17 May 23

Priorslee Lake and The Flash

8.0°C > 12.0°C: Another clear start that rapidly went downhill. Mostly cloudy after 06:45 even with a very light rain shower. Cool-feeling light to moderate south-westerly wind. Very good visibility.

Sunrise: 05:11 BST

* = a photo of this species today

Priorslee Balancing Lake: 05:00 – 06:30 // 07:35 – 09:25

(101st visit of the year)

Highlight today was the noisy arrival of a trio of Oystercatchers at c.08:45. They departed after being flushed off the south-west grass c.09:05.

Other bird notes:
- Again I only noted one Mute Swan cygnet this morning before it and the pen retreated to the nest. Fishermen who had spent the night here reported two cygnets had been present last evening.
- Two Swifts were overhead at 05:30. No more until at least ten at c.08:15 with other hirundines.
- A lone Barn Swallow flew through at 05:20 with a trio doing the same at 05:35. These seemed to be late arrivals (two more were seen at The Flash later). After 08:15 at least four were feeding low over the water with other hirundines. Two, perhaps of these, were seen resting on one of the jetties.

Birds noted flying over here:
- 4 Canada Geese: duo outbound; and duo inbound
- 5 Wood Pigeons only
- 5 Herring Gulls
- 1 Lesser Black-backed Gull
- 21 Jackdaws
- 1 Rook yet again

Warblers noted (the number singing in brackets):
- 1 (1) Cetti's Warbler
- 2 (2) Willow Warblers
- 9 (7) Chiffchaffs
- 1 (1) Sedge Warbler
- 11 (11) Reed Warblers
- 11 (10) Blackcaps
- no Garden Warbler
- 1 (1) Common Whitethroat

Hirundines etc., noted:
- >10 Swifts
- 2 Sand Martins
- *>8 Barn Swallows: see notes
- 4 House Martins

Counts from the lake area:
- 6 + 2 (1 brood) Canada Geese: now just two goslings. Two other pairs visited separately and briefly.
- 2 + 4 (1 brood) Greylag Geese: now just four goslings
- 2 + 2? (1 brood) Mute Swans: see notes
- 5 (4♂) Mallard again
- *3 Oystercatchers, briefly
- 4 Moorhens
- 13 + 2 (1 brood) Coots only
- 7 Great Crested Grebes
- 1 Lesser Black-backed Gull; briefly: an apparently worn adult

On the street lamp poles around dawn again:

Nothing noted

Noted later: not much in cool cloudy conditions:
+ = my first sighting of this species this year

Hoverflies:
- *Cheilosia albitarsus agg. (C. ranunculi (Early Buttercup Cheilosia) or C. albitarsis (Late Buttercup Cheilosia))

Other insects:
- +*cranefly Tipula oleracea
- Alder Leaf Beetle (Agelastica alni)
- presumed Raspberry Beetle (Byturus tomentosus)
- Nettle Weevil (Phyllobius pomaceus)

Also
- stretch spider Tetragnatha sp.

Wot? Three clear early mornings in a row! Pity it didn't stay that way.

A fine trio of Oystercatchers that dropped in for about fifteen minutes. Note on two of them the wings are slightly brown-toned toward the tips. I am not sure whether this suggests they are first-year birds or wear from the breeding season. I suspect the former as the back bird seems to be all-black and have a brighter bill and legs.

All looking alert...

One of the three making a noisy departure!

A Barn Swallow sitting on one of the jetties.

Certainly a Cheilosia hoverfly and possibly one of C. ranunculi (Early Buttercup Cheilosia) or C. albitarsis (Late Buttercup Cheilosia) but which I cannot say.

This cranefly seems to be a Tipula oleracea. One characteristic of this species is the dark line down the centre of the abdomen. With a pointed end to the abdomen this is a female: it is the ovipositor which she uses to insert her eggs in to soft ground.

(Ed Wilson)

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The Flash: 06:35 – 07:30

(92nd visit of the year)

Highlight here were two Barn Swallows that flew through fighting taking my 2023 count of bird species recorded here to 69.

Other bird notes:
- At least three Mute Swan cygnets were seen emerging from underneath the pen with likely others still being brooded. The remaining cygnet from last year is now elevated in my log to an adult: So today '3 + 3' = three adults and three new cygnets.

Birds noted flying over here:
- 1 Jackdaw

Warblers noted (the number singing in brackets):
- 5 (5) Chiffchaffs
- 4 (4) Blackcaps

Hirundines etc., noted:
- 2 Swifts
- 2 Barn Swallows, as highlighted

Noted on / around the water
- 15 Canada Geese
- 2 Greylag Geese
- *3 + 3? Mute Swans
- *14 (12♂) + 1 (1 brood) Mallard
- [the all-white duck (Peking(?) Duck) not seen]
- 11 (6♂) Tufted Duck
- *6 Moorhens
- 22 + 1 (1 brood) Coots
- 3 Great Crested Grebes

Noted on / around the street lamp poles:
- *1 Alder Leaf Beetle (Agelastica alni)

Noted elsewhere:
- Alder Leaf Beetle (Agelastica alni)
- *presumed Raspberry Beetle (Byturus tomentosus)

Two Mute Swan cygnets have escaped from under the wings of the pen and looking at the big outside world.

This third cygnet has fallen off the nest platform and seemed to be struggling to be back. I hope it was going to be helped.

The duck Mallard does not seem too interested in her sole off-spring.

My what big feet you have! A Moorhen of course.

Since nest-building stopped the Long-tailed Tits have not been very evident. A small party, including this individual, went through the tree-tops.

Walking along my finger is a tiny and well-marked fly. There are not too many flies with a yellow scutellum: a few species of soldier fly and rather more species of hoverfly. This small fly seems to match none of the above.

This Alder Leaf Beetle (Agelastica alni) seems confused. It is resting on a street lamp pole.

Two presumed Raspberry Beetles (Byturus tomentosus) inside a buttercup. New for me here but probably only because I have 'got my eye in' for this species.

Between the lake and The Flash

This Moorhen was on the grass alongside the upper pool. At my approach rather than scamper or fly back to the pool it flew on to the fence of a garden in Everglade Road which backs on to the path.

(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

2012
Priorslee Lake
Yellow Wagtail
Grasshopper Warbler
(Ed Wilson)

2007
Priorslee Lake
Wheatear
1 Ruddy Duck
(Malcolm Thompson/Ed Wilson)

2006
Priorslee Lake
Cuckoo
2 Ruddy Ducks
(Ed Wilson)