23 Apr 22

Priorslee Lake and The Flash

8.0°C > 10.0°C: A very few brighter moments; mostly cloudy with a light shower. Moderate NW wind, veering NE and increasing somewhat. Good visibility.

Sunrise: 05:55 BST

* = a photo today

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

(97th visit of the year)

Bird notes:
- No Mallard ducklings found.
- I did not see any Common Sandpipers until after 08:30: perhaps they flew in?
- The six unidentified large gulls flew by at 05:35 when it was too dark to see any of the features.
- A Grey Heron flew off at 05:20. Another was flushed several times later and eventually it too flew off.
- A Sedge Warbler was singing at the W end again.
- The two Common Whitethroats seem to have declared a truce and were singing from reasonably close together behind the sailing club shelter. I did not see any female-types.
- More than 20 Starlings were feeding on the now largely enclosed football field and very happy to perch on the fence.

Birds noted flying over here:
- 8 Canada Geese: one pair outbound; three pairs inbound
- 2 Greylag Geese: pair outbound
- 2 Feral Pigeons: together
- 1 Stock Dove
- 2 Wood Pigeons only
- 2 Collared Doves
- 4 Herring Gulls: all immatures
- 6 unidentified large gulls
- 1 Cormorant
- 2 Jackdaws
- 1 Rook again

Hirundines etc. noted:
- 1 Sand Martin
- 2 Barn Swallows
- 1 House Martin: briefly

Warblers noted (figures in brackets relate to singing birds):
- 1 (1) Cetti's Warbler
- 19 (15) Chiffchaffs
- 1 (1) Sedge Warbler again
- 17 (14) Blackcaps
- 2 (2) Common Whitethroats

Counts from the lake area:
- 2 Canada Geese
- 2 Mute Swans: pen on nest
- 6 (5♂) Mallard
- 4 (2♂) Tufted Duck
- 6 Moorhens
- 21 Coots
- 2 Great Crested Grebes
- 4 Common Sandpipers
- 5 Herrings Gulls: immatures together
- 1 Lesser Black-backed Gull: near adult
- 2 Grey Herons: both departed

Noted on / around the street lamp poles pre-dawn:
- *1 probable Common Oak Purple (Dyseriocrania subpurpurella) moth
- 1 Tetragnatha sp. stretch spider

Noted later in cool, cloudy and breezy conditions:
- *1 cranefly sp.
- 2 plumed midges (Chironomus plumosus): both females
- *A Bluebell (Hyacinthoides non-scripta)
- *many Lady's Smock (Cardamine pratensis) plants in flower

An apparently cross-legged Common Sandpiper. I checked all four that were present: none had rings or tags.

One of the fly-over Herring Gulls. It can be identified as this species by the translucent inner primaries and outer secondaries. It seems a strange date but this bird is in wing moult and looks to be regrowing the outer secondaries. The outer tail-feathers also seem to be regrowing.

One of the two singing Common Whitethroats.

Yummy: breakfast! Quick to take advantage of the reduced activity on the almost completely fenced-off football field were up to 20 Starlings. When disturbed they found the fence itself a convenient staging post. A small part of the field remains unfenced. Is this intentional? Did they order too few sections of fence? Or did they install it wider than intended and run out of sections?

The moth on one of the lamp poles this morning.

A small critter that I struggled to get a decent photo of. It is well-marked but the markings are not distinctive. I think it is a Common Oak Purple (Dyseriocrania subpurpurella) which is a new species of moth for me. Noted on the West Midland moth site as 'very common'.

This is one of the abundant plumed midges, likely Chironomus plumosus. This is a female with simple antennae.

I cannot identify this cranefly but note the very small head that is well-separated from the thorax.

I noted just this one Bluebell (Hyacinthoides non-scripta). With all the flowers on one side and the stem bending over as a consequence the possibility of Spanish Bluebell can be discounted.

In the last few days the Lady's Smock (Cardamine pratensis) has started to flower everywhere along the South side. This plant, also known as Cuckooplant or Milkmaid, is the eaten by caterpillars of the Orange-tip butterfly (Anthocharis cardamines). Note that part of their scientific names are shared, highlighting the relationship.

