25 Mar 22

Priorslee Lake and The Flash

5.0°C > 12.0°C: Clear again. Somewhat less hazy. Calm. Good visibility.

Sunrise: 06:02 GMT

* = a photo today

Priorslee Lake: 05:15 – 06:25 // 07:35 – 09:30

(71st visit of the year)

Two additions to my 2022 bird list for here:
- at 06:20 I managed to add Meadow Pipit to the log when two birds flew, unexpectedly, E. They normally go N in Spring and S in Autumn.
- then just as I was about to give up I located a non-singing male Blackcap at the W end. Given that I had heard at least three singing around The Flash I had assumed it would be easy to find one or more here. Not so!
Species #73 and 74 respectively for my 2022 list here.

Other bird notes:
- I did not see any Canada Geese as I completed my first walk around. As I was walking away up Teece Drive at 06:25 birds were calling from the lake. Whether they had just arrived or whether the Mute Swans had dislodged them from last year's nest site in the reeds is hard to say.
- Back to three Great Crested Grebes with one pair displaying close to the third as if to warn it off.
- Two Black-headed Gulls appeared over the lake at 05:25 and circled for a few minutes before leaving. A lone bird flew N at 06:20.
- The Cetti's Warbler was typically vocal at c.05:20 in the NW area but soon quietened down. It has been in this area for some days but today what I assume was the same bird was heard singing and then seen along the S side at c.08:45.
- There were two Starlings on house roofs along Teece Drive with a third arriving carrying food. Nesting already.

Birds noted flying over here:
- 9 Canada Geese: pair outbound; septet inbound
- 2 Greylag Geese: pair outbound
- 10 Wood Pigeons only
- 1 Black-headed Gull
- 3 Herring Gulls: all immatures again
- 38 Jackdaws
- 6 Redwings: a duo and quartet heading NW
- 2 Meadow Pipits

Hirundines etc. noted:

None

Warblers noted (figures in brackets relate to singing birds):
- 1 (1) Cetti's Warbler: see notes
- 12 (12) Chiffchaffs
- 1 (0) Blackcap: as highlighted

Counts from the lake area:
- 2 Canada Geese: a pair arrived 06:25?: see notes
- 2 Mute Swans
- 9 (8♂) Mallard
- 5 Moorhens
- 35 Coots
- no Little Grebe(s) seen or heard
- 3 Great Crested Grebes: see notes
- 2 Black-headed Gulls: see notes
- no Grey Herons

On / around the street lamp poles pre-dawn
- *1 Red-letter Flat-body moth again (Agonopterix ocellana)
- several small midges
- *1 presumed Common Green Lacewing (Chrysoperia carnea)

Noted later:
- 1 Small Tortoiseshell (Aglais urticae)
- *Buff-tailed Bumblebees (Bombus terrestris)
- many other unidentified bumblebees in flight only
- *several Dark-edged Bee-flies (Bombilius major)

Even if the weather stays clear this is likely to be the last chance I get to photo the moon this month – the remaining lit area will not give enough light for my hand-held camera.

Another red ball sunrise.

A few more clouds enabled a sunrise with a bit more character to it. At the very bottom of the view are two of the earth moving machines where once were open fields and Skylarks singing....

This Robin almost looks wistful but I think it is eyeing me suspiciously.

I am not having much luck photographing this species of moth. The red spot in middle of the forewings shows more clearly when I look through the camera's viewfinder than it does whatever setting I use for the photo. Probably a different Red-letter Flat-body moth (Agonopterix ocellana) from the one I logged yesterday as it was several lamp poles away.

Resting in a dandelion flower is a Buff-tailed Bumblebees (Bombus terrestris). Most bumblebees were only seen in flight and remained unidentified.

Definite highlight for me was finding this Dark-edged Bee-fly (Bombilius major). Lovely round furry insects. The proboscis is used for drinking nectar from deep within flowers. It could not penetrate skin even if these engaging insects ever wished to get angry. This is my earliest-ever record of this species – 27th March 2019 was my only other March sighting.

