14 Mar 26

Priorslee Balancing Lake and The Flash

1.0°C > 8.0°C: Clear sky. Light north-westerly wind. Very good visibility.

Sunrise: 06:27 GMT

Despite the low starting temperature I noted no frost.

* = a species photographed today
$ = a new species for me in this area

Priorslee Balancing Lake: 05:50 – 08:45

(61st visit of the year)

Bird notes:
- a brief visit by a single Black-headed Gull was the only gull on the water.
- no Cormorants in the water: a single flew high over.
- a / the Great (White) Egret flew in at 07:45 – much later than usual.
- a Skylark was heard singing from the fields to the East: easier to hear on a weekend with less traffic. Unusual for this date was another heard calling as it flew East overhead.
- a Sand Martin arrived c.08:25, hawking insects high over the water.
- a Redwing left a roost along the North side.
- of the Jackdaws a group of c.125 was the only large party seen. Very few Rooks noted: they may have passed before I arrived.

Bird(s) noted flying over here:
- 3 Canada Geese: flew East
- 2 Greylag Geese: flew East
- 3 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
- 1 Cormorant
- 2 Stock Doves: together
- 51 Wood Pigeons
- 1 Skylark
- c.238 Jackdaws
- 5 Rooks only
- 2 Lesser Redpolls: singles

Counts from the lake area:
- 6 Canada Geese: of these two pairs flew off West separately
- 2 Mute Swans
- 11 (7♂) Mallard
- 32 (25♂) Tufted Duck
- *4 (0♂) Goosander
- 8 Moorhens
- 26 Coots
- 5 Great Crested Grebes
- 1 Black-headed Gull
- no other gulls
- no Cormorant
- *1 Grey Heron: departed
- 1 Great (White) Egret: arrived

Warblers noted (the number in brackets refers to birds singing):
- 1 (1) Cetti's Warbler
- *11 (8) Chiffchaffs

On the West end street lamp poles pre-dawn:

Nothing noted 
A combination of overnight rain and cold temperature kept everything away

Later:

Nothing of note

Not much colour in the sunrise today.

The Grey Heron departing. It needs to get its toe-nails cut.

Three of the four brownhead Goosanders stayed tucked up in the south-east corner.

One of eleven Chiffchaffs I noted around the lake today.

Note the pink lower mandible: the similar-looking Willow Warbler has a dark bill (and a very different song).

Did I mention song?

One of nine Song Thrushes I noted today. Only six of them were singing so perhaps nesting duty calls. This was one of the non-singing birds.

Camera-shy too.

(Blurred) plane of the day. This is a Dassault Falcon 6X, the newest model in the French Manufacturer's range. It can carry up to 14 passengers with a range of just over 10,000 Kilometres. This aircraft is operated by Albinati Aeronautics and is registered in Malta (for tax reasons?). It is descending here in to Oxford Airport having departed from Basseterre on the Caribbean island of St. Kitts. It later flew on to Milan. You could have one too if you have a spare $50 million (plus running costs).

(Ed Wilson)

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The Flash: 08:50 – 10:15

(56th visit of the year)

Bird notes:
- a drake (Common) Teal was heard calling but not located.
- two adult Great Crested Grebe again: the dead body still in the water.
- *a single Black-headed Gull, briefly
- the Long-tailed Tit nest I noted a few days ago seems to be no more. Probably the wind.
- at least four Redwings flew out of trees near the Priorslee Academy.
- the feeding station was only being used by a few Siskins.
- a few other Siskins were in trees at the top-end.

Bird(s) noted flying over here:
- 1 Jackdaw

Noted on / around the water:
- 14 Canada Geese
- no Greylag Geese
- 2 Mute Swans
- 25 (18♂) Mallard
- 1 (1♂) (Common) Teal
- 25 (15♂) Tufted Duck
- 11 Moorhens
- 29 Coots
- 2 Great Crested Grebes (plus a dead body)
- *1 Black-headed Gulls
- 2 Herring Gulls: immature flew off; *a different(?) first year arrived
- 1 Grey Heron: arrived

Warblers noted (the number in brackets refers to birds singing):
- 5 (4) Chiffchaffs

Otherwise noted around the area:

Bees, wasps etc.:
- 1 Buff-tailed Bumblebee Bombus terrestris

Beetles:
- *1 7 Spot Ladybird Coccinella 7-punctata

The only Black-headed Gull here today. An adult, not quite in breeding plumage. It is sitting at an unusual angle and I did wonder whether it was unwell. It later flew strongly.

