25 Aug 16

The Flash: 07:00 – 07:25
Location

Sunrise: 06:09 BST

15°C > 16°C: Persistent low cloud gradually descended in to mist. Almost calm. Moderate visibility, becoming poor

(85th visit of the year)

Notes
- just 5 Black-headed Gulls when I arrived; 4 of these flew off; then a party of 22 flew in and stayed but briefly; 5 more flew over later
- likely there were many more House Martins around: I could hear lots but only see those directly overhead

Birds noted flying over (in poor conditions)
- 5 Black-headed Gulls
- 2 Wood Pigeons only

Hirundines etc. seen here today
- 3 House Martins (see notes)

Warblers seen / heard around the water: numbers in brackets are singing birds: song very sporadic now
- 4 (1) Chiffchaffs
- 3 (0) Blackcaps

The counts from the water (as best as I could in the conditions)
- 2 + 1 Mute Swans
- 11 Canada Geese
- 1 all white feral goose
- 43 (32♂) Mallard
- 18 (6?♂) Tufted Ducks
- 1 Grey Heron
- 2 + 1 Great Crested Grebes again
- 1 + 4 (3 broods) Moorhens
- 14 + 3 (2? broods) Coots
- 27 Black-headed Gulls (8 juveniles)
- 1 Lesser Black-backed Gull – the same adult?

(Ed Wilson)

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Priorslee Lake:
Location

Early Morning: 06:15

1 Shoveler

(John Isherwood)

Mid-morning report: 07:30 – 09:20

(120th visit of the year)

Notes from today
- 3 Greylag Geese overhead appeared to be lost in the mist – where were they coming from / going to?
- one Coot seen carrying nesting material – rather hopeful at this late date I would have thought
- an apparently recently fledged juvenile Great Tit seen: this species, unlike the Blue Tit, does occasionally have a second brood
- many warblers jumping around today, mainly Chiffchaffs. Rather more birds not calling to make life hard especially as after the wet early Summer the vegetation seems particularly dense this year
- rather few Blackbirds logged as I walked around but then I came across the unusual sight of at least 15 birds together jumping around in the same (dead) tree. Against the light I was unable to determine the age / sex of them
and
- a Brown China-mark moth was on a street lamp: only my 2nd record of this attractive species
- a rather alarming-looking red fly seems to be Neuroctena anilis

Counts of birds flying over the lake (in addition to those on / around lake)
**in poor conditions
- 3 Greylag Geese
- 1 Feral Pigeon
- 10 Wood Pigeons
- 2 Pied Wagtails
- 4 Greenfinches

Hirundines etc. seen here today
None

Warblers seen / heard around the water: numbers in brackets are singing birds: song very sporadic now
- 12 (1) Chiffchaffs
- 2 (0) Willow Warblers
- 4 (0) Blackcaps
- 2 (0) Reed Warblers

The counts from the lake area
- 2 + 1 Mute Swans
- 20 (7♂) Mallard
- 6 (2?♂) Tufted Ducks
- 6 + 6 (3 broods) Great Crested Grebes again
- 1 + 2 (2 broods) Moorhens
- 51 + 14 Coots
- 55 Black-headed Gulls (22 juveniles)
- 1 Lesser Black-backed Gull

About the only bird that there was enough light to photograph this morning: a sombre-looking Robin against a sombre background on a sombre day!

This moth is Brown China-mark (Elophila nymphaeata). The China-mark group is unusual in having aquatic larvae. The name derives from the pattern of some species in the group resembling Chinese characters, but since there are up to 50000 of those most things probably resemble at least one character.

This rather alarming-looking fly seems to be Neuroctena anilis (until recently known as Dryomyza anilis). From the web I learn it breeds in decaying substances such as carrion and rotting fungi. The adults are attracted to alcohol, such as in the fermenting juices of rotting fruit, and they sometimes accidentally contaminate alcoholic drinks. It is mainly a woodland species, on the wing from May until October and is widespread in the UK. That said I cannot recall seeing one before. I guess the blackberries, some of which are beginning to rot, would be the likely attraction.

(Ed Wilson)

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Nedge Hill: 07:45
Location

1 Wheatear

(John Isherwood)

24 Aug 16

The Flash: 07:00 – 07:25
Location

Sunrise: 06:07 BST

15°C > 17°C: Persistent low cloud failed to clear before I left. Brisk NNW wind. Good visibility, improving later

Best today was a Greenshank at the lake. This saw me before I saw it on the small amount of mud in the SW area. All I saw was a flying silhouette as it sped off E. There was no mistaking the call! This is a very typical record of this wary species. It is many year since I last recorded one at the lake and it is my first record this year.

