1 Mar 26

Priorslee Balancing Lake and The Flash

7.0°C > 11.0°C: Broken cloud. Some sunny intervals. Fresh southerly breeze. Very good visibility.

[Sunrise: 06:57 GMT]

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

It was drizzling when the alarm went off so I turned over. When I awoke I was missing a red sunrise!

Priorslee Balancing Lake: 07:30 – 09:05

(46th visit of the year)

Bird notes:
- two pairs of Canada Geese throughout.
- the pair of Mute Swans had to defend their territory against a visitor.
- eight (six drakes) of the meagre number of Tufted Duck "appeared": I assume they flew in while I was looking the other way.
- five Goosander noted, all appeared to be brownheads.
- back to three pairs of Great Crested Grebe.
- 71 was my highest count of Black-headed Gulls. As in the last few days probably more individuals with birds coming and going.
- certainly six, probably eight and possibly nine Cormorants. They kept moving on and off the boating platforms to fish in the water and then returning.
- the Cetti's Warbler was singing along the South side again
- the Chiffchaff was again heard and then seen singing in the same area for its fourth day.
- there were at least 10 Redwings in trees at the West end.
- for a week or more I have heard no (or very few) Siskins here or flying over. I surmised they had all decamped to the feeding station at The Flash. This morning there was a small party twittering in trees along the North side.
- no Reed Bunting seen or heard.

Bird(s) noted flying over here:
- 6 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
- 2 Stock Doves
- 16 Wood Pigeons
- 7 Jackdaws

Counts from the lake area:
- 4 Canada Geese
- *3 Mute Swans: a visitor soon chased off east
- *14 (8♂) Mallard
- 12 (9♂) Tufted Duck
- *5 (0♂) Goosander
- 8 Moorhens
- 26 Coots
- 6 Great Crested Grebes
- >71 Black-headed Gulls
- no Herring Gulls
- 1 Lesser Black-backed Gull: (near) adult, briefly
- *9? Cormorants: see notes
- 1 Grey Heron
- 1 Great (White) Egret

Noted on the West end street lamp poles:
- *many and various springtails

I was too late for the red sunrise. This view will have to suffice.

Leaving so soon? The visiting Mute Swan on its way.

Nothing too exciting. The early light showed the plumage of the trio of Mallard to good advantage.

The same trio flying in close formation. Yes: there is a trio. The duck is hard to see with just her tail and right wing-tip visible.

Most of the Goosanders were being typically shy and staying well away from wherever I was. This brownhead allowed a reasonably close approach.

A quintet of immature Cormorants no doubt making a fishy mess on the boating platform.

A Grey Wagtail. This bird is moulting in to breeding plumage with the dark throat area beginning to show. I read that it is not only males that acquire this feature: it is believed that some older females can show a less intense area of black. So I cannot be sure about the sex of this bird.

It was well after dawn when I checked the West end street lamp poles. Here we see the identification label of one of the poles – only this one- covered in...

...springtails of several different sizes. I have never seen so many previously.

(Ed Wilson)

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The Flash: 09:15 – 10:40

(43rd visit of the year)

New bird species:
An addition to my 2026 bird species list for this site: I heard a Grey Wagtail calling in flight (though I could not locate it). #54 in this year's list.

Other bird notes:
- many fewer Canada Geese this morning.
- *now two Mute Swans: neither is ringed.
- the drake Pochard still faithful to the same spot in the water for its fourth day.
- only one Great Crested Grebe.
- three Common Buzzards were circling and calling above the wooded hilly area in the south-east (I can't find any name for this wood).
- a Chiffchaff was heard singing along the East side.
- the feeding station was again very quiet with just four Siskins seen before I got bored (short attention span!).

