31 Mar 21

Priorslee Lake, The Flash, Trench Lock Pool and Trench Middle Pool

11.0°C > 19.0°C: A few unexpected very light showers very early, though mainly clear. Light winds. Very good visibility.

Sunrise: 06:50 BST

* = a photo today

Firstly thanks to some much appreciated feedback I can add

- Monday's orb-web spider is most likely Larinioides sclopetarius, sometimes known as Bridge Orb-web Spider from it preferred man-made habitat. Apparently lamp-poles will do.
- The Mute Swans at The Flash have at least eight eggs in their clutch (from a Facebook post).
I am always happy to get comments and corrections.

Today's fine weather brought out the butterflies:
- *Small Tortoiseshell and *Comma at Priorslee Lake
- Brimstone and Small Tortoiseshell at The Flash
- Red Admiral and Small Tortoiseshell at Middle Pool
- Small Tortoiseshell at Trench Lock
A few other insects too .... as we will see.

Priorslee Lake: 05:45 - 09:40

(50th visit of the year)

Birds notes:
- A male Pheasant calling from the academy area more or less throughout.
- Early 25 Wood Pigeons flew N in three tight groups. Later another 80 birds logged, mainly heading W but in singles / duos rather than groups.
- One Common Buzzard on the academy playing field again.
- Where do all the Chiffchaffs come from? Not all will stay of course but this year has seen my highest-ever Spring count of this species

Birds noted flying over / near here: badly affected by the early fog
- 7 Canada Geese: a loose group of four outbound; single and pair inbound
- 4 Greylag Geese: two pair inbound together
- 2 Stock Doves: pair
- 105 Wood Pigeons
- 1 Collared Dove
- 1 Black-headed Gull: first year
- 1 Herring Gull: adult
- 3 Lesser Black-backed Gulls: adults
- 16 Jackdaws
- 1 Starling
- 1 Meadow Pipit

Count of warblers noted (number in brackets is singing birds)
- *19 (18) Chiffchaffs
- *6 (6) Blackcaps

Counts from the water:
- 2 Canada Geese: pair arrived
- 1 Greylag Goose: arrived and chased away.
- 2 Mute Swans: pen sitting throughout
- 3 (3♂) Mallard only
- 4 (2♂) Tufted Duck
- 4 Moorhens
- 34 Coots
- 1 Little Grebe seen
- 6 Great Crested Grebes again
- 1 Lesser Black-backed Gull: adult briefly
- 2 Grey Herons

On the lamp-poles pre-dawn: sadly no moths but ...
- *1 tiny black beetle, perhaps Altica lythri
- *3 Common Green Lacewings (Chrysoperia carnea)
- 1 plumed midge (Chironomus plumosus)
- 1 plumed midge with patterned wings (Psectrotanypus varius)
- *4 different spiders: I have been given a contact for the Shropshire spider recorder so rather than speculate I will liaise over their identity and report back.

Also noted:
- *Small Tortoiseshell butterfly (Aglais urticae)
- *Comma butterfly (Polygonia c-album)
- several Tapered Droneflies (Eristalis pertinax)
- 1 Grey Squirrel

A rather angry-looking sky to start that produced a few very light showers with I suspect Sahara dust judging from the state of my car later.

A trio of Chiffchaffs from today. Soon it will be hard as they stop singing quite so persistently and leaves tend to hide them. A singing #1.

A pensive #2. Did someone say they have black legs? Dark but not always black.

And #3 with a crick in its neck.

A rather surprised looking male Blackcap. Often quite skulking they are also somewhat easier before there are too many leaves on the trees.

This tiny beetle seems likely to one of the leaf beetles. Note the swollen femur which only seems to be present in the females. It might be Altica lythri but there are lots to choose from!

A splendid Comma butterfly (Polygonia c-album) feeding on the Blackthorn blossom

Positively glowing in the sun is this very fresh-looking Small Tortoiseshell butterfly (Aglais urticae). Later the blue sub-border often fades away.