Looking at the wing-pattern of this presumed Common Green Lacewing (Chrysoperia carnea) makes my eyes go funny. Still in winter colours. The brown lacewing group do not have transparent wings.

(Ed Wilson)

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The Flash: 06:30 – 07:30

(66th visit of the year)

Bird notes:
- There has been a significant reduction in Tufted Duck numbers over the past few days.
- It is strange that during the winter I saw Collard Doves very rarely. Now they are present in numbers - three singing birds and another non-singing bird. They are not a 'traditional migrant' species so where do they go?
- Two Great Crested Grebes escorted me around the edge of the water as if inspecting their new abode.
- Three singing Blackcaps with just perhaps a fourth though the territories are not yet defined.
- Nuthatches seen collecting nesting material and seeing off any tits that looked to be interested in their nest-hole.
- A Mistle Thrush was singing from trees at the bottom of squirrel alley by the academy.

Birds noted flying over here:
- 6 Wood Pigeons: high NE
- 4 Jackdaws

Warblers noted (figures in brackets relate to singing birds):
- 6 (6) Chiffchaffs again
- *3 (3) Blackcaps: perhaps 4 (4)

On /around the water:
- 37 Canada Geese: of these a pair flew off
- 7 Greylag Geese: of these two pairs flew off and a pair arrived
- 3 + 2 (1 brood) Mute Swans: the number of eggs could not be determined
- *30 (26♂) Mallard
- 1 (1♂) all-white duck (Aylesbury Duck)
- *2 (1♂) Teal
- 44 (27♂) Tufted Duck
- 12 Moorhens
- 30 Coots
- 2 Great Crested Grebes

Noted on / around the street lamp poles: a bumper bundle:
- *1 Early Thorn moth (Selenia dentaria). Moth species #3 for me here this year
- *1 plumed midge with patterned wings, probably Psectrotanypus varius.
- several plumed midges without plain wings, likely Chironomus plumosus.

Noted elsewhere:
- *1 Common Carp (Cyprinus carpio) swimming in the water
- 1 Grey Squirrel

Not too sure how long the pair of Teal will stay around – I am amazed they have stayed so long. Today the drake was out on the open water so I decided to take his photo one more time.

A bi-plane bi-sexual Mallard?

Somewhat easier to see there are two birds in this shot.

And so there are. I have never noticed that the blue speculum is more broadly white on its inner edge in the duck than in the drake. Photos elsewhere confirm this as a consistent difference but I cannot find this fact noted in any plumage descriptions for this species.

Well that's not very nice behaviour!

Nuthatches are masters (and mistresses) of hanging at bizarre angles to reach food.

As well as just sitting about.

I am sure I will do better.. This Blackcap was typically skulking in vegetation while it sang. Suddenly it flew out and landed on top of a 30 foot tree.

An Early Thorn moth (Selenia dentaria) resting, as do most 'thorn' moths, with its wings held vertically over its back. This species of moth is double-brooded and I have only previously recorded the second brood here. This latter brood flies in August when the epithet 'early' is hardly appropriate.

This plumed midge with patterned wings is almost certainly Psectrotanypus varius. Not a species I see very often: normally I see Chironomus plumosus with plain wings.

One of the Common Carp cruising just under the surface.

(Ed Wilson)

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Between the lake and The Flash:

- 2 (1♂) Mallard in the lower pool.
- 1 Moorhen heard in the upper pool only.
- 1 (1) Chiffchaff beside the upper pool
- no Starlings
- *1 male Grey Wagtail by the lower pool

It is easy to see why people assume they have seen a Yellow Wagtail when they see this. This a male Grey Wagtail almost in full summer plumage – the throat area will become jet black apart from a white malar stripe. Only older females have a hint of black on the throat and all are not such a bright yellow.

