20 Mar 23

Priorslee Lake and The Flash

8.0°C > 11.0°C: Mostly overcast at mid-level with broken low-level cloud. A spell of rain after 06:30. A few bright, even sunny, spells after 08:00. Light south-west wind. Very good visibility.

Sunrise: 06:13 GMT

* = a species photographed today.

Priorslee Balancing Lake: 05:30 – 09:05

(67th visit of the year)

Other bird notes:
- A Pheasant called from deep inside the Ricoh grounds again. I assume the same bird was calling along the South side later.
- Apart from a few Mallard all the ducks have moved on as is typical for a Monday after the weekend disturbance.
- The only Black-headed Gulls I noted here today were two breeding plumage adults that flew over, going East together. No gulls visited.
- I am still seeing a few Redwings most days. There were four visible in trees in the Ricoh grounds today.
- Just four Siskins noted after the bonanza yesterday.

Birds noted flying over here:
- 2 Canada Geese: a pair inbound
- 5 Feral Pigeons: a trio and a duo
- 27 Wood Pigeons
- 3 Collared Doves: a single and a duo
- 2 Black-headed Gulls: adults
- 1 Herring Gull: immature
- 3 Lesser Black-backed Gulls: adults
- 1 Grey Heron
- 8 Jackdaws
- 3 Rooks

Warblers noted (the number of these singing in brackets):
- 1 (1) Cetti's Warbler
- 12 (12) Chiffchaffs

Counts from the lake area:
- 4 Canada Geese: one pair throughout; another pair arrived
- 1 Greylag Goose: arrived on its own
- 2 + 4 Mute Swans
- 7 (5♂) Mallard
- no other ducks
- 10 Moorhens
- 58 Coots
- *8 Great Crested Grebes
- no gulls
- 1 Cormorant: immature; arrived

Noted on the street lamp poles pre-dawn:

Moths:
- *1 March Tubic (Diurnea fagella)
- *1 Common Flat-body (Agonopterix heracliana)
- *1 Lead-coloured Drab (Orthosia populeti)

Otherwise:
- *lots of springtails
- *1 Clubiona species of spider

In the sailing club shelter pre-dawn:

Nothing

Noted in the Priorslee Avenue tunnel
- *2 owl midges Psychodidae sp.
- *at least 10 other midges of at least two species

Noted elsewhere:
- *A Muscid fly
- 1 Brown Rat (Rattus norvegicus) on the dam-face
- *flowers of (probably) Whitlow Grass (Draba verna)
- *flowers of Common Groundsel (Senecio vulgaris)

One pair of Great Crested Grebes displaying. They are still sorting out territories and there is much posing and underwater swimming making it difficult to count them. Four pairs I think.

One of three moths on the street lamp poles this morning and the only one I can positively identify. It is a Common Flat-body (Agonopterix heracliana). On this example the two pale dots in each forewing are clear. A springtail has crashed the photo on the extreme left.

I was expecting this to be an Early Grey moth (Xylocampa areola) but the markings do not quite match and the front legs should have a furry base. I asked the Shropshire Recorder who identified it as a March Tubic (Diurnea fagella). My only previous records were on 02 April 2017 and 24 March 2019.

Another puzzle moth tucked up in the overhang of the light mechanism. Another ID thanks to the Shropshire Recorder. It is a Lead-coloured Drab (Orthosia populeti). As far as I can tell this is my first record in Shropshire.

In the Priorslee Avenue tunnel was this: it is probably a female of the plumed midge Chironomus plumosus. The banding matches and females do not have the plumed antennae.

Also in the Priorslee Avenue tunnel was this owl midge Psychodidae sp. There are 99 known species from the UK and no illustrations on the internet so I cannot go further. Not as sharp as I would have liked. I am still getting to grips with taking close-up photos with the new camera.

A Muscid fly I found on the wall of the sailing club HQ.

The shape of the abdomen suggests this is one of the Clubiona species of spider. It looks rather strange as there are only seven legs readily apparent. But is one leg folded across between the cephalothorax and the abdomen? Why? And how? And if not what is the visible pale band?

I am not doing very well today. After failing to identify moths, flies and spiders here is a flower I can't identify! My app suggested it was probably Draba verna, commonly known as Whitlow Grass. The bare ground habit of the dam-top is a typical location for this species. There are a number of similar species shown in my flora. The NatureSpot site has no photos of any species in the genus. A probable identification. Certainly not a group of plants I have knowingly seen before.

At last: a species I can identify. It is Common Groundsel (Senecio vulgaris). This very common wildflower/weed (depending on location) flowers throughout the year and I must have overlooked it earlier in this year.

Contrasting tones and colours. From the left the white flowers of Blackthorn or Sloe (Prunus spinosa): Red Stem Dogwood (Cornus stolonifera) or a similar cultivar: and the pale brown of last year's dead reed and sedge stems. Behind the dogwood are various species of willow with their different coloured catkins.