If I just...

...power...

...down (nice nails by the way!)...

 ...I can dive in.

 That was fun. I'll do it again!

Glug.

It didn't drown and here it is, revealed as a first year Herring Gull.

Nesting time. A Carrion Crow with material. Did it steal it from somebody else's nest as they often do?

By my standard a good photo of a Goldcrest trying to hide.

Would you believe a 7 Spot Ladybird Coccinella 7-punctata?

(Ed Wilson)

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2013
Priorslee Lake
1 Iceland Gull
4 Yellow-legged Gulls
1 Caspian Gull
1 Common Gull.
(Tom Lowe, J Reeves)

2012
Priorslee Lake
Chiffchaff singing
4 Siskin
1 Willow Tit
(Martin Grant)

Nedge Hill
3 Lapwing
2 Green Woodpecker
4+ Skylark singing
(Martin Grant)

2011
Priorslee Lake
3 Pochard
34 Tufted Ducks
1 Water Rail
1 Kingfisher
4 Redwing
3 Chiffchaffs singing
57 Magpies
1 Brambling
10 Reed Buntings
(Ed Wilson)

2010
Priorslee Lake
3 Little Grebes
5 Great Crested Grebes
1 Cormorant
7 Swans
6 Gadwall
2 Pochard
47 Tufted Duck
77 Coots
1 Common Gull
253 Jackdaws
Linnet
9 Reed Buntings
Willow Tit
Siskin
( Ed Wilson)

2009
Priorslee Lake
1 Glaucous Gull
(John Isherwood)

Nedge Hill
1 Chiffchaff
25 Linnet
4 Lapwing
(John Isherwood)

Trench Pool
1 Water Rail
(John Isherwood)

2007
Priorslee Lake
19 Tufted Duck
4 Stock Dove
25 Wren
28 Robin
25 Blackbird
7 Song Thrush
2 Redwing
7 Chiffchaff singing
41 Magpie
142 Jackdaw
5 Reed Bunting
(Ed Wilson)

2006
Priorslee Lake
1 Little Grebe
5 Great Crested Grebes
7 Pochard
43 Tufted Ducks
2 Ruddy Ducks
86 Coots
1 Water Rail
176 Jackdaws
26 Blackbirds
41 Redwings
20 Greenfinches
7 Reed Buntings
(Ed Wilson)

13 Mar 26

The Flash and Priorslee Balancing Lake

5.0°C > 7.0°C: Mostly cloudy. A few sunny intervals. Moderate / fresh south-westerly wind. Very good visibility.

[Sunrise: 06:29 GMT]

* = a species photographed today
$ = a new species for me in this area

I waited until the street were (partly) aired before venturing out on a chilly morning.

Priorslee Balancing Lake: 10:25 – 11:10

(60th visit of the year)

Very quiet.

Bird notes:
- four brownhead Goosanders again.
- not a gull in sight.

Bird(s) noted flying over here:
- *2 Common Buzzards

Counts from the lake area:
- 4 Canada Geese
- 2 Mute Swans
- 6 (4♂) Mallard
- *32 (24♂) Tufted Duck
- 4 (0♂) Goosander
- 5 Moorhens again
- 27 Coots
- 5 Great Crested Grebes again
- 3 Cormorants
- 1 Grey Heron

An untidy Tufted Duck formation team about to splash down. All three are drakes. There are currently more Tufted Duck here (32) than there has been all-winter; apart from during the short period in early January when the water was almost frozen over.

A Common Buzzard circling over Castle Farm Way. This individual shows a full crop and must have fed very recently.

That full crop shows even better at this angle.

(Ed Wilson)

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The Flash: 09:15 – 10:15

(55th visit of the year)

Bird notes:
- don't blame them but where were many of the Mallard hiding?
- no gulls here either.
- the feeding station was populated by five Wood Pigeons.
- a very few Siskins were heard in the tree-tops.

