23 Apr 18

Priorslee Lake and The Flash

8.0°C > 9.5°C: Broken cloud at several levels. Light WSW wind, increasing moderate. Excellent visibility

Sunrise: 05:55 BST

More arrivals

At the lake I added a singing Lesser Whitethroat and a singing Sedge Warbler. Later a House Martin joined other hirundines over the water. My site year species total moves to 83

At The Flash I added an intermittently singing Garden Warbler, likely on passage. A Barn Swallow flew up and down for a while. My year species total here moves to 57

Priorslee Lake: 05:40 – 06:35 // 07:40 – 09:00

(48th visit of the year)

Notes from today:
- the aggressive cobs from the pairs in the NW and NE area seem to have forced the pair in the SE corner on to the dam-face
- two pairs of Great Crested Grebes seen today, both pairs seen displaying and none headed to the reeds
- 2 Common Sandpipers: passage birds
- bumper total of Blackcaps, helped by the continued lack of leaves making the females more obvious
- the Lesser Whitethroat was heard and then seen singing in the council-mangled hedge alongside the academy. It seemed to be passing through quickly
- the Sedge Warbler was singing just inside the Teece Drive gate. Unlikely to be the bird seen at The Flash yesterday as passage birds tend to move N and W
and
- nothing on the lamps
- another unidentified caterpillar / larva crawling across Teece Drive – apparently the same species as yesterday: perhaps the same individual still crossing(!?)
- first flowers of Hedge Garlic or Jack-by-the-Hedge (Alliaria petiolata)
- a few Field (or Common) Forget-me-not (Myosotis arvensis) flowers

[as a PS to yesterday the ichneumon was likely Ichneumon stramentor but my photos are not good-enough to positively ID it)

Today’s bird totals

Birds noted flying over / near the lake:
- 4 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
- 4 Wood Pigeons only

Hirundines seen today
- 8 Sand Martins
- 3 Barn Swallows
- 1 House Martin

Warblers noted: figure in brackets are singing birds (not necessarily all the males seen were singing)
- 10 (8) Chiffchaffs
- 19 (11) Blackcaps
- 2 (2) Garden Warblers
- 1 (1) Lesser Whitethroat
- 3 (3) (Common) Whitethroats
- 1 (1) Sedge Warbler
- 2 (2) Reed Warblers

The counts from the lake area
- 6 Mute Swans again
- 4 Canada Geese
- 3 (3♂) Mallard
- 4 Great Crested Grebes
- 3 Moorhens
- 25 Coots again
- 2 Common Sandpipers

Brief good sunrise for the early risers today.

A slightly different perspective.

This is the cob (I think) Mute Swan from the ‘SE pair’ that seem to have been forced on to the dam-face.

This the other half of the pair (the pen?).

When the erstwhile resident from the NW came on the warpath the ‘see no evil’ pose was adopted.

One of the pairs of Great Crested Grebes did some display.

Against the sunrise was the only time either Common Sandpiper came close.

One of these was crossing Teece Drive yesterday. A touch of sciatica prevented me ‘getting down’ to see the arrangement of the legs but I am not sure it would have helped. I am not sure this is even a caterpillar but a terrestrial larva of some sort – but what?

The ‘pussy willow’ has long gone: what we have now are just remnants showing different species of willow (Salix sp.) have different ‘flowers’. Here one type.

And here is the more usual type associated with ‘pussy willow’.

The first flowers of Hedge Garlic or Jack-by-the-Hedge (Alliaria petiolata). An indication of the late Spring is that this species unusually flowers in the first week to April as we greet the first Willow Warblers.

Because this is Field (or Common) Forget-me-not (Myosotis arvensis) it was on the football field and blowing in the wind a bit so not quite sharp.

Flowers of Wild Cherry (Prunus avium).

(Ed Wilson)

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

The Flash: 06:45 – 07:30

(34th visit of the year)

Notes from today
- the three Greylag Geese that flew over were possibly the trio that landed later that comprised 2 Greylag Geese and a Greylag x Canada Goose. This hybrid was a different bird to the one more usually seen here
- one of the pair of Tufted Ducks was seen mating: some years they do try to nest here, not often successfully
- Garden Warbler is seen most Springs: as far as I know has never stayed to breed
and
- many plumed midge sp. (Chironomus plumosus?) seen

Birds noted flying over
- 3 Greylag Geese (see notes)
- 2 Canada Geese again

Hirundines seen today
- 1 Barn Swallow

Warblers noted: figures in brackets are singing birds (not necessarily all the males seen were singing)
- 3 (2) Chiffchaffs
- 3 (3) Willow Warblers
- 7 (3) Blackcaps
- 1 (1) Garden Warbler

The counts from the water
- 2 Mute Swans
- 3 Greylag Geese
- 1 Greylag x Canada Goose
- 21 Canada Geese
- 8 (8♂) Mallard
- 12 (6♂) Tufted Ducks again
- 2 Great Crested Grebes again
- 1 Moorhen again
- 14 Coots

This is the rather different-looking Greylag x Canada Goose – seems likely to be one of those I saw at Trench Middle Pool about six weeks ago.

