9 May 23

Priorslee Lake only

12.0°C > 13.0°C: Another morning when early low overcast soon broke to give some good sunny spells. Light westerly wind. Very good visibility.

Sunrise: 05:24 BST

* = a photo from today

Things to do later so an abbreviated visit to the lake only.

Harking back to Sunday's photos and with thanks to Martin Adlam for the suggestion: I have reviewed the hoverfly I thought might be an unusually marked Common Dronefly (Eristalis tenax). I now believe it to be a Parhelophilus sp., probably P. frutetorum. I am not aware of any vernacular names for this group.

One of the fishermen tells me I just missed seeing a deer at the lake on Sunday. He saw it in the south-east part of the area alongside Castle Farm Way. I am not aware of any previous sightings of deer here.

Priorslee Balancing Lake: 05:10 – 07:25

(93rd visit of the year)

Bird notes:
- So where was the pair of Greylag Geese hiding to suddenly produce ten goslings? This seems to be the first time this species has bred here.
- The pair of Mute Swans appeared briefly with just three tiny cygnets visible, too far away for a photo. The pen soon took them back on the nest and the cob went to the West end of the water, ignoring the geese with goslings on the water.
- I certainly saw one Cetti's Warbler. On two occasions I saw two birds together flitting through the vegetation though I cannot say conclusively that either bird was this species though the location of song suggested they were.
- I am unsure whether there are two or just one mobile singing Willow Warbler. I cannot find anywhere to stand where I can hear both at any one time.
- A more typical number of singing Reed Warblers today though as my visit was somewhat abbreviated I may have missed some.
- I heard just a brief snatch of song from what might have been a Garden Warbler. This species typically sings long phrases so I am not sure. In the same general area there were singing Willow Warbler, Chiffchaff, Blackcap and Common Whitethroat as well as the usual Robins and Wrens to mask the sound.
- The Mistle Thrush seems to be nesting between the West end footpath and the main Ricoh building rather than alongside Teece Drive where it has nested for many years.

Birds noted flying over here:
- 2 Canada Geese: together
- Wood Pigeons not counted
- 2 Herring Gulls
- 2 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
- 2 Cormorants: together
- 1 Grey Heron
- 3 Jackdaws

Warblers noted (the number singing in brackets):
- *2 (1) Cetti's Warbler: see notes
- *2 (2) Willow Warblers: see notes
- 11 (9) Chiffchaffs
- 1 (1) Sedge Warbler
- 8 (8) Reed Warblers
- 11 (10) Blackcaps
- ? Garden Warbler: see notes
- 2 (2) Common Whitethroats

Hirundines etc., noted:
- 9 Swifts
- 1 Barn Swallow again

Counts from the lake area:
- *4 + 6 (1 brood) Canada Geese: the resident pair with goslings; another pair visited briefly again
- *2 + 10 (1 brood) Greylag Geese: where did these come from?
- 2 Mute Swans + 3 cygnets: see notes
- 4 (4♂) Mallard
- 5 Moorhens
- 24 + 4 (1 brood) Coots
- 6 Great Crested Grebes

Noted on the street lamp poles pre-dawn:
- *1 probable soldier fly sp.
- *3 different spiders
- *1 harvestman, apparently Leiobunum rotundum
No moths again. It is proving to be a very poor year after a reasonable number of Winter-flying species being seen.

Noted later:
- Common Wasp (Paravespula vulgaris)
- Alder Leaf Beetle (Agelastica alni)
- *slug sp.

All we need now are some bluebells carpeting the woodland floor...

Despite the attention of the cob Mute Swan in recent days the Canada Geese still have all six goslings.

Four and a bit Greylag goslings clamber down the dam-face.

Proud parents with all ten goslings.

How can the adults be in focus and the goslings not?

This is a Cetti's Warbler: a rather robust (and noisy) warbler. You can just about make out the rufous tone on the back that is...

...more obvious here as it, typically, dives for cover. It regularly cocks its tail, almost Wren like, though seeing this bird is always a challenge.

Why do they always hide behind branches? A Willow Warbler being shy.

I think this is a species of soldier fly. It seems to possess very hairy eyes (as well as being generally hairy).

One of the three species of spider I noted this morning. No idea as to species though.

This looks very like the harvestman Leiobunum rotundum to me but it is a strange date. The NatureSpot web site suggests end of July for adults to appear.

I found this slug on the handrail of the bridge along the North side. As previously noted identification of slugs is not straightforward.

(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

2013
Priorslee Lake
Shelduck
(Ed Wilson)

2012
Priorslee Lake
Grasshopper Warbler
(John Isherwood)

2009
Nedge Hill
Whinchat
Wheatear
(John Isherwood)

2008
Priorslee Lake
Arctic Tern
(Ed Wilson)

Nedge Hill
2 Wheatear
(Ed Wilson)

2006
Priorslee Lake
2 Ruddy Ducks
(Ed Wilson)