This is why it is called a Grey Wagtail – it has a grey back. Yellow Wagtails have yellow, or olive-green, backs and heads. This is the bird I first noted in November 2020 wearing rings that had been placed on it at Heysham in Lancashire when it was a juvenile that year.

(Ed Wilson)

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Priorslee Avenue tunnel:

Nothing of note

(Ed Wilson)

Also noted this morning:

Two aircraft today. This is a Comco-Ikarus C42 FB100 Charlie which flies from Sleap Airfield near Wem. This two-seat microlight aircraft is manufactured as a kit in Germany. It can be self-assembled: or, as with this example, you can have it built for you by specialists in the UK. Flight Radar 24 showed this aircraft on a day-trip to a private airstrip near Abingdon.

This aircraft was travelling in parallel. It is a Evektor-Aerotechnik EV-97 Eurostar with a Stafford owner. Another two seat microlight but designed in the Czech Republic. It is also available fully assembled or as a (big) box of parts. This one was built from a kit by an enthusiast.

(Ed Wilson)

Note:

Ed Wilson visited Upton Warren on 23 Mar. His photos can be found Here.

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On this day can be found via the yearly links in the right-hand column.

Sightings from previous years without links are below

2014

Priorslee Lake

1 Little Grebe

7 Cormorants

2 Gadwall

18 Tufted Duck

1 Kittiwake

1 Sand Martin

7 Chiffchaffs

158 Jackdaws

(Ed Wilson)

The Flash

1 Kittiwake

(John Isherwood)

Trench Lock Pool

2 Little Grebes

4 Great Crested Grebes

15 Tufted Ducks

2 Chiffchaffs

(Ed Wilson)

Trench Middle Pool

2 Tufted Duck

2 Chiffchaffs

1 Willow Warbler

(Ed Wilson)

2013

Priorslee Lake

2 Little Grebes 

3 Great Crested Grebe 

7 Wigeon 

2 Gadwall 

34 Tufted Ducks 

c.450 Black-headed Gulls

c.350 Lesser Black-backed Gulls

c.50 Herring Gulls

1 Great Black-backed Gull.

(Ed Wilson)

The Flash

3 Great Crested Grebes 

7 Swans 

2 Pochard 

73 Tufted Duck 

(Ed Wilson)

2011

Nedge Hill

2 Wheatear

(John Isherwood)

2010

Priorslee Lake

1 Little Grebe 

4 Great Crested Grebe 

4 Gadwall

27 Tufted Duck

c.210 Jackdaws

(Ed Wilson)

The Flash

3 Great Crested Grebe 

36 Tufted Duck

2 Siskins

1 Reed Bunting

(Ed Wilson)

2007

Priorslee Lake

3 Cormorant

2 Shoveler

27 Tufted Duck

1 Green Woodpecker

29 Wren

22 Robin

21 Blackbird

5 Fieldfare

9 Redwing

6 Chiffchaff

36 Magpie

99 Jackdaw

8 Greenfinch

7 Reed Bunting

(Ed Wilson)

The Flash

4 Great Crested Grebe

1 Mallard x Pintail

2 Pochard

17 Tufted Duck

3 Chiffchaff

1 Reed Bunting

(Ed Wilson)

2006

Priorslee Lake

1 Barn Ow

1 Little Grebe

6 Great Crested Grebes

1 Shoveler

26 Tufted Ducks

2 Water Rail

532 Wood Pigeon

2 Great Spotted Woodpeckers

2 Sky Larks

15 Pied Wagtails

26 Wrens

34 Blackbirds

6 Redwings

1 Willow Warbler

1 Chiffchaff

17 Magpies

4 Jays

1 Brambling

13 Greenfinches

4 Siskins

1 Linnets

5 Reed Buntings

(Ed Wilson)

The Flash

6 Great Crested Grebe

2 Pochard

22 Tufted Duck

2 Chiffchaff 

1 Reed Bunting

(Ed Wilson)