19 Mar 24

Priorslee Balancing Lake and The Flash

8.0°C > 14.0°C: Broken low / medium cloud with some occasional light drizzle. Some sunny spells later. Light south-westerly breeze. Very good visibility.

Sunrise: 06:14 GMT

* = a species photographed today.

Priorslee Balancing Lake: 05:15 – 09:20

(57th visit of the year)

New Bird Species
Yet another two additions to my 2024 bird list from here:
- there were three Blackcaps singing as I made my first circuit of the lake c.06:00. Strangely none was heard later. [my first in 2023 was on 26 March]
- two Sand Martins were briefly over the water at 07:10. Another was noted flying West at 07:45. Also rather unusual behaviour in that migrants usually stop off to hunt insects low over the water. [the same date as my first in 2023]
These birds bring my 2024 species count here to #72.

Also a mystery. As I walked across the Wesley Brook bridge at c.05:35 there was a loud splash and waves in the brook. Clearly something large had entered the water. But what? I saw nothing to help solve the mystery. An Otter?

Other bird notes:
- the pair of Gadwall was a welcome sight: they have been scarce this winter here. Just perhaps the birds from The Flash that were not seen today.
- *three Great Spotted Woodpeckers were noted in the Ricoh copse area. A calling bird flew to perch in a tree-top while two others circled around chasing. I could not see the nape colour on the perched bird: perhaps a female with two suitors?
- no fewer than 12 Blackbirds heard in song: the first day I have noted more singing Blackbirds than singing Song Thrushes (nine of those today).
- I noted a Greenfinch doing its bat-like territorial flight for the first time this year. As well as the rasping 'song'.
- Just two Siskins noted.

Counts of birds noted flying over:
- 6 Canada Geese: quartet outbound; pair inbound
- 2 Greylag Geese: a pair circled over and left to the South
- 2 Stock Doves
- 51 Wood Pigeons
- 1 Herring Gull
- 19 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
- 15 Jackdaws
- 9 Rooks

Count of hirundines etc. noted
- 3 Sand Martins

Warblers noted (figure in brackets is singing birds):
- 1 (1) Cetti's Warbler
- *12 (12) Chiffchaffs
- 3 (3) Blackcaps

Counts from the lake area:
- 2 Canada Geese: pair flew in
- 2 Mute Swans
- 2 (1♂) Gadwall: flew off 07:00
- 5 (4♂) Mallard
- 21 (16♂) Tufted Duck
- 7 Moorhens
- 37 Coots
- 4 Great Crested Grebes
- 2 Cormorants: arrived separately

Noted on the street lamp poles pre-dawn.

Moths:
- *1 Common Brindled Brown Agonopterix heracliana aka Common Flat-body
- 1 unidentified moth seen in flight only

Flies:
- 1 male plumed midge

Springtails
- 3 springtails Tomocerus type
- 1 tiny globular springtail

Arthropods:
- *1 White-legged Snake Millipede Tachypodoiulus niger
- *2 Common Shiny Woodlouse Oniscus asellus

Spiders:
- *1 Stout Sac Spider Clubiona sp.
- 1 Bridge Orb-web Spider Larinioides sclopetarius

Noted later:

Beetles:
- 4 Alder Leaf Beetle on the Teece Drive fence.

There was not a good sunrise. This was taken later after some light drizzle when the cloud had begun to break.

A Great Spotted Woodpecker in the top of a tree in the Ricoh copse...

...while, would you believe, these two circled around and around.

Quick: photo Chiffchaffs before they can hide behind leaves.

 Same bird: different pose.

One of my worst-ever moth photos as this individual ran around and around the street lamp pole eluding me much of the time. Luckily the white spots on the wing are sufficient to identify this as a Common Brindled Brown Agonopterix heracliana. The vernacular name is that shown on the Midlands Moths web site: previously it was known as Common Flat-body.

This midge Psectrotanypus varius was on the wall of the Priorslee Avenue tunnel. I cannot recall seeing this species previously.

One of two Common Shiny Woodlouse Oniscus asellus I noted on the street lamp poles.

And here is the other. There was one more on the wall of the Priorslee Avenue tunnel.

I noted this White-legged Snake Millipede Tachypodoiulus niger on the street lamp poles. Again there was another on the wall of the Priorslee Avenue tunnel.

