31 May 18

Priorslee Lake and The Flash

c.15.0°C > c.16.0°C: Another visit with a very low overcast and with drizzle for a while c.08:15. Light E wind. Moderate visibility, poor in drizzle

Sunrise: 04:52 BST

Priorslee Lake: 07:30 – 09:20

(65th visit of the year)

Notes from today:
- the pair of Mute Swans in the NE area now have just 3 cygnets
- 6 Great Crested Grebes today: possibly more as visibility poor much of the time
- low Coot numbers at least in part due to this poor visibility
- 1 Common Tern arrived c.08:50
- Green Woodpecker heard and seen in N side copse on most days recently. Suspect there is a nest in the area – as well as the Great Spotted Woodpecker known to be nesting near here
- a 3rd (Common) Whitethroat in song today. Perhaps they are between broods and re-establishing their territories

and
- at least two Silver-ground Carpet moths flushed
- a Blood-vein moth found in the vegetation
- despite (because of?) the damp weather many damselflies seen emerging and flying off: Common Blue and Red-eyed Damselflies specifically identified
- Common stretch-spiders (Tetragnatha extensa) again
- at least one Black Snipe fly (Chrysopilus cristatus)

New species of flowering plants noted today
None

Today’s bird totals

Birds noted flying over / near the lake:
- 1 Lesser Black-backed Gull
- 5 Wood Pigeons again
- 4 Starlings

Hirundines seen today
- 2 Common Swifts again
- 4 House Martins

Warblers noted: figure in brackets is singing birds (not all the males seen might have been singing)
- 4 (4) Chiffchaffs
- 10 (10) Blackcaps
- 3 (3) Garden Warblers still
- 3 (3) (Common) Whitethroat
- 7 (7) Reed Warblers

The counts from the lake area
- 6 + 8 (2) Mute Swans
- 1 Canada Goose
- 7 (6♂) Mallard
- 6 Great Crested Grebes
- no Moorhens again
- 15 Coots
- 1 Common Tern

The original brood of Mute Swans with one of the long-term residents.

The other brood of Mute Swans: they seem to have lost one of the cygnets since yesterday.

A tern sp. turned at c.08:50. There had been reports of a small and late passage of Arctic Terns through the Midlands yesterday so it needed to be checked out. It stayed well away from my side of the water but enlarging a photo clearly shows the dark wedge on the primaries and is therefore a Common Tern.

A male Blackbird of course. A few white specs in the feathers as so often with this species. A photo I could only have taken while the academy – the background here – is on half-term. Pointing a camera at an occupied school is unwise these days.

A splendid Blood-vein moth in the vegetation. One of a number of moth species that are commonly found resting or are easily flushed in daytime.

I think this damselfly was partially trapped in a spider-web, hence its splayed wings. Clearly a Red-eyed Damselfly.

This is a female (or teneral) Common Blue Damselfly.

As is this.

This is a female Black Snipe fly (Chrysopilus cristatus).

Flowers that are difficult (and potentially painful) to see – these is a flower-head Common or Stinging Nettle (Urtica dioica).

Another plant with flowers that are small and hard to see. This is Broad-leaved dock (Rumex obtusifolius). Handily it was growing close to the nettles in case I got stung. Mind you I do wonder whether any plant sap rubbed on nettle stings would ameliorate the itching or whether it has to be dock leaves.

This spider lurking inside a buttercup seems to another Larinioides sp., and best fits Larinioides sclopetarius.

(Ed Wilson)

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The Flash: 07:10 – 07:25 // 09:25 – 09:40

(48th visit of the year)

I see that on Google Maps this is called Hangman’s Pool. I will continue to call it The Flash

Notes from today
- the duck Mallard with her ducklings was under vegetation on the opposite side of the water: I noted at least 6 ducklings, there could well have been all 7 still
- three broods of Coots in the water again. The nest alongside Derwent Drive apparently empty / deserted
- 2 Barn Swallows on wires in Ashley Road, in St Georges just N of the water
also
- a probable Common Pug moth in the tunnel under the A5 (Telford Way)

Birds noted flying over
None

Hirundines etc. seen today
- 2 Common Swifts
- 2 Barn Swallows to N again
- 2 House Martins

Warblers noted: figures in brackets is singing birds (not all the males seen might have been singing)
- 1 (1) Chiffchaff
- 1 (0) Willow Warbler
- 2 (2) Blackcaps

The counts from the water
- 1 Mute Swan still
- 26 Canada Geese
- 10 (8♂) + 6? (1 brood) Mallard
- 5 (3♂) Tufted Ducks again
- 1 Great Crested Grebe still
- 2 Moorhens
- 23 + 8 (3 broods) Coots

On the wires of Ashley Road, in St Georges just N of the water here are two Barn Swallows – hard to get colour against the drab overcast. These birds seem to be (interested in) nesting in the smallholding here.

Often hard to specifically identify this seems most likely to be a Common Pug.

Noted between the lake and The Flash
- a Great Spotted Woodpecker calling. Probably one of the birds from the nest-site in Ricoh copse

(Ed Wilson)

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

2017
Priorslee Lake
Today's Sightings Here

2016
Priorslee Lake
Today's Sightings Here

2015
Priorslee Lake
Today's Sightings Here

2014
Priorslee Lake
Today's Sightings Here

2013
Long Lane, Wellington
13 Ringed Plover
2 Dunlin
(JW Reeves)