14 Apr 22

Priorslee Lake and The Flash

6.0°C > 10.0°C: Mainly clear early. Then patches of cloud at multiple levels made it generally overcast. Almost calm. Very good visibility.

Sunrise: 06:15 BST

* = a photo today

The clear night seemed to have allowed many of the Willow Warblers to move on. I noted just four at the lake; one between the lake and The Flash; and a more modest eight around The Flash.

Priorslee Lake: 05:20 – 06:40 // 07:45 – 09:25

(88th visit of the year)

Bird notes:
- The Great Crested Grebes continue to confuse. Four seen at the same time on one occasion. Usually just one or two visible. Can appear anywhere and everywhere in the water.

Birds noted flying over here:
- 4 Canada Geese: two singles outbound; pair inbound
- 1 Greylag Goose: outbound
- 2 Feral Pigeons: singles
- 17 Wood Pigeons
- 2 Herring Gulls: immatures
- 45 Jackdaws
- 1 Rook

Hirundines etc. noted:

None

One of the fishermen reported "good numbers of swallows and martins" late yesterday afternoon.

Despite the paucity of records here at least two House Martins had returned overhead their breeding site in Newport yesterday afternoon – nine days earlier than I recorded in 2021.

Warblers noted (figures in brackets relate to singing birds):
- 1 (1) Cetti's Warbler
- 4 (3) Willow Warblers
- 18 (14) Chiffchaffs
- *14 (9) Blackcaps

Counts from the lake area:
- 1? Canada Goose remains keeping watch
- 2 Mute Swans: pen on nest throughout
- 7 (7♂) Mallard
- 3 (2♂) Tufted Ducks: pair and drake arrived separately
- 7 Moorhens
- 27 Coots
- 4 Great Crested Grebes
- 1 Lesser Black-backed Gull: adult, briefly
- 1 Grey Heron

Noted on / around the street lamp poles pre-dawn:
Rather little as the poles were covered in a heavy dew
- *1 unidentified hairy caterpillar
- several plumed midges

Noted later:
- *amongst many small flies on various lamp poles was a Muscid or Face Fly Musca autumnalis.

Definitely a sunrise worth getting up for.

From a slightly different vantage point. This was the only time in the morning when there were clear skies.

Blackcaps have been particularly hard to photograph so far this year not helped by a succession of dull and cloudy mornings. This male is my best so far here. I hope we get some sunny weather before the leaves open and enable these birds to hide away.

Well this is hard! Caterpillars are not well served with ID guides and this, 15 feet up a lamp pole and with hairs covered in dew, will have to go unidentified.

This is almost certainly the Muscid fly Musca autumnalis, distinguished by the black line running down the brown belly. Despite its scientific appellation it is common from Spring right through to Autumn. It is also known as the Face Fly as this species "lands on the faces of cattle where it feeds on tears, sweat and blood (from the bites of other flies). It also feeds on nectar". [credit to the NatureSpot web site Here] [Should that not be Blood, Sweat and Tears?]

(Ed Wilson)

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

The Flash: 06:45 – 07:40 again

(85th visit of the year)

Bird notes:
- Seems likely that some of the Tufted Duck have moved out though it seems to be the ducks that are in short supply. Could they be hauled out nesting on the island?
- There were six immature Herring Gulls comprising all three ages – first, second and third year birds. All but one of these arrived. Several seemed to leave but the overall number did not change – did more arrive or were they just flying around?
- Two silent Bramblings were noted high in trees in the far reaches of the wooded area on the top left.

Birds noted flying over here:
- 1 Herring Gull: immature

Warblers noted (figures in brackets relate to singing birds):
- 8 (8) Willow Warblers
- 9 (8) Chiffchaffs
- 6 (5) Blackcaps again

Noted on / around the water:
- 29 Canada Geese: of these a pair departed and a pair arrived
- 1 Greylag x Canada Goose: arrived
- 4 Greylag Geese
- 5 Mute Swans
- 20 (18♂) Mallard: no ducklings found
- [the all-white duck (Aylesbury Duck) not seen]
- 38 (27♂) Tufted Duck
- 8 Moorhens
- 25 Coots
- 1 Great Crested Grebe still
- *6 Herring Gulls: at least: all immatures: see notes
- 1 Lesser Black-backed Gull: first year: departed

On / around the street lamp poles or elsewhere:

Nothing noted

Two of the six Herring Gulls (at least) seen here this morning. The bird on the right looks like an adult but note the black in the bill. In flight it showed a smudge of black on the tail, part of the remnant tail-band: so a third year bird. The bird on the left is probably a first year bird from the extent of brown in the folded wing though the obvious pale tip and base to the black bill are more indicative of a second year bird. Ideally I would like to have seen this bird in flight.

