26 Apr 21

Priorslee Lake, Woodhouse Lane and The Flash

2.0°C > 8:0°C: Initially clear calm and frosty. Some low cloud from a bank of cloud to the E and S for a while. Then clear with light SE breeze before puffy clouds ahead of high cloud arriving from the N. Very good visibility.

Sunrise: 05:51 BST

* = a photo today

Priorslee Lake: 04:45 - 06:25 // 07:35 - 10:00

(75th visit of the year)

Bird notes:
- A pair of Mallard with four ducklings. Perhaps the same, now reduced brood, though where was the drake when he was needed to five added protection?
- Coots numbers back to the current low normal as some birds are hidden on nests inside the reeds.
- Unusually two Little Grebes put in an appearance in the NW area; nothing seen or heard from the NE bird.
- A first year Lesser Black-backed Gull arrived at 05:05 and flew around before leaving to the W at 05:20. Then at 05:30 ten Lesser Black-backed Gulls flew low E with one first year, presumed the same, peeling off and circling the lake until 05:40 when it left to the S.
- A Sedge Warbler, perhaps the same (bit who can say) was singing from the N side today just a few feet away from a Reed Warbler. Only the Reed Warbler was glimpsed.
- Only five singing Reed Warblers noted: none found away from the reeds today.
- The Garden Warbler was very mobile around the W end. Possibly two singing birds involved.
- Only one Common Whitethroat noted. It was singing prior to 06:00 but not seen or heard when I revisited the area c.09:30.
- At least 20 Starlings are visiting the football and academy playing fields, taking food away presumably to nests in the main estate.

Birds noted flying over / near here:
- 6 Canada Geese: three pairs outbound again
- 6 Greylag Geese: two pairs outbound and one pair inbound
- 10 Wood Pigeons
- 1 Common Buzzard
- 9 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
- 2 Cormorants: together
- 44 Jackdaws
- 1 Rook

Hirundines etc. noted:
- 3 Swifts
- c.15 Sand Martins
- 2 Barn Swallows again
- 2 House Martins

Count of warblers noted (the number in brackets is singing birds)
- no Willow Warblers
- 17 (13) Chiffchaffs
- 1 (1) Sedge Warbler again
- 5 (5) Reed Warblers again
- 16 (12) Blackcaps
- 1 (1) Garden Warbler; perhaps a second
- 1 (1) Common Whitethroat

Counts from the water:
- 2 Canada Goose: one 'resident' often with presumed partner not on eggs.
- 2 Mute Swans: the pen on the nest throughout.
- 4 (3♂) + 4 (1 brood) Mallard
- 5 Moorhens
- 20 Coots
- *2 Little Grebes: seen together
- 4 Great Crested Grebes
- 1 Common Sandpiper
- 1 Lesser Black-backed Gull: first year
- 1 Grey Heron

On / around the street lamps pre-dawn:
- *4 spiders of at least three species. Hopefully to be determined.

Noted later:
- *1 presumed Grey Patched Mining Bee (Andrena nitida)
- 1 Tapered Dronefly (Eristalis pertinax)
- 1 Chequered Hoverfly (Melanostoma scalare)
- 1 Syrphus sp. hoverfly
- 2 Alder Flies (Sialis lutaria)
- 1 Grey Squirrel

The sunrise, such as it was. The bank of cloud to the E encroached for a while but soon broke up and dispersed.

Mrs. Mallard with four ducklings.

Not seen the Little Grebes for a while. Small birds a long way away. Sorry about that. Not mistaking they are adults in breeding plumage with their chestnut necks and yellow spot at the base of the bill.

I am fairly certain this is a Grey Patched Mining Bee (Andrena nitida) with the reddish-brown hair pile on the top of the thorax contrasting with the black, shiny abdomen. Here in a Dandelion, which is a favourite source of nectar. Note that pollen grains are all over the thorax and legs. This makes mining bees more effective pollinators than Honey Bees which collect pollen and store it dampened by nectar on their hind-legs from where it cannot escape when they visit the next flower.

Spider #1. I will be sending these to the Shropshire spider recorder to see whether any can be specifically identified. As with many insects often more detail than can be obtained on a photo are needed to separate closely-related species (spiders are not insects of course, but arachnids).

Spider #2. This looks rather like the money spider Entelecara acuminata, though I am not sure it was small-enough.

Spider #3. This at least has the decency to be patterned on the abdomen. Sadly many species seem similarly patterned to my eyes.

Not a very good photo of spider #4. It decided it did not like my torch, curled up a dropped on a thread to swing about in the breeze.

If you are allergic to tree pollen hold your breath while looking at this. These are the unobtrusive flowers of an Acer tree, possibly a Sycamore though there are many apparent cultivars around the lake.

(Ed Wilson)

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Woodhouse Lane: 08:10 - 08:35

(17th visit of the year)

A very abbreviated walk to the top of the hill and back.

Notes:
- A pair of Mallard in the Wesley Brook just downstream from the sluice.
- One Common Whitethroat in dancing display flight from a hedge I have not seen used by this species for some years. Probably to some extent their nesting is crop-dependent.
- Just two Yellowhammers: one singing.

Some numbers (the number in brackets is singing birds):
- 2 (1♂) Mallard
- 2 (2) Sky Larks
- 2 (1) Chiffchaffs
- 1 (1) Blackcap
- 1 (1) Common Whitethroat
- 2 (1) Yellowhammers

Nothing else of note.

(Ed Wilson)

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Between the lake and The Flash

- 2 (1♂) Mallard on the path between the upper pool and the Priorslee Academy
- Moorhen(s) heard at the upper pool
- *1 (1) Chiffchaff at the upper pool.
- 1 (1) Blackcap between the upper pool and the Priorslee Academy

By the upper pool this Chiffchaff was working around almost on the ground and apparently totally oblivious of what was going on.

