Priorslee Lake and The Flash
11.0°C > 16.0°C: Overcast until c.08:30 then good sunny spells. Light easterly wind. Good visibility.
Sunrise: 04:47 BST
* = a photo of this species today
A somewhat late start after two days watching aircraft in Northamptonshire.
Priorslee Balancing Lake: 06:20 – 06:30 // 07:25 – 09:45
(122nd visit of the year)
Bird notes:
- Strange: much of the time there were no Mute Swans visible. One adult briefly emerged from the reeds around the nest site – not sure which sex. Later an adult emerged with the two cygnets.
- In the warm weather a bumper number of Coots and their juveniles were visible.
- Two Great Crested Grebe juveniles were in the water: at least one other from the same brood was on a parent's back. Possibly another was as well. A pair was displaying. Seven more were just 'hanging about'.
- No sight or sound of any Sedge Warbler. A Reed Warbler was singing from the same area instead.
- *The first juvenile Goldfinches of the year noted.
Birds noted flying over here:
- 16 Canada Geese: inbound together
- 6 Greylag Geese: five outbound together; single inbound
- 5 Wood Pigeons
- 16 Jackdaws
Warblers noted (the number singing in brackets):
- 1 (1) Cetti's Warbler
- 1 (1) Willow Warbler
- 7 (5) Chiffchaffs
- no Sedge Warbler
- 9 (9) Reed Warblers
- 10 (8) Blackcaps
- 2 (2) Garden Warblers
- 1 (0) Common Whitethroat
Hirundines etc., noted:
- c.10 Swifts
- 2 Barn Swallows
Counts from the lake area: it remains very quiet
- 8 Canada Geese: flew in together
- 1? + 2 (1 brood) Mute Swans: see notes
- 2 (2♂) Mallard
- 1 Moorhen
- 35 + 26 (10 broods) Coots
- 11 + 3? (1 brood) Great Crested Grebes
- 2 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
+ = my first sighting of this species this year.
++ = new species for me at this site.
On and around the street lamp poles post dawn:
Nothing noted
Noted later:
Butterflies:
- Speckled Wood (Pararge aegeria)
Moths:
- Silver-ground Carpet (Xanthorhoe montanata)
Bees / wasps etc.:
- Garden Bumblebee (Bombus hortorum)
- Tree Bumblebee (Bombus hypnorum)
Dragon-/damsel-flies:
- Common Blue Damselfly (Enallagma cyathigerum)
- Blue-tailed Damselfly (Ischnura elegans)
Hoverflies:
- Marmalade Hoverfly (Episyrphus balteatus)
- *Large Narcissus Fly (Merodon equestris)
- +Pied Hoverfly (Scaeva pyrastri)
- *Common Twist-tail (Sphaerophoria scripta)
- Syrphus sp. (S. ribesii / S. vitripennis)
Other flies:
- Black Snipefly (Chrysopilus cristatus)
- *Scorpion Fly Panorpa sp.
- *Yellow Dung Fly (Scathophaga stercoraria)
- *an array of other unidentified flies.
Beetles:
- *Lesser Thick-legged Flower Beetle (Ischnomera cyanea)
- +*Swollen-thighed Beetle (Oedemera nobilis)
- Nettle Weevil (Phyllobius pomaceus)
Bugs:
- none
Also
- +*Mole: swimming!
- White-lipped Snail (Cepaea hortensis)
- +*flowering Hedge Woundwort (Stachys sylvatica)
Fewer Song Thrushes in song now. One looking for food.
This tiny hoverfly is I think a female Common Twist-tail (Sphaerophoria scripta). I do not often record the females: males are easier to identify as their abdomen unusually extends beyond the tips of the wings. Not so in females. A small species: she is resting on the seed-head of grass!
A side-elevation view of a Scorpion Fly Panorpa sp.
And a plan view of a Yellow Dung Fly (Scathophaga stercoraria).
One of today's unknown flies. Rather grey overall. Rubbing it front legs together.
Also a grey fly rubbing its front legs together but apparently a different species.
A very different-shaped but equally unidentified fly. It seems to have unusually long antennae (for a fly).
I assume this is a swimming Mole? It had swum across the width of the lake. Most odd.
With all the spotting on the leaves I assume these are Common Spotted-orchids (Dactylorhiza fuchsii).
Just starting to flower is Hedge Woundwort (Stachys sylvatica).
(Ed Wilson)
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The Flash: 06:35 – 07:20
(113th visit of the year)
Bird notes:
- I did not see last year's Mute Swan cygnet though it is quite possible it was always the other side of the island.
- What I assume to be the same pair of Great Crested Grebes were asleep alongside the island. Might they have juveniles on their backs?
Birds noted flying over here:
- 1 Jackdaw
- 4 Starlings
Warblers noted (the number singing in brackets):
- 7 (6) Chiffchaffs
- 1 (1) Blackcap
Hirundines etc., noted:
- 4 Swifts
- 2 House Martins
Noted on / around the water
- 67 Canada Geese
- 12 Greylag Geese
- 2 + 4 Mute Swans: last year's bird not noted
- *20 (16♂) + 1 (1 brood) Mallard
- 1 (1♂) all-white duck (Peking(?) Duck)
- 11 (7♂) Tufted Duck
- 5 Moorhens
- 23+ 4 (3 broods) Coots
- 4 Great Crested Grebes
- 2 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
On / around the street lamp poles around the water:
Nothing noted
Elsewhere:
- *A Common Pug moth (Eupithecia vulgata) on one of the street lamp poles between the lake and The Flash:
What you again?
Less vocal now it spent time looking about as here...
... and here.
But just to show it could still belt it out!
I found this Common Pug moth (Eupithecia vulgata) on a lamp pole between The Flash and the Balancing Lake.
(Ed Wilson)
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On this day can be found via the yearly links in the right-hand column.
2009
Priorslee Lake
12 Swift
1 Lesser Whitethroat
Willow Warbler
(Ed Wilson)
2006
Priorslee Lake
3 Great Crested Grebes
9 Greylag Geese
5 Tufted Duck
Kestrel
22 Swift
4 Swallows
6 House Martin
5 Reed Warbler
1 Lesser Whitethroat
2 Common Whitethroat
2 Garden Warbler
8 Blackcap
5 Chiffchaffs
2 Jays
10 Greenfinch
6 Reed Bunting
(Ed Wilson)