(84th visit of the year)

Notes
- made the effort to sex all the Mallard this morning
- only 1 juvenile Tufted Duck for certain: was unsure about another two
- an immature Cormorant: my first of this species here since 13 May
- an adult Lesser Black-backed Gull: my first of this species on the water here since 17 March
- a party of 4 Swallows flew through N
- juvenile House Martin seen being fed ‘on the wing’
- a Grey Wagtail here: 17 June was my previous record here

Birds noted flying over
- 3 Feral Pigeon again (in addition to resident the birds over St Georges to the N)
- 8 Wood Pigeons
- 1 Pied Wagtail again

Hirundines etc. seen here today
- 4 Swallows
- 10 House Martins

Warblers seen / heard around the water: numbers in brackets are singing birds: song very sporadic now
- 2 (0) Chiffchaffs

The counts from the water
- 2 + 1 Mute Swans
- 2 Greylag Geese
- 10 Canada Geese (one of these dead in the water)
- 1 all white feral goose
- 42 (22♂) Mallard
- 22 (?♂) + 1 Tufted Ducks
- 1 Cormorant
- 2 Grey Herons
- 2 + 1 Great Crested Grebes
- 2 + 2 (1 brood) Moorhens
- 18 + 3 (3? broods) Coots
- 15 Black-headed Gulls (3 juveniles)
- 1 Lesser Black-backed Gull

A study in bills: the immature Cormorant (we can just see the pale belly) and one of the two Grey Herons point their bills in the same direction.
(Ed Wilson)

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Priorslee Lake: 07:30 – 09:25

Location

(119th visit of the year)

Other notes from today
- neither of the recent pair of adult Great Crested Grebes not apparently nesting was seen today
- a Cormorant again, but a different-aged bird from yesterday
- an unusually large number of over-flying Black-headed Gulls: one party of at least 88 birds flew S with only 10 peeling off to land on the water
- a single Feral Pigeon seen very high flying S; then three small parties of, probably, Racing Pigeons flew N
- a pair of Swallows flew through high NW
- single Reed Warbler heard at the W end today: since it sounded like a begging juvenile I assume there was a parent nearby
- 2 Ravens seen leaving the N side one carrying prey – or was it? One of the dog-walkers noted they had earlier found a complete hamburger on the ground and had difficulty persuading their dog not to eat it – in the area where the Ravens were seen leaving
- my first juvenile Bullfinch here this year: there were pairs in at least three locations prior to breeding; since then they have been typically elusive
and
- a Pearl Veneer (Agriphila straminella), common grass moth, was on a street lamp
- a Shieldbug, probably Picromerus bidens (aka Spiked Shieldbug) was on the same street lamp
- a single Helophilus pendulus (The Footballer) hoverfly was noted
- a very delicate fungus was found: I have been unable to identify it
- a patch of Rosebay Willowherb (Chamerion angustifolium) found today – so not all Greater Willowherb (Epilobium hirsutum) as I thought. Must have overlooked it previously as it is about to seed”
Counts of birds flying over the lake (in addition to those on / around lake)
- 103 Black-headed Gulls
- 18 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
- 17 Feral Pigeons
- 1 Stock Dove
- 27 Wood Pigeons
- 2 Jackdaws
- 4 Rooks
- 7 Starlings
- 1 Pied Wagtail again
- 2 Goldfinches again

Hirundines etc. seen here today
- 2 Barn Swallow
- 2 House Martins

Warblers seen / heard around the water: numbers in brackets are singing birds: song very sporadic now
- 6 (0) Chiffchaffs
- 3 (0) Blackcaps again
- 1 (0) Reed Warbler

The counts from the lake area
- 2 + 1 Mute Swans
- 12 (5♂) Mallard
- 5 (5?♂) Tufted Ducks
- 6 + 6 (3 broods) Great Crested Grebes
- 1 + 1 (1 brood) Moorhens
- 49 + 12 Coots
- 1 Cormorant again
- 1 Greenshank, as highlighted
- >120 Black-headed Gulls (>25 juveniles)
- 31 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
- 3 Herring Gulls

Maximum dispute: here three juvenile, moulting in to 1st winter plumage, Black-headed Gulls try to claim the same buoy.

