21 Mar 24

Priorslee Balancing Lake and The Flash

6.0°C > 10.0°C: Early mist a low cloud lifted to a medium/high overcast. A few sunny spells before thicker cloud and very light rain. Light south-westerly breeze. Poor visibility, becoming very good.

Sunrise: 06:09 GMT

* = a species photographed today.

Priorslee Balancing Lake: 05:15 – 09:25

(59th visit of the year)

New Bird Species
Another additions to my 2024 bird list from here with a *trio of Shelduck visible on the water when the mist cleared. They were present throughout. They bring my 2024 bird species count here to #73. I record this species most years, usually during either Spring or Autumn passage though my previous sighting was an unusual mid-winter record on 24 November 2023.

Other bird notes:
- a male Pheasant called from the Ricoh copse.
- three pairs and a single Canada Goose were on the water much of the time. At various times two pairs flew off and two pairs then arrived. Were these the same birds?
- a Great Spotted Woodpecker was heard drumming from the Ricoh copse: my first drumming this year and a very late date. I have heard this species drumming before Christmas once in Shropshire and early in January is a typical 'first date'.
- there may have been as many as five singing Blackcaps if the three birds singing always just ahead of me along the North side were different individuals. Irrespective all the birds I heard today were in different locations from any of the trio I heard on Tuesday.
- just one female Siskin noted.

Counts of birds noted flying over:
- 3 Canada Geese: single and pair outbound
- 35 Wood Pigeons
- 1 Herring Gull
- 1 Lesser Black-backed Gull
- 2 Cormorants: together
- 14 Jackdaws
- 1 Rook

Count of hirundines etc. noted
- 10 Sand Martins: seven flew through at 08:35; three more at 08:45

Warblers noted (the figure in brackets relates to birds heard singing):
- 1 (1) Cetti's Warbler
- 13 (13) Chiffchaffs
- 3 (3) Blackcaps

Counts from the lake area:
- 7 Canada Geese at least see notes
- *Mute Swans
- *3 Shelduck
- 5 (5♂) Mallard
- *21 (14♂) Tufted Duck
- 8 Moorhens
- 39 Coots
- 6 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

Flies:
- *1 female Chironomus plumosus plumed midge
- *1 male 'plumed' midge, species unknown
- *1 female midge probably of the same species

Springtails
- *3 springtails Tomocerus type
- *1 globular springtail

Arthropods:
- *3 White-legged Snake Millipede Tachypodoiulus niger

Spiders:
- 1 Stout Sac Spider Clubiona sp.
- 1 unidentified money spider

Noted later:

New flowers for the year:
- Wild Cherry Prunus avium
- Cherry Laurel Prunus laurocerasus.

As the mist began to clear... In front six Tufted Ducks (five drakes); behind them the trio of Shelduck; at the back the cob Mute Swan.

The trio of Shelduck with the centre bird an adult drake doing a rather perfunctory display. A duck behind him; she lacks any red shield at the base of her bill. On the right perhaps a first year drake with less pronounced red shield.

The adult drake and duck have swapped positions.

The male Grey Wagtail decided to sing from top of the sluice control box in the boxing ring on top of the dam.

Later he went back on the hand rail.

A (slightly) better photo of a Common Brindled Brown moth Agonopterix heracliana. The previous individual was running around the base of a street lamp pole. This one was sitting still – almost at the top of the same street lamp pole.

With its striped abdomen this female plumed midge is almost certainly Chironomus plumosus, the first midge of this species I have noted this year.

A male midge with unusually 'stout' (as opposed to feathered) antennae. No idea as to species.

This female midge was close-by and may be the same species. Note the differing lengths of the abdomen and / or wings between the sexes. a not uncommon trait in some groups of insects.

A trio illustrating the size ratios. The main feature is a White-legged Snake Millipede Tachypodoiulus niger; top left is one of the Tomocerus type springtails; at the very top just left of centre is a globular springtail.

The Cowslips Primula veris are beginning to look smarter than the soggy group I photographed at the end of last month.

