8 Apr 23

Priorslee Lake, Woodhouse Lane and The Flash

2.0°C > 10.0°C: Clear again, also with a touch of frost in sheltered places. Light / moderate northerly breeze. Very good visibility.

Sunrise: 06:28 BST

Apologies: no photos again today. I hope to catch up tomorrow. I may be able to correct / update some of the insect identifications when I look at the photos.

Priorslee Balancing Lake: 05:25 – 09:45

(81st visit of the year)

Bird notes:
- The Great Crested Grebes were doing a good hiding job: much of the time I could only find one or two. Eventually five on the surface at the same time!
- Clear skies enabled me to see a small post-roost flight of Jackdaws passing some way to the East.

Birds noted flying over here:
- 1 Canada Goose: outbound
- 2 Stock Doves: together
- 39 Wood Pigeons: nine of these flew high North, loosely together
- 1 Collared Dove
- 1 Sparrowhawk
- 46 Jackdaws
- 1 Rook again

Warblers noted (the number singing in brackets):
- 1 (1) Cetti's Warbler
- 4 (4) Willow Warblers
- 19 (15) Chiffchaffs
- 6 (5) Blackcaps

Hirundines etc., noted:
- 2 Sand Martins
- 2 Barn Swallows
all briefly c.07:40

Counts from the lake area:
- 6 Canada Geese: the resident pair; one pair departed; another(?) pair arrived
- 2 + 4 Mute Swans
- 5 (4♂) Mallard again
- 6 Moorhens
- 37 Coots
- 5 Great Crested Grebes
- 1 Lesser Black-backed Gull: immature seen too briefly to age
- 2 Cormorant: arrived separately

Noted on the street lamp poles pre-dawn:
- 3 plumed midges
- 2 Common Green Lacewing (Chrysoperia carnea)
- 1 beetle sp., possibly Alder Leaf Beetle (Agelastica alni)
- 1 small spider sp.

Noted on the wall of the sailing club HQ
- 6 plumed midges
- 2 Common Green Lacewing (Chrysoperia carnea)

Noted in the Priorslee Avenue tunnel pre-dawn:
- 9 midges of at least three species
- 2 owl midges Psychodidae sp.
- 1 Blunt-tailed Snake Millipede (Cylindroiulus punctatus)

Noted later:
- Tapered Dronefly (Eristalis pertinax)
- Dark-edged Bee-fly (Bombilius major)
- Alder Leaf Beetle (Agelastica alni)

(Ed Wilson)

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Woodhouse Lane: 08:00 – 08:45

(2nd visit of the year)

Bird Species Noted
A wider range of species noted: fewer individuals. I logged:
- 2 calling Pheasants one of which was seen
- 1 pair of Stock Doves
- 1 Common Buzzard
- 2 Skylarks, both singing
- 1 Willow Warbler
- 3 Chiffchaffs
- 1 Blackcap
- 2 "Pied Wagtails", one a possible male White Wagtail (photos to be checked).
- 3 Meadow Pipits
- 4 Linnets
- 5 Yellowhammers, four of these being males

(Ed Wilson)

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The Flash: 09:50 – 10:55

(75th visit of the year)

Bird notes:
- Although reported some ten days ago by one of the fishermen it was only today that I saw my first juvenile Coot. A well-grown individual with no red feathering on the crown and apparently the only one of its brood surviving.
- A Great Spotted Woodpecker was heard drumming in squirrel alley only.
- So where are the Blackcaps?
- Two Jays flew across the top end between trees.

Birds noted flying over here:
- 1 Herring Gull: immature
- 1 Sparrowhawk
- 1 Common Buzzard
- 7 Jackdaws

Warblers noted (the number singing in brackets):
- 3 (3) Willow Warblers
- 10 (9) Chiffchaffs
- no Blackcaps again

Hirundines etc., noted

None

Noted on / around the water
- 21 Canada Geese
- 9 Greylag Geese
- 2 Mute Swans:? eggs: last year's cygnet not noted – overlooked?
- 18 (14♂) Mallard
- 1 all-white duck (Peking(?) Duck)
- 29 (19♂) Tufted Duck
- 5 Moorhens only
- 24 + 1 juvenile Coots
- 4 Great Crested Grebes
- 1 Lesser Black-backed Gull: adult, briefly
- 3 Cormorants

On / around the street lamp poles:
Nothing noted

Of interest noted elsewhere:
- Hoverflies:
- Marmalade Hoverfly (Episyrphus balteatus)
- Tapered Drone Fly (Eristalis pertinax)
- Syrphus sp. (S. ribesii / S. vitripennis)
Also
- Buff-tailed Bumblebee (Bombus terrestris)
- bumblebee sp. (photo still to be examined)

(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
3 Cormorants
2 Grey Herons
2 Greylag Geese
11 Tufted Duck
4 Blackcaps
4 Chiffchaffs
284 Jackdaws
(Ed Wilson)

The Flash
2 Great Crested Grebes
30 Tufted Ducks
2 Blackcap
2 Chiffchaffs
1 Willow Warbler
(Ed Wilson)

The Wrekin
Buzzard
Stock Dove
Willow Warbler
Siskin
Redpoll
Common Redstart
Pied Flycatcher
Crossbill
(Ed Wilson)

2013
Priorslee Lake
5 Chiffchaffs
2 Little Grebes
5 Great Crested Grebes
1 Heron
7 Tufted Ducks
1 Great Black-backed Gull
28 Redwings
(Ed Wilson)

The Flash
2 Great Crested Grebes
1 Canada x ? hybrid goose
1 Pochard
59 Tufted Duck
(Ed Wilson)

Trench Lock Pool
6 Great Crested Grebes
14 Tufted Duck
(Ed Wilson)

Trench Middle Pool
Oystercatcher
2 Great Crested Grebe
2 Cormorant
7 Tufted Ducks
(Ed Wilson)

2012
Nedge Hill
7 Lapwings
2 Skylarks
5 Chiffchaffs
2 Blackcap
1 Willow Warbler
1 Wheatear
2 Jays
(Martin and Ian Grant)

2011
Nedge Hill
5 Wheatear
4 Common Redstart
Ring Ouzel
(John Isherwood)

The Wrekin
2 Tree Pipits
1 Pied Flycatcher
(Ed Wilson)

2010
Nedge Hill
Male Common Redstart
Little Owl
(Pete Nickless)

2007
Priorslee Lake
1 Pintail x Mallard
4 Tufted Duck
2 Meadow Pipit
5 Blackcap
7 Chiffchaff
3 Reed Bunting
(Martin Adlam)

Nedge Hill
Ring Ouzel
8 Fieldfare
(Martin Grant)

2006
Priorslee Lake
6 Great Crested Grebes
1 Heron
3 Cormorants
6 Tufted Ducks
2 Ruddy Ducks
5 Stock Doves
105 Wood Pigeons
4 Great Spotted Woodpeckers
9 Sand Martin.
14 Swallow
4 Meadow Pipits
20 Wrens
21 Robins
23 Blackbirds
1 Blackcap
8 Chiffchaffs
4 Willow Warblers
16 Magpies
1 Jay
15 Greenfinches
2 Siskins
6 Reed Buntings
(Ed Wilson, Martin Adlam)