Sneaking out of sight but leaving its distinctively-shaped tip of the abdomen in view is a Stout Sac Spider Clubiona sp.

(Ed Wilson)

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In the Priorslee Avenue tunnel

Flies:
- 3 male plumed midges
- *1 midge Psectrotanypus varius

Arthropods:
- 1 White-legged Snake Millipede Tachypodoiulus niger
- 1 Common Shiny Woodlouse Oniscus asellus

Spider:
- *1 crab spider Philodromus dispar

I found this spider on the wall of the Priorslee Avenue tunnel. The pale markings around the edges of the metathorax and the abdomen identify it as the crab spider Philodromus dispar.

(Ed Wilson)

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The Flash: 09:25– 10:35

(59th visit of the year)

Bird notes:
- only the cob adult Mute Swan was noted. Try as I might I could not find the pen in any of the likely nesting areas. I am sure she was still around, probably always the other side of the island.
- Gadwall not seen. Perhaps the pair that flew off from the Balancing Lake earlier.
- two Great Crested Grebes now. They seemed disinterested in each other.

Bird(s) noted flying over here:

None

Warblers noted (figure in brackets is singing birds):
- 5 (5) Chiffchaffs

Noted on / around the water:
- 15 Canada Geese
- 2 Greylag Geese
- 1 + 4 Mute Swans: see notes
- no Gadwall
- 27 (19♂) Mallard
- 1 (1♂) all-white feral duck
- 22 (12♂) Tufted Duck
- 8 Moorhens
- 38 Coots
- 2 Great Crested Grebes
- no gulls

Noted elsewhere
- *1 Red-tailed Bumblebee Bombus lapidarius, presumed a queen
- 8 Alder Leaf Beetles Agelastica alni on the wooden handrail along the West side.
- 1 Alder Leaf Beetle on an adjacent lamp pole.
- *2 probable Lace-weaver Spiders Amaurobius similis together on a lamp pole.
- *1 possible funnel-web spider Textrix denticulata on another lamp pole

Great Spotted Woodpecker was not just at the lake this morning. Of course it was almost at the very top of the highest trees.

A female Blackbird during one of the brief sunny spells. Blackbirds can often be seen drooping their wings and exposing their rumps to the sun.

 Resting on the Ivy bank I found this Red-tailed Bumblebee Bombus lapidarius. At this date it is almost certainly a queen as the workers are generally not on the wing until May.

There are two probable Lace-weaver Spiders Amaurobius similis just about visible here unless it is one pushing prey behind the crack in the street lamp pole.

The white spots on the abdomen suggest this spider might be a funnel-web spider Textrix denticulata. However a street lamp pole is not the obvious location to find a funnel-web spider – these tend to be ground-dwelling.

(Ed Wilson)

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Sightings from previous years

2013
Priorslee Lake
3 Great Crested Grebes
7 Wigeon
2 Gadwall
18 Tufted Ducks
127 Jackdaws
158 Black-headed Gulls
22 Herring Gulls
1 Great Black-backed Gull
1 Chiffchaff singing
6 Redwings
1 Siskin
(Ed Wilson)

The Flash
2 Great Crested Grebe
7 Swans
2 Pochard
1 Greater Scaup
81 Tufted Duck
(Ed Wilson)

Trench Lock Pool
1 Chiffchaff singing
1 Little Grebe
4 Great Crested Grebes
1 Cormorant
25 Tufted Duck
(Ed Wilson)

Trench Middle Pool
1 Great Crested Grebe
3 Cormorant
6 Tufted Duck
2 Goosander
5 Siskins
(Ed Wilson)

2008
Priorslee Lake
2 Sand Martins
(Martin Adlam)

2007
Priorslee Lake
2 Great Crested Grebe
2 Cormorant
22 Tufted Duck
1 Ruddy Duck
1 Green Woodpecker
8 Meadow Pipit
25 Wren
20 Blackbird
5 Redwing
5 Chiffchaff
34 Magpie
8 Greenfinch
8 Reed Bunting
(Ed Wilson)

The Flash
8 Great Crested Grebe
2 Pochard
32 Tufted Duck
1 Chiffchaff singing
(Ed Wilson)