Wing moult in adult Black-headed Gulls is shown to good effect here: the outer primaries are still re-growing as are the outer secondaries.

Well I quite like gulls: always helpful to get to know the common species well and then you can spot the ‘strangers’. This is a juvenile Lesser Black-backed Gull with the primary and secondary coverts as dark as the primaries and secondaries and no ‘window’ of paler inner primaries – the slight effect here is just because they are spread out allowing the paler inner webs to be seen. The all-black bill is another clue as many, but not all, Herring Gulls would begin to show some pale at the base of the bill.

This is a different bird from a different view to illustrate the rather white rump with a few dark spots. A typical Herring Gull of this age would have a greyer rump that contrasts less with the tail band.

Here is the wing-moult of a juvenile Lesser Black-backed Gull: slightly different from the Black-headed Gull above as here it is primaries 3 & that are re-growing and the two outermost have likely yet to be shed.

No all birds moult at the same time or same rate: this juvenile Lesser Black-backed Gull shows no sign of moulting. Whether it has yet to start or has completed early is hard to say from this underside view. I would surmise that the feathers look so neat and unworn that it has likely completed its moult early.

this looks a neat-enough bird to be the upper side view of the same individual.

The shieldbug was not at a very helpful angle, high up on a lamp-post. As a result it is a bit difficult to be certain that it has pointed shoulders – it could just be an enlarged base to the legs. But I think it is Picromerus bidens or Spiked Shieldbug.

the common grass moth Pearl Veneer (Agriphila straminella).

Another chance to see the hoverfly Helophilus pendulus (The Footballer).

The upper view of the delicate fungus found this morning. While I was doing some ‘gardening’ of the grass around this fruit it broke away. While it enabled me to get better shots of both the upper ....

... and underside removing fungus for examination should be avoided – they are a vital part of the whole eco-system and should be left alone.

Just to prove there is Rosebay Willowherb (Chamerion angustifolium) around the lake – this alongside the concrete ramp at the W end.

(Ed Wilson)

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On this day in ........

2015
Local area
Today's News Here
(Ed Wilson)

2012
Priorslee Lake
Yellow Wagtail
(Ed Wilson)

23 Aug 16

The Flash: 07:00 – 07:20
Location

Sunrise: 06:05 BST

15°C > 20°C: Low cloud and lifted mist reluctant to clear, eventually clear with patches of medium-level cloud only after 09:00. Light SSE wind. Good visibility, improving as low cloud cleared

Best today was Yellow Wagtail heard flying high S over The Flash. Amazingly what has to be another bird was seen flying low SE over Teece Drive some 10 minutes later. These represent my first Autumn records of this species in this area; and probably my first-ever at The Flash [later I heard at least one bird at Venus Pool]

(83rd visit of the year)

Notes
- low count of Tufted Duck today

Birds noted flying over
- 3 Feral Pigeon (in addition to resident the birds over St Georges to the N)
- 12 Wood Pigeons
- 11 Starlings
- 1 Yellow Wagtail
- 1 Pied Wagtail

Hirundines etc. seen here today
- 7 House Martins

Warblers seen / heard around the water: numbers in brackets are singing birds, though song very sporadic now
- 5 (1) Chiffchaffs

The counts from the water
- 2 + 1 Mute Swans
- 9 Canada Geese
- 1 all white feral goose
- 27 (?♂) Mallard
- 13 (?♂) Tufted Ducks
- 1 Grey Heron still
- 3 + 1 Great Crested Grebes again
- 0 + 1 Moorhen
- 14 + 5 (3? broods) Coots
- 14 Black-headed Gulls (2 juveniles)

(Ed Wilson)

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Priorslee Lake

Location

Early Morning Sightings: 06:15

1 Spotted Flycatcher near boat yard
1 Common Sandpiper
Grey Wagtail
Kingfisher
Raven

(John Isherwood)

Morning Report: 07:25 – 09:25

(118th visit of the year)

Notes from today
- one of the pair of adult Great Crested Grebes this are not apparently nesting was missing today
- my first Cormorant logged in the water here since 13 June
- a party of 12 Feral Pigeons flew unusually high over the lake and, also unusually, they were flying E: most parties of Racing Pigeons are seen flying W or N
- at least 2 Reed Warblers in the main N side reeds
and
- two grass moths on the street lamps await identification
- one Common Marble (Celypha lacunana) moth flushed from the grass (to be confirmed)
- a Speckled Wood butterfly again
- a Common Darter dragonfly
- 3 different Grey Squirrels: a sure sign of approaching Autumn as they start to raid the hazel seeds

