16 May 21

Priorslee Lake and The Flash

6.0°C > 10.0°C: Early broken cloud gave way to mist and very low cloud for a while. The cloud lifted somewhat later without any sun appearing. Then, guess what: it rained, albeit only light rain.. Calm start with light S breeze later. Very good visibility became very poor for a while; then very good again.

Sunrise: 05:12 BST

* = a photo today

Virgin Media apologises for a three hour (at least) failure to provide internet access on Sunday evening and hence the late submission of this report. Then again my contract probably says they don't have to apologise.

Priorslee Lake: 04:15 – 06:00 // 06:45 – 09:20

(93rd visit of the year)

Highlight today was my first Little Ringed Plover of the year. I first noticed this tiny wader (sparrow-sized) at the bottom of the slipway at 05:10. I approached with stealth to get a few record shots. I was then distracted by passing Canada Geese and when I looked back it was nowhere to be seen. Seconds later I saw a small wader climbing away to the N, apparently from the E end of the lake, though given its size the distance was hard to judge. However five minutes later a Little Ringed Plover was on the SW grass. Had it returned or were there two birds? And if the latter were they both Little Ringed Plovers? Answers on a postcard ... Whatever: my 99th bird species of 2021 here.

This Schedule 1 protected species had previously nested on what is now the housing estate to the north of the lake. In the seven-year period until 2017 birds attempted to breed and were successful in several years. Details can be found Here.

Once building commenced I did not really expect to see this species again though in fact I have seen it every year. In 2018 it was clearly looking to occupy its old haunts. Subsequently it has been a 'one day' bird, often on the slipway. Mid-May is an unusual date as this species is a very early arrival from Africa, sometimes in late February and usually by mid-March. So quite what this bird was doing is hard to say – looking for a new site after an early nest failure?

Other bird notes:
- A duck Mallard was sitting apparently alone on the football field at 05:45. I have assumed this is the same duck that was with a drake on the lake later.
- Three juvenile Coots were from a new brood: #4. Just one remains from brood #2. None of the other broods noted.
- Juvenile Great Spotted Woodpeckers heard begging for food from the nest hole. There seem to be three nest sites around the area this year.
- The Sedge Warbler was rather more mobile today, in the SW area as well as along the S side.
- There were no Starlings on the academy playing field when I first checked. I re-checked later and there were just two. Only 10 days ago I could 25 most days.

Overhead:
- 8 Canada Geese: single and group of seven outbound
- 1 Greylag Goose: single inbound
- 4 Stock Doves: together
- 15 Wood Pigeons
- 1 Herring Gull: immature
- *3 Lesser Black-backed Gulls: two adults and one first year
- 3 Cormorants: singles
- 83 Jackdaws
- 8 Rooks

Hirundines etc., noted:
- 3 Swift
- 4 Barn Swallows
- 4 House Martins

Warblers noted (the number in brackets is singing birds):
- 12 (11) Chiffchaffs
- *1 (1) Sedge Warbler
- *13 (10) Reed Warblers
- 16 (12) Blackcaps
- *4 (4) Garden Warblers
- 4 (3) Common Whitethroats

Count from the lake area
- 4 + 5 (1 brood) Canada Geese: two singles visited separately and briefly with the five goslings and two parents throughout
- 2 + 7 (1 brood) Mute Swans
- 4 (3♂) Mallard
- 3 Moorhens
- 22 + 4 (2 broods) Coots
- 1 Little Grebe heard only
- 3 Great Crested Grebes
- *1 Little Ringed Plover
- 4 Lesser Black-backed Gulls: three adults and one first year, all briefly
- 1 Grey Heron again

On / around the street lamps pre-dawn: (hooray – a moth!)
- *1 Small Phoenix moth (Ecliptopera silaceata)
- 2 plumed midges
- *1 unidentified spider.

Also noted later:
- *Presumed mosquito sp.
- *A Tawny Soil Slug (Arion owenii)
- *First Yellow Flag flower (Iris pseudacorus)
- Possible Yellow Rocket (Barbarea vulgaris)

Before the mist and low cloud rolled in.

