17 Apr 23

Priorslee Lake, Woodhouse Lane and The Flash

10.0°C: Low cloud with occasional light drizzle in the air. Very light easterly breeze. Moderate visibility at best.

Sunrise: 06:08 BST

* = a photo today

Priorslee Balancing Lake: 05:15 – 06:40 // 07:40 – 09:45

(90th visit of the year)

Bird notes:
- One of last year's Mute Swan cygnets was behaving strangely. At first light it was not, as normal, together with its three siblings on the water but resting on the grass at the South side alongside the water. Later it had buried itself in the reeds in the same area. Whether it was just hiding from relentless chasing on previous days by its father; whether it has been injured; or was just unwell I could not decide.
- Two adult Black-headed Gulls dropped in at 05:45 and stayed resting on one of the boat launching platforms until they flew off high West at 06:20 calling loudly.
- Two Buzzards were standing on the football field at 06:30.

Birds noted flying over here:
- 2 Greylag Geese: outbound together
- 7 Wood Pigeons
- 2 Herring Gulls
- 3 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
- 1 Pied Wagtail

Warblers noted (the number singing in brackets):
- 1 (1) Cetti's Warbler
- *6 (6) Willow Warblers
- 12 (11) Chiffchaffs
- 7 (6) Blackcaps

Hirundines etc., noted:
- 2 Sand Martins

Counts from the lake area:
- 3 Canada Geese: the resident pair; a lone bird briefly
- 2 + 4 Mute Swans: but see notes
- 9 (7♂) Mallard: also 2 (2♂) on roof in Teece Drive
- *2 (1♂) Tufted Duck
- 5 Moorhens
- 36 Coots
- 4 Great Crested Grebes
- *1 Common Sandpiper
- 2 Black-headed Gulls: see notes
- *1 Cormorant: arrived and departed

Noted on the street lamp poles pre-dawn:
- *1 Common Plume moth (Emmelina monodactyla): at last! a moth!
- *1 ichneumon sp., perhaps Ophion obscuratus
- 1 plumed midge
- *7 Common Green Lacewings (Chrysoperia carnea)
- *1 cranefly sp.
- *2 White-legged Snake Millipedes (Tachypodoiulus niger)
- *1 beetle sp.
- *3 spiders sp.

Noted on the wall of the sailing club HQ
- 1 beetle sp., possibly an Alder Leaf Beetle (Agelastica alni)

Noted in the Priorslee Avenue tunnel pre-dawn:
- 17 midges of at least three species
- 1 owl midge Psychodidae sp.

Noted later:
- *flowers of Cherry Laurel (Prunus laurocerasus)
- *flowers of Ramsons (Allium ursinum) just opening

"Last of the Summer Wine". A trio of drake Mallard contemplate life without any ducks.

A pair of Tufted Duck were new arrivals that appeared at both ends of the water. Here is the drake.

And the duck.

This Common Sandpiper is calling, making single note calls. Usually all I hear are flight calls as birds fly low across the water.

Today's Cormorant. It looks very like the same immature bird that has been visiting most days for a month or more.

Not too many opportunities for photographs of small birds on such a dull morning. I tried: here is a Long-tailed Tit.

A Willow Warbler in full cry. Identify by the long supercilium and the all-orange lower mandible. It was easy for me to identify as it was singing.

A Wren adding to the cacophony.

I know you are LOUD but you can sing...

...LOUDER!

After a few barren weeks at last a moth! This is a well-named Common Plume (Emmelina monodactyla). Like all plumed moths the wings are segmented with the segments held together at rest. Most species rest with wings akimbo.

My first ichneumon-type wasp of the year. There are a number of orange-bodied and nocturnal species. The markings on the thorax suggest this could be the common species Ophion obscuratus.

A side view confirms its 'wasp-waist'.

Another unidentified cranefly that has been in the wars: two legs missing from this individual.

A Common Green Lacewings (Chrysoperia carnea). These have now acquired their 'Summer' green colour, as here.

Another from a slightly different angle.

I cannot make out much on this small beetle to aid identification.

A White-legged Snake Millipede (Tachypodoiulus niger) undertaking contortions.

This spider, probably on of the Clubiona sp., with its breakfast. It seems to be preventing me from logging another moth species this morning. No way can I identify the moth.

The flowers of Cherry Laurel (Prunus laurocerasus) are now fully open. This laurel shrub is fully hardy (groan!).

Beside the Teece Drive gate there is an extensive patch of Ramsons (Allium ursinum). This is the first to show any sign of opening. The scientific name indicates they are in the garlic and onion family and when all the flowers open this will be very apparent.