That's a better pose. Well now: looking at the photo the legs are rather pale, the supercilium rather well-defined and the white around the eye rather ill-defines. All these point to it being a Willow Warbler. But is was calling like a Chiffchaff and pumping its tail like a Chiffchaff. When it flew off a Chiffchaff started singing from where it appeared to land, though I cannot be absolutely certain it was the same bird. Chiffchaff in my book.

(Ed Wilson)

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The Flash: 06:30 - 07:30

(63rd visit of the year)

Bird notes:
- A report that one nest of Coots has at least three juveniles. At the time I am here at the moment any juveniles would still be being brooded by the parents on the nest.
- Same two Herring Gulls still present

Birds noted flying over / near The Flash:
- 4 Wood Pigeons
- 1 Common Buzzard
- 1 Cormorant
- 1 Herring Gull: immature
- 1 Lesser Black-backed Gull: adult
- 3 Jackdaws

Hirundines etc. noted.
- 1 Barn Swallow flew through again

Count of warblers noted (the number in brackets is singing birds)
- 1 (1) Willow Warbler still on the island
- 5 (2) Chiffchaffs
- 8 (6) Blackcaps

Counts from the water:
- 18 Canada Geese
- 3 Greylag Geese again
- 3 + ? eggs Mute Swans
- 26 (19♂) Mallard
- 16 (9♂) Tufted Duck
- 5 Moorhens
- 21 Coots
- 1 Great Crested Grebe again
- *2 Herring Gulls: adult and second year

Nothing else of note.

Still here: the two Herring Gulls. Not sure what the second year (on the left) has been bathing in. Needs a wash. A Herring Gull and a Lesser Black-backed Gull flew over but nobody showed any interest in getting together.

(Ed Wilson)

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Local Area

Thank you to Phil Nock who was out and about with his camera in the local Area

A great flying shot of a Grey Heron

Another great flying shot: a Jay

"The Lark Ascending". Not the Ralph Vaughan Williams music - the real thing (without sound).

A Song Thrush collecting food for its partner / hatchlings.

The brown eye and grey and brown head plumage of a Dunnock

A male Yellowhammer

(Ed Wilson)

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On this day

2019

Priorslee Lake

Today's Sightings Here

2018

Priorslee Lake

Today's Sightings Here

2016

Priorslee Lake

Today's Sightings Here

2014

Priorslee Lake

3 Cranes

(Observer Unknown)

The Wrekin

3 Wood Warbler

(Damon H, Jim A, Yvonne C)

2013

Priorslee Lake

1 Cormorant

1 Dunlin

1 Common Sandpipers

1 Yellow Wagtail

1 Wheatear

3 Reed Warblers 

12 Blackcaps 

7 Chiffchaffs 

2 Willow Warblers 

(Ed Wilson)

The Flash

3 Greylag Goose 

1 Richardson's / Cackling-type Canada Goose 

3 Pochard 

7 Tufted Duck 

4 Blackcaps 

2 Chiffchaffs 

4 Willow Warblers

2 Swallows

1 Redpoll

(Ed Wilson)

Trench Middle Pool

3 Great Crested Grebes 

28 Greylag Geese 

1 Tufted Duck

1 Blackcap 

3 Chiffchaffs 

3 Willow Warblers

(Ed Wilson)

Trench Lock Pool

3 Great Crested Grebes 

6 Tufted Duck 

2 Swifts 

c.5 Sand Martins 

c.30 Swallows 

c.40 House Martins 

1 Blackcap 

1 Chiffchaff 

1 Willow Warbler

Sparrowhawk

(Ed Wilson)

Nedge Hill

19 Wheatear

Swallows

(Richard Camp)

Long Lane, Wellington

c10 Ringed Plover

c10 Dunlin

Spotted Redshank

(JV Reeves)

2012

Priorslee Lake

1 Swift

12 House Martin

7 Swallow

(Martin Grant)

2011

The Wrekin

3 Pied Flycatcher

1 Common Redstart

2 Marsh Tit

1 Wood Warbler

(Ed Wilson)

2008

Priorslee Lake

Swift

3 Common Sandpipers 

1 Sedge Warbler

6 Reed Warblers

9 Chiffchaffs

(Ed Wilson)

East of Priorslee Lake

6 Whitethroats

2 Sky Larks

1 Yellowhammer

(Ed Wilson)

2007

Priorslee Lake

4 Great Crested Grebes

7 Greylag Geese

1 Tufted Duck

3 Swallows

3 Blackcaps

1 Chiffchaff

2 Jays

28 Magpies

(Ed Wilson)

Nedge Hill

1 Ring Ouzel

(Peter Nickless)

Priorslee Flash

1 Cormorant

Swallows

34 Blackbirds

6 Willow Warbler

1 Reed Bunting

(Ed Wilson)

Lanes to the east of Priorslee Flash

5 Mallard

1 Buzzard

1 Heron

Skylarks

Blackcaps

(Ed Wilson)

2006

Priorslee Lake

5 Great Crested Grebes

1 Heron

7 Tufted Ducks

2 Ruddy Ducks

1 Kestrel

1 Common Sandpiper

6 Stock Doves

1 Swift

2 Sand Martins

2 Swallows

1 Yellow Wagtail

2 Grey Wagtails

26 Wrens

26 Blackbirds

1 Sedge Warbler

3 Reed Warblers

1 Lesser Whitethroat

7 Blackcaps

6 Chiffchaffs

2 Willow Warblers

17 Magpies

1 Raven

7 Greenfinches

5 Reed Buntings.

(Ed Wilson)

3 Greenfinches

2 Reed Buntings

(Ed Wilson)