2 May 20

Priorslee Lake

I did my extended exercise by another lap to investigate some insects.

6.0°C > 10.0°C:  Almost clear throughout: a few clouds to the far E early; and a few puffy clouds developing. Moderate W wind. Very good visibility.

Sunrise: 05:34 BST

Priorslee Lake:  early

(70th visit of the year)

Bird notes:
- The Gadwall seem to have tired of being flushed off the SW grass by all the dogs and were nowhere to be seen.
- Tufted Ducks also gone
- A trio of new(?) Great Crested Grebes together in the middle of the water.
- Two Common Sandpipers were very noisy and very flighty.
- The same Racing / Feral Pigeon was apparently roosting on the roof of the academy. Gone later.
- Just six presumed Sand Martins high over briefly, very early. Much later four confirmed Sand Martins were over the N side trees, also only briefly.
- Again only three Garden Warblers noted in song. One of these in a very different and new location – in the bushes between the football field and the houses in the estate.
- The Lesser Whitethroat was singing from all along the S side this morning.
- We seem to be overrun by House Sparrows. A pair was seen in the NE area, the male with leaves(?) in its bill. Another pair was in the SW copse. Bird(s) were heard at the W end. And also heard from the bushes alongside Teece Drive. Quite unprecedented.

Birds noted flying over / near here:
- 10 Greylag Geese (2 pairs outbound; 2 pairs and 2 singles inbound)
- 1 Greylag x Canada Goose (single inbound)
- 1 Cormorant
- 1 Kestrel
- 4 Lesser Black-backed Gulls: adults
- 8 Wood Pigeons
- 6 Jackdaws
- 5 Rooks

Birds noted on the academy playing field:
- 6 Greylag Geese
- 1 Greylag x Canada Goose
- 2 Canada Geese again
- 2 (pair) Pheasants
- 29 Starlings

Count of hirundines etc logged:
- 2 Swifts
- 10? Sand Martins (see notes)

Count of warblers logged (singing birds in brackets):
- 9 (7) Chiffchaffs
- 21 (18) Blackcaps
- 3 (3) Garden Warblers
- 1 (1) Lesser Whitethroat still
- 2 (2) Common Whitethroats again
- 1 (1) Sedge Warbler still
- 6 (6) Reed Warblers

Counts from the lake area:
- 2 Mute Swans
- 10 (9♂) Mallard
- 7 Great Crested Grebes
- 4 Moorhens
- 24 Coots
- 2 Common Sandpipers
- 1 Lesser Black-backed Gull: adult, yet again briefly on usual buoy.

On / around the street lights:
Nothing

Insects etc noted (all new for the year)
Order is as presented in Collins Guide to Insects (Chinnery: 1986)
- Large Red Damselfly (Pyrrhosoma nymphula)
- plant bug Liocoris tripustulatus
- Speckled Wood butterfly (Pararge aegeria)
- Spotted Cranefly (Nephrotoma appendiculata)
- Plumed Midge (Chironomus plumosus)
- Tapered Drone-fly (Eristalis pertinax)
- Chequered Hoverfly (Melanostoma scalare)
- probable Grey-patched Mining Bee (Andrena nitida)
- nomad bee sp.
- Ichneumon sp., perhaps Itoplectis maculator
- Nettle Weevil (Phyllobius pomaceus)

Also some new flowers
- Whitebeam (Sorbus sp.)
- Guelder-rose (Viburnum opulus)

Dawn. A small amount of cloud to far E clearing away. Almost cloudless during my visit

I had this down as a Greylag Goose. Not with that face! Looks like one of the family of Greylag x Canada Geese seen last year.

The Long-tailed Tits are very busy collecting food.

Quite a beakful.

Looks like the legs of a crane-fly sticking out of its mouth.

Helps if you are acrobatic.

Starlings were foraging around on both the football field and the academy playing fields. Here one of the quartet ‘glosses’ in the sun.