Bird(s) noted flying over here:
- 1 Herring Gull: immature
- *1 Cormorant
- 4 Jackdaws

Noted on / around the water:
- 13 Canada Geese
- no Greylag Geese
- *2 Mute Swans
- *22 (14♂) Mallard
- 1 (1♂) Pochard
- 30 (16♂) Tufted Duck
- 11 Moorhens
- 29 Coots again
- 1 Great Crested Grebe
- 27 Black-headed Gulls

Noted around the area:

Springtails:
- 1 springtail sp., probably Dicyrtomina saundersi

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

Now two Mute Swans. They came close-enough for me to see neither was ringed.

I took this photo of a preening drake Mallard because it had its tail spread showing the rarely seen darker centres to these feathers. What it also shows are the very fine vermiculations on the grey feathers on the back and flanks.

An immature Cormorant flying over.

Another (failed) attempt to photograph a Goldcrest flitting around in the tree tops.

An adult male Blackbird with many grey or white feathers. Studies have shown that this feature, most frequently seen in Blackbirds and Carrion Crows, can be caused by a number of different factors – heredity, age, health and diet. It is not correct to label it albinism (which would show pink bare parts) or leucism. Such individuals are believed to be at greater risk of predation as they are easier to spot.

The other side from which it is obvious that the white feathering is not balanced.

Do I need to say? A 7 Spot Ladybird Coccinella 7-punctata newly-emerged from wherever it has been hibernating. The only insect I found on the Ivy bank despite the full sun.

(Ed Wilson)

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2014
Shirlett High Park
16 Crossbills
(Yvonne C)

2013
Priorslee Lake
1 Yellow-legged Gull
(JW Reeves)

Horsehay Pool
1 Yellow-legged Gull
(JW Reeves)

2012
Priorslee Lake
4 Great Crested Grebes
2 Pochard
17 Tufted Duck
(Ed Wilson)

Trench Lock
3 Pochard
50 Tufted Duck
(Ed Wilson)

2009
Priorslee Lake
2 Gadwall
1 Water Rail
4 Linnets
(Ed Wilson)

2006
Priorslee Lake
10 Great Crested Grebes
4 Heron
3 Cormorants
5 Pochard
26 Tufted Ducks
107 Coots
2 Water Rails
606 Wood Pigeon
334 Jackdaws
156 Rooks
25 Starlings
11 Pied Wagtails
21 Fieldfare
1 Redwing
1 Willow Tit
26 Starlings
10 Greenfinches
69 Siskins
3 Redpolls
9 Reed Buntings
(Ed Wilson)

28 Feb 26

Priorslee Balancing Lake and The Flash

5.0°C > 7.0°C: A mixture: early low cloud moved away to the East to leave a mainly high overcast; more low cloud arrived; and then began to lift and break as I was about to depart. Light / moderate westerly breeze. Very good visibility.

Sunrise: 06:59 GMT

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

Priorslee Balancing Lake: 06:05 – 08:35

(45th visit of the year)

Bird notes:
- the erstwhile resident pair of Canada Geese flew off to the East. A lone bird was present much of the time.
- a pair of Mute Swans present throughout: presumed those that arrived yesterday. At least one is unringed.
- two brownhead and an *immature drake Goosander present.
- only four Great Crested Grebe (as two pairs).
- a trio of Stock Doves were display-flying along the North side.
- c.100 Black-headed Gulls with many on the south-west grass again. Birds were coming and going and probably more individuals were involved.
- two (near?) adult Lesser Black-backed Gulls visited at separate times: just three more noted flying over.
- not sure how to report the number of Jackdaws and Rooks. Six concurrent large and distant groups totalling, at the very least, 400 birds flew by at 06:35. Two more groups of c.100 and c.60 followed a few minutes later. At the time I thought these all Jackdaws but later I noted just one solitary Rook. Almost certainly some of these groups were Rooks and / or mixed species.
- usually the Cetti's Warbler is along the North side. I heard the first song at the West end this morning and then later along the South side where I suspected it nested last year (notwithstanding the juveniles I photographed on the North side!)
- the Chiffchaff was heard and then seen singing in the same area for the third day. Probably establishing its territory.
- a Reed Bunting noted singing along the South side.

