28 Mar 22

Priorslee Lake and The Flash

9.0°C: Early low / medium overcast began to break by 09:00 with a more general clearance after 09:30. Light SW wind. Moderate visibility, becoming good.

Sunrise: 06:54 BST

* = a photo today

Upon leaving I noted Telford and Wrekin Council were demonstrating their ETS (Environmental Tidiness Syndrome) credentials. Their contractors were mowing the verges and chopping the heads off the wild flowers (known as weeds to the council)

Priorslee Lake: 05:55 – 09:20

(74th visit of the year)

Bird notes:
- The Great Crested Grebes were as confusing as yesterday. There is clearly a lone bird. There seemed to be pairs displaying in three different general areas though try as I might I could only ever see five of these birds at any one time!
- The first of four Lesser Black-backed Gulls that dropped in took exception to the Grey Heron and chased it away.
- The quartet of Cormorants were flying 'the wrong way' – NW: usually I see this species flying between S and W.
- Just a single Blackcap heard singing – and that took some finding.
- Unusually a Tree Creeper was heard singing in two different locations.

Birds noted flying over here:
- 4 Canada Geese: two pairs outbound
- 1 Greylag Goose: inbound and immediately outbound
- 25 Wood Pigeons
- 13 Herring Gulls: all immatures once again; and all flying S
- 2 Lesser Black-backed Gulls: one flying S, one W, both (near) adults
- 4 Cormorants: together
- 1 Sparrowhawk
- 1 Common Buzzard
- 18 Jackdaws
- 1 Rook

Hirundines etc. noted:

None

Warblers noted (figures in brackets relate to singing birds):
- 1 (1) Cetti's Warbler
- 14 (14) Chiffchaffs
- 1 (1) Blackcap only

Counts from the lake area:
- 2 Canada Geese: throughout
- 2 Mute Swans
- 7 (5♂) Mallard
- 2 (1♂) Tufted Duck
- 7 Moorhens yet again
- 31 Coots
- Little Grebe(s) heard only
- 6 (7?) Great Crested Grebes again
- 4 Lesser Black-backed Gulls: all (near) adults, briefly
- 1 Grey Heron: departed

On / around the street lamp poles pre-dawn:
- several plumed midges Chironomus plumosus
- *many smaller midges, likely Chaoborus crystalinus
- *1 juvenile Amaurobius sp. spider
- *3 Clubiona spider sps.
- *1 Tetragnatha sp. stretch spider

Noted later:
- Buff-tailed Bumblebees (Bombus terrestris). Several queen-sized individuals looking for nest sites.

I am sure that it is coincidence and this midge has not been sick. It is a female with simple antennae. It may be Chaoborus crystalinus though the body looks rather plump and the antennae rather short.

It was nearly all spiders on the lamp poles this morning. Nigel has identified it as a juvenile Amaurobius sp., a group known as Lace-web spiders. A common member is A. fenestralis that builds its web, as that name implies, around window frames.

Here is a Clubiona spider.

And here is another. The markings on the abdomen are variable and do not enable the species to be determined.

Now a third. This group of spiders are known as foliage spiders. As with so many insects "microscopic examination of the genitalia is necessary to confirm identification". That is only part one. You then have to know what you are looking for to separate them!

Not easy to see but a Tetragnatha sp. stretch spider has a midge in its jaws. The spider runs top right with its front legs bottom left. The unfortunate midge is at right angles.

(Ed Wilson)

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The Flash: 09:25 – 10:25

(71st visit of the year)

The sequence number has been wrong for some days: now corrected.

Bird notes:
- I would have thought it unusual for the geese to still be moving around in so large a group as the 28 that arrived together. I would have expected them to be paired and keeping near nest sites.
- The cob Mute Swan was again on the grass alongside Derwent Drive throughout. His mate briefly left the nest and I was able to photograph the seven eggs.
- A pair of Shoveler again.
- Ageing the Black-headed Gull was a puzzle. The wing and tail patterns were that of an adult but it showed no indication of the dark hood that it should have acquired some weeks ago.
- Only one Blackcap noted again. The migrants are taking their time to arrive.