Bird(s) noted flying over here:
- *2 Common Buzzards
- 2 Jackdaws

Noted on / around the water:
- 19 Canada Geese
- 2 Mute Swans
- 19 (12♂) Mallard
- 38 (212♂) Tufted Duck
- 9 Moorhens
- 28 Coots
- 2 Great Crested Grebes
- no Black-headed Gulls

Warblers noted (the number in brackets refers to birds singing):
- 4 (3) Chiffchaffs

Otherwise noted around the area:
- *1 presumed ichneumon

Is this the same Common Buzzard I photographed over the Balancing Lake. This one also has a full crop...

..more noticeable from this angle.

The only insect I noted braving the cool and windy conditions was this presumed ichneumon. The long antennae are a clue. I think I can detect a 'wasp-waist'.

(Ed Wilson)

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2014
Priorslee Lake
1st winter female Greater Scaup
20 Tufted Duck.
1 Kingfisher
(Gary Crowder)

2013
Priorslee Lake
3 Great Crested Grebe
37 Tufted Duck
27 Wigeon
2 Gadwall
1 Cormorant
24 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
4 Herring Gull
1 Great Black-backed Gull
(Martin Grant)

2012
Priorslee Lake
1 Water Rail
(John Isherwood)

Priorslee Flash
1 Chiffchaff
(John Isherwood)

Nedge Hill
30 Fieldfare
1 Redwing
7 Lapwing
2 Stock Dove
(John Isherwood)

2010
Priorslee Lake
5 Great Crested Grebes
1 Heron
6 Gadwall
4 Pochard
48 Tufted Ducks
1 Lapwing
>1100 Black-headed Gulls
c.30 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
5 Herring Gulls, all on the water
(Ed Wilson)

2007
Priorslee Lake
Woodcock
5 Cormorant
6 Grey Heron
19 Tufted Duck
4 Stock Dove
25 Robin
22 Blackbird
8 Redwing
3 Chiffchaff
47 Magpie
143 Jackdaw
5 Reed Bunting
(Ed Wilson, Martin Adlam)

2006
Priorslee Lake
1 Little Grebe
4 Great Crested Grebes
7 Pochard
45 Tufted Ducks
2 Ruddy Ducks
1 Lapwing
148 Jackdaws
34+ Siskins
6 Redwings
14 Greenfinches
2 Reed Buntings
(Ed Wilson)

12 Mar 26

Priorslee Balancing Lake and The Flash

8.0°C > 9.0°C: Mostly cloudy. Occasional spits and spots of rain. Moderate / fresh southerly wind, gusting strong occasionally. Very good visibility.

Sunrise: 06:32 GMT

* = a species photographed today
$ = a new species for me in this area

Priorslee Balancing Lake: 05:35 – 08:50

(59th visit of the year)

Bird notes:
- two of the four brownhead Goosanders were seen to fly in (from the West or had they circled?) at 06:35.
- very few Black-headed Gulls. Two arrived at the late time of 07:05. Another at 08:15.
- no Great (White) Egret seen.
- at least three and perhaps a fourth Grey Heron.
- *two Redwings were briefly in trees in the south-west area.
- only one Reed Buntings heard in song: along the South side.

Bird(s) noted flying over here:
- 2 Herring Gull
- 5 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
- 2 Stock Doves: together
- 19 Wood Pigeons
- 2 Collared Doves: together
- 179 Jackdaws
- 31 Rooks

Counts from the lake area:
- 6 Canada Geese: one pair flew off East
- 2 Mute Swans
- 16 (10♂) Mallard
- 23 (19♂) Tufted Duck
- 4 (0♂) Goosander
- 5 Moorhens
- 24 Coots
- 5 Great Crested Grebes
- 3 Black-headed Gulls
- no Herring Gulls
- 2 Lesser Black-backed Gulls: (near) adults
- 2 Cormorants
- *3 or 4 Grey Herons
- no Great (White) Egret

Warblers noted (the number in brackets refers to birds singing):
- 1 (1) Cetti's Warbler
- *6 (6) Chiffchaffs

Noted on the West end street lamp poles pre-dawn:

Spits of rain and strong winds around the poles at the time I visited. Everything hiding

Springtails:
- 1 globular springtail

Of note later:

Bees, wasps etc.:
- *1 Buff-tailed Bumblebee Bombus terrestris

Plants:
- *Stinking Hellebore Helleborus foetidus

I was wrongly positioned to get the best view of the very unexpected brief sunrise. It was raining at the lake.