(Ed Wilson)

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Woodhouse Lane: 08:50 – 09:20

(3rd visit of the year)

I logged:
- 6 male Pheasants: four calling
- 1 Greylag Goose in one of the storm-water pools in the housing site: this flew off
- 2 Skylarks, both singing
- 2 Jays
- 6 Chiffchaffs
- 2 Blackcaps
- 3 Chaffinches: two singing
- 12 Linnets
- *6 Goldfinches
- *5 Yellowhammers, four of these being males but only one singing
plus blackbirds, tits, dunnocks, wrens which I don't specifically log.
also:
- *first Greater Stitchwort flowers (Stellaria holostea)

None of the birds here was being cooperative. Even this Goldfinch was trying to hide.

And as for this male Yellowhammer it was quietly calling from twenty feet up a tree. This one shows a black line o its face, under the eye. I am still puzzled by the bird I photographed last week with a red mark in this position.

These are Greater Stitchwort flowers (Stellaria holostea). They do not have ten petals: only five, each being almost but not quite divided.

(Ed Wilson)

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The Flash: 06:50 – 07:30

(83rd visit of the year)

Bird notes:
- *The Shoveler trio remain for their eighth day.
- The drake Gadwall still here.
- After yesterday's neatly paired Tufted Ducks back to an excess of drakes with one fewer duck.
- *A Stock Dove was on the usual roof in Westcroft Walk.
- *The Great Spotted Woodpecker was seen flying out of squirrel alley and then noted in trees at the south end; in gardens along Derwent Drive; and finally on the island. Later I heard one calling and then saw it drumming at the top end. I am still unsure how many birds are involved.
- Still plenty of Willow Warblers singing. Rather fewer Chiffchaffs noted: weather-related?

Birds noted flying over here:
- 2 Jackdaws

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

Hirundines etc., noted

None

Noted on / around the water
- 28 Canada Geese including the bird with the 'angel wing' deformity
- 4 Greylag Geese again
- 2 + 1 Mute Swans: ? eggs
- *3 (2♂) Shoveler
- 1 (1♂) Gadwall
- 21 (18♂) Mallard: no ducklings seen
- 1 (1♂) all-white duck (Peking(?) Duck)
- 16 (11♂) Tufted Duck
- 12 Moorhens
- 24 Coots
- 2 Great Crested Grebes
- no Cormorants

Noted on / around the street lamp poles:
- 1 beetle sp., possibly an Alder Leaf Beetle (Agelastica alni)

Of interest elsewhere:
Nothing noted

 The pair of Shoveler 'shovelling'.

A Stock Dove on the roof in Westcroft Walk.

The only photo I managed of Great Spotted Woodpecker. This was the bird I noted at the South end. Sadly the nape is not visible so the sex cannot be determined. I did not hear this bird drum before it flew out of squirrel alley.

(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
1 Cormorant
2 Grey Herons
8 Greylag Geese
10 Tufted Duck
1 Sand Martin
4 Swallows.
1 Sedge Warbler
10 Blackcaps
7 Chiffchaffs
191 Jackdaws
(Ed Wilson)

Woodhouse Lane
2 Red-legged Partridges
1 Whitethroat
4 Skylarks
1 Blackcap
1 Chiffchaff
1 Linnet
2 Yellowhammers
(Ed Wilson)

Nedge Hill
1 Wheatear
1 Common Whitethroat
1 Willow Warbler
3 Chiffchaff
2 Swallow
2 Blackcap
6 Skylark
1 Great Spotted Woodpecker
(Martin Grant)

2013
Nedge Hill
1 Common Redstart
5 Whitethroat
15 Wheatear
2 Swallows
Chiffchaff
2 Yellowhammer
6+ Skylarks
3 Linnet
(Ian Grant, Martin Grant)

2012
Priorslee Lake
1 Dark-bellied Brent Goose
(John Isherwood)

Nedge Hill
1 Redstart
2 Wheatear
1 Raven
(John Isherwood)

2011
Priorslee Lake
1 Common Sandpiper
2 Tufted Ducks
1 Lapwing
1 Siskin
Common Whitethroat
(John Isherwood/Ed Wilson)

Nedge Hill
1 Common Redstart
12 Wheatear
(John Isherwood)

2010
Priorslee Lake
1 Common Sandpiper
(John. Isherwood)

2009
Priorslee Lake
2 Reed Warblers
1 Pochard
17 Tufted Duck
6 Swallows
2 Reed Warblers
4 Blackcaps
5 Chiffchaffs
1 Willow Warbler
1 Jay
(Ed Wilson)

2008
Priorslee Lake
1 Little Grebe
1 Gadwall
7 Tufted Ducks
1 Common Sandpiper
111 Sand Martins
1 House Martin
4 Swallows
1 Blackcap
4 Willow Warblers
11 Chiffchaffs
1 Common Tern
(Ed Wilson)

2006
Priorslee Lake
4 Great Crested Grebes
3 Tufted Ducks
3 Ruddy Duck
9 Common Sandpiper
11 Chiffchaff
8 Willow Warbler
4 Blackcaps
1 Common Whitethroat
1 Swallow
1 Willow Tit
5 Greenfinch
1 Linnet
1 Redpoll
4 Reed Bunting
(Martin Adlam)