Bird(s) noted flying over here:
- 2 Canada Geese flew South
- 3 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
- 15 Wood Pigeons
- 2 Cormorants
- >550 Jackdaws / Rooks: see notes

Counts from the lake area:
- 3 Canada Geese: the resident(?) pair flew off; a single flew in(?)
- 2 Mute Swans
- 16 (9♂) Mallard
- 12 (8♂) Tufted Duck
- *3 (1♂) Goosander
- 6 Moorhens
- 29 Coots
- 4 Great Crested Grebes
- c.100 Black-headed Gulls
- no Herring Gulls
- 2 Lesser Black-backed Gulls: (near) adults, both briefly
- *6 Cormorants
- 1 Grey Heron
- 1 Great (White) Egret

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

Flies:
- 1 winter cranefly Trichocera regelationis.

Springtails:
- *1 springtail Pogonognathellus longicornis-type
- *many and various other springtails

Beetles:
- *$1 ground beetle, probably Bembidion tetracolum
- *1 medium-sized ground beetle
- *1 very small presumed ground beetle

Spiders, harvestmen etc.:
- *1 money spider, probably Erigone sp.
- *1 possible Missing Sector Orb-web Spider Zygiella x-notata [Silver-sided Sector Spider]

Later:

Nothing of note

I think the Goosander on the left is a first year drake showing white in the wing.

Here wing-flapping. I would have expected the white to the rear of the wing to extend across the width in a drake of any age. However I cannot find any other explanation for the white patches showing at the base of the upper-wing.

One of six Cormorants I noted here today. I photographed this to show the small crest that is grown by breeding condition birds. Not so exotic as the large quiff that this species' smaller salt-water relative, the Shag, shows. This bird was at the wring angle to see other breeding condition plumage features – the white head/neck-plumes and thigh patch.

The only one of many springtails I could (probably) identify was this Pogonognathellus longicornis-type

One of three different-sized ground beetle on different street lamp poles. The markings on then elytra (wing cases) of this, the largest, suggest it is probably Bembidion tetracolum. It would be a new species for me.

The medium-sized ground beetle that I have failed to identify. If you look around the right and bottom edges of the photo there are five small springtails.

I took this photo to try to identify the "hurry-looking" springtail alongside the fold in the street lamp pole. Failing to achieve that I also have failed to identify the very small presumed ground beetle moving away to the right.

A money spider, probably Erigone sp. in the company of two very different and unidentified springtails.

This is a possible Missing Sector Orb-web Spider Zygiella x-notata. There are two more springtails in this photo, one easy(?) to see and the other less than a third the size.

(Ed Wilson)

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The Flash: 08:40 – 10:10

(42nd visit of the year)

Bird notes:
- one of the many Canada Geese was walking, nay waddling, in a strange manner with the neck waving from side to side as it did so. I suspect avian flu though its eyes looked clear.
- the drake Pochard still here.
- two Great Crested Grebes seen, always at opposite ends of the water.
- there were no Black-headed Gulls initially: a few drifted in.
- a Chiffchaff was seen: it was neither singing nor calling.
- *the feeding station was very quiet as a cat was in attendance. A Lesser Redpoll was heard calling among the twittering Siskins in the trees.

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

Noted on / around the water:
- 37 Canada Geese
- no Greylag Geese
- 1 Mute Swan
- 25 (18♂) Mallard
- 1 (1♂) Pochard
- 32 (20♂) Tufted Duck
- 10 Moorhens
- 29 Coots only
- 2 Great Crested Grebes
- 7 Black-headed Gulls: drifted in
- *1 Herring Gull: first year, very briefly

Noted around the area:

Springtails:
- *1 springtail sp., probably Dicyrtomina saundersi
- 1 springtail Orchesella cincta
- *1 tiny springtail
and
- *1 unidentified pupa case.

Not a good photo but good-enough for me to change the identification of the gull that appeared briefly from the first-year Lesser Black-backed Gull that my eyes suggested to a first-year Herring Gull. The features I used were the pale inner primaries and the smudgy tail-band with markings on the upper-tail.