(Ed Wilson)

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The Flash: 06:35 – 07:25

(94th visit of the year)

Bird notes:
- The four Mute Swans confuse. When I arrived the two all-white birds were together and looking paired. Later an all-white bird was again consorting with one of the 2021 birds and an other all-white bird was gazing at the nest site now occupied by a pair of Canada Geese. I did hear that Cuan had been called in to remove a fish hook from one of the swans. It was not suggested that the bird had been taken in to care though that could explain the missing bird (though not the strange behaviour)
- A few more Tufted Duck today.

No birds noted flying over here:

None

Warblers noted (figures in brackets relate to singing birds):
- 7 (6) Chiffchaffs
- 5 (4) Blackcaps

Noted on / around the water:
- *29 Canada Geese
- 7 Greylag Geese
- 4 Mute Swans
- 24 (21♂) Mallard
- 1 (1♂) all-white duck (Aylesbury Duck)
- 15 (9♂) Tufted Duck
- 7 Moorhens
- 23 Coots
- 2 Great Crested Grebes
- 1 Herring Gull: first year, briefly again

Noted on / around the street lamp poles:
- 2 plumed midges (Chironomus plumosus) each on a different lamp pole.

Elsewhere:

Nothing noted

Several of the Canada Geese are starting to look rather 'second hand' with missing and worn feathers. Here is one.

And another.

(Ed Wilson)

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Between the lake and The Flash

- 3 drake Mallards in the lower pool
- 1 Moorhen alongside the upper pool
- 2 Chiffchaffs: one calling beside the lower pool; another singing above the upper pool again
- 2 Blackcaps: one singing and one calling beside the lower pool

(Ed Wilson)

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In the Priorslee Avenue tunnel

I forgot my torch so nothing found.

(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

2013

Priorslee Lake

2 Great Crested Grebes 

3 Greylag Geese

1 Grasshopper Warbler 

2 Reed Warblers 

8 Blackcaps 

9 Chiffchaffs 

4 Willow Warblers

(Ed Wilson)

The Flash

1 Richardson's-type Canada Goose 

8 Tufted Duck 

1 Blackcap 

2 Chiffchaffs 

6 Willow Warblers

(Ed Wilson)

Nedge Hill

6 Swallows

8 Meadow Pipits

1 Fieldfare

3 Blackcaps 

3 Willow Warbler 

4 Chiffchaffs

1 Whinchat

1 Lesser Whitethroat

29 Wheatear

1 Lapwing

(John Isherwood, Ed Wilson)

2012

Priorslee Lake

Green Woodpecker

5 Great Crested Grebes

4 Tufted Duck

12 Blackcaps

2 Willow Warblers

14 Chiffchaffs

1 Sedge Warbler

(Ed Wilson, John Isherwood)

In the lane / fields to the E

5 Skylarks

2 Whitethroats

2 Blackcaps

3 Chiffchaffs

9 Linnets 

5 Yellowhammers

(Ed Wilson)

Priorslee Flash

5 Great Crested Grebes

23 Tufted Duck 

1 Common Sandpiper

5 Blackcaps

1 Willow Warblers

4 Chiffchaffs

(Ed Wilson / John Isherwood)

Nedge Hill

1 Raven

(John Isherwood)

2011

Priorslee Lake

1 Common Sandpiper

2 Lesser Whitethroat

(John Isherwood)

Nedge Hill

3 Yellow Wagtail

6 Wheatear

(John Isherwood)

2008

Priorslee Lake

2 Sedge Warblers

2 Lesser Whitethroats

(Ed Wilson)

The Flash

Common Sandpiper

(Ed Wilson)

Nedge Hill

2 Common Whitethroat

3 Wheatears

(Ed Wilson)

The Wrekin

1 Pied Flycatcher

(Mike)

Ercall Woods

3 Pied Flycatcher

Buzzards

2 Ravens

(Mike)

2007

Priorslee Flash

2 Common Sandpipers

Garden Warbler

(Ed Wilson)

2006

Priorslee Lake

6 Great Crested Grebes

6 Tufted Ducks

2 Ruddy Duck

5 Common Sandpipers

100+ Sand Martin

5 Swallow

1 House Martin

23 Wrens

19 Robins

19 Blackbirds

1 Sedge Warbler

1 Reed Warbler

1 Lesser Whitethroat

2 Garden Warblers

7 Blackcaps

5 Chiffchaffs

3 Willow Warblers

1 Willow Tit

3 Greenfinches

2 Reed Buntings

(Ed Wilson)