Counts of birds flying over the lake (in addition to those on / around lake)
- 3 Black-headed Gulls
- 4 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
- 14 Feral Pigeons
- 24 Wood Pigeons
- 1 Rook
- 1 Yellow Wagtail
- 1 Pied Wagtail
- 2 Goldfinches

Hirundines etc. seen here today
- 1 Barn Swallow
- 7 House Martins

Warblers seen / heard around the water: numbers in brackets are singing birds, though song very sporadic now
- 9 (0) Chiffchaffs
- 1 (0) Willow Warbler
- 3 (0) Blackcaps
- 2 (0) Reed Warblers

The counts from the lake area
- 2 + 1 Mute Swans
- 11 (?♂) Mallard again
- 7 (2?♂) Tufted Ducks
- 7 + 6 (3 broods) Great Crested Grebes
- 2 + 3 (3 broods) Moorhens
- 49 + 13 Coots
- 1 Cormorant
- 62 Black-headed Gulls (13 juveniles)
- 48 Lesser Black-backed Gulls

Today I spent a long while photographing the many immature (and mostly juvenile) Lesser Black-backed Gulls. Here is one calling loudly and just avoiding dipping its wing-tip in the lake.

Three birds here: an immature flies away while the other two look to be 2nd or 3rd year birds. The extensive dark on the tails suggests 2nd year though the left-hand bird has yellowish legs that suggests it might be a 3rd year bird.

Two juveniles in flight.

Two more juveniles in flight.

An extremely scruffy bird in mid-moult, almost certainly in to 2nd winter plumage.

A duck Tufted Duck touches down in front of an alert juvenile Great Crested Grebe and its sleeping parent. A Coot ignored the activity.

The photo reveals this grass moth as a Pearl Veneer (Agriphila straminella).

This is a parasitic wasp of the genus Ichneumon. It certainly closely resembles Ichneumon suspiciousus. Photos on the web show that species with a red front to the abdomen, though that could be sex-related – all the photos I could find are either females or undefined. I also don’t understand why the hind legs look, at least in part, so black if it is indeed that species.

From below showing the barred belly: it is waving its feelers wildly in response to my close presence.

Not at all sure about this: I am not very good at ID-ing eggs This was one of two such broken eggs at various places around the lake. Not entirely sure they were not from chickens!
(Ed Wilson)

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Nedge Hill: 07:30
Location

1 Wheatear
1 Lesser Whitethroat

(John Isherwood)

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On this day in ...........

2013
Nedge Hill
1 Redstart
(John Isherwood)

2006
Priorslee Lake
3 Common Terns
(Ed Wilson)

22 Aug 16

The Flash: 07:00 – 07:20
Location

Sunrise: 06:04 BST

17°C > 19°C: Some breaks to start then clouded up with some light rain as I was leaving. Light / moderate S wind. Very good visibility

Best today were the two Common Sandpipers at the lake – rather a later-than-normal date for me here. Most unusually neither of these birds was heard calling and I stumbled across them more or less by accident.

(82nd visit of the year)

Notes
- most of the geese were away again with, once moor, >70 see arriving while I was at the lake
- 2 juvenile Tufted Ducks seen today
- the additional adult Great-crested Grebe present again

Birds noted flying over
- 3 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
- 1 Feral Pigeon (in addition to resident the birds over St Georges to the N)
- 7 Wood Pigeons
- 3 Jackdaws
- 4 Starlings
- 1 Goldfinch

Hirundines etc. seen here today
- 14 House Martins

Warblers seen / heard around the water: numbers in brackets are singing birds, though song very sporadic now
- 4 (0) Chiffchaffs
- 1 Blackcap

The counts from the water
- 2 + 1 Mute Swans
- 13 Canada Geese
- 1 all white feral goose
- 23 (18?♂) Mallard
- 23 (8?♂) + 2 Tufted Ducks
- 1 Grey Heron again
- 3 + 1 Great Crested Grebes
- 2 + 1 Moorhens again
- 17 + 4 (2? broods) Coots
- 8 Black-headed Gulls (1 juvenile)

(Ed Wilson)

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Priorslee Lake: 07:25 – 09:25
Location

(117th visit of the year)

