1 Jun 23

Priorslee Lake and The Flash

9.0°C > 10.0°C: Overcast with a moderate, chilly East wind again. Very good visibility.

Sunrise: 04:53 BST

* = a photo of this species today

Very quiet again in continuing dull and chilly conditions.

Priorslee Balancing Lake: 05:00 – 06:20 // 07:15 – 08:55

(115th visit of the year)

Bird notes:
- *Highlight today was a Common Kestrel hovering over the south-west grassy area at 05:20 only. My first record of this species here this year and my 92nd bird species of the year.
- *A juvenile Pied Wagtail was seen being fed on the concrete slipway.

Birds noted flying over here:
- 5 Canada Geese: duo and trio outbound
- 5 Greylag Geese: also a duo and trio outbound
- 4 (3♂) Mallard
- 11 Wood Pigeons
- 3 Lesser Black-backed Gull
- 3 Jackdaws
- 1 Rook

Warblers noted (the number singing in brackets):
- 1 (1) Cetti's Warbler
- 1 (1) Willow Warblers
- 13 (8) Chiffchaffs
- 2 (2) Sedge Warbler
- 11 (10) Reed Warblers
- 15 (14) Blackcaps
- 2 (1) Garden Warbler
- *1 (0) Common Whitethroat

Hirundines etc., noted:
- *c.40 Swifts
- c.5 Barn Swallows
- *c.8 House Martins

Counts from the lake area: it remains very quiet
- 2 + 2 (1 brood) Mute Swans
- 1 (1♂) Mallard
- 1 (1♂) Tufted Duck
- 1 Moorhen
- 25 + 11 (5 broods) Coots
- 6 Great Crested Grebes

+ = my first sighting of this species this year.
++ = new species for me.

Noted on and around the street lamp poles at dawn:

Moths:
- +*Plum Tortrix (Hedya pruniana)
- +*Common Pug (Eupithecia vulgata)

Noted later: chilly wind kept numbers low.

Butterflies:
- none

Moths:
- none

Bees / wasps etc.:
- Early Bumblebee (Bombus pratorum)

Dragon-/damsel-flies:
- none: too cold / windy

Hoverflies:
- Marmalade Hoverfly (Episyrphus balteatus)

Other flies:
- unusual fly, perhaps Bibio johannis
- 11 midges were on the leeward wall of the sailing club HQ

Beetles:
- Alder Leaf Beetle (Agelastica alni)

Bugs:
- Common Green Capsid (Lygocoris pabulinus)

Also
- White-lipped Snail (Cepaea hortensis)

Not much light at 05:20. No mistaking the silhouette of a hovering Common Kestrel though.

It was still dull conditions after 08:30 when I had another attempt to photograph the Swifts flying around. It is only on dull and breezy mornings that these visit the lake to catch the insects hatching from the water.

Compare the shape of this with birds from three days ago which I caught with their forked tail held apart. Here the tail is closed giving a more streamlined silhouette.

The tail just apart here.

House Martin is quite different in shape, appearing rather tubby. From above the bright white rump in unmistakable. The tail is twisted here as it turns.

The wings are shorter and wider than the sickle-shaped wings of Swift.

A few more photos of Common Whitethroat, a species that eluded me while it was singing.

The bill is slightly open here. The bird was giving a quiet churring call, thought to be alerting the nestlings to danger nearby and telling them to be quiet.

Here looking rather quizzical.

Last one.

A juvenile Pied Wagtail looking rather glum. It still has a gape line so it must have fledged very recently.

This micro-moth flew out of vegetation while I was checking the street lamp poles about 05:00. It perched briefly on leaves and I managed a quick photo before it flew on. I am sure it is a Plum Tortrix (Hedya pruniana). There are several similar species though none is nearly so common.

The moths were not being helpful today. This pug moth was right at the top of one of the street lamp poles with the camera flash failing to reveal any details. Probably a Common Pug (Eupithecia vulgata).

Not too sure about this fly. The well-separated head suggests it might be a species of Bibio fly with the dark mark along the wing-edge suggesting B. johannis. There are probably other flies that share these characteristics.

(Ed Wilson)

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The Flash: 06:25 – 07:10

(106th visit of the year)

Bird notes:
- Now down to just four Mute Swan cygnets (unless any were on the pen's back).
- There seems to be the start of the build-up of geese numbers as they enter the post-breeding moult. Later this month they will be flightless while they simultaneously moult all their flight feathers.
- There are Great Crested Grebes sitting on nests at both ends of the island. The non-brooding bird of the pair can be elusive..

Birds noted flying over here again:

None

Warblers noted (the number singing in brackets):
- 4 (4) Chiffchaffs
- 1 (1) Blackcap

Hirundines etc., noted:

None

Noted on / around the water
- 55 Canada Geese
- 5 Greylag Geese: four of these flew off together
- 3 + 4 Mute Swans:
- 16 (15♂) Mallard
- 1 (1♂) all-white duck (Peking(?) Duck)
- 9 (7♂) Tufted Duck
- 7 Moorhens
- 23+ 3 (? broods) Coots
- 2 Great Crested Grebes
- 1 Cormorant

On / around the street lamp poles:
Nothing noted

Noted elsewhere:
- not even an Alder Leaf Beetle was braving the chilly wind.

Unless there are any Mute Swan cygnets riding on the pen's back there are now only four remaining here.

(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

2007
Priorslee Lake
Common Tern
(Martin Adlam)

2006
Priorslee Lake
2 Ruddy Ducks
Peregrine
(Ed Wilson)