(Ed Wilson)

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

Between the lake and The Flash

- 1 Moorhen in the lower pool
- 1 Willow Warbler singing near the upper pool
- 1 Chiffchaff singing from trees between the pools

(Ed Wilson)

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

In the Priorslee Avenue tunnel

- 2 plumed midges
- *2 owl midges
- *2 Porcellio spinicornis aka Brickwork Woodlouse

 I do like these tiny owl midges.

So here is another! As previously noted the 99(!) UK species of Psychodidae, sometimes also known as moth flies, cannot be separated on wing pattern (or anything else without a microscope and a lot of knowledge).

A very different-looking woodlouse from the small reddish individual seen yesterday. This seems to be Porcellio spinicornis which some websites call Brickwork Woodlouse.

(Ed Wilson)

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

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

3 Great Crested Grebes

12 Cormorants over

3 Grey Herons

2 Tufted Duck

4 Common Sandpipers

c.6 Sand Martins

1 Swallow

Green Woodpecker

9 Blackcaps

7 Chiffchaffs

2 Willow Warbler

193 Jackdaws

(Ed Wilson)

The Wrekin

Tree Pipit

Pied Wagtail

Willow Tit

Marsh Tit

5 Pied Flycatchers

2 Common Redstarts

Willow Warblers

Siskins

(Ed Wilson)

2013

Priorslee Lake

2 Little Ringed Plover

6 Willow Warbler

5 Chiffchaff 

1 House Martin

4 Sand Martin

(Martin Grant)

2012

Priorslee Lake

Willow Warbler

Chiffchaff

Blackcap

Willow Tits

2 Jays

(Martin Grant)

Nedge Hill

4 Common Redstart

31 Wheatear

(John Isherwood)

The Wrekin

5 Pied Flycatcher

1 Common Redstart

2 Tree Pipit

6 Willow Warbler

Marsh Tit

Goldcrest

Green Woodpecker

Great Spotted Woodpecker

Siskin

Lesser Redpoll

Crossbill

(Glenn Bishton)

2011

Priorslee Lake

4 Common Sandpiper

1 Reed Warbler

(Ed Wilson)

Nedge Hill

4 Wheatear

(Ed Wilson)

2008

Priorslee Lake

1 Osprey

4 Gadwall

12 Sand Martin

2 Swallows

6 Willow Warblers

4 Chiffchaffs

1 Blackcap

(Ed Wilson)

The Flash

1 Common Sandpiper

6 Willow Warbler

4 Chiffchaffs

(Ed Wilson)

Trench Lock

5 Sand Martin

Swallows

4 Willow Warbler

2 Chiffchaffs

(Ed Wilson)

Nedge Hill

2 Swallows

1 Willow Warbler

2 Chiffchaffs

(Ed Wilson)

2007

Priorslee Lake

1 Pintail x Mallard

17 Tufted Duck

1 Grey Heron

2 Willow Warblers

8 Chiffchaffs

5 Blackcaps

20 Wrens

2 Linnet

6 Reed Bunting

(Martin Adlam)

Nedge Hill

2 Willow Warblers

1 Blackcap

2 Chiffchaff

1 Fieldfare

1 Great Spotted Woodpecker

1 Swallow

1 Buzzard

4 Skylark

2 Meadow Pipit

4 Yellowhammer

3 Greenfinch 3 

4 Linnet

(Martin Adlam)

2006

Priorslee Lake

5 Great Crested Grebes

1 Heron

7 Tufted Ducks

2 Ruddy Duck

1 Water Rail

3 Common Sandpiper

8 Chiffchaff

5 Willow Warbler

5 Blackcaps

1 Garden Warbler

3 Swallows

1 Kestrel

2 Great Spotted Woodpecker

1 Sky Lark

1 Willow Tit

2 Siskin

5 Reed Bunting

(Martin Adlam)

(Ed Wilson)