Notes from today
- c.70 geese noted flying towards The Flash. Behind trees: mainly Canada Geese but at least 10 Greylag Geese
- 2 single Feral Pigeons and then later a party of 18 Racing(?) Pigeons over
- the 5 Swallows in a party with an adult seen feeding a juvenile ‘on the wing’
- the Reed Warbler calling from a dense clump of Greater Willowherb (Epilobium hirsutum) – which reminds me to note that all the willowherb I could find around the lake this morning was this species. I would expect at least some of the usual rampant Rosebay Willowherb (Chamerion angustifolium) (aka Fireweed)
and
- an Agriphila geniculea (Elbow-stripe Grass-veneer) moth on the lamps: new for my year-list
- a Speckled Wood rather surprisingly flushed in such dull conditions: I was reaching for blackberries at the time
- a single wasp sp. and bee sp. were the only other insects on another dull morning

Counts of birds flying over the lake (in addition to those on / around lake)
- c.70 geese (see notes)
- 5 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
- 2 Herring Gulls
- 20 Feral Pigeons
- 52 Wood Pigeons
- 1 Jackdaw
- 2 Rooks
- 1 Pied Wagtail
- 1 Greenfinch
- 3 Goldfinches

Hirundines etc. seen here today
- 5 Barn Swallows
- 6 House Martins

Warblers seen / heard around the water: numbers in brackets are singing birds, though song very sporadic now
- 6 (1) Chiffchaffs
- 2 (1) Willow Warbler
- 4 (0) Blackcaps again

The counts from the lake area
- 2 + 1 Mute Swans
- 11 (?♂) Mallard
- 8 (5♂) Tufted Ducks
- 8 + 6 (3 broods) Great Crested Grebes once more
- 2 + 1 Moorhens
- 44 + 8 Coots
- 2 Common Sandpipers
- 169 Black-headed Gulls (7 juveniles)
- 2 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
- 1 Herring Gull

One of the Common Sandpipers this morning. The notches on the pale feather-edges tell us this is a juvenile. It seems rather the worse for wear: the lower mandible is broken at the tip; and there was something wrong with its right leg / foot.

Here are both Common Sandpipers: the streaking on the throat of the left-hand bird shows that it is an adult yet to moult out of summer plumage. The juvenile seems well-able to use its bad leg here. I am somewhat at a loss to explain why it looks rather smaller: not something I noticed at the time.

This is the grass moth Agriphila geniculea (or Elbow-stripe Grass-veneer): the most common of this confusing group at this date.

An unidentified bee sp.

(Ed Wilson)

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On this day in ...........

2014
Priorslee Lake
Today's Report Here

2012
Priorslee Lake
Peregrine Falcon
Yellow Wagtail
(Ed Wilson)

2006
Priorslee Lake
3 Sandwich Terns
Common Tern
Kingfisher
Tree Pipit
(Ed Wilson)

2005
Priorslee Lake
Common Tern
Raven
Kingfisher
(Ed Wilson

21 Aug 16

No sightings in today.

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On this day in ...........

2015
Priorslee Lake
Today's News Here

2014
Priorslee Lake
Today's News Here
(Ed Wilson)

2012
Nedge Hill
2 Redstart
7 Ravens
(John Isherwood)

2006
Priorslee Lake
Shag
3 Kingfishers
(Ed Wilson)

20 Aug 16

The Flash: 07:00 – 07:20
Location

Sunrise: 06:00 BST

14°C > 16°C: Mainly low cloud with showery rain. Fresh S wind. Good visibility but moderate in rain

Started very dull again. I had hopes for the strong winds to have blown something interesting: in fact it seemed to have blown most things out!

(81st visit of the year)

Notes
- most of the geese were away again with >100 seen arriving while I was at the lake
- none of the juvenile Tufted Ducks seen today: rather few adults as well so perhaps they were hiding inside the island
- the single House Martin was the only hirundine seen today

Birds noted flying over
- 4 Wood Pigeons
- 1 Jackdaw

Hirundines etc. seen here today
- 1 House Martin

Warblers seen / heard around the water: numbers in brackets are singing birds, though song very sporadic now
- 3 (0) Chiffchaffs

The counts from the water
- 2 + 1 Mute Swans
- 9 Canada Geese
- 1 all white feral goose
- 33 (?♂) Mallard
- 15 (♂) Tufted Ducks
- 1 Grey Heron
- 2 + 1 Great Crested Grebes
- 2 + 1 Moorhens
- 11 + 4 (4? broods) Coots
- 3 Black-headed Gulls (1 juveniles)

