5 Apr 22

Priorslee Lake and The Flash

10.0°C > 11.0°C: A mixture. Started with broken cloud below a medium overcast. Cleared from the SW by 08:00 and mainly sunny for a while. Then puffy clouds developed. Moderate W wind. Very good visibility.

Sunrise: 06:36 BST

* = a photo today

Priorslee Lake: 05:50 – 09:25

(80th visit of the year)

Bird notes:
- When I arrived there were two pairs of Canada Geese co-existing at opposite end of the water. One pair flew off of their own volition.
- The slight decline in Coot numbers is likely because some birds are sitting on nests.
- At least one Great Crested Grebe, perhaps a second. As so often there were sightings in different locations but only one was seen at any one time.
- At least 7 Redwings were in trees alongside Teece Drive at c.07:00
- A Song Thrush has been singing for some weeks alongside Teece Drive opposite the academy and listening to or competing with his echo off the buildings. He was not there this morning.
- The Blackcaps still seem to be exploring where their territory might be and getting an accurate count was difficult.
- Brambling were heard calling from trees along the North side. At least two birds were then seen in flight as they departed.
- The fly-over Linnet was only my second this year here. I have yet to record any Redpolls this year and will likely have to wait until Autumn now.

Birds noted flying over here:
- 4 Canada Geese: one pair outbound; one pair inbound
- 2 Greylag Geese: pair inbound
- 2 Stock Doves: together
- 33 Wood Pigeons
- 1 Collared Dove
- 1 Sparrowhawk
- 1 Herring Gull: first year
- 1 Lesser Black-backed Gull: first year
- 16 Jackdaws only
- 5 Rooks
- 1 Linnet

Hirundines etc. noted:

Still none

Warblers noted (figures in brackets relate to singing birds):
- 1 (1) Cetti's Warbler
- *2 (2) Willow Warblers
- 12 (12) Chiffchaffs again
- 7 (7) Blackcaps: see notes

Counts from the lake area:
- 4 Canada Geese: one pair departed
- 2 Mute Swans
- 3 (2♂) Mallard
- 5 Moorhens
- 28 Coots
- 1 Great Crested Grebe
- 1 Grey Heron: arrived and departed

Noted on / around the street lamp poles pre-dawn:
- *several male and female plumed midges (Chironomus plumosus)
- *several medium-sized plumed midges
- *>10 smaller plumed midges
- *1 unidentified 'red-eyed fly'
- 2 springtails
- *1 Tetragnatha sp. stretch spider

Noted later:
- Common Carder Bee (Bombus pascuorum)
- Buff-tailed Bumblebee (Bombus terrestris)
- 2 Grey Squirrels

This illustrates why you need to be careful with taking bird guides too literally. It is a Willow Warbler singing but does not tick all the boxes for that species. The legs look quite dark; the lower eye-crescent is quite prominent; and the supercilium is not especially long and clear. It does however show more extensive pink or orange at the base of the bill.

In this view the legs do look somewhat paler. Also the bill seem noticeably longer and thicker than the typical Chiffchaff.

This view removes any doubt as it shows the longer wings of this species. It needs these at it flies all the way from sub-Saharan Africa. It is unusual (unique?) in that it renews its primary feathers twice each year: once, like most species, after breeding and before setting off for Africa; and then again before it sets off back home to where it was born.

"Show us what you had for breakfast then."

You could sweep your chimney with those antennae! A male plumed midge (Chironomus plumosus).

This is a smaller, slimmer male plumed midge. I do not know its identity.

Now an even smaller and slimmer male plumed midge. This has a two-tone abdomen and is therefore probably Chaoborus crystalinus.

On of the unidentified 'red-eyed flies' that I see on lamp poles pre-dawn.

This Tetragnatha sp. stretch spider was a rather small specimen.

(Ed Wilson)

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The Flash: 09:30 – 10:25

(77th visit of the year)

Another additions to my 2022 bird list for this site:
- Two Willow Warblers were noted in song. A fairly typical first date: sometimes a few days earlier.
It brings my 2022 bird species total for here to 59.

Other bird notes:
- The cob Mute Swan seems to have regained his aggression, chasing the 2021 birds to flight, but they did not show any inclination to leave.
- My first Mallard ducklings of the year – 10 rather adventurous souls straying away from their parents.
- Have the Teal now gone? Two days without a sighting.
- After, unusually, I heard three Song Thrushes singing yesterday I heard none today.