Grey Heron #1 leaving pursued by...

...Grey Heron #2. Meanwhile...

...Grey Heron #3 went searching for a fishing place. All these were at the East end.

An hour of so later this Grey Heron appeared from the West...

...and manoeuvred to land in the reeds alongside the Wesley Brook. So #4?

A Chiffchaff, believe it or not...

...with the throat looking like a Common Whitethroat. But it was going "chiff-chaff" and the head and bill shape are all wrong for a whitethroat.

Here is one of two Redwings that briefly perched in a distant tree.

The Flash does not have exclusive rights on poor photos of Siskins. Here is a male singing its twittering notes.

As yesterday bumblebees were all flying around and likely looking for nest sites. This is also a Buff-tailed Bumblebee Bombus terrestris.

This plant was a surprise. It is Stinking Hellebore Helleborus foetidus [it did not take a genius to come up with the scientific name!]. When I checked my master log it is my first record of this species. It "flowers" between January and April.

(Ed Wilson)

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The Flash: 08:55 – 10:00

(54th visit of the year)

Bird notes:
- no Pochard found.
- two adult Great Crested Grebe confirmed. *Also a dead body in the water.
- the number of Black-headed Gulls was much reduced at the Balancing Lake: less so here though birds are heading off to breeding areas and will soon be gone until mid-June.
- *an adult Cormorant on the edge of the island was my first for a while. Another flew over.
- the feeding station was again devoid of birds.
- most of the many Siskins were in the tall trees at the top-end, swaying wildly in the wind.

Bird(s) noted flying over here:
- 1 Cormorant

Noted on / around the water:
- 16 Canada Geese
- no Greylag Geese
- 2 Mute Swans
- 33 (24♂) Mallard
- no Pochard
- 34 (22♂) Tufted Duck
- 7 Moorhens again
- 29 Coots
- 2 Great Crested Grebes (plus a dead body)
- 12 Black-headed Gulls
- 1 Herring Gull: immature, briefly
- *1 Cormorant

Warblers noted (the number in brackets refers to birds singing):
- 3 (2) Chiffchaffs
too windy?

Otherwise noted around the area:

Flies:
- *many small plumed midges

Springtails:
- 3 springtail Orchesella cincta

Always sad. A dead Great Crested Grebe. Likely the unwell bird I photographed here on 03 March. Searching the internet then bird flu seems unlikely. There are no records for this species since 2022.

Cormorants have not been common here since the turn of the year. Here is a breeding condition adult with extensive white head and neck plumes. The white thigh-patch is mostly hidden by the wing.

Sheltered from the wind there were plenty of flies etc. to annoy. The only likely culprits I noted at rest were five of these male small plumed midges.

(Ed Wilson)

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2013
Priorslee Lake
1 Iceland Gull
3 Common Gulls
2 Yellow-legged Gulls
1 Great Black-backed Gull
2 Gadwall
3 Shoveler
29 Wigeon
1 Cormorant
1 Little Grebe
1 Willow Tit
(J Reeves, John Isherwood)

The Flash
1 Greater Scaup
4 Pochard
(John Isherwood)

2011
Priorslee Lake
Mallard x Pintail
7 Pochard
31 Tufted Duck
1 Chiffchaff singing
(Ed Wilson)

Trench Lock
Chiffchaff
2 Siskins
1 Redpoll
(Ed Wilson)

2010
Priorslee Lake
2 Shoveler
10 Swans
4 Gadwall
4 Pochard
(Ed Wilson)

The Flash
Mallard x Pintail
(Ed Wilson)

2007
Priorslee Lake
3 Cormorant
13 Tufted Duck
1 Ruddy Duck.
5 Stock Dove
10 Pied Wagtail
27 Wren
38 Robin
20 Blackbird
43 Fieldfare
7 Redwing
5 Chiffchaff (3 singing)
42 Magpie
6 Greenfinch
3 Reed Bunting
(Ed Wilson, Martin Grant)

