20 Apr 19

Priorslee Lake and The Flash

Priorslee Lake:  05:10 – 09:30
The Flash:  09:35 – 10:30

7.0°C > 15.0°C:  Fine and sunny. Almost calm. Moderate visibility and still rather hazy

Sunrise: 06:01 BST

Priorslee Lake:  05:10 – 09:30

(105th visit of the year)

Bird notes from today
- not sure how many Little Grebes in total. Bird(s) heard calling along N / NE area as usual, though not seen then or later. Four birds were seen together having a dispute with a Coot in the NW area where they usually hide
- an additional pair of Great Crested Grebe caused some angst for a while. Things settled down later
- Mistle Thrushes seem to be nesting at the W end – I have seen single birds flying out several mornings recently. Song was very intermittent this year
- still many Blackcaps: perhaps this is a bumper year for this species as there are more birds than usual around The Flash and for the first time in more than 20 years I have had one singing alongside my garden for the last few days

Bird totals

Birds noted flying over or flying near the lake
- 5 Greylag Geese (pair outbound; pair and single inbound)
- 2 Canada Geese (pair inbound)
- 1 Black-headed Gull
- 6 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
- 3 Stock Doves again
- 27 Wood Pigeons
- 2 Jackdaws
- 1 Rook

Hirundines noted
None

Warblers noted (singing birds)
- 9 (6) Chiffchaffs
- 1 (1) Willow Warbler again
- 26 (16) Blackcaps
- 1 (1) (Common) Whitethroat again
- 3 (3) Reed Warblers

The counts from the lake area:
- 2 Mute Swans
- 2 Greylag Geese (1 throughout; 1 arrived and departed)
- 4 Canada Geese (pair throughout; 2nd pair arrived and departed)
- 11 (10♂) Mallard
- 10 (6♂) Tufted Ducks again
- 1 Cormorant, briefly
- 1 Grey Heron
- 4 Little Grebes at least (see notes)
- 5 Great Crested Grebes
- 4 Moorhens
- 16 Coots only
- 1 Common Sandpiper

On the lamp poles pre-dawn
- 1 Common Plume (Emmelina monodactyla) moth
- 1 Early Thorn (Selenia dentaria) moth
- 1 Streamer (Anticlea derivata) moth
after what seems like weeks without any moths three on the same morning. 11 species here this year so far

Later 
- >5 Orange-tip (Anthocharis cardamines) butterflies
- >3 Speckled Wood (Pararge aegeria) butterflies
- 1 Small Tortoiseshell (Aglais urticae) butterfly
- >2 Eristalis sp. (drone-flies)
- >2 Syrphus sp. hoverflies
[these hoverflies not specifically identified]
- Meadow Buttercup (Ranunculus acris) was new for me this year
- Sun Spurge (Euphorbia helioscopia) was also new for me this year

Full moon time and not a ‘super moon’ this month. It is called a ‘pink moon’, not because the moon is tinged pink but because it coincides with pink wild flowers! Was actually ‘full’ just after noon yesterday, local time.

A slightly different perspective on the sunrise.

But from the ‘traditional’ summer spot it is also good.

And now for something a little different.

A bit of spat between these two Great Crested Grebes.

The Willow Warbler was high in its tree singing its heart out again. I wonder if it will attract a mate? 

Just a quick preen... 

... And back to the singing business.

My first attempt this year at a Common Whitethroat photo. Rather distant.

Here we see the head colour. It was only on the tree for a few moments, the tree being in demand by a Reed Bunting, a Goldfinch and a displaying pair of Dunnocks. The Whitethroat did not hang about.

I need not tell you this is a Robin I assume. It is the bird I almost trod on about a week ago. Today it just sat and looked at me. This photo is straight off the camera – no cropping or enlargement.

It did hop a few feet away so I could fit it all in.

This rather scruffy bid is a juvenile Dunnock all fluffy and spotted with white tips to the wing feathers.

A Goldfinch with a mouthful. Cannot decide whether it is fluff from last year’s Reedmace and it is eating the seeds therein; or whether this is nesting material.

Here is a male Reed Bunting now in full breeding plumage.

This a plume moth. They can be hard to separate as the way the wings are rolled up tends to hide any markings. This is almost certainly a Common Plume (Emmelina monodactyla) moth which has almost no marks to hide.

This well-marked moth is a Streamer (Anticlea derivata). There was one at The Flash last year.

An Early Thorn (Selenia dentaria) moth. All the moths in this group rest with their wings together. Last year this species was new for me here.

A Small Tortoiseshell (Aglais urticae) butterfly.

A male Orange-tip (Anthocharis cardamines) butterfly – more cooperative today. Pay close attention to the wing tip markings.

I had assumed this was a Small White. But look at the wing-tip mark and the chequered pattern. This means it is a female Orange-tip. That would have been very obvious had we been able to see the underwing markings. Small White lacks the chequered marks.

Another male Orange-tip sitting rather strangely.

My first Speckled Wood (Pararge aegeria) butterfly of the year.

A buttercup flower. But which species ...? 

Remembered to photo the leaves means I can ID this as Meadow Buttercup (Ranunculus acris).

Cowslip (Primula veris) has been around for a couple of weeks now. This is a fine-looking group.