Not quite sure what is going on here: as I approached The Flash this Song Thrush dived in to the Ivy and then tumbled out clutching a mouthful. I though it looked like nesting material but why dive in and crash out?

Seems to restrict its view somewhat.

Actually quite a lot!

It then dropped its load – it is hanging from the branch it is perched on – and then glared back it me. Perhaps it did not want to reveal its nest-site.

You will more or less have to take my word for it that this is a Garden Warbler. The main ID-feature of this species is that it has no real features. It is mainly grey-brown with some streaking and a bulky warbler with a sizeable bill.

Noted between the lake and The Flash
- 2 drake Mallard on the grass by the lower pool and later on the lower pool
- 1 Willow Warbler singing by the upper pool again
- 1 Blackcap also singing by the upper pool

Between the lake and The Flash, especially around the lower pond we find Marsh Marigold (aka Kingcups) (Caltha palustris) flowers.

(Ed Wilson)

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

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

2016
Local Area
Today's Sightings Here

2015
Priorslee Lake
Today's Sightings Here

2013
Priorslee Lake
2 Great Crested Grebes 
3 Greylag Geese
1 Grasshopper Warbler 
2 Reed Warblers 
8 Blackcaps 
9 Chiffchaffs 
4 Willow Warblers
(Ed Wilson)

The Flash
1 Richardson's-type Canada Goose 
8 Tufted Duck 
1 Blackcap 
2 Chiffchaffs 
6 Willow Warblers
(Ed Wilson)

Nedge Hill
6 Swallows
8 Meadow Pipits
1 Fieldfare
3 Blackcaps 
3 Willow Warbler 
4 Chiffchaffs
1 Whinchat
1 Lesser Whitethroat
29 Wheatear
1 Lapwing
(John Isherwood, Ed Wilson)

2012
Priorslee Lake
Green Woodpecker
5 Great Crested Grebes
4 Tufted Duck
12 Blackcaps
2 Willow Warblers
14 Chiffchaffs
1 Sedge Warbler
(Ed Wilson, John Isherwood)

In the lane / fields to the E
5 Skylarks
2 Whitethroats
2 Blackcaps
3 Chiffchaffs
9 Linnets 
5 Yellowhammers
(Ed Wilson)

Priorslee Flash
5 Great Crested Grebes
23 Tufted Duck 
1 Common Sandpiper
5 Blackcaps
1 Willow Warblers
4 Chiffchaffs
(Ed Wilson / John Isherwood)

Nedge Hill
1 Raven
(John Isherwood)

2011
Priorslee Lake
1 Common Sandpiper
2 Lesser Whitethroat
(John Isherwood)

Nedge Hill
3 Yellow Wagtail
6 Wheatear
(John Isherwood)

2008
Priorslee Lake
2 Sedge Warblers
2 Lesser Whitethroats
(Ed Wilson)

The Flash
Common Sandpiper
(Ed Wilson)

Nedge Hill
2 Common Whitethroat
3 Wheatears
(Ed Wilson)

The Wrekin
1 Pied Flycatcher
(Mike)

Ercall Woods
3 Pied Flycatcher
Buzzards
2 Ravens
(Mike)

2007
Priorslee Flash
2 Common Sandpipers
Garden Warbler
(Ed Wilson)

2006
Priorslee Lake
6 Great Crested Grebes
6 Tufted Ducks
2 Ruddy Duck
5 Common Sandpipers
100+ Sand Martin
5 Swallow
1 House Martin
23 Wrens
19 Robins
19 Blackbirds
1 Sedge Warbler
1 Reed Warbler
1 Lesser Whitethroat
2 Garden Warblers
7 Blackcaps
5 Chiffchaffs
3 Willow Warblers
1 Willow Tit
3 Greenfinches
2 Reed Buntings
(Ed Wilson)