(Ed Wilson)

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The Flash: 09:10 – 10:15

(62nd visit of the year)

An addition to my 2023 bird list for here: a Raven flew over calling. Bird species #60 here this year.

Other bird notes:
- Not only were the pair of Shoveler still present but briefly alongside them, all tucked up against the island, was a drake Common Teal. Could this have been lurking somewhere inside the island since I last saw a pair on 07 March?
- Just two of the ten Black-headed Gulls were adult birds, both now more or less in breeding plumage.

Birds noted flying over here:
- 1 Raven

Warblers noted (the number of these singing in brackets):
- *8 (8) Chiffchaffs

Noted on / around the water
- 17 Canada Geese
- 1 Greylag Goose: arrived
- 2 + 1 Mute Swans
- 2 (1♂) Shoveler
- 25 (18♂) Mallard
- 1 all-white duck (Peking(?) Duck)
- 1 (1♂) Common Teal
- 35 (22♂) Tufted Duck
- no Goosander
- 12 Moorhens yet again
- 26 Coots yet again
- 4 Great Crested Grebes
- 10 Black-headed Gulls: two adults
- 2 Herring Gulls: one third year and one second year
- 4 Cormorants yet again: all immatures

On / around the street lamp poles.

Nothing noted

Noted elsewhere:
- *a dead Brown Rat (Rattus norvegicus)

I spent some time trying to get photos of the many Chiffchaffs before the leaves come on the trees and it is even easier for them to hide. Pity about the dull light (again). This species is rather browner than the very similar Willow Warbler and the pale supercilium (stripe above the eye) is less distinct. Willow Warblers will not be with us for a week or so being a long-distance migrant from sub-Saharan Africa.

It is just about possible to make out two other typical separation features. Chiffchaffs have a pale base to the lower mandible and (usually) black legs (though pink feet).

A different bird...

...now looking the other way.

A third bird doing its best to hide. The black legs are more obvious here. Other clues to separate the species (when they are not giving their very different song) is that Chiffchaff tends to be at the tops of trees and constantly dips its tail as it works through the branches. Willow Warblers are slightly larger and heavier and whilst this is not apparent when looking at an isolated bird it means they are slower and more deliberate in moving around.

A sad end to a Brown Rat (Rattus norvegicus). We may not like them but we would be in trouble if they were not around to clean up our and nature's mess.

(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

4 Great Crested Grebes 

7 Wigeon 

2 Gadwall 

27 Tufted Ducks 

6 Redwings

138 Jackdaws

1 Chiffchaff

1 Redpoll

7+ Siskins

2 Reed Buntings

(Ed Wilson)

The Flash

2 Great Crested Grebe 

7 Mute Swans

1 Pochard 

56 Tufted Duck

(Ed Wilson)

Long Lane, Wellington

133 Lapwing

17 Golden Plover

1 Redshank

3 Dunlin

2 Oystercatcher

3 Teal

c.600 Black-headed Gulls

5 Lesser Black-backed Gulls

1 Herring Gull. 

(Martin Grant)

2011

Priorslee Lake

17 Tufted Duck 

11 Golden Plover

17 Meadow Pipits

5 Chiffchaffs (4 in song)

Raven

(Ed Wilson)

Nedge Hill

40 Golden Plover

11 Lapwing

1 Red-legged Partridge

2 Green Woodpeckers

8 Meadow Pipits

1 Redpoll

(Ed Wilson)

The Flash 

32 Tufted Duck 

1 Curlew

2 Brambling

1 Reed Bunting

(Ed Wilson)

2010

Priorslee Lake

1 Little Grebe 

5 Great Crested Grebe 

6 Gadwall 

39 Tufted Duck

146 Jackdaws on roost dispersal 

c.35 Greenfinches

c.15 Goldfinches

c.10 Linnets

(Ed Wilson)

The Flash

3 Great Crested Grebe 

36 Tufted Duck

(Ed Wilson)

2009

Priorslee Lake

1 Yellow-legged Gull

435 Lesser Black-backed Gull

(Peter Wilson)

2007

Priorslee lake

3 Great Crested Grebe

12 Cormorant

24 Tufted Duck

1 Ruddy Duck

1 Merlin

1 Buzzard

2 Kestrel

1 Great Black-backed Gull

188 Wood Pigeon

1 Green Woodpecker

26 Wren

5 Chiffchaff 

1 Willow Tit

55 Magpie

14 Greenfinch

5 Reed Bunting

(Ed Wilson, Martin Adlam)

The Flash

9 Great Crested Grebe

2 Pochard

26 Tufted Duck

1 Chiffchaff singing

(Ed Wilson)

2006

Priorslee Lake

c.250 Black-headed Gulls

146 Lesser-black Backs

15 Herring Gull

2 Yellow-leg Gulls

2 Common Gulls

36 Tufted Duck

6 Great Crested Grebe

1 Cormorant

2 Water Rail

3 Siskins

2 Redpoll

3 Linnet

3 Reed Bunting

(Martin R Adlam)