And in close up.

These are only Dandelions (probably Taraxacum officinale) but they look great in the sunshine.

Close-up of the head of Sun Spurge (Euphorbia helioscopia) on the verge outside the Holy Trinity Academy where they have been busy with the weed killer, so ....

(Ed Wilson)

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The Flash:  09:35 – 10:30

(98th visit of the year)

Notes from here:
- yesterday’s Teal seem to have gone
- two broods of Mallard ducklings located: my mark one eye-ball counted 11 and 8 in the respective groups as they scrambled for cover. I was pleased that when I photographed them later as they re-emerged the camera agreed
also
- >5 Orange-tip (Anthocharis cardamines) butterflies
- 2 Terrapin sp. Unwanted pets discarded in to the water many years ago they have survived another winter. Will never breed in the UK. Likely Yellow-bellied Sliders (or a hybrid of such). Can live for >30 years

As a PS to Thursday 18th April one of the fishermen gave me an excellent description of a Common Sandpiper he saw here during the day

Birds noted flying over / near The Flash
None

Hirundines noted
None

Warblers noted (singing birds)
- 2 (2) Chiffchaffs again
- 1 (1) Willow Warbler again
- 7 (6) Blackcaps

The counts from the water:
- 2 + 1 Mute Swans
- 3 Greylag Geese
- 22 Canada Geese
- 15 (9♂) + 19 (2 broods) Mallard
- 21 (13♂) Tufted Ducks
- 2 Great Crested Grebes again
- 2 Moorhens only
- 24 Coots still

Yes there are 11 ducklings here ....

But only seven with this pair of Mallard. Was getting worried, but ... 

... One was hiding and all eight are present and correct.

A territorial fight here. These three Robins tumbled on to the path down squirrel alley in a mass of feathers and bodies and then squared up. Not much light in the alley but we can see them squaring for a fight.

One flew off and the other two stood like this for some while. Putting the head up and exposing the red breast seems to be a submissive pose. Normally the red breast acts to trigger hostility which is why juvenile Robins are spotty.

One of the two Terrapin sp. Unwanted pets discarded in to the water many years ago they have survived another winter. Too cold for them to breed in the UK. They are probably Yellow-bellied Sliders (or a hybrid of such). Can live for more than 30 years.

(Ed Wilson)

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

2017
Priorslee lake
Today's Sightings Here

2016
Local Area
Today's Sightings Here

2015
Priorslee Lake
Today's Sightings Here

2014
Priorslee Lake
2 Great Crested Grebe
7 Tufted Duck
1 Cormorant
40 Swifts
2 Jays
4 Chiffchaff
1 Great Spotted Woodpecker
(Tony Beckett)

2013
Priorslee Lake
2 Little Ringed Plovers
(John Isherwood)

Nedge Hill
1 White Wagtail
1 Common Redstart
41 Wheatear
1 Fieldfare
1 Raven
(John Isherwood)

The Wrekin
1 Wheatear
11+ Tree Pipit
7 Common Redstart
6 Pied Flycatchers
(JW Reeves)

2012
Priorslee Lake
2 Common Sandpiper
(John Isherwood)

Nedge Hill
2 Wheatear
(John Isherwood)

The Wrekin
2 Ring Ouzel
2 Pied Flycatchers
(J W Reeves)

2010
Wrekin
2 Wood Warblers
3+ Common Redstarts
4+ Pied Flycatchers
2+ Tree Pipits
Tawny Owl
4 Green Woodpecker
1 Lesser Spotted Woodpecker
(J Reeves)

2008
Priorslee Lake
1 Little Grebe
5 Great Crested Grebes
4 Common Sandpipers 
20 Sand Martins
4 Swallows
2 Grey Wagtails
1 Wheatear
1 Redwing singing
8 Willow Warblers
9 Chiffchaffs
1 Willow Tit
(Ed Wilson)

2007
Priorslee Lake
1 Common Sandpiper
Grey Wagtail
4 Sand Martin
House Martins
Chiffchaff
1 Lesser Whitethroat
(Ed Wilson, Martin Adlam)

2006
Priorslee Lake
6 Great Crested Grebes
3 Greylag Geese
3 Tufted Ducks
2 Ruddy Ducks
2 Sand Martins
15 Swallows
House Martins
2 Stock Doves
26 Wrens
19 Robins
20 Blackbirds
10 Song Thrushes
1 Redwing
9 Blackcaps
9 Chiffchaffs
7 Willow Warblers
2 Sedge Warbler
10 Greenfinches
5 Reed Buntings
(Ed Wilson, Martin Adlam)

Lanes to east of Priorslee Lake
1 Sky Lark
1 Meadow Pipit
4 Blackcaps
3 Chiffchaffs
1 Willow Warbler
2 Greenfinch
2 Linnets
2 Reed Buntings
8 Yellowhammers
(Ed Wilson)

Nedge Hill
2 Skylark
2 Meadow Pipit
1 Fieldfare
2 Wheatear
1 Blackcap
2 Willow Warbler
2 Chiffchaff
2 Linnet
(Martin Adlam)

Priorslee Flash
1 Common Sandpiper
(Ed Wilson)