9 Apr 23

Priorslee Lake and The Flash

5.0°C > 8.0°C: Clear but rather hazy start. Low cloud after 08:20. Calm early with increasing moderate south-easterly breeze developing. Very good visibility.

Sunrise: 06:26 BST

A few photos from today (*): also some from yesterday

Priorslee Balancing Lake: 05:25 – 06:50 // 07:50 – 09:15

(82nd visit of the year)

Surprise of the day was a quietly singing Reed Warbler along the North side. Nine days earlier than my previous earliest date of 18 April 2021. A sign of climate change? Bird species 85 this year for me here.

Also worth highlighting is a report from one of the fishermen of a Tawny Owl calling from the North side c.03:00.

Other bird notes:
- A drake Mallard was seen flying in to Simon's garden at the end of Teece Drive. It may or may not have been one of the birds at the lake later.
- The over-flying Grey Heron was very high up. As I checked it through binoculars I noted two otherwise unseen House Martins.
- A Common Buzzard briefly visited the football field again.
- Perhaps all the Willow Warblers have passed through? None heard today.
- A Skylark could be heard from the Castle Farm Way lay-by, singing over fields to the East.
- A Yellowhammer could also be heard from the Castle Farm Way lay-by, singing in fields to the East.

Birds noted flying over here:
- 4 Canada Geese: pair outbound; pair flew from the West, performed a 180° and left to the West
- 1 Stock Dove
- 8 Wood Pigeons only
- 1 Lesser Black-backed Gull: adult
- 1 Grey Heron
- 17 Jackdaws
- 5 Rooks

Warblers noted (the number singing in brackets):
- 1 (1) Cetti's Warbler
- no Willow Warblers
- 16 (15) Chiffchaffs
- *6 (5) Blackcaps again
- 1 (1) Reed Warbler

Hirundines etc., noted:
- 1 Sand Martin
- 2 House Martins

Counts from the lake area:
- 4 Canada Geese: the resident pair; one pair arrived
- 2 + 4 Mute Swans
- 6 (5♂) Mallard
- 8 Moorhens
- 35 Coots
- 5 Great Crested Grebes
- 1 Lesser Black-backed Gull: adult, briefly
- 1 Cormorant: arrived
- 1 Grey Heron

Noted on the street lamp poles pre-dawn:
- 2 un-plumed midges
- 2 Common Green Lacewing (Chrysoperia carnea) again
- 1 beetle sp., different from yesterday's individual
- *1 'black ant'
- *1 White-legged Snake Millipede (Tachypodoiulus niger)
- 1 small spider sp.

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

Noted in the Priorslee Avenue tunnel pre-dawn:
- 18 midges of at least three species
- *2 owl midges Psychodidae sp. again

Noted later:
- *Common Wasp (Paravespula vulgaris)
- *Large Narcissus Fly (Merodon equestris) [a hoverfly]

A few clouds to lend colour to the very early sunrise. The street lamps are still on here.

Just before the sun popped up giving maximum colour.

Real sun rise!

The cob Mute Swan is still trying to persuade last year's cygnets to leave. Here he chases one.

And seems intent on catching it. Strangely it always 'gives up' and splashes back down allowing the cygnet to settle some yards away.

A drake Mallard. I cannot decide whether the mark on the breast is as a result of fighting amongst the drakes over the small number of ducks or whether it is already losing its fine breeding plumage.

A noisy splash-down though drake Mallards do not make the loud 'quack-quack' calls which are unique to the ducks.

A singing male Blackcap does its best to hide. In a week or so when the leaves burst out it will be hard to photograph this species.

 A male Reed Bunting also trying to hide.

My first wasp of the year. The parallel sides to the yellow stripes on the side of the thorax are the best identification feature to separate this Common Wasp (Paravespula vulgaris) from the similar German Wasp (Vespula germanica) on which the yellow stripes are slightly triangulated.

This is the hoverfly usually known as Large Narcissus Fly (Merodon equestris). The larvae do eat bulbs of Narcissus and Daffodils but usually are content with Bluebells. This hoverfly comes in many colour forms...

 ...and a change of angle can alter the appearance.

I found this owl midge Psychodidae sp. on the side wall of the Priorslee Avenue tunnel.

A 'black ant' on one of the street lamp poles: my first of the year.

Possibly my best recent photo of a White-legged Snake Millipede (Tachypodoiulus niger).

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Now as promised a few from yesterday.

Not so colourful a-sunrise.

And for a change a moon-set!

A Long-tailed Tit. This species is no longer so obvious now nest-building is complete.

I think this is a female plumed midge (Chironomus plumosus) and hence it does have plumed antennae.

A Tapered Dronefly (Eristalis pertinax).

A Dark-edged Bee-fly (Bombilius major). It looks like a furry bee but holds its wings out at rest. It not easy to see the long proboscis – the shadow is more obvious. It may look threatening but is harmless, the proboscis being used to get nectar from deep within flowers.

It is to be hoped that air traffic control have these two jets at different altitudes! Typically they would be separated by 2000', 4000', 6000' et seq. when heading in broadly similar directions.

