10 Aug 23

Priorslee Lake

16.0°C > 18.0°C: A clear start with mist over the lake. Later lifted mist from the surrounding area produced low cloud. Light easterly breeze. Very good visibility

Sunrise: 05:44 BST

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

Priorslee Balancing Lake: 05:25 – 07:25

(160th visit of the year)

A short visit ahead of other commitments.

Bird notes:
- All geese were noted outbound. The inbound flights would have taken place after I departed.
- A mixed collection of warblers calling at the West end c.05:40 with Reed and Garden Warbler, Common Whitethroat as well as the ubiquitous Chiffchaffs.

Counts of birds noted flying over here:
- 35 Canada Geese: outbound in seven groups
- 16 Greylag Geese: outbound in three groups
- 36 Wood Pigeons
- 9 Lesser Black-backed Gulls: ages not determined

Warblers noted (the number singing in brackets):
- 1 (1) Willow Warbler
- 17 (2) Chiffchaffs
- 1 (0) Reed Warblers
- 1 (0) Garden Warbler
- 1 (0) Blackcaps
- 1 (0) Common Whitethroat

Hirundines etc., noted:
- 1 Barn Swallow
- 1 House Martin

Counts from the lake area:
- 1 Canada Goose: departed
- 2 + 2 Mute Swans
- 7 (?♂) Mallard
- 5 Moorhen
- 43 Coots: many presumed still inside the reeds
- 5 + 3 (2 broods) Great Crested Grebes
- 15 Black-headed Gulls: only five on the football field c.06:15. 15 (of these?) earlier at the lake.

On or around the street lamp poles at dawn:

Moths:
- *1 Common Yellow Conch (Agapeta hamana) [formerly known as Hook-marked Straw-moth]
- *1 Common Grass-veneer (Agriphila tristella)

Other things:
- *1 mosquito, perhaps Aedes punctor
- *1 springtail Pogonognathellus longicornis-type
- *1 Bridge Orb-web Spider (Larinioides sclopetarius)

Noted later:
Meagre numbers as I departed before most insects were up and flying.

Butterflies:
- Meadow Brown (Maniola jurtina)

Moths:
- Satin Grass-veneer (Crambus perlella): very many
**I did not check most of the grass moths flying today.

Bees / wasps etc.:
- Common Carder Bee (Bombus pascuorum)
- Common Wasp (Paravespula vulgaris)

Hoverflies:
- Chequered Hoverfly (Melanostoma scalare)

Dragon-/damsel-flies:
- none

Other flies:
- none of note

Beetles:
- *Harlequin Ladybird (Harmonia axyridis) var. spectabilis

Bugs:
- none

Also
- White-lipped Snail (Cepaea hortensis)

Not an inspiring sunrise: a touch of mist over the lake and in the distance the grey of lifted mist which soon...

...allowed the sun mostly disappear in to the mist. A sun-spot is visible just below the 3 o'clock line across the face.

The dew fails to hide the markings on this Common Yellow Conch moth (Agapeta hamana).

A daily occurrence at the moment are Common Grass-veneer moths (Agriphila tristella).

With two plumed antennae and long and hairy palps this has to be a male mosquito. Males are harmless feeding on nectar. There are 1600 species world-wide so..... This looks most like Aedes punctor, common in this country.

It is some weeks since I last noted one of the springtails. I reckon of the Pogonognathellus longicornis-type

A Harlequin Ladybird (Harmonia axyridis) of the form spectabilis.

A Bridge Orb-web Spider (Larinioides sclopetarius) patrols its web high up on one of the street lamp poles. I only ever see these pre-dawn after which they hide away.

(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
6 Little Egrets
(Ed Wilson)

2009
Priorslee Lake
Kingfisher
(Ed Wilson)

2007
Priorslee Lake
1 Little Egret
(Ed Wilson)

Nedge Hill
Location
Redstart
(John Isherwood)

2005
Priorslee Lake
5 Arctic Terns
(Ed Wilson)