps
Noted on / around the water:
- 26 + zero Canada Geese: of these a pair departed
- 5 + 5 (2 broods) Greylag Geese: of these a pair arrived
- 3 Mute Swans
- 22 (17♂) + 2 (1 brood) Mallard
- 1 (1♂) all-white duck (Aylesbury Duck)
- 5 (3♂) Tufted Duck
- 6 Moorhens yet again
- 20 + 2 (1 brood) Coots
- 3 Great Crested Grebes still
Noted on / around the street lamp poles
- 1 Common European Earwig (Forficula auricularia): same place as yesterday
Noted elsewhere:
- 1 Grey Squirrel
Between the lake and The Flash:
- single Moorhens beside each pool again.
- 1 Chiffchaff singing beside the lower pool still.
and
- 1 springtail sp. on a street lamp pole
In the Priorslee Avenue tunnel:
- just a few plumed and other midges
Hirundines etc. noted:
- 2 Swifts
- 1 Barn Swallow again
Warblers noted (figures in brackets relate to singing birds):
- 5 (3) Chiffchaffs
- 2 (2) Blackcaps
Noted on / around the water:
- 26 + zero Canada Geese: of these a pair departed
- 5 + 5 (2 broods) Greylag Geese: of these a pair arrived
- 3 Mute Swans
- 22 (17♂) + 2 (1 brood) Mallard
- 1 (1♂) all-white duck (Aylesbury Duck)
- 5 (3♂) Tufted Duck
- 6 Moorhens yet again
- 20 + 2 (1 brood) Coots
- 3 Great Crested Grebes still
Noted on / around the street lamp poles
- 1 Common European Earwig (Forficula auricularia): same place as yesterday
Noted elsewhere:
- 1 Grey Squirrel
(Ed Wilson)
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- single Moorhens beside each pool again.
- 1 Chiffchaff singing beside the lower pool still.
and
- 1 springtail sp. on a street lamp pole
(Ed Wilson)
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- just a few plumed and other midges
(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
Hobby
(Ed Wilson)
2011
Priorslee Lake
Black-tailed Godwit
3 Whimbrel
(Ed Wilson)
2009
Priorslee Lake
Common Tern
5 Common Sandpiper
(John Isherwood)
2006
Priorslee Lake
2 Ruddy Ducks
(Ed Wilson)