(Ed Wilson)

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Priorslee Lake: 07:25 – 09:25
Location

(116th visit of the year)
Notes from today
- c.110 geese noted in two large parties from the NE in towards The Flash. Too far away to positively ID though many Canada Geese with possibly a few Greylag Geese lurking amongst them
- some of the most advanced juvenile Coots are now mingling with the loafing adults and it is impossible to determine how many separate broods they originate from
- at least 35 Goldfinches at the W end on the thistle-heads
and
- I noted no insects again

Counts of birds flying over the lake (in addition to those on / around lake)
- c.110 geese (see notes)
- 18 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
- 101 Wood Pigeons
- 3 Jackdaws

Hirundines etc. seen here today
None

Warblers seen / heard around the water: numbers in brackets are singing birds, though song very sporadic now
- 6 (2) Chiffchaffs
- 4 (0) Blackcaps

The counts from the lake area
- 2 + 1 Mute Swans
- 18 (?♂) Mallard
- 8 (3♂) Tufted Ducks
- 8 + 6 (3 broods) Great Crested Grebes still present
- 1 Grey Heron once more
- 1 + 1 (1 brood) Moorhens
- 41 + 12 (? broods) Coots
- 73 Black-headed Gulls (10 juveniles)
- 23 Lesser Black-backed Gulls

Nothing special in this Wood Pigeon, just an obliging individual.

Another day: another Lesser Black-backed Gull. Lots of ‘bits missing’ during the wing moult – and much of the tail too.

Black-headed Gulls seem to like standing on buoys and there can be much dispute as to who has the rights to any particular buoy. These two dispute their favoured site.

The loser still objecting loudly!

Compare and contrast time: Black-headed and Lesser Black-backed Gulls both transiting from juvenile in to 1st winter plumage with many retained juvenile feathers.

A return visit to Dunnock / Hedge Sparrow: another rather scruffy bird but here the rather blotchy head lacking significant grey tones on nape indicate it is a 1st year bird moulting out of juvenile plumage.

And its other side.

A female Blackbird: why is not a juvenile / 1st winter? These would show all-dark bills. The other notable feature is the typical drooped wings

A Grey Wagtail in a rather unusual situation – this is the main roadway of Teece Drive. They usually stick reasonably closely to water courses but can, as here, be seen nearby. The Wesley Brook is only a few yards away here but rather overgrown at this point and unlikely to be that attractive feeding area.

The poisonous berries of Arum maculatum, variously known colloquially as Cuckoo Pint, Lords and Ladies, Adam and Eve, Tender Ear, Jack-in-the-pulpit and many others. In practice the acrid and bitter berries usually dissuade the eating of the berries before any serious amount of poison in ingested.

(Ed Wilson)

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On this day in ...........

2014
Priorslee Lake
Today's Report Here

2012
Priorslee Lake
Kingfisher
(Ed Wilson)

19 Aug 16

The Flash: 07:00 – 07:25
Location

Sunrise: 05:59 BST

16°C: Low cloud with light rain starting as I arrived: more persistent rain later with a heavy burst c.08:45. Moderate ESE wind fell away somewhat. Moderate visibility at best

Firstly a correction to my log from 16 July. The insect that I identified as a Grizzled Skipper was in fact a Latticed Heath moth – my excuse being that I have seen neither insect previously.

A reprise of the the insect that I wrongly identified on 16 July as a Grizzled Skipper butterfly: it is a Latticed Heath moth – a not uncommon day-flying moth, though I have never recorded it previously.
The very dull conditions and moderate visibility made sexing ducks rather unreliable: ‘best effort’ below

(80th visit of the year)

Notes
- three juvenile Tufted Ducks seen: hard to separate from adults now: we can count it as successful breeding, possibly for the first time here

Birds noted flying over
- 3 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
- 7 Wood Pigeons

Hirundines etc. seen here today
- 6 House Martins

Warblers seen / heard around the water: numbers in brackets are singing birds, though song very sporadic now
- 4 (0) Chiffchaffs

The counts from the water
- 2 + 1 Mute Swans
- 1 Greylag Goose
- 11 Canada Geese
- 1 all white feral goose
- 23 (11?♂) Mallard
- 30 (16?♂) + 3 Tufted Ducks
- 2 Grey Herons again
- 1 Great Crested Grebe only
- 3 Moorhens
- 13 + 4 (3 broods) Coots
- 49 Black-headed Gulls (10 juveniles)

This morning’s Grey Heron photo. It flushed from its usual spot and went and stood on the railing of one of the footbridges – not too clever as it would soon be disturbed. Note how the toes manage an apparent 90 degree bend to allow it to stand. (in the background are rather unhappy Black-headed Gulls – birds generally give herons a wide berth).