The Flash
8 Great Crested Grebe
2 Pochard
34 Tufted Duck
1 Buzzard
1 Chiffchaff singing
1 Reed Bunting
(Ed Wilson)

2006
Priorslee Lake
Peregrine
2 Little Grebes
6 Great Crested Grebes
2 Cormorants
7 Pochard
46 Tufted Ducks
2 Ruddy Ducks
275 Wood Pigeons
28 Pied Wagtails
20 Wrens
17 Blackbirds
3 Fieldfares
7 Redwings
11 Greenfinches
(Ed Wilson)

11 Mar 26

Priorslee Balancing Lake and The Flash

7.0°C > 9.0°C: Broken cloud. Sunny intervals. Moderate / fresh westerly breeze. Very good visibility.

Sunrise: 06:34 GMT

* = a species photographed today
$ = a new species for me in this area

Priorslee Balancing Lake: 05:45 – 09:05

(55th visit of the year)

Bird notes:
- only three brownhead Goosanders.
- the Great (White) Egret arrived late at 06:55 and, unusually. from the East. It departed to the East at 07:10.
- the Grey Heron also stayed only for a short time: between 06:20 and 07:15.
- two Cormorants approached the lake from the North together. One carried on; the other visited to go fishing.
- nearly all the Jackdaws passed to the East in six concurrent groups at varying distances from my vantage point. Impossible to count!
- two Reed Buntings heard in song, neither along the South side. One along the North side and later, what I presumed to be a different bird, at the West end. Both traditional nesting areas.

Bird(s) noted flying over here:
- 7 Canada Geese: a quintet flew East; a pair flew South
- 1 Herring Gull
- no Lesser Black-backed Gulls
- 1 Cormorant
- 1 Sparrowhawk
- 44 Wood Pigeons
- >450 Jackdaws
- 44 Rooks
- 10 Starlings: a group of nine and a single

Counts from the lake area:
- 4 Canada Geese: two pairs at opposite ends of the water
- 2 Mute Swans
- 17 (11♂) Mallard
- 12 (9♂) Tufted Duck
- 3 (0♂) Goosander
- 7 Moorhens
- 26 Coots
- 7 Great Crested Grebes
- 21 Black-headed Gulls
- no Herring Gulls
- 3 Lesser Black-backed Gulls: all (near) adults
- 1 Cormorant
- 1 Grey Heron: see notes
- 1 Great (White) Egret: see notes

Warblers noted (the number in brackets refers to birds singing):
- 1 (1) Cetti's Warbler
- 9 (9) Chiffchaffs

Noted on the West end street lamp poles pre-dawn:

Flies:
- *1 male plumed midge Chironomus plumosus
- *1 moth fly Psychodidae sp. [Drain Fly or Owl Fly]

Beetles:
- *1 possible Lesser Thorn-tipped Longhorn Beetle Pogonocherus hispidus

Spiders, harvestmen etc.:
- *1 money spider

Of note later:

Bees, wasps etc.:
- *2 Honey Bees Apis mellifera
- 3 bumblebees, seen only in flight: likely queens looking for nest sites.

Flies:
- *vary many unidentified flies sunning on the lamp posts

Fungus:
- *Glistening Inkcap Coprinellus micaceus

Flowers:
- *Dandelion Taraxacum officinale-type

Not as interesting a sunrise as yesterday.

Just as touch of colour as the sun just pokes above the horizon (between the trees)

 Just one bird was prepared to pose for me here. A Blue Tit.

 A Honey Bee Apis mellifera here on the flowers of Blackthorn Prunus spinosa

Another scrabbling around on the ground. This is my earliest date for this species: my previous earliest record was 14 March 2022.

I think this is a male plumed midge Chironomus plumosus. It is more robust that those I have recently logged as "small plumed midges" and, more importantly is has a banded abdomen.

One of the 100 or so species of moth fly Psychodidae sp. not specifically identifiable from photos.

Later when the sun came out the sheltered street lamp poles attracted many flies. At least three species involved, none of which I can begin to identify.

A horrible photo but it did look a mess anyway, sitting a long way up a street lamp pole. The two pale areas are good fit for a Lesser Thorn-tipped Longhorn Beetle Pogonocherus hispidus. The 'longhorns' look to be folded back along the side of the body. This species is active in Spring.