 Some photos from Woodhouse Lane area. It is the lane and not my horizon that slopes downhill!

As you can see here.

This is 'just' a Pied Wagtail and not a hoped for White Wagtail. The best separation here is the grey on the flanks. It is not easy to be sure as it is in shadow but the rump looks dark to me. On White Wagtail it would be the same grey colour as the back.

At this time of year male Yellowhammers are really smart birds. I can't explain the reddish malar strip on this bird. I have never noted it previously and it is not illustrated as such in my literature.

The same bird.

Here is the more subtly-marked female.

Finally a few from The Flash. This Moorhen was well away from the water and walking amongst the Daffodils.

An adult Coot with its well-grown juvenile.

A displaying male Sparrowhawk. Note how the under-tail coverts are spread.

It was a bit too far away when I took this so it is not sharp as I would like but it shows the spread under-tail coverts clearly.

A Common Buzzard overhead. The tail looks rather ragged here...

..but not here a few moments later. Odd.

A Buff-tailed Bumblebee (Bombus terrestris)

This poor photo shows this hoverfly is a Chequered Hoverfly (Melanostoma scalare) and not a Marmalade Hoverfly (Episyrphus balteatus) as I reported at the time. No idea about the beetle.

One of the confusing Syrphus sp. (S. ribesii / S. vitripennis) hoverflies.

Plane of day yesterday. This is a Best Off Sky Ranger Swift 912S. A French design of aircraft for amateur construction. This one was built in 2013 by a Mr G Taylor (with an appropriate registration). It is currently has a Cheadle owner.

(Ed Wilson)

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The Flash: 07:00 – 07:40

(76th visit of the year)

Note different timing between my two laps of the Balancing Lake. This may have affected some of the numbers.

Bird notes:
- Just one duck Mallard noted.
- A Great Spotted Woodpecker was calling along the East side.

Birds noted flying over here:
- 1 Grey Heron

Warblers noted (the number singing in brackets):
- 2 (2) Willow Warblers
- 7 (7) Chiffchaffs
- 2 (2) Blackcaps

Hirundines etc., noted

None

Noted on / around the water
- 24 Canada Geese
- 5 Greylag Geese
- 2 + 1 Mute Swans: ? eggs: last year's cygnet seen today
- 16 (15♂) Mallard
- [the all-white duck (Peking(?) Duck) not seen]
- 25 (18♂) Tufted Duck
- 9 Moorhens
- 24 Coots
- 2 Great Crested Grebes
- 1 Cormorant

On / around the street lamp poles or of interest elsewhere:
Nothing noted

(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
2 Cormorants
2 Grey Herons
12 Tufted Duck
3 Swallows
7 Blackcaps
7 Chiffchaffs
2 Willow Warblers
133 Jackdaws
(Ed Wilson)

The Flash
2 Great Crested Grebes
1 Cackling-type Goose
29 Tufted Ducks
5 Blackcap
3 Chiffchaffs
5 Willow Warbler
(Ed Wilson)

Nedge Hill
1 Sky Lark
1 Meadow Pipit
1 Blackcap
2 Chiffchaffs
2 Willow Warbler
(Ed Wilson)

Trench Middle Pool
4 Great Crested Grebes
22 Tufted Ducks
2 Blackcaps
2 Chiffchaffs
(Ed Wilson)

2013
Priorslee Lake
1 Little Grebe
5 Great Crested Grebes
5 Tufted Ducks
Little Ringed Plover
8 Chiffchaffs
1 Willow Tit
3 Redwings
(Ed Wilson)

The Flash
2 Greylag Goose
1 Cackling Goose
73 Tufted Duck
Brambling
(Ed Wilson, John Isherwood)

Nedge Hill
2 Wheatear
(John Isherwood)

Long Lane, Wellington
6 Redshank
18 Teal
(Martin Grant)

2011
Nedge Hill
Ring Ouzel
4 Common Redstart
7 Wheatear
(John Isherwood,Ed Wilson)

The Wrekin
3 Pied Flycatchers
2 Common Redstarts
1 Tree Pipit
(JW Reeves)

2007
Priorslee lake
4 Tufted Duck
1 Sparrowhawk
2 Sand Martin
1 Skylark
1 Meadow Pipit
4 Blackcap
2 Willow Warbler
9 Chiffchaff
1 Willow Tit
3 Reed Bunting
(Martin Adlam)

Priorslee Village
1 Swallow
(Martin Adlam)

2006
Priorslee Lake
5 Great Crested Grebes
3 Herons
1 Cormorant
7 Tufted Ducks
1 Ruddy Duck
259 Jackdaw
4 Stock Doves
1 Great Spotted Woodpecker
13 Meadow Pipits
21 Wrens
18 Robins
22 Blackbirds
1 Redwing
3 Blackcaps
7 Chiffchaffs
3 Willow Warblers
4 Jays
6 Greenfinches
2 Siskin
6 Reed Buntings
(Ed Wilson)