11 May 23

Priorslee Lake and The Flash

10.0°C > 12.0°C: Cloudy with mainly light rain until c.07:30. A few brighter spells later. Light south-westerly wind. Very good visibility.

Sunrise: 05:20 BST

* = a photo from today

Priorslee Balancing Lake: 05:10 – 06:15 // 07:10 – 09:20

(95th visit of the year)

Bird notes:
- The Greylag Geese have lost another gosling.
- Two House Martins seen over the estate were my first local birds this year – all my earlier sightings were likely of passage birds.
- The Garden Warbler noted today was where I first saw this species this year, along the South side.
- Apropos my recent comment about a Mistle Thrush apparently nesting near the Ricoh building... today I heard one singing from the Ricoh copse toward the start of Teece Drive. Latter I saw one flying toward this area from the football field. Perhaps there are two nest sites?

Birds noted flying over here:
- 6 Canada Geese: three duos outbound
- 10 Wood Pigeons
- 1 Lesser Black-backed Gull again
- 3 Cormorants: a single and a duo
- 4 Jackdaws

Warblers noted (the number singing in brackets):
- 1 (1) Cetti's Warbler as ever
- 2 (2) Willow Warblers again
- 10 (10) Chiffchaffs
- 1 (1) Sedge Warbler still
- 12 (12) Reed Warblers
- 13 (11) Blackcaps
- 1 (1) Garden Warbler again
- *2 (2) Common Whitethroats still

Hirundines etc., noted:
- 6 Swifts
- 1 Barn Swallow
- 2 House Martins

Counts from the lake area:
- 4 + 5 (1 brood) Canada Geese: the resident pair with goslings; a pair arrived
- 2 + 8 (1 brood) Greylag Geese
- 2 + 3 (1 brood) Mute Swans
- 6 (5♂) Mallard again
- 1 (1♂) Tufted Duck: departed
- 1 Moorhen only: this species is always more secretive while nesting
- 19 + 9 (3 broods) Coots
- 7 Great Crested Grebes
- 3 Common Sandpipers: two birds apparently departed
- 1 Herring Gull, briefly

Noted on the street lamp poles pre-dawn:
- 1 Plumed Midge (Chironomus plumosus)
- 1 slug again
- 1 Clubiona sp. spider again
And still no moths.

Noted later:
- *Alder Fly (Sialis lutaria)
- *caddis fly sp., perhaps Tinodes waeneri
- *Tiger Cranefly (Nephrotoma flavescens)
- *Alder Leaf Beetle (Agelastica alni)
- *presumed Raspberry Beetle (Byturus tomentosus)
- another beetle sp.
- *Common European Earwig (Forficula dentata)
- *Brown-lipped Snail (Cepaea nemoralis)
- *a very small spider
- *Tufted Vetch flowers (Vicia cracca)

On the ceiling and one wall of the Priorslee Avenue tunnel:
- 8 midges of c.3 species.

Between the lake and The Flash:
- Moorhen noted around the upper pool and presumably breeding here as usual.

A slightly, only slightly, better photo of a Common Whitethroat. At least it shows the brown in the wing and the rather pale orange legs as well as the 'white throat'.

A small spider scurries behind an Alder Fly (Sialis lutaria).

In contrast to the dark wings of of the Alder Fly this is a caddisfly with pale wings. There are few caddisflies that show such prominent venation on otherwise unpatterned wings and it may well be Tinodes waeneri. There are about 2000 species of caddisfly known from the UK so there are probably other options.

I think this is a Tiger Cranefly (Nephrotoma flavescens): it is the only species of Nephrotoma cranefly that does not have dark marks (other than veins) on its wings.

An array of wildlife here, taking nectar from the dandelion flower. The main character is a Common European Earwig (Forficula dentata). There is at least one small beetle, probably a Raspberry Beetle (Byturus tomentosus), buried in the petals. There is also a small fly on the outer edge of the flower.

This closer look suggests there might also be even smaller beetles in attendance.

Making the next generation of Alder Leaf Beetles (Agelastica alni). The existing generation seems to have already made a good job of eating the Alder leaf.

Oops: a bit out of focus. This appeared to be a White-lipped Snail (Cepaea hortensis) until I looked more carefully when it turned out not to have a white lip at all and be a Brown-lipped Snail (Cepaea nemoralis).

The mauve flowers of Tufted Vetch (Vicia cracca) just beginning to open.

(Ed Wilson)

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The Flash: 06:20 – 07:05

(86th visit of the year)

Another addition to my 2023 bird list from here. A Swift was overhead briefly. This takes my count to 68.

Other bird notes:
- No goslings or ducklings seen.
- The cob Mute Swan was mainly associating with last year's remaining juvenile. I was told they had been seen almost displaying. The pen was on the nest throughout.
- The drake Gadwall seen again / still present.
- Just a lone pair of Tufted Duck seen.
- Of the erstwhile brood of five Coot juveniles I noted only two today, these peering out at the damp world from below a parent. There were quite likely other juveniles here and elsewhere being brooded.
- A Great Spotted Woodpecker was seen in flight at the top end. Probably another was heard calling from the squirrel alley area.

Birds noted flying over here:

None

Warblers noted (the number singing in brackets):
- 4 (4) Chiffchaffs
- 3 (2) Blackcaps

Hirundines etc., noted:

1 Swift

Noted on / around the water
- 13 Canada Geese
- 3 Greylag Geese
- 2 + 1 Mute Swans: ? eggs
- 1 (1♂) Gadwall
- 13 (9♂) Mallard
- 1 (1♂) all-white duck (Peking(?) Duck)
- 2 (1♂) Tufted Duck
- 5 Moorhens
- 27 + 2 (1 brood) Coots
- 1 Great Crested Grebes

Noted on / around the street lamp poles
- 1 Plumed Midge (Chironomus plumosus)
- 1 Common European Earwig (Forficula dentata)

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

2012
Priorslee Lake
Common Scoter
(Andy Latham)

2006
Priorslee Lake
2 Ruddy Ducks
(Ed Wilson)