This shows that there are 3 Tufted Duck ducklings: the bird on the left is clearly an adult duck, the others all look the same slightly smaller size with slightly fuzzy plumage.

Here are all three with fuzziness clearly showing.

A clear shot of a juvenile Black-headed Gull acquiring 1st winter plumage. The gingery juvenile tones are now browner and the base of the bill is now pale red. Still a hint of the hind-neck mark.

Interesting that the other side shows more extensive remnants of juvenile plumage, especially on the hind neck.

(Ed Wilson)

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Priorslee Lake: 07:30 – 09:25
Location
(115th visit of the year)

Notes from today
- first significant number of large gulls this season: c.110 arrived from the N and several more small groups arrived later. Most birds only stayed a short while for a wash and brush up. Most were immatures with a good number of this year’s juveniles. Just 2 Herring Gulls among them
- Treecreeper(s) heard in two different locations
- just 3 Wrens heard in the miserable conditions – noted 21 on Wednesday
and
- apart from a few wasps I noted no insects

Counts of birds flying over the lake (in addition to those on / around lake)
- 6 Mallard
- 7 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
- 19 Wood Pigeons
- 1 Jackdaw
- 1 Pied Wagtail

Hirundines etc. seen here today
- 1 Swallow
- 2 House Martins

Warblers seen / heard around the water: numbers in brackets are singing birds, though song very sporadic now
- 6 (0) Chiffchaffs
- 1 (0) Blackcaps

The counts from the lake area
- 2 + 1 Mute Swans
- 20 (?♂) Mallard
- 12 (6♂) Tufted Ducks
- 8 + 6 (3 broods) Great Crested Grebes again
- 1 Grey Heron again
- 2 + 2 (2 broods) Moorhens
- 37 + 12 (10 broods) Coots
- 28 Black-headed Gulls (5 juveniles)
- >160 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
- 2 Herring Gulls

Part of the melee of large gulls here this morning. The immature with wings raised in the centre of the picture is one of the two Herring Gulls logged this morning. We can recognise that by the pale inner primaries and outer secondaries. To be completely accurate we could only say this is not a Lesser Black-backed Gull: it would need a better view of the whole bird to eliminate Yellow-legged or Caspian Gulls.

Landing at the left is a 1st year Lesser Black-back moulting in to 2nd winter plumage. The black on the back rules out it being an immature with the overall dark wings indicating an immature. We see missing outer secondaries and a few inner primaries – there should be 10 primaries and I can only see 8. Many (all) of the tertials seem to be moulted as well.

A motley collection of bathing Lesser Black-backed Gulls of various ages. The right-hand of the two birds wing-flapping in the centre looks more like an immature Herring Gull with paler wings but I would need to see the upper wing to be sure.

If it is the same bird that it is wing-flapping here then it was a Herring Gull: here we see the secondary coverts paler than the secondaries and the inner primaries also slightly paler. The bill is rather larger too, though that is somewhat sex-dependent and a male Lesser Black-back’s bill can easily be larger than that of a female Herring Gull.

A right scruffy bird! And this collection is all immature Lesser Black-backed Gulls.

The bird landing here is an exceptionally dark Lesser Black-backed Gull mainly because it retains most of its immature plumage.

Not a brilliant shot in the heaviest of the rain but a contrast between a full adult winter Black-headed Gull on the buoy and the bird on the water with much juvenile plumage yet to be moulted.

And here is that juvenile again.

(Ed Wilson)

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On this day in ...........

2014
Priorslee Lake
Today's Sightings Here

2013
Nedge Hill
2 Redstart
4 Yellow Wagtails
(John Isherwood)

2012
Priorslee Lake
Juvenile Kestrel
(John Isherwood)

2011
Priorslee Lake
Spotted Flycatcher
Female Ruddy Duck
(Martin Grant)

2008
Priorslee Lake
2 Common Sandpipers
Peregrine Falcon
(Ed Wilson)