Flowers of what I believe to be Wild Cherry Prunus avium.

A flowering spike of Cherry Laurel Prunus laurocerasus. No doubt these small flowers provide some nectar for early-flying insects. As an introduced and vigorous alien species the advice these days is not to plant it as it will take over.

(Ed Wilson)

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In the Priorslee Avenue tunnel:

Flies:
- 2 male plumed midges
- 1 cranefly

Arthropods:
- 1 Common Shiny Woodlouse Oniscus asellus

(Ed Wilson)

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The Flash: 09:30– 10:30

(61st visit of the year)

Bird notes:
- another day with a bumper number of geese.
- Gadwall disappeared again!
- the two Great Crested Grebes were noted displaying.
- at least three Siskins in Alders along West side.

Bird(s) noted flying over here:
- 1 Jackdaw

Warblers noted (the figure in brackets relates to birds heard singing):
- 5 (5) Chiffchaffs

Noted on / around the water:
- 39 Canada Geese
- 9 Greylag Geese
- 1 + 4 Mute Swans: see notes
- 27 (19♂) Mallard
- 1 (1♂) all-white feral duck
- 24 (13♂) Tufted Duck
- 10 Moorhens
- 35 Coots
- 2 Great Crested Grebes

Noted elsewhere
- 1 Alder Leaf Beetle on a street lamp pole.
- 1 7 Spot Ladybird Coccinella 7-punctata on the Priorslee Flash diorama.

Many geese today with a few flying in and out. Two Canada Geese making a noisy arrival.

Two Great Crested Grebes displaying, somewhat distantly. I have no idea what has caused the black vertical line (shadow?) above the right-hand bird.

The 7 Spot Ladybird Coccinella 7-punctata I noted on top of the Priorslee Flash diorama.

(Ed Wilson)

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Sightings from previous years

2013
Priorslee Lake
1 Brambling
1 Mediterranean Gull
7 Wigeon
2 Gadwall
29 Tufted Ducks
1 Little Ringed Plover
c.750 gulls
1 Mediterranean Gull
1 Buzzard
1 Sparrowhawk
Stock Dove
6 Redwings
7+ Fieldfares
279 Jackdaws
(Ed Wilson, John Isherwood)

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

Nedge Hill
1 Raven
Stock Dove
3+ Lapwing
(John Isherwood)

2012
Priorslee Lake
5 Chiffchaff singing
(Martin Grant)

2011
The Flash
48 Tufted Duck
1 Green Woodpecker
1 Great Spotted Woodpecker
3 Jays
2 Reed Buntings
Nuthatch
2 Siskins
(Ed Wilson)

2010
Priorslee Lake
2 Fieldfare
1 Little Grebe
4 Great Crested Grebe
6 Gadwall
36 Tufted Duck
149 Jackdaws
(Ed Wilson)

2009
Priorslee Lake
2 Willow Tit
4 Chiffchaff
(John Isherwood)

Nedge Hill
Wheatear
1 Blackcap
5 Lapwing
(John Isherwood)

2007
Priorslee Lake
3 Great Crested Grebe
8 Cormorant
28 Tufted Duck
1 Ruddy Duck
1 Buzzard
1 Sparrowhawk
3 Stock Dove
141 Wood Pigeon
8 Pied Wagtail
27 Wren
21 Robin
21 Blackbird
48 Fieldfare
2 Redwing
8 Chiffchaff
67 Magpie
410 Jackdaw
1 Willow Tit
7 Greenfinch
2 Reed Bunting
(Ed Wilson, Martin Adlam)

2006
Priorslee Lake
Barn Owl
c.750 Black-headed Gulls
4 Little Grebes
7 Great Crested Grebes
2 Herons
7 Pochard
42 Tufted Ducks
1 Ruddy Duck
1 Water Rail.
289 Wood Pigeon
29 Pied Wagtails
25 Blackbirds
7 Redwings
16 Greenfinches
11 Siskins
1 Linnet
3 Reed Buntings
(Ed Wilson)