A Blue Tit checking whether the coast is clear after the appearance of the cat at the feeding station.

A choice: a clear view of a Long-tailed Tit at an artificial feeder...

...a view of a bird in its natural environment, partially obscured by branches!

Head and shoulders. No dandruff visible!

Only slightly better.

One of a few Siskins present before they all scarpered when the cat appeared.

For me this is a good photo of a springtail. It is probably Dicyrtomina saundersi

And a bad photo of a tiny springtail – bottom left. What I did not notice until I edited the photos was, at the centre of the photo, what seems to be a pupa with a hole from which an adult something-or-other has emerged.

(Ed Wilson)

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2014
Little Wenlock, Candles Landfill Site
2 Iceland Gulls
(Observer Unknown)

2013
Priorslee Lake
31 Wigeon
7 Gadwall
5 Pochard
18 Tufted Ducks
1 Greater Scaup
2 Lapwings
c.1600 Black-headed Gulls
c.800 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
c.100 Herring Gulls
1 Iceland
1 Glaucous Gull
1 Caspian Gull
1 Yellow-legged Gull
38 Redwings
2 Fieldfare
15 Siskins
(Ed Wilson, Martin Grant, Tom Lowe)

The Flash
1 Little Grebe
10 Pochard
123 Tufted Duck
(Ed Wilson)

Trench Lock Pool
21 Tufted Duck
1 Goosander
(Ed Wilson)

Horsehay Pool
1 Yellow-legged Gull
(Tom Lowe)

Little Wenlock, Candles Landfill Site
2 Yellow-legged Gulls.
(Tom Lowe)

2012
Priorslee Lake
4 Great Crested Grebes
3 Pochard
32 Tufted Duck
4 Curlew
2 Siskins
(Ed Wilson)

Trench Lock
26 Tufted Duck
9 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
13 Herring Gulls
1 Yellow-legged Gull
(Ed Wilson)

2010
Priorslee Lake
1 Little Grebe
6 Great Crested Grebes
4 Gadwall
39 Pochard
57 Tufted Ducks
99 Coots
29 Blackbirds
4 Redwing
8 Song Thrushes
22 Siskins
3 Reed Buntings
(Ed Wilson)

2009
Priorslee Lake
Common Gull
6 Ravens
(Ed Wilson)

Woodhouse Lane
Stonechat
(John Isherwood)

2007
Priorslee Lake
4 Cormorant
2 Pochard
15 Tufted Duck
1 Ruddy Duck
1 Peregrine Falcon
26 Robin
11 Redwing
63 Magpie
196 Jackdaw
12 Greenfinch
10 Reed Bunting
(Ed Wilson)

2006
Priorslee Lake
2 Little Grebes
6 Great Crested Grebes
2 Cormorants
7 Pochard
35 Tufted Ducks
1 Water Rail
800 Wood Pigeon
142 Starlings
14 Pied Wagtails
18 Robins
20 Blackbirds
11 Fieldfare
10 Song Thrushes
2 Willow Tits
15 Greenfinches
11 Siskins
7 Reed Buntings
(Ed Wilson)

27 Feb 26

Priorslee Balancing Lake and The Flash

7.0°C: Low cloud, murk and drizzle. Light northerly breeze. Poor visibility.

Sunrise: 07:01 GMT

Yet another winner for the Priorslee micro-climate. I experienced continuous drizzle. Down in Donnington it was not exactly dry but windscreen wipers were not needed.

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

Priorslee Balancing Lake: 06:00 – 08:55

(44th visit of the year)

New Bird Species
Another new bird species for the year here this morning #62: A belatedly sighting of my first Treecreeper here. It was still too dark to find the calling bird so I used my Merlin app to double-check. Bizarrely Merlin also reported Woodcock (I don't think they call unless doing their territorial display flights: not here!). And Little Ringed Plover (no longer seen or heard here): this I suspect was a phrase from one of the several Song Thrushes in full voice.

