3 Mar 22

Priorslee Lake and The Flash

5.0°C > 6.0°C: Another murky morning with low cloud and at best moderate visibility. Spells of mainly light rain. Light SE wind fell away calm.

Sunrise: 06:55 GMT

* = a photo today

What were probably the same two Chiffchaffs were noted again. The bird along the N side of the lake was energetically fly-catching and gave only a single call-note while I was watching it. *The bird at The Flash was in the SE corner area and I heard both calls and song while it too was fly-catching.

Priorslee Lake: 05:50 – 09:10

(50th visit of the year)

Highlight here was two Common Snipe that flushed off the NE area as I walked past at 06:20. This is my second sightings of this species here this year: one that I do not record every year.

Other bird notes:
- Two adult Great Crested Grebes were again along the E end of N side. Later a third bird, also a full adult with head plumes, emerged briefly from the NW reeds. Perhaps it has a partner inside the reed bed?.
- c.75 Black-headed Gulls and 5 Herring Gulls arrived and circled over the water at 06:40. The Herring Gulls moved on. At least 37 of the Black-headed Gulls stopped off around the SW grassy area with some (all?) of the others briefly sitting on the water. None was seen after 07:00 until four appeared after 08:30.
- The Cetti's Warbler was very vocal for several minutes after 06:30 as it moved along the vegetation at the lakeside until it was out of earshot. At 08:30 I heard it again in the same area and it then, most unusually, showed very well for several minutes. It was too hyper-active to get a photo especially as the low light level made the camera's auto-focus too slow to react.
- I noted six Blackbirds in song.
- After yesterday's bonanza no Redwings were seen or heard.

Birds noted flying over here:
- 2 Canada Geese: pair outbound
- 4 Wood Pigeons only
- 5 Herring Gulls
- 1 Lesser Black-backed Gull
- 15 Jackdaws
- 1 Raven
- 8 Siskins

Counts from the lake area:
- 2 Canada Geese: presumably the usual pair: arrived
- 2 Mute Swans
- 5 (3♂) Mallard
- 26 (14♂) Tufted Duck
- 7 Moorhens
- 37 Coots again
- 3 Great Crested Grebes: see notes
- 2 Common Snipe: departed
- c.75 Black-headed Gulls: see notes
- 2 Lesser Black-backed Gulls: adults
- no Grey Heron

On / around the damp street lamp poles pre-dawn:
- *1 Dotted Border moth (Agriopis marginaria)
- *5 springtail sps.
- *1 millipede, likely Cylindroiulus caeruleocinctus
- *3 all-black money spider sp.

Noted later:
On the outside wall of the sailing club HQ:
- *1 winter cranefly sp.
- *4 plumed midges (Chaoborus crystalinus?)
- *1 springtails sp.

Elsewhere:
- *flowers of Cornelian Cherry (Cornus mas)
- *Turkeytail fungus (Trametes versicolor)

Not new for the year though my first moth for some 10 days. Here is a Dotted Border moth (Agriopis marginaria). A commonly recorded moth in early Spring.

A winter cranefly sp. that I found on the outer wall of the sailing club HQ. Best feature to identify it as a crane fly is the small and rather isolated head. I cannot say what species it is.

Another of the plumed midges which might be Chaoborus crystalinus. This is a male.

This seems to be a female of the same species with what is known as 'simple' antennae. The plumes on the males' antennae are to detect the females' pheromones. (I took this photo at The Flash: the one at the lake was too high for me to get a proper plan view).

Yet another springtail photo I am afraid. There are not too many other insects at the moment. I am not sure why I am finding so many this year when until last Autumn I had logged none. Probably I am just 'getting my eye in'. They are very small and it has been a challenge to get to grips with the species in this diverse group. This photo is sharp-enough to show its hairy bum. The pattern fits Dicyrtomina ornata.

The markings and shape suggest this is the same species, though it lacks the hairs at the tip of the abdomen. It is my first 'day time' springtail, another sighting on the outer wall of the sailing club HQ.

I assume this is a different species as it has a rather pointed abdomen. In shape it resembles one of the Katiannidae group though those all show transverse bars on the abdomen and this does not. Note that once again the enlarged photo reveals a different and minute springtail top left. This tiny insect may be Megalothorax minimus – not very 'mega' but certainly 'minimus'. It is noted as being less than 0.5mm long (0.02 inches when I was at school).

A springtail from a different family enlarged many times. I think it is Tomocerus vulgaris from the two short and thick antennae segments topped by a long and thinner third segment.

And another springtail. From the banded legs and antenna and the prominent lateral pale band on the abdomen I am reasonably sure this is Orchesella cincta.

This may be a millipede Cylindroiulus caeruleocinctus though it seems rather small.

One of three all-black money spiders, each on a different lamp pole. Not identifiable from photos.

Part of a Blackthorn tree (Prunus spinosa) laden with blossom. Blackthorn, or Sloe, flowers before the leaves develop whereas Hawthorn (Crataegus monogyna) flowers after the leaves open.

Last year I met one of the Shropshire Wildlife Trust staff who was checking for the presence of Willow Tits – sadly gone from here about seven years ago. He pointed out a flowering Cornelian-cherry tree (Cornus mas). Today I re-found it and here are flowers just opening. It is a non-native tree but has become naturalised over the years.

On a dead stump I noted what I think is Turkeytail fungus (Trametes versicolor). This common bracket fungus can be found at all times of the year and more often seems to show as a single fruiting body. A fine cluster of small examples here.

(Ed Wilson)

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The Flash: 09:15 – 10:05

(48th visit of the year)

Bird notes:
- The cob Mute Swan was chasing the two cygnets. Meanwhile the pen was inspecting her chosen nest site and beginning to build her nest. I did not specifically note the 'spare' adult: it was likely keeping well out of the way.
- The all-white duck, actually a drake, seems to have lost its duck Mallard 'friend'. I suspect it, along with some of the other duck Mallard, might be lurking on nests with eggs from their first brood.
- I could not locate either of the Teal.
- Four drake Pochard found.
- The two Great Crested Grebes seen together.
- Once again at least 20 Siskins on trees along the E side.

Birds noted flying over here:
None

On /around the water:
- 15 Canada Geese
- 2 + 2 (1 brood) Mute Swans: see notes
- 29 (21♂) Mallard
- 1 (1♂) all-white duck (Aylesbury Duck)
- no Teal
- 4 (4♂) Pochard
- 62 (34♂) Tufted Duck
- 14 Moorhens again
- 26 Coots
- 2 Great Crested Grebes
- 12 Black-headed Gulls

On /around the street lamp poles:
- *1 female plumed midge (Chaoborus crystalinus?)

I am sure (and I hope!) I will do better but in the circumstances – dull light and a Chiffchaff energetically chasing insects – I am quite pleased with the result. There is of course a branch in the way...

(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
1 Caspian Gull
1 Iceland Gull
(Tom Lowe)

Little Wenlock, Candles Landfill Site
1 Iceland Gull
(Tom Lowe)

2010
Priorslee Lake
1 Little Grebe
5 Great Crested Grebes
6 Gadwall
33 Pochard
71 Tufted Duck
(Ed Wilson)

2009
Priorslee Lake
5 Great Crested Grebes
11 Mute Swans
10 Tufted Ducks
1 Iceland
1 Glaucous Gull
(Ed Wilson, Mike Cooper)