Now turned fully green - they go brown in winter - one of the three Common Green Lacewings (Chrysoperia carnea) on the lamp poles this morning. Their larvae are voracious predators of aphids. These adults will be feeding on nectar and pollen.

This is spider #1. As noted above I will be contacting the Shropshire Spider Recorder for help with the IDs and will report back.

Spider #2

This may be another instance of spider #3. The tonal difference may be because this was lit by my LED torch whereas for the more distant #2 I had to use the camera flash.

Spider #3 (or #4)

(Ed Wilson)

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Woodhouse Lane: 07:55 - 08:30

(4th visit of the year)

A visit to the 'top of the hill' only to check for any migrants in the top fields - a blank. A few things to note:
- Two Skylarks in song. Also one non-singing bird.
- Four Chiffchaffs and a single Blackcap in song.
- Four Meadow Pipits. I could tell whether they were flying off N or just changing fields.
- *Three Yellowhammers. None was heard to sing though two, at least, were males.

None of the Yellowhammers was singing and indeed this one was making only the very faintest calls. I managed to find a clear view of it.

I think it has spotted me.

(Ed Wilson)

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The Flash: 09:45 - 10:45

(38th visit of the year)

Bird notes:
- One Canada Goose at the side of the island appeared motionless and may have incurred the wrath of the cob Mute Swan and be an ex-Canada Goose.
- The fine weather seemed to have encouraged some of the Tufted Ducks to move on.
- No sight or sound of the Willow Warbler. They no longer seem to breed here as the trees are probably too tall now.

Birds noted flying over / near The Flash:
- 2 Feral Pigeons: singles
- 1 Wood Pigeon
- 1 Jackdaw again

Count of warblers noted (number in brackets is singing birds)
- 6 (6) Chiffchaffs
- 2 (2) Blackcaps

Counts from the water:
- 41 Canada Geese
- ? Greylag Geese (heard from inside the island)
- 3 + 8? eggs Mute Swans
- 32 (21♂) Mallard
- 30 (20♂) Tufted Duck
- 6 Moorhens
- 27 Coots
- 1 Black-headed Gull: first year arrived

My 2021 bird species list for here stays at 59

Also noted:
- 1 Brimstone butterfly (Gonepteryx rhamni). This may well be my first-ever of this species at this site.
- 1 Small Tortoiseshell butterfly (Aglais urticae).
- *1 Dark-edged Bee-fly (Bombilius major).
- 1 wasp sp. Seen only briefly. Strangely at this early date it seemed too small to be a queen.

And
- A house balcony in Derwent Drive boasts a Sulphur-crested Cockatoo in a cage - the call had me struggling to ID it for a while!

Coal Tits are as hard to photo as yesterday's Willow Warbler was. They are very active sprites that are less frenetic when they are singing. But they sing from near the top of trees.

A sure sign of Spring are the first Dark-edged Bee-flies (Bombilius major). These furry flies use their proboscis for sucking nectar and are totally harmless. They can often be seen hovering in front of flowers.


(Ed Wilson)

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Trench Lock Pool: 11:35 - 12:05

(6th visit of the year)

Bird notes:
- *The duck Goosander was a surprise - a very late date for this species. I have no local records post-March - and it is nearly post-March!
- A singing Blackcap was new for the year here

Birds noted flying over / near here:

None
[The local Wood Pigeons and Jackdaws not included]

Counts from the water:
- 4 Canada Geese: two pairs again
- 2 Mute Swan: the usual pair. They do not seem to have any eggs as yet
- 3 (3♂) Mallard
- *1 (0♂) Goosander
- 3 Moorhens
- 11 Coots
- 2 Great Crested Grebes still

My 2021 bird species list for here moves on to 39 with new today:
- Blackcap

Also noted
- 2 Small Tortoiseshell butterflies (Aglais urticae).
- 1 Grey Squirrel

On a surprisingly late date - should be off at their breeding rivers by now - a duck Goosander.

 A very smart-looking bird and unusually approachable.

Having a bath.