Other bird notes:
- now two apparent resident pairs of Canada Geese, joined by a pair of Greylags.
- a pair of Mute Swans flew in at 07:10 and stayed.
- by the time I departed there were five brownhead Goosander present: I did not see any of them arrive though none was present at 07:00.
- six Great Crested Grebe, mostly behaving as three pairs.
- a few Black-headed Gulls drifted in at 06:47 with a maximum of c.75. Strangely these seemed happy to wander around on the south-west grass which almost all the Coots are shunning.
- a brief visit from a (near?) adult Lesser Black-backed Gull was the only large gull seen.
- only Jackdaws and Rooks passing directly overhead could be seen in the murk.
- a Chiffchaff was heard and then seen singing.
- no Reed Bunting noted.

Bird(s) noted flying over here:
- 7 Wood Pigeons
- 9 Jackdaws only
- 43 Rooks

Counts from the lake area:
- 5 Canada Geese: two resident(?) pairs; a single flew in and out.
- 2 Greylag Geese
- *2 Mute Swans: arrived
- 12 (7♂) Mallard
- 11 (8♂) Tufted Duck
- 5 (0♂) Goosander
- 6 Moorhens
- 25 Coots
- 6 Great Crested Grebes
- c.75 Black-headed Gulls
- no Herring Gulls
- 1 Lesser Black-backed Gull: (near) adult, briefly
- 5 Cormorants
- 1 Grey Heron
- 1 Great (White) Egret

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

Flies:
- 1 female small midge
- *1 female larger midge
- *1 midge-type with spurs on the legs: possibly one of the Cerotelion species
- 2 winter craneflies Trichocera sp.

Springtails:
- *>6 various springtails

Spiders, harvestmen etc.:
- *1 lace-weaver spider Amaurobius sp.

Later:

Nothing of note

Here are the two Mute Swans that flew in and then stayed at least until I left. They behaved as if a pair. Sadly the photo does not show the bill of the back bird. At the time I could not detect any material difference in the size of the swelling at the bill-base. The photo does not suggest a significant difference in size. I think the closer bird is a cob (male). I would not like to speculate about the other.

There were three different species of midge on the street lamp poles this morning. This is what I usually note as the "larger" species until...

...I noted this midge-type with spurs on its legs. I have noted this type before: it is possibly one of the Cerotelion species.

This is a lace-weaver spider Amaurobius sp. A few drops of water on the legs and a few of the eyes showing eye-shine, Note also two very small springtails toward the bottom of the photo. These were not seen until I edited and cropped the photo.

(Ed Wilson)

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In the Priorslee Avenue tunnel:

I visited here pre-dawn to see what was hiding from the rain. Answer: nothing, just...

Spiders, harvestmen etc.:
- *5 Missing Sector Orb-web Spiders Zygiella x-notata [Silver-sided Sector Spider]

One of five Missing Sector Orb-web Spiders Zygiella x-notata that, like me, were searching unsuccessfully for insects sheltering from the damp. Note the eyeshine from two of its eight eyes.

(Ed Wilson)

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The Flash: 09:00 – 10:10

(41st visit of the year)

Bird notes:
- a morning when some of the Mallard had gone AWOL. Also the first time this year I have noted birds on the surrounding roofs.
- the drake Pochard still here.
- there were no Black-headed Gulls at all. A (near?) adult Lesser Black-backed Gull made a fleering appearance.
- a Blackbird seen carrying nesting material.
- *the feeding station was again dominated by Siskins. A male Blackcap made a brief visit. A lone Goldfinch seemed very reluctant to mix it with the Siskins. I have yet to see a Coal Tit at the feeders.

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

Noted on / around the water:
- 24 Canada Geese
- no Greylag Geese
- 1 Mute Swan
- *21 (15♂) Mallard
- 1 (1♂) Pochard
- 30 (17♂) Tufted Duck
- 12 Moorhens
- 34 Coots
- 1 Great Crested Grebe again
- no Black-headed Gulls
- 1 Lesser Black-backed Gull: (near) adult, briefly

Around the area:

Nothing else of note

The first roof-sitting by the Mallard I have seen this year.

