28 Apr 19

Priorslee Lake and The Flash

Priorslee Lake:  04:50 – 06:20 // 07:05 – 08:30
The Flash:  06:25 – 07:00

6.0°C > 8.0°C:  Overcast with early light drizzle / rain. Moderate WNW wind. Good visibility

Sunrise: 05:44 BST

Storm Hannah caused no major damage. Lots of leaves and few small twigs blown off but no branches apart from one in to The Flash

Priorslee Lake:  04:50 – 06:20 // 07:05 – 08:30

(113th visit of the year)

Species added to my 2019 bird log from here
86      Sedge Warbler
a bird singing in the reeds in the NW area. Has bred here but usually sings for a few days and moves on

87      Kittiwake
An adult bird circling to the W then drifting SE at 08:05. A rather strange date for this species. Normally birds are recorded, if at all, between late February and the end of March. These are returning birds presumed to be taking a ‘short cut’ via the Severn Estuary to The Wash that run in to adverse weather and head for the nearest water. Many bird species are known to take this route. This bird perhaps displaced by Storm Hannah?

Other bird notes from today
- not sure what is happening with the Great Crested Grebes in the NW area. There has been limited evidence that any bird is sitting on a nest recently. Today they were displaying again. Perhaps the first attempt failed and they are starting again
- meanwhile the second Great Crested Grebe of the other pair has been ‘missing’ for nearly two weeks – we might be seeing young very soon (assuming there is a bird on a nest!)
- a Stock Dove on the roof of a house in Teece Drive which is unusual for this species, much more retiring than Wood Pigeons. Strictly outside my recording area it nevertheless suggests that birds are breeding very locally and likely accounts for many of my recent ‘fly-over’ logs
- an adult Great Tit seen feeding another – I assume courtship action. This species is no longer singing as I arrive and only starts some 15 minutes later. Presumably the pairs and territories have been established and only need some reinforcement
- the first c.25 Sand Martins arrived overhead 05:55. More later joined by a few Barn Swallows and at least 1 House Martin

Bird totals

Birds noted flying over or flying near the lake
- 1 Greylag Goose (outbound)
- 3 Cormorants
- 1 Kittiwake
- 2 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
- 2 Herring Gulls
- 1 Wood Pigeon only
- 2 Jackdaws

Hirundines noted
- >40 Sand Martins
- >3 Barn Swallows
- >1 House Martin

Warblers noted (singing birds)
- 7 (7) Chiffchaffs
- 1 (1) Willow Warbler
- 23 (18) Blackcaps
- 3 (3) Garden Warblers again
- 3 (3) (Common) Whitethroats again
- 1 (1) Sedge Warbler
- 4 (4) Reed Warblers again

The counts from the lake area:
- 2 Mute Swans
- 2 Canada Geese (came and went)
- 3 Greylag Geese (came and went)
- 6 (6♂) Mallard
- 2 (1♂) Tufted Ducks
- 2 Grey Herons again
- 2 Little Grebes heard only
- 3 Great Crested Grebes again
- 2 Moorhens again
- 12 Coots only

On the lamp poles pre-dawn
- 2 different spider sp.
- 1 millipede
- 6 small and mainly green caterpillars (unidentified)

Later 
- cluster of mushrooms (possibly St. George’s Mushrooms)

A ‘record shot’ of the fast-disappearing Kittiwake. Diagnostic are the black wing tips. Field Guides describe these as looking like having been ‘dipped in ink’ but does anyone know what that means these days? (and why do we dial telephone numbers?).

On one of the roofs in Teece Drive was this Stock Dove. Unusual to see them in such an urban environment.

“Come in #6” Unidentified spider on the lamps.

Another spider. Note that the third pair of legs is much shorter than the others. While this is normal it seems excessively so here.

And yet another spider.

This is a White-legged Snake Millipede (Tachypodoiulus niger).

One of the six caterpillars on the lamps. This looks like one of the ‘whites’. I do not have any literature to help me ID it.

“Come in #5”. Another unidentified caterpillar. This is a ‘looper’ caterpillar of a geometer moth.

I think this is a fly of the genus Empis, and perhaps E. tessellata.

A quartet of fungus.

This one fell over while I was ‘gardening’ to try and view the underside. I am fairly confident it is a St George's Mushroom (Calocybe gambosa) though I am not about to eat it.

Kept trying to turn this in to a many-legged weevil or a pole-vaulting spider. Actually a seed caught in a web!