Birds noted flying over here:
- 2 Jackdaws

Warblers noted (figures in brackets relate to singing birds):
- 7 (7) Chiffchaffs
- 1 (1) Blackcap again

On /around the water:
- 62 Canada Geese: of these a trio and a party of 26 arrived
- 8 Greylag Geese: of these a pair departed and a pair arrived with the 26 Canada Geese
- 3 + 2 (1 brood) Mute Swans: there are *seven eggs
- *2 (1♂) Shoveler
- 19 (16♂) Mallard
- 1 (1♂) all-white duck (Aylesbury Duck)
- 2 (1♂) Teal again
- 46 (30♂) Tufted Duck
- 14 Moorhens
- 27 Coots
- 2 Great Crested Grebes
- *1 Black-headed Gull: see notes
- 1 Herring Gull: second year

Noted on / around the street lamp poles
- *1 Chequered Hoverfly (Melanostoma scalare)

Elsewhere:

Nothing of note

Seven eggs in the Mute Swans' nest.

A pair of Shoveler ducks were present again. The drake looks to be eyeing me suspiciously.

Another view of that extraordinary bill, used to filter food from the water. Has developed rather like baleen plates in whales.

The duck from the other side

In the drake because the bill is all black the shape is not so apparent.

And now the drake from the other side.

Here is the puzzling Black-headed Gull. The wing and tail pattern matches an adult but there is no hint of a dark hood that it should have acquired some weeks ago. A Canada Goose and Coot look on.

Well it was right at the top of the tallest lamp pole around here. It is a Chequered Hoverfly (Melanostoma scalare), my first of the year. It is a male: females have triangular yellow marks.

This moth was photographed at my house. It joined me for breakfast in my kitchen. It is a Beautiful Plume (Amblyptilia acanthadactyla). I saw my first-ever at the lake late last September. This moth is double-brooded with the later brood hibernating as adults which is what this is.

(Ed Wilson)

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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

2 Little Grebes

4 Great Crested Grebes

9+ Cormorants

1 Grey Heron

2 Swans

2 Shoveler

30 Tufted Duck

10 Chiffchaffs

 5 Siskins

(Ed Wilson)

The Flash

2 Great Crested Grebes

1 Cackling Goose

51 Tufted Ducks

3 Chiffchaffs

1 Meadow Pipit

2 Fieldfare

(Ed Wilson)

Nedge Hill

7 Meadow Pipits

c.150 Fieldfare

c.30 Starlings

1 Chiffchaff

(Ed Wilson)

2013

Priorslee Lake

7 Wigeon

22 Tufted Duck

1 Glaucous Gull

1 Yellow-legged Gull

1 hybrid Ring-billed x Lesser Black-backed Gull

1 Mediterranean Gull

c.400 Black-headed Gulls

63 Lesser Black-backed Gulls

4 Herring Gulls.

(Tom Lowe, Martin Grant)

Nedge Hill

2 Lapwing

(Martin Grant)

Little Wenlock, Candles Landfill Site

1 Glaucous Gull

Iceland Gull

1 Yellow-legged Gull.

(Tom Lowe)

2012

Priorslee Lake

10 Chiffchaffs singing

4 Blackcaps singing

1 Sky Lark

1 Willow Tit

1 Raven flew over

3 Great Crested Grebes

11 Tufted Duck 

(Ed Wilson)

Priorslee Flash

2 Great Spotted Woodpeckers

38 Tufted Duck

5 Chiffchaffs singing

(Ed Wilson)

2008

Priorslee Lake

4 Great Crested Grebes 

6 Gadwall

c.15 Tufted Duck

1 Fieldfare

11 Linnets

5 Chiffchaffs

c.40 Sand Martins

(Ed Wilson)

The Flash 

4 Great Crested Grebes

30 Tufted Ducks

Siskins

2 Chiffchaffs

(Ed Wilson)

Nedge Hill

10 Meadow Pipits

Linnets

Sky Larks

(Ed Wilson)

2006

Priorslee Lake

7 Great Crested Grebes

2 Cormorants

14 Tufted Ducks

3 Ruddy Ducks

1 Kittiwake

242 Wood Pigeons

4 Stock Doves

2 Buzzards

1 Kestrel

3 Meadow Pipits

3 Grey Wagtails

9 Pied Wagtails

26 Wrens

3 Fieldfare

94 Redwings

2 Swallow

13 Sand Martins

1 Blackcap

1 Willow Warbler

7 Chiffchaffs

18 Magpies

4 Jays

127 Jackdaws

13 Greenfinches

7 Siskins

7 Reed Buntings

(Ed Wilson, Martin Adlam)