I mentioned a few days ago my Sony RX10 camera had been playing up from time-to-time. I have bought another, second-hand, example - the camera model is no longer made and there is no equivalent. So I was trying the "new" one and making sure I had the settings I needed.. Most of the subjects on and around the feeders I have shown. I hope you like these repeats despite the dull conditions. Let us start with a few Siskins. A trio of males tucking in.

"Are you taking my photo?" asks another male.

Another male in the rain.

 Sizing up an approach.

This male has been out in the rain...

...and about to dive on to the food.

Siskins will forage on the ground.

An aggressive-looking female Siskin. Male Siskins significantly outnumbered females. Perhaps the females are less bold and stayed hidden?

A passive-looking female.

And a quizzical-looking female. Nice black nail polish!

Blue Tits were definitely out-gunned at the feeders and had to wait for their turn.

A male Blackcap was a brief visitor to the feeders. I have only seen a female once.

House Sparrows are usually in the area though they don't seem to visit the feeders. Here is a female.

And a male. I don't often photograph this species so...

...here is another view.

A female Chaffinch. As previously noted this species prefers to hoover up the spillage on the ground.

And a rather soggy-looking male.

A Goldfinch of course.

It kept looking at the feeders, moving toward them and retreating as if daunted by all the Siskins even though it is a (slightly) larger species.

Still looking!

This Song Thrush did visit the feeders, quickly deciding it preferred the ground. I am not sure why it is holding its left foot strangely. It looked OK on the feeder.

(Ed Wilson)

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2014
Little Wenlock, Candles Landfill Site
2 Iceland Gulls
1 Caspian Gull
(Observer Unknown)

2013
Priorslee Lake
6 Great Crested Grebes
1 Greater Scaup
26 Wigeon
4 Gadwall
33 Tufted Ducks
84 Coots
c.800 Black-headed Gulls
c.450 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
c.60 Herring Gulls
1 Great Black-backed Gull
(Ed Wilson)

Horsehay Pool
1 Glaucous Gull
(J W Reeves )

2012
Priorslee Lake
4 Great Crested Grebes
1 Shelduck
4 Pochard
30 Tufted Duck
35 Robins
24 Wrens
15 Dunnocks
(Ed Wilson)

Priorslee Flash
3 Great Crested Grebes
9 Pochard
53 Tufted Duck
(Ed Wilson)

2010
Priorslee Lake
1 Little Grebe
6 Great Crested Grebes
1 Heron
4 Gadwall
35 Pochard
51 Tufted Ducks
1 Water Rail
103 Coots
c.700 Black-headed Gulls
c.225 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
27 Herring Gulls
Common Gull
Great Black-backed Gull
2 Willow Tit
124 Jackdaws
86 Rooks
1 Linnet
14 Siskins
2 Reed Bunting
(Ed Wilson)

2009
Priorslee Lake
1 Glaucous Gull
1 Iceland Gull
(Ed Wilson)

2007
Priorslee Lake
4 Pochard
19 Tufted Duck
1 Ruddy Duck
600 Black-headed Gulls
100 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
1 Herring Gull
1 Great Black-backed Gull
36 Wren
28 Robin
7 Redwing
20 Magpie
134 Jackdaw
8 Greenfinch
4 Reed Bunting
(Ed Wilson, Martin Adlam)

2006
Priorslee Lake
6 Great Crested Grebes
1 Heron
2 Cormorant
2 Gadwall
7 Pochard
42 Tufted Ducks
110 Coots
150 Starlings
23 Pied Wagtails
21 Wrens
15 Robins
17 Blackbirds
2 Redwings
1 Willow Tit
16 Greenfinches
38 Siskins
1 Redpoll
4 Reed Buntings
(Ed Wilson)