(Ed Wilson)

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The Flash:  06:25 – 07:00

(106th visit of the year)

Number perhaps affected by the 24 hour fishing marathon ending 12:00 today

Species added to my 2019 bird log from here
67      Mistle Thrush
A bird singing from tree-tops alongside squirrel alley. I see from my records that the first time I recorded this species here in 2018 was also in April – on the 12th. Strange

Notes from here:
- high count of Canada Geese. Have they already given up on the nests? I assume the eggs were treated again this year to make them infertile
- no broods of Mallard ducklings located

Birds noted flying over / near The Flash
- 2 Canada Geese

Hirundines noted
None

Warblers noted (singing birds)
- 2 (2) Chiffchaffs
- 1 (1) Willow Warbler as ever
- 5 (4) Blackcaps

The counts from the water:
- 2 + 1 Mute Swans
- 32 Canada Geese
- 14 (11♂) Mallard
- 9 (5♂) Tufted Ducks
- 2 Great Crested Grebes
- 6 Moorhens
- 21 Coots

When I saw this I thought the white bits were marks on the lamp pole but clearly they are antenna. Not sure what it is. There is a Long-horned Caddis Fly (Mystacides longicornis) but this is not it as that has pale wings with prominent marks whereas this has all-dark wings, though it does look like a caddis fly.

Here from a different angle we see a hairy head area. The way the wings are held certainly suggests a caddis fly.

(Ed Wilson)

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Between the lake and The Flash

At or around the lower pool (singing birds)
- 1 Grey Heron
- 1 Moorhen
- 1 Great Spotted Woodpecker

At or around the upper pool (singing birds)
- 1 Moorhen
- 1 (1) Chiffchaff
- 2 (1) Blackcaps

At the lower pool lurks this Grey Heron. A full adult showing all the ‘hackles’.

(Ed Wilson)

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

2016
Priorslee Lake
Today's Sightings Here

2015
Priorslee Lake
Today's Sightings Here

2014
Nedge Hill
2 Lesser Whitethroat
10 Wheatear
(John Isherwood)

2013
Priorslee Lake
2 Cormorants
2 Swans 
5 Greylag Geese
1 Common Sandpiper 
8 Swallows
1 Swift
2 Reed Warblers 
2 Common Whitethroat 
17 Blackcaps 
8 Chiffchaffs 
4 Willow Warblers 
1 Common Redstart
1 Nuthatch
(Ed Wilson)

The Flash
3 Greylag Goose 
1 Richardson's / Cackling-type Canada Goose 
1 Pochard 
11 Tufted Duck 
4 Blackcaps 
3 Chiffchaffs 
5 Willow Warblers
(Ed Wilson)

2012
Priorslee Lake
6 Goosanders
6 Greylag Geese
2 Tufted Duck 
6 Goosander 
1 Grasshopper Warbler
2 Sedge Warbler
18 Blackcaps
4 Willow Warblers
14 Chiffchaffs
1 Wheatear
1 Swift
Swallow
House Martin
Sand Martin
1 Sky Lark
1 Yellowhammer
(Ed Wilson, Phil Walters)

Priorslee Flash
4 Greylag Geese
27 Tufted Duck 
5 Blackcaps
4 Willow Warblers
3 Chiffchaffs
(Ed Wilson)

2011
Priorslee Lake
5 Reed Warblers 
2 Common Whitethroat 
10 Blackcaps 
10 Chiffchaffs 
1 Willow Warbler
(Ed Wilson, John Isherwood)

Priorslee Flash
3 Blackcaps 
4 Chiffchaffs 
1 Willow Warbler
1 Reed Bunting
(Ed Wilson, John Isherwood)

2010
Priorslee Lake
1 Sedge Warbler
2 Reed Warbler
2 Common Sandpiper
(John Isherwood)

Nedge Hill
1 Whinchat
2 Lesser Whitethroat
18+ Wheatear
(John Isherwood)

2007
Priorslee Lake
6 Great Crested Grebes
6 Tufted Ducks
Ruddy Duck
Kestrel
Sparrowhawk
1 Grey Wagtail
1 Lesser Whitethroat
Sedge Warbler
Reed Warblers
2 House Sparrows
(Ed Wilson, John Isherwood)

2006
Priorslee Lake
5 Great Crested Grebes
1 Heron
2 Tufted Ducks
2 Ruddy Duck
1 Kestrel
1 Common Sandpiper
1 Cormorant
1 Stock Dove
3 Sand Martins
10 Swallows
1 Grey Wagtails
5 Sedge Warbler
2 Reed Warblers
7 Blackcaps
1 Garden Warbler
4 Chiffchaffs
4 Willow Warblers
1 Lesser Whitethroat
3 Reed Buntings
(Martin Adlam)