27 Apr 18

Priorslee Lake and The Flash

5.0°C > 6.0°C: Brief sunrise; otherwise cloudy, lowering with light rain as early as 06:45 and moderate after 07:20. Calm start with a light SE breeze later. Good visibility

Sunrise: 05:46 BST

Generally rather quiet. Could the birds detect the approaching rain and therefore get on with feeding rather than singing?

Priorslee Lake: 05:35 – 06:10 // 07:05 – 09:00

(52nd visit of the year)

Notes from today:
- for a long while no Mallards seen despite searching all the usual loafing areas. Then suddenly one was asleep on the water. And a few minutes later another bird was in the middle of the water. So where did these come from
- not included in my counts as outside my recording area but worth noting were 11 Wood Pigeons feeding in the roadway of the first 100 yards of Teece Drive
- first two Barn Swallows at 07:25 with numbers gradually increasing as the rain set in
- a Reed Bunting flew off E calling: birds frequently call from the crops to the E of the lake. I did not expect them to be still using the lake as well
and
- a ‘stretch spider’ on one of the lamps: perhaps Pachygnatha clercki (no vernacular name)
- a cluster of unidentified fungus found

Today’s bird totals

Birds noted flying over / near the lake:
- 4 Canada Geese
- 2 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
- 1 Herring Gull
- 6 Wood Pigeons

Hirundines seen today
- 4 Sand Martins
- 12 Barn Swallows

Warblers noted: figure in brackets is singing birds (not all the males seen might have been singing)
- 11 (9) Chiffchaffs
- 11 (6) Blackcaps
- 1 (1) Garden Warblers
- 3 (3) (Common) Whitethroats again
- 2 (1) Reed Warblers

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

Considering how soon the rain arrived the red sky warning was rather late.

This looks like a Tetragnathidae spider with rounded body suggesting it is not a Common stretch-spider (Tetragnatha extensa). It looks more like a Pachygnatha clercki, though the rubric for that species suggests it is a ground-living species and should not be found 10’ up a lamp. Provisional ID therefore.

A cluster of emerging fungus.

Here we see part of the underside. Looks quite like a small Field Mushroom. However all species in that genus are generally found in Autumn – perhaps last week was summer after all!

(Ed Wilson)

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The Flash: 06:20 – 06:55

(38th visit of the year)

Notes from today
- no sign of the Mallard ducklings
- one lone drake Tufted Duck on the water, otherwise all in pairs: several of these pairs tucked up on the island so perhaps his partner was also there?
- the two presumed resident Great Crested Grebes chasing a 3rd bird
and
- a midge of the lamps again: likely a female plumed midge (Chironomus plumosus) – females do not have a plumed antenna. Neither sex bites man
- the same Streamer moth yet again in exactly the same place on the lamp in squirrel alley

Birds noted flying over
- 3 Wood Pigeons

Hirundines seen today
None

Warblers noted: figures in brackets is singing birds (not all the males seen might have been singing)
- 5 (5) Chiffchaffs
- 2 (2) Willow Warblers again
- 2 (2) Blackcaps

The counts from the water
- 2 resident Mute Swans
- 20 Canada Geese
- 9 (9♂) Mallard again
- 11 (6♂) Tufted Ducks
- 3 Great Crested Grebes
- 4 Moorhen
- 16 Coots

Noted between the lake and The Flash
- 1 Willow Warbler singing by the lower pool
- the first flowers of White Dead-Nettle (Lamium album)

Here is the Willow Warbler that was singing here this morning. This shot is very comparable with the photo I took of a Chiffchaff yesterday and shows the differences. The supercilium extends behind the eye; the whole underside of the bill is pale, as are the legs.

Here he is from another angle. The wings do indeed look quite long.

(Ed Wilson)

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

2017
Local area
Today's Sightings Here

2016
Priorslee Lake
Today's Sightings Here

2015
Priorslee Lake
Today's Sightings Here

2013
Priorslee Lake
4 Great Crested Grebes 
2 Greylag Geese
3 Common Sandpipers 
1 Reed Warblers 
1 Common Whitethroat 
11 Blackcaps 
10 Chiffchaffs 
2 Willow Warblers 
(Ed Wilson)

The Flash
Wood Warbler
2 Great Crested Grebe 
1 Greylag Goose 
1 Richardson's / Cackling-type Canada Goose 
16 Tufted Duck 
5 Blackcaps 
Wood Warbler
1 Chiffchaff
6 Willow Warblers
(Ed Wilson)

The Wrekin
3 Wood Warblers
1 Redstart
5 Pied Flycatchers
2 Tree Pipits
2 Redpolls
1 Siskin
(Ed Wilson, JW Reeves)

2012
Priorslee Lake
6 Tufted Duck
6 Swift
50 Swallow
25 House Martin
2 Sand Martin
1 Grasshopper Warbler
1 Wheatear
1 Sedge Warbler
6 Common Sandpiper
(John Isherwood, Martin Grant)

Nedge Hill
1 Lesser Whitethroat
26 Wheatear
1 Greenland Wheatear
1 Fieldfare
1 Raven
(John Isherwood)

2011
Priorslee Lake
1 Wood Sandpiper
1 Common Sandpiper
1 Sedge Warbler
1 Lesser Whitethroat
1 Swift
(John Isherwood)

Nedge Hill
2 Wheatear
1 Lesser Whitethroat
(John Isherwood)

2008
Priorslee Lake
3 Sedge Warblers
6 Reed Warblers
2 Lesser Whitethroats
2 Whitethroats
1 Garden Warbler
9 Blackcaps
9 Chiffchaffs
1 Willow Warbler
1 Little Grebe
2 Common Sandpipers 
c.10 Sand Martins
c.45 Swallows
1 House Martin
(Ed Wilson)

The Flash 
4 Sand Martins
12 Swallows 
2 Blackcaps
4 Chiffchaffs
4 Willow Warblers
(Ed Wilson)

The lane to the E of Priorslee
6 Whitethroats
1 Blackcap
3 Chiffchaffs 
1 Willow Warbler 
2 Linnets 
3 Yellowhammers
(Ed Wilson)

2007
Priorslee Lake
9 Great Crested Grebes
5 Tufted Ducks
2 Ruddy Ducks
1 Kestrel
2 Stock Doves
2 Swallows
House Martins
2 Grey Wagtails
Chiffchaff
Willow Warbler
1 Jay
(Ed Wilson)

Nedge Hill
2 Swallows
House Martin
Ring Ouzel
Fieldfare
Common Whitethroat
Blackcaps
Chiffchaff
Willow Warblers
(Ed Wilson)

Priorslee Flash
1 Swallow
6 Willow Warbler
Reed Bunting
(Ed Wilson)

2006
Priorslee Lake
5 Great Crested Grebes
1 Heron
3 Greylag Geese
2 Ruddy Ducks
3 Common Sandpipers
1 Stock Dove
7 Swallows
3 Grey Wagtails
26 Wrens
17 Robins
30 Blackbirds
9 Song Thrushes
1 Sedge Warbler
3 Reed Warblers
8 Blackcaps
4 Chiffchaffs
2 Willow Warblers
5 Greenfinches
5 Reed Buntings
(Ed Wilson)