Priorslee Lake and The Flash:
13.0°C: Low cloud yet gain with some spells of drizzle and rain. Light mainly E wind. Moderate visibility, poor at times in drizzle.
Sunrise: 04:45 BST:
Another rain-affected day kept me to a quick two laps of the lake interspersed with a visit to The Flash. No insects to hunt.
An interesting programme on bird migration on Radio 4 yesterday morning at 09:00 - "In Our Time". The link is Here.
Priorslee Lake: 04:11 – 05:45 // 06:35 – 08:23
(115th visit of the year)
I have probably solved the mystery warbler of yesterday. Today there was a most definite Sedge Warbler present. This is initially what I thought yesterday's bird was. Its location yesterday was between two singing Common Whitethroats with a singing Reed Warbler not far away. I suspect the cacophony prevented me singling out the Sedge song – just like I have trouble with conversations in crowded rooms. Its an age thing! This represents my fifth singing male here in 2020 – my best year ever. None of these five has, so far, stayed to breed.
Other bird notes:
- A drake Tufted Duck flew in from the W; did an amazing low-lever circuit over the water; and left to the W.
- All previously recorded broods of Coots were noted: in addition a single juvenile from another brood – not new but not noted earlier.
Birds noted flying over / near here:
- 1 (1♂) Tufted Duck
- 4 Jackdaw
- 1 Rook
- 1 Pied Wagtail
Hirundines etc. logged:
- 6 Swifts
- 7 House Martins
Count of warblers logged (singing birds in brackets):
- 12 (10) Chiffchaffs
- 13 (13) Blackcaps
- 5 (4) Garden Warblers
- 4 (4) Common Whitethroats
- 1 (1) Sedge Warbler
- 7 (7) Reed Warblers
Counts from the lake area:
- 2 + 5 Mute Swans
- 8 (7♂) Mallard
- 1 Grey Heron
- 9 Great Crested Grebes
- 6 Moorhens
- 33 + 14 (8 broods) Coots
NB: a prefix * means there is a photo today.
On / around the street lights etc. pre-sunrise:
- 3 probable Walnut Orb Weaver spiders (Nuctenea umbratica)
Insects / other things etc. noted in wet conditions:
Moths
- Silver-ground Carpet (Xanthorhoe montanata)
- Garden Carpet (Xanthorhoe fluctuata)
- Light Emerald (Campaea margaritaria)
- Snout (Hypena proboscidalis)
Bats
- 1 Pipistrelle-type bat
- 3 Noctule-type bats
Also
- 1 Garden Snail (Cornu aspersum aka Helix aspersa)
- Many small Common Frogs (Rana temporaria) [re-identified]
Additional plant species recorded in flower for the year at this site:
- Tansy (Tanacetum vulgare)
The only bird braving the drizzle and rain to belt out its song from an exposed perch was this Blackcap.
This Light Emerald moth (Campaea margaritaria) had been attracted to one of the security lights at the academy and was on the wall close-by. Necessarily a distant shot in the morning's poor light. The pale green ground colour is evident but none of the markings, which are faint anyway in this species. There are no confusion species, all other emerald moths being larger, darker green or more patterned. The posture at rest is only shared with the Common Emerald moth (Hemithea aestivaria) which is disqualified on two of the counts noted – darker and more patterned.
This Snout moth (Hypena proboscidalis) - pointing downwards – was on the wall of a house in Teece Drive that leaves a security light on. I look at this every morning and this is the first time I have seen a moth. Discretion kept me on the footpath and avoiding the use of flash. So the image is rather small and none too sharp.
Another attempt to resolve the "are they frogs or toads" debate. They certainly 'hop' like frogs and that is what I now believe them to be - Common Frog (Rana temporaria). The skin is not smooth but I don't think 'warty-enough' for a toad. More importantly the nose shape is too pointed for a toad whose nose is much more rounded. Thus I think all the small amphibians over the last week have been frogs.
The only inhabitants of the footpath lamp poles were spiders. Here, on the left, what looks like a Walnut Orb Weaver spider (Nuctenea umbratica). In the middle of the pole what looks like an exoskeleton of perhaps the same spider. As spiders grow they need a larger skin and discard the one that is now too small.
(Ed Wilson)
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The Flash: 05:50 – 06:30
(101st visit of the year)
Visibility at its worst while I was here
Notes:
- Some juvenile Coots still being brooded. Fewer non/post-breeding birds on the open water. Sheltering?
- Three Jays flew low across heading W. Later, probably the same birds, heard making their loud, murderous calls from the island.
Birds noted flying over / near The Flash:
None
Hirundines etc. logged:
None
Count of warblers logged (singing birds in brackets):
- 4 (3) Chiffchaffs
- 1 (1) Blackcap again
- no Reed Warbler noted again
Counts from the water:
- 3 + 7 (1 brood) Mute Swans
- 49 Greylag Geese
- 3 Greylag x Canada Geese
- 138 + 2 (1 brood) Canada Geese
- 20 (13♂) + 3 (1 brood) Mallard
- 8 (5♂) Tufted Duck again
- 2 + 2(1 brood) Great Crested Grebes
- 3 Moorhens
- 12 + 7 (3 broods) Coots
Otherwise of note:
- 1 Common Grey moth (Scoparia ambigualis) on one of the lamp poles
- 1 Grey Squirrel
The Common Grey moth (Scoparia ambigualis) on one of the lamp poles.
(Ed Wilson)
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Between the lake and The Flash:
Of note:
- Single first brood juvenile Moorhens on the grass beside both pools.
- Single adult Moorhens on the grass beside both pools. The bird at the upper pool, rather than running back to the pool, unusually took to flight in to one of the adjacent gardens.
(Ed Wilson)
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On this day..........
2017
Priorslee Lake
Today's Sightings Here
2008
Telford Town Centre
A singing Sedge Warbler by the entrance to the Blue Willow car park.
(Ed Wilson)