Birds noted flying over here:
- 9 Wood Pigeons high N together
- 2 Herring Gulls: one (near?) adult and one first year
- 1 Cormorant again

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

Noted on / around the water:
- *33 Canada Geese: of these a pair departed
- *6 Greylag Geese: of these a pair departed also
- *5 Mute Swans
- no Shoveler
- *21 (16♂) + 10 (1 brood) Mallard
- 1 all-white duck (Aylesbury Duck)
- 61 (38♂) Tufted Duck
- 8 Moorhens again
- 26 Coots
- 2 Great Crested Grebes
- 2 Black-headed Gulls: first years, briefly
- 5 Herring Gulls: one second year and four first years

Noted on / around the street lamp poles:
- *2 Parasyrphus punctulatus hoverflies, AKA Six-spotted Parasyrphus

Noted elsewhere
- Buff-tailed Bumblebee (Bombus terrestris)

The Canada Goose formation pair take off.

This is a bit odd. This Greylag Goose seems to have moulted the same inner primary or outer secondary feather from each wing. Typically geese (and ducks) moult all their flight feathers at the same time in July at the end of the breeding season.

One of the 2021 Mute Swans returns after being chased in to the air by the re-invigorated resident cob.

This the other one after the same treatment. It can be recognised as the other one because it has a metal ring on its right leg. It should have a blue Darvic ring on the left leg though that is hidden here.

I noticed this egg on the island (the other 'egg' looks too round and is I suspect a ball, though how it got there is a bit of a mystery). I don't think this is one of the missing Mute Swan's eggs and is far more likely from one of the many pairs of geese attempting to nest on the island.

'Cute' is the right word for this tiny Mallard duckling.

The parents with their 10 ducklings.

Wood Pigeons are not the world's best nest builders. This one is carrying about half a nest – just enough to stop the eggs rolling away.

 What more! A luxury pad under construction!

I took advice about this hoverfly. It seems most likely this is a Parasyrphus punctulatus, that Stephen Falk calls a Six-spotted Parasyrphus. I have not knowingly seen any of this group of hoverflies before. It is noted as a Spring-flying species. The main confusion species is Melangyna quadrimaculata (or Hazel Melangyna) but as its scientific name implies it usually has four yellow spots which are also proportionately smaller than my specimen.

(Ed Wilson)

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In the Priorslee Avenue tunnel

- *1 crane fly only
The wind was blowing straight through the tunnel discouraging insects to stop.

I am sure I ought to be able to identify this crane fly. It was characteristically bobbing up and down and I am certain I have read about species that do this. Can I find the reference....? Only a small proportion of the 300 plus UK species are illustrated on the web and this does not seem to be one of them.

(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

3 Cormorants

2 Grey Herons

9 Tufted Duck

4 Blackcaps

7 Chiffchaffs

1 Willow Warblers

131 Jackdaws

(Ed Wilson)

The Flash

1 Cackling Goose-type

37 Tufted Ducks

3 Blackcaps

4 Chiffchaffs

1 Willow Warbler

(Ed Wilson)

Trench Lock Pool

4 Great Crested Grebes

23 Tufted Ducks

3 Sand Martins

1 Chiffchaffs

(Ed Wilson)

2013

Priorslee Lake

2 Little Grebes 

5 Great Crested Grebes 

2 Gadwall 

23 Tufted Ducks 

2 Redwings

1 Fieldfare

3 Chiffchaffs

(Ed Wilson)

The Flash 

3 Great Crested Grebes

48 Tufted Duck 

2 Brambling

(Ed Wilson)

Nedge Hill

4 Lapwings

1 Stock Dove

3 Sky Larks

8 Redwing

(Ed Wilson)

Horsehay Pool

Male Wheatear

(Glenn Bishton)

2011

Priorslee Lake

1 Goosander

(John Isherwood)

Nedge Hill

1 Ring Ouzel

60 Golden Plover

20 Yellowhammer

4 Wheatear

(John Isherwood, Andy Latham, John Isherwood, Ed Wilson)

2007

Priorslee lake

2 Great Crested Grebe

17 Tufted Duck

68 Lesser Black-backed Gull

1 Kingfisher

5 Meadow Pipit

1 Blackcap

6 Chiffchaff

3 Reed Bunting

(Martin Adlam)

2006

Priorslee Lake

6 Great Crested Grebe

5 Herons

7 Tufted Ducks

3 Lapwings

2 Ruddy Ducks

418 Jackdaws

27 Wrens

26 Blackbirds

47 Sand Martins

1 Swallow.

2 Fieldfares

1 Barn Owl

4 Meadow Pipits

2 Fieldfares

2 Blackcaps

6 Chiffchaffs

5 Willow Warblers

1 Willow Tit

9 Greenfinches

2 Siskins

7 Reed Bunting

(Ed Wilson, Martin Adlam)