The first 'record shot' of the Little Ringed Plover. The size more or less clinched the ID but the three key features to distinguish it from (Common) Ringed Plover are the pinkish legs, prominent orange eye-ring and an all-dark bill. All are just about visible here.

The eye ring is more obvious here. Note the black on the forehead, only present during the breeding season.

Here from some five minutes later with better light and a more helpful angle.

As good as it got.

All gulls start their wing-moult as soon as the breeding season is over. This first year Lesser Black-backed Gull won't have bred and has started its moult early.

Oops. Cut its tail-tip off. A singing Sedge Warbler.

That's better.

They do shut up from time to time.

Why do birds always sit the other side of twigs? A Reed Warbler.

Slightly better but now against the light! The legs look very spindly for clambering up and down reeds.

A Garden Warbler. Very grey-looking compared with Sedge and Reed Warblers. Note too the rather thick, short and all-dark bill.

A very distinctive moth with no real confusion species. It is a Small Phoenix (Ecliptopera silaceata). I see this most years. This was the result of a flash photo pre-dawn.

Unusually it stayed, probably as there was no sun. Here by natural light. Note the tip of its body is turned up – there are several species of moths in this and related genera that do this.

These insects were abundant this morning and this one was sitting on a fisherman's bivvy. With feathered antennae and a proboscis this seems to be a male mosquito though I cannot determine the species.

A spider I will have to 'pend'. There may be too little detail for an ID but I will ask the Shropshire Spider Recorder to have a go!

This might be a Tawny Soil Slug (Arion owenii). Another group I am none too confident about.

This is a leaf from yesterday's unidentified yellow flower. I think it may be Yellow Rocket (Barbarea vulgaris).

Safer ground here: Yellow Flag (Iris pseudacorus). I'll take a better one on a bright sunny day. This is my first of the year.

(Ed Wilson)

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Between the lake and The Flash

- Three juvenile Moorhens were peering out from under an adult at the upper pool. I did not see the other adult.
- The usual two Moorhens at the lower pool. The bird on the nest was probably brooding juveniles.
- 1 Chiffchaff still singing at the lower pool.

(Ed Wilson)

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

The Flash: 06:05 – 06:40

(80th visit of the year)

The mist / fog was at its worst when I was here. I was unable to see the island for much of the time. With that proviso ....

Bird notes:
- No Mallard ducklings seen. This may be because I decided not to disturb their usual resting area which the mist then precluded me from checking from any other vantage point.
- A pair of Tufted Duck flew in as I arrived. Two other drakes.
- There are now just three juvenile Coots in the nest along the W side. Any juveniles in the nest by the bridge were still being brooded. I did not count the adult Coots today.
- The Reed Warbler was still present; today singing from the bramble patch beloved by the House Sparrows beside the weeping willow tree on the E bank.

Birds noted flying over here:

None

Hirundines etc. noted:

None

Warblers noted (the number in brackets is singing birds):
- 2 (2) Chiffchaffs
- 1 (1) Reed Warbler (that I forgot to put in the totals for yesterday)
- 5 (5) Blackcaps

On /around the water:
- 29 Canada Geese
- 1 Greylag Goose
- 3 + 4 (1 brood) Mute Swan
- 19 (16♂) Mallard
- 4 (3♂) Tufted Duck
- 4 Moorhens
- ?? + 3 (1 brood) Coots

Noted otherwise:
- *1 presumed glass snail sp.

I am sure this is one of the glass snails but I cannot say which. Some scale is given by my fingers holding it.

(Ed Wilson)

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

On this day

2020

Priorslee Lake

Today's Sightings Here

2019

Priorslee Lake

Today's Sightings Here

2016

Priorslee Lake

Today's Sightings Here

2015

Priorslee Lake

Today's Sightings Here

2012

Nedge Hill

10 Northern Wheatears

(Richard Camp)

2010

Priorslee Lake

Ringed Plover

(Ed Wilson)

2007

Priorslee Lake

1 Ruddy Duck

(Ed Wilson)

2006

Priorslee Lake

2 Ruddy Ducks

Cuckoo

(Ed Wilson)