(Ed Wilson)

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Trench Middle Pool: 11:00 – 11:30

(6th visit of the year)

Bird notes:
- I was slightly surprised to see so many gulls here when they are almost absent elsewhere.
- A Willow Warbler was singing from the island - not an ideal place to try and hear it with all the squabbling geese. Not a species I record here every year as they seem to only pass by.
- Two Chiffchaffs in song again.
- One Blackcap in song. New for me here this year.

Birds noted flying over / near here:

None

Counts from the water:
- 38 Canada Geese
- 14 Greylag Geese again
- 1 all-white feral goose: the usual
- *2 Mute Swans with three eggs
- 14 (12♂) Mallard
- 10 (6♂) Tufted Duck
- 4 Moorhens only
- 19 Coots
- 2 Great Crested Grebes
- 8 Black-headed Gulls: three adults and five first years
- 1 Lesser Black-backed Gull: adult, arrived and stayed

My 2021 bird species list for here moves on to 38 with new today:
Willow Warbler
Blackcap

Also noted
- 1 Red Admiral butterfly (Vanessa atalanta)
- 1 Small Tortoiseshell butterfly (Aglais urticae).
- 1 Grey Squirrel

The resident Mute Swans on hand-over duty. Three eggs so far

(Ed Wilson)

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On this day

2020

Priorslee Lake

Today's Sightings Here

2019

Priorslee Lake

Today's Sightings Here

2018

Priorslee Lake

Today's Sightings Here

2017

Priorslee Lake

Today's Sightings Here

2016

Priorslee Lake

Today's Sightings Here

2015

Priorslee Lake

Today's Sightings Here

2014

Priorslee Lake

3 Great Crested Grebes

13 Cormorants

4 Greylag Geese

22 Tufted Duck

5 Sand Martins

6 Redwings

8 Chiffchaffs

>500 Jackdaws

(Ed Wilson)

The Flash

50 Tufted Ducks

4 Chiffchaffs

4 Siskins

(Ed Wilson)

2013

Priorslee Lake

1 Little Grebe

6 Great Crested Grebes

1 Cormorant

7 Wigeon 

2 Gadwall 

1 Pochard 

42 Tufted Ducks 

1 Great Black-backed Gull

Mediterranean Gull.

Ring-billed x Lesser Black-backed Gull.

>1500 Black-headed Gulls

2 Redwings

65 Magpies

25 Siskins

2 Reed Buntings

(Ed Wilson)

The Flash

2 Great Crested Grebes 

6 Swans

2 Pochard 

85 Tufted Duck 

(Ed Wilson)

2010

Priorslee Lake

3 Buzzards

1 Little Grebe 

5 Great Crested Grebe

4 Gadwall

36 Tufted Duck

c.160 Jackdaws

(Ed Wilson)

The Flash

4 Great Crested Grebe 

3 Greylag Geese 

32 Tufted Duck

Trench

1 Cormorant

43 Tufted Ducks

(Ed Wilson)

2007

Priorslee Lake

Little Ringed Plover

1 Cormorant

1 Mallard x Pintail

18 Tufted Duck

1 Ruddy Duck

1 Little Ringed Plover

1 Kittiwake

33 Wren

29 Robin

24 Blackbird

3 Chiffchaff

39 Magpie

3 Greenfinch

6 Reed Bunting

(Ed Wilson)

The Flash

8 Great Crested Grebe

2 Pochard

27 Tufted Duck

1 Snipe

3 Chiffchaff

2 Reed Bunting

(Ed Wilson)

2006

Priorslee Lake

1 Barn Owl

1 Little Grebe

5 Great Crested Grebes

1 Shoveler

30 Tufted Ducks

2 Water Rails

321 Wood Pigeons

2 Sky Larks

5 Meadow Pipits

33 Wrens

21 Robins

21 Blackbirds

1 Fieldfare

3 Redwings

1 Chiffchaff

1 Willow Tit

18 Greenfinches

8 Siskins

1 Linnet

6 Reed Buntings

1 Yellowhammer.

(Ed Wilson)