One of the very many species of money spiders. No idea which.

My first flowers of Dandelion Taraxacum officinale-type. Dandelions are a complex of hundreds of species that only a few specialists can begin to identify. They are unusual in that all the offspring of any one flower are genetic clones of that flower irrespective of its pollination.

These I believe to be Glistening Inkcap fungus Coprinellus micaceus

A few in close-up. I photographed some in the same place on 26 January. They soon deliquesced. I know this new eruption was not present over the weekend as I removed some discarded cans from the area. I did not notice them yesterday.

(Ed Wilson)

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The Flash: 09:10 – 10:25

(53rd visit of the year)

Bird notes:
- still one drake Pochard.
- only one Great Crested Grebe confirmed.
- the feeding station was devoid of birds.
- *a few Siskins were in Alders at various locations around the lake

Bird(s) noted flying over here:
- 2 Jackdaws

Noted on / around the water:
- 23 Canada Geese
- no Greylag Geese
- 2 Mute Swans
- 28 (23♂) Mallard
- no (Common) Teal
- 1 (1♂) Pochard
- 36 (23♂) Tufted Duck
- 7 Moorhens
- 30 Coots
- 1 Great Crested Grebe
- 14 Black-headed Gulls

Warblers noted (the number in brackets refers to birds singing):
- 5 (5) Chiffchaffs
- no Blackcaps

Otherwise noted around the area:

Bees, wasps etc.:
- *1 Buff-tailed Bumblebee Bombus terrestris

Flies:
- *1 Common Blow Fly Calliphora vicina
- *1 root-maggot fly
- an infestation of small flies/midges annoying everyone.

Bugs:
- *1 Leafhopper, perhaps Acericerus heydenii

Beetles:
- *1 7 Spot Ladybird Coccinella 7-punctata

Two "point blank" images of a male Siskin feeding in Alders. #1

 #2.

I now believe this to be a Buff-tailed Bumblebee Bombus terrestris. At the time my thought was that the tail was too extensively coloured to be that species and it was more likely to be an Early Bumblebee B. pratorum. However this latter species has golden yellow bands on its neck and abdomen. Whilst concentrating on photographing the flying bumblebee I failed to notice the 7 Spot Ladybird Coccinella 7-punctata that appears in the top left of the photo.

Among the very many unidentified flies and midges was this Common Blow Fly Calliphora vicina and...

...and this root-maggot fly. There are c.250 species in the group and examination of the bristles and the genitalia is needed to specifically identify many of them.

This Leafhopper was given an 85% rating by Obsidentify to be Acericerus heydenii. The Shropshire bug recorder tells me that this genus of leafhopper needs hand-lens examination to be specifically identified.

(Ed Wilson)

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2014
Leighton
1 Common Sandpiper
Green Sandpiper
(BirdGuides)

2013
Wellington
Woodcock
(J Reeves)

2011
Priorslee Lake
10 Pochard
25 Tufted Duck
1 Chiffchaff singing
(Ed Wilson)

Priorslee Village
Blackcap
2 Redwing
Frog spawn
(Martin Adlam)

The Flash
5 Great Crested Grebe 5
2 Pochard
31 Tufted Duck
10 Goosander
1 Sparrowhawk
2 Buzzard
(Ed Wilson)

2010
Priorslee Lake
Lapwing
Sparrowhawk
8 Linnets
15 Reed Buntings
(Ed Wilson)

2007
Priorslee Lake
6 Cormorant
17 Tufted Duck
29 Wren
35 Robin
25 Blackbird
14 Redwing
2 Chiffchaff singing
47 Magpie
9 Greenfinch
(Ed Wilson)

2006
Priorslee Lake
6 Great Crested Grebes
1 Shelduck
6 Pochard
40 Tufted Ducks
1 Goldeneye
1 Goosander
1 Ruddy Duck
114 Coots
1 Water Rail
221 Lesser-black Backed Gulls
c.500 Black-headed Gulls
5 Herring Gull
4 Yellow-legged Gulls
1 Common Gull
159 Jackdaws
c.80 Fieldfares
12 Redwings
10 Greenfinches
3 Siskins
3 Redpoll
4 Reed Buntings
(Ed Wilson, Martin Adlam)