A Large Red Damselfly (Pyrrhosoma nymphula). I only saw my first here last year. Note the rather wobbly shadow of the right wings.

This seems to be the plant bug Liocoris tripustulatus. The pictures on the web are more green-toned but the markings are spot-on. May be the angle of the light.

My first butterfly here this year – a Speckled Wood (Pararge aegeria).

It did eventually partially open its wings.

There were at least two species of crane fly around this morning. This was the only one that perched. The striking pattern on the thorax identifies it as a Spotted Cranefly (Nephrotoma appendiculata). Had it rested with it wings open it would have looked even more striking.

A tiny, presumed male, midge with amazingly fuzzy antennae. Likely the non-biting Plumed Midge (Chironomus plumosus). I usually see these 20 feet up lamp posts in winter!

A common-enough hoverfly – Tapered Drone-fly (Eristalis pertinax). My first here this year.

Another. Somewhat variable in markings though these two seem the same

This specimen resembles those in my garden in lacking the thin orange band.

I have provisionally identified this as a Grey-patched Mining Bee (Andrena nitida). I struggle to separate mining bees and mason bees let alone the species within each group, particularly as the sexes differ and the hairs wear off with age. The extent of the hairs on the legs of this individual points toward a mining bee and it seems a good match with photos of this species on the web.

This nomad bee flew off as soon as I had taken a ‘safety shot’. So nomad bee sp. it stays.

Obviously an Ichneumon. I suspect Itoplectis maculator but there seems to be no comprehensive guide to this group on the web.

This is a weevil in the genus Phyllobius, most likely the Nettle Weevil (Phyllobius pomaceus).

Strange how different Hawthorn (Crataegus sp.) bushes flower at different times. This one in full sun is only about to open...

... whereas this Hawthorn bush in shade is laden with blossom. Perhaps different sub-species. Must check the leaves as the Midland Hawthorn (Crataegus laevigata) grows in our area, though it freely hybridises.

At first sight this seems to be a hawthorn in flower – but not with those leaves it isn’t! I think it is a Whitebeam (Sorbus sp.) but which I am not sure. There are many cultivars and this tree was almost certainly planted.

The Cow Parsley (Anthriscus sylvestris) is at its best now. A bank near Teece Drive gate.

This is a Guelder-rose flower (Viburnum opulus) just beginning to open. Only the large sterile flowers on the circumference become obvious. The small centre fertile florets are insignificant.

Only a Dandelion (Taraxacum sp.) but they are rather splendid.

Now ‘only a Daisy’ (Bellis perennis). If they were rare they would be prized.

(Ed Wilson)

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If you are on your daily exercise and keeping a safe distance from others, we would love to see any photos or sightings from Priorslee Lake and The Flash, by contacting us at priorsleelake@hotmail.com

We look forward to hearing from you.😊

(Martin Adlam and Ed Wilson)

Note:
Here are a few Garden Sightings from Ed Wilson Here on our Readers Corner from the past few days

And

A few of Martin Adlam's Sightings from the Isle of Portland Here.

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

2019
Priorslee Lake
Today's Sightings Here

2018
Priorslee Lake
Today's Sightings Here

2016
Local Area
Today's Sightings Here

2015
Local Area
Today's Sightings Here

2014
Local Area
Today's Sightings Here

2013
Wrekin
6 Tree Pipits 
1 Wheatear 
5 Pied Flycatchers 
2 Common Redstarts 
3 Wood Warblers 
(Ed Wilson)

2012
Priorslee Lake
Whimbrel
Grasshopper
5 Common Sandpiper
Wheatear
(John Isherwood)

Wrekin
1 Wood Warbler
1 Common Redstart
3 Tree Pipit
2 Pied Flycatcher
(J Reeves)

2006
Priorslee Lake
3 Common Sandpipers 
2 Ruddy Ducks
(Ed Wilson)