10 Apr 23

Priorslee Lake and The Flash

9.0°C > 10.0°C:  My weather app said dry until 08:15. Wrong! Mostly light rain until c.08:45 when a clearance arrived from the south-west. Until then broken low cloud under a medium overcast. Light southerly breeze, veering south-west on clearance. Good visibility, very good after clearance.

Sunrise:  06:24 BST

A few photos from today (*)

Priorslee Balancing Lake:  05:25 – 06:50 // 07:55 – 09:25

(83rd visit of the year)

Bird notes:
- A pair of Shoveler was present throughout and were therefore different birds from the pair new in at The Flash.
- A lone drake Tufted Duck was present before 06:50 only.
- The declining count of Moorhens and Coots is no doubt caused by birds moving to sit on nests hidden in the reeds.
- At least 40 hirundines dropped in during the heaviest rain.
- No doubt the cloudy and wet weather caused a few Willow Warblers to pause their migration and visit the lake surroundings.
- I did not hear anything of yesterday's early Reed Warbler on either of my walks past the area.
- A Sky Lark could again be heard singing over fields to the East.

Birds noted flying over here:
- 8 Canada Geese: a sextet flying as three pairs and another pair; all outbound
- 2 Feral Pigeons: together
- 2 Stock Doves: together
- 8 Wood Pigeons only again
- 1 Cormorant
- 1 Jackdaw

Warblers noted (the number singing in brackets):
- 1 (1) Cetti's Warbler
- 3 (3) Willow Warblers
- 18 (15) Chiffchaffs
- no Reed Warbler
- 10 (8) Blackcaps

Hirundines etc., noted:
- *>25 Sand Martins
- >3 Barn Swallows
- >3 House Martins
At least 40 birds in total. As the clearance arrived all these birds rose up high together and disappeared, presumably continuing their migration.

Counts from the lake area:
- 6 Canada Geese: the resident pair; a pair arrived and were chased away; another (?) pair arrived and also were chased away
- 2 + 4 Mute Swans
- *2 (1♂) Shoveler
- 7 (5♂) Mallard
- 1 (1♂) Tufted Duck: departed
- 6 Moorhens only
- *32 Coots
- 5 Great Crested Grebes
- 2 Cormorants: arrived separately

Noted on the street lamp poles pre-dawn:
- 2 plumed midges
- *1 springtail Pogonognathellus longicornis.
- *2 spiders of the same / similar species
Another day when I was frustrated to see a moth flying around but not settle.

On the wall of the sailing club HQ: too wet?
Nothing noted

Noted in the Priorslee Avenue tunnel pre-dawn:
- 16 midges of at least three species
- *1 owl midge Psychodidae sp. again
- *2 different small spiders

Later:
Nothing of note

A record shot of the pair of Shoveler. These were on the lake both before and after I visited The Flash so the pair there must have been different birds.

Coots doing what they like doing – fighting. Quite why there are five I cannot say.

 I think both feet visible here belong to the same Coot with its back to us.

"I've won": perhaps.

I spent a long while and many pixels attempting to photograph the hirundines feeding low over the water. The was during the heaviest of the rain. This is just about recognisable as a Sand Martin with the white collar, the brown upper-parts and slightly forked tail.

Another just as the weather was beginning to clear with the approaching blue sky reflected in the water.

Care is needed with identifying Sand Martins. The belly is surprisingly white and can suggest the white rump of House Martin. There is no mistaking a House Martin when seen well: they are chunkier with a blue-black back apart from the gleaming white rump. As soon as it stopped raining and the light improved the birds all rose high in the sky and departed. Typical.

This springtail has long antennae and therefore seems to be a good candidate for a Pogonognathellus longicornis.

There were two spiders on the street lamp poles which looked similar. This one is a male with large palps (boxing gloves). Probably one of the Clubiona species.

 This was one of two small spiders in the Priorslee Avenue tunnel. No idea as to species.

