21 Apr 21

Priorslee Lake and The Flash

7.0°C > 8:0°C: Early light rain and staying cloudy. Initially light N breeze with moderate E wind developing. Moderate visibility.

Sunrise: 05:59 BST

* = a photo today

Priorslee Lake: 05:00 - 06:15 // 07:10 - 08:30

(70th visit of the year)

A Common Whitethroat in song was new for the year for me and my bird species #91 here this year.

Bird notes:
- 11 Song Thrushes noted in song - two or three more than my typical counts recently.
- A Mistle Thrush in song. First song I have heard for some weeks.
- At least two House Sparrows were in the hedge between the football field and the academy.

Birds noted flying over / near here:
- 2 Canada Geese: pair outbound
- 2 Greylag Geese: pair outbound
- 3 Common Buzzards
- 5 Wood Pigeons only
- 4 Lesser Black-backed Gulls: two adults, one second year and one first year; all separately
- 3 Jackdaws

Hirundines etc. noted:
- 6 Sand Martins
- 4 Barn Swallows

Count of warblers noted (the number in brackets is singing birds)
- 2 (2) Willow Warblers again
- 13 (9) Chiffchaffs
- 1 (1) Reed Warbler still
- 15 (9) Blackcaps
- 1 (1) Common Whitethroat

Counts from the water:
- 2 Canada Geese
- 2 Mute Swans: pen sitting throughout
- 5 (5♂) Mallard
- 3 (2♂) Tufted Duck: departed
- 6 Moorhens
- 20 Coots
- 2 Little Grebes: both heard only
- 5 Great Crested Grebes again
- 3 Common Sandpipers
- 1 Grey Heron again

On / around the street lamps pre-dawn
- *1 Brindled Beauty moth (Lycia hirtaria)
- *1 Twin-spotted Quaker moth (Orthosia munda): my last record here was on 05 April 2014
- *2 plumed midges (Chironomus plumosus)
- *1 orb-web spider possibly Larinioides cornutus
- *1 spider, probably one of the Clubiona species (there are 22 to choose from)
- *1 harvestman, as yet unidentified

Nothing noted later as I had to depart earlier than usual:

This Brindled Beauty moth (Lycia hirtaria) was in more or less the same place on the same lamp-head as the one I logged on 16 and 17 April. So is it the same specimen back again?

A Twin-spotted Quaker moth (Orthosia munda): my previous record of this common and widespread species at the lake was on 05 April 2014. 'Twin-spot' for obvious reasons; 'quaker' because when threatened it vibrates its wings. I see it has a friend - a tiny midge. No ideas.

This seems to be another female plumed midge. Unlike the one I photographed yesterday the base of the wings do not appear to be brown. Some of the usual Chironomus plumosus can have green bodies so there is obvious variation.

I think this spider is one of the 22 Clubiona species that are well-beyond my ability to separate.

This is a spider I regularly see around the lamps and is one of the Larinioides orb-web spider, possibly L. cornutus.

This is a harvestman, a group of insects associated with Autumn. Not sure why it is out and about in April and I cannot at the moment ID it.

(Ed Wilson)

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Between the lake and The Flash

- 2 Moorhens on the upper pool.
- 1 (1) Willow Warbler by the lower pool again
- 1 (1) Chiffchaff by the lower pool
- 3 (2) Blackcaps: singing bird by both pools with a female at the upper pool
also noted
- *The Herald moth (Scoliopteryx libatrix) yet again in the Priorslee Avenue tunnel.
- 1 small Rabbit near the lower pool. It is many years since I have seen a Rabbit around this area.

The Herald moth (Scoliopteryx libatrix) has shuffled about a bit and was sitting such that the overhead light in the tunnel 'leaked' less in to the photo. Better: but still not best.

(Ed Wilson)

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The Flash: : 06:20 - 07:05

(58th visit of the year)

Bird notes:
- Rather unexpected increase in Willow Warbler numbers. I was expecting a decline in numbers as birds move on.

Birds noted flying over / near The Flash:

None

Hirundines etc. noted.

None

Count of warblers noted (the number in brackets is singing birds)
- 5 (5) Willow Warblers
- 5 (4) Chiffchaffs
- 5 (3) Blackcaps

Counts from the water:
- 19 Canada Geese
- 6 Greylag Geese: two of these departed
- 3 + ? eggs Mute Swans
- 22 (20♂) Mallard
- 25 (16♂) Tufted Duck
- 5 Moorhens
- 23 Coots

Also noted:
- *unidentified yellow crucifer flower.
- 1 Grey Squirrel

An industrious Coal Tit at work.

Failed again! What is this flower? Clearly a crucifer with the four petals but I cannot match those large lobed leaves. It looks like a cress of some sort. I found this growing at the bottom of squirrel alley where the Wesley Brook runs under the footpath.

(Ed Wilson)

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On this day

2019

Priorslee Lake

Today's Sightings Here

2016

Local Area

Today's Sightings Here

2015

Out of Area

Today's Sightings Here

2012

The Wrekin 

1 Wood Warbler

(Sandy Hill)

2011

Wrekin

1 Ring Ouzel

(Observer Unknown)

2010

Priorslee Lake

6 Common Sandpiper

6 Swallow

4 Sand Martin

3 Blackcap

6+ Chiffchaff

1 Willow Warbler

2 Stock Dove

2 Greylag Geese

(Mike Cooper)

2008

Priorslee Lake

1 Swallow

(Martin Adlam)

2007

Priorslee Lake

3 Great Crested Grebe

1 Pintail x Mallard

2 Tufted Duck

1 Ruddy Duck

1 Buzzard

2 Common Sandpiper

3 House Martin

2 Swallow

1 Skylark

5 Blackcap

1 Lesser Whitethroat

1 Reed Warbler

5 Chiffchaff

4 Reed Bunting

(Martin Adlam, Ed Wilson)

Nedge Hill

1 Redstart

(Ed Wilson)

2006

Priorslee Lake

4 Great Crested Grebes

6 Greylag Geese

5 Tufted Ducks

2 Ruddy Ducks

2 Sand Martins

3 Swallows

1 Sedge Warbler

6 Blackcaps

6 Chiffchaffs

6 Willow Warblers.

2 Sky Larks

28 Robins

29 Blackbirds

5 Greenfinches

2 Reed Buntings

(Ed Wilson)

1 Common Sandpiper

(Ed Wilson)