The other small spider and when I say small I mean tiny. Here, in comparison with an owl midge. The midge has a wing-span of at most 4mm (0.15" in old money for folk like me).

Answers on a postcard to... This collection of wings and legs was also in the Priorslee Avenue tunnel. The larger rounded wings look to be from an owl midge. Whether there is a spider in there somewhere or it has just left the remains of its meals in a pile...

(Ed Wilson)

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The Flash: 07:00 – 07:45

(76th visit of the year)

*A drake Gadwall was a surprise to see at this date here: and also a surprise as it was my first of the year here, becoming bird species #65.

Other bird notes:
- A pair of Shoveler here as well as at the Balancing Lake. The pair were keeping closely together: another drake was keeping its distance.
- Where have all the Tufted Duck gone? They have seemed restless for some days now but even in mid-summer there are usually more birds than the six I noted.
- A Great Spotted Woodpecker was drumming in squirrel alley again. Another was simultaneously calling from the top end and was then seen to fly in to trees on the island briefly. I was unable to sex this bird to know whether these might be a pair or whether there are two males.
- Plenty of Willow Warblers still moving through.

Birds noted flying over here:
- 2 Jackdaws

Warblers noted (the number singing in brackets):
- 7 (7) Willow Warblers
- 10 (9) Chiffchaffs
- 3 (3) Blackcaps

Hirundines etc., noted
None

Noted on / around the water
- 28 Canada Geese
- 6 Greylag Geese: four of these flew off together
- 2 + 1 Mute Swans: ? eggs: last year's cygnet seen today
- 3 (2♂) Shoveler
- *1 (1♂) Gadwall
- 18 (16♂) Mallard
- 1 (1♂) all-white duck (Peking(?) Duck)
- 6 (5♂) Tufted Duck only
- 10 Moorhens
- 23 Coots
- 1 Great Crested Grebe only
- 1 Cormorant

Noted on / around the street lamp poles
- 2 midges without plumes

Elsewhere:
Nothing of interest

In the dull and damp conditions this is little more than a record photo of my first Gadwall of the year here: a drake.

(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
4 Great Crested Grebes
6 Cormorants
2 Grey Herons
3 Greylag Geese
13 Tufted Duck
2 Common Sandpipers
1 Dunlin
>50 Sand Martins
1 Swallow
8 Blackcaps
7 Chiffchaffs
(Ed Wilson, John Isherwood)

Woodhouse Lane
4 Skylarks
1 Meadow Pipit
1 Blackcap
3 Chiffchaffs
1 Willow Warbler
3 Linnets
3 Yellowhammers
(Ed Wilson)

The Flash
2 Great Crested Grebes
10 Greylag Goose
1 Cackling-type Goose
26 Tufted Ducks
1 Common Sandpiper
2 Blackcap
4 Chiffchaffs
2 Willow Warbler
(Ed Wilson)

Nedge Hill
1 Common Redstart
1 Wheatear
Kestrel
Lapwing
> 50 Meadow Pipits
(John Isherwood)

2013
The Flash
Cackling Goose
(Tom Lowe)

2012
Priorslee Lake
1 Fieldfare
(John Isherwood)

Nedge Hill
3 Wheatear
10 Meadow Pipit
(John Isherwood)

2009
Nedge Hill
1 Redstart
3 Wheatear
1 Redwing
6 Lapwing
(John Isherwood)

2007
Priorslee Lake
2 Sand Martin
Ruddy duck
(Martin Adlam)

2006
Priorslee Lake
5 Great Crested Grebes
2 Herons
11 Tufted Ducks
2 Ruddy Ducks
387 Jackdaw
2 Stock Doves
1 Great Spotted Woodpeckers
1 Skylark
1 Tree Pipit
1 Meadow Pipit
2 Grey Wagtails
17 Wrens
10 Dunnocks
17 Robins
18 Blackbirds
4 Blackcaps
5 Chiffchaffs
3 Willow Warblers
8 Greenfinches
5 Siskins
5 Reed Buntings
(Ed Wilson)