8.0°C > 9.0°C: The last of the overnight rain just ceasing as I arrived. A clearance from the north-west made very slow progress and it was after 10:30 before the sun broke through. Moderate north-westerly breeze. Mainly excellent visibility.
Sunrise: 06:07 GMT
* = a species photographed today.
Priorslee Balancing Lake: 05:15 – 09:25
Priorslee Balancing Lake: 05:15 – 09:25
(60th visit of the year)
New Bird Species
Three more additions to my 2024 bird list from here. In the order of recording them:
- two Willow Warblers were new arrivals, on passage from sub-Saharan Africa. They are unlikely to breed at the lake. [last year 25 March and that was earlier than usual]
- a Kestrel flew South to the East at 07:15.
- a Skylark was singing distantly over the fields to the East at 08:25 despite all the new housing in the area. It was just possible to see it in flight looking from the dam top. [last year 19 March]
My 2024 bird species total here is now #76.
Other bird notes:
- as yesterday pairs and singles of Canada Geese were flying in and out as they were chased by the Mute Swans and the pair of Canada Geese that are likely to try and nest here. At least six birds involved: probably more.
- I could only prove one Great Crested Grebe today after six yesterday. I did see a single bird in two very different parts of the water but could never see them both at the same time.
- unusual was a noisy (well that is not unusual) party of five Jays jumping around and chasing through the tree-tops.
- the usually very persistent Cetti's Warbler was singing very intermittently. Could it be he has found a mate?
- 22 Redwings flew North at 06:40. These may well be the last here until Autumn.
- just one Siskin again.
Counts of birds noted flying over:
- 12 Canada Geese: five pairs outbound; one pair inbound
- 2 Greylag Geese: pair outbound
- 44 Wood Pigeons
- 1 Common Kestrel
- 2 Herring Gulls
- 4 Lesser Black-backed Gull
- 13 Jackdaws
- 22 Redwings: see notes
Hirundines etc. noted
None
Warblers noted (the figure in brackets relates to birds heard singing):
- 1 (1) Cetti's Warbler
- 2 (2) Willow Warblers
- *20 (16) Chiffchaffs
- 3 (3) Blackcaps
Counts from the lake area:
- 6 Canada Geese at least: see notes
- 2 Mute Swans
- 5 (5♂) Mallard
- 19 (12♂) Tufted Duck
- 10 Moorhens
- 41 Coots
- 1 Great Crested Grebe
- *2 Cormorants: arrived separately
Noted on the street lamp poles pre-dawn.
Warblers noted (the figure in brackets relates to birds heard singing):
- 1 (1) Cetti's Warbler
- 2 (2) Willow Warblers
- *20 (16) Chiffchaffs
- 3 (3) Blackcaps
Counts from the lake area:
- 6 Canada Geese at least: see notes
- 2 Mute Swans
- 5 (5♂) Mallard
- 19 (12♂) Tufted Duck
- 10 Moorhens
- 41 Coots
- 1 Great Crested Grebe
- *2 Cormorants: arrived separately
Noted on the street lamp poles pre-dawn.
Flies:
- *several midges
- *1 Common Green Lacewing Chrysoperia carnea
- *several midges
- *1 Common Green Lacewing Chrysoperia carnea
Springtails
- 2 springtails Tomocerus type
- *1 globular springtail
- 2 springtails Tomocerus type
- *1 globular springtail
Beetles:
- *1 weevil sp.
- *1 weevil sp.
Arthropods:
- *1 White-legged Snake Millipede Tachypodoiulus niger
- *1 White-legged Snake Millipede Tachypodoiulus niger
Spiders:
- *1 Long-jawed Orb-web Spider Tetragnatha sp.
Noted later:
- 4 Alder Leaf Beetles Agelastica alni on the Teece Drive fence
- *1 ground beetle Dromius quadrimaculatus also on the Teece Drive fence
- *1 Girdled Snail Hygromia cinctella
- *1 Long-jawed Orb-web Spider Tetragnatha sp.
Noted later:
- 4 Alder Leaf Beetles Agelastica alni on the Teece Drive fence
- *1 ground beetle Dromius quadrimaculatus also on the Teece Drive fence
- *1 Girdled Snail Hygromia cinctella
How do they do that then? It seems difficult-enough for a Cormorant to land and perch on a buoy so how does it then lie-down?
Three of the five Jays that were bouncing around and making a lot of noise in the tree-tops.
Two of them flying off.
I struggled to get any photos of Chiffchaffs here even though at least 15 were singing. They were all at the very tops of the trees.
Another illustration of different sizes of insects: a tiny globular springtails snuggles up to a female midge.
Another Common Green Lacewing Chrysoperia carnea still largely in its brown over-wintering colour.
I will ask the Shropshire beetle recorder whether they can identify this weevil.
Find of the day was this ground beetle Dromius quadrimaculatus on the Teece Drive fence.
I am not sure why there are so many of these White-legged Snake Millipede Tachypodoiulus niger at the moment.
Nobody home: the shell of a Girdled Snail Hygromia cinctella.
A Long-jawed Orb-web Spider Tetragnatha sp. getting its legs in a tangle.
(Ed Wilson)
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In the Priorslee Avenue tunnel:
Flies:
- *1 cranefly, perhaps Tipula confusa
A few other midges not logged
- *1 cranefly, perhaps Tipula confusa
A few other midges not logged
I found this cranefly in the Priorslee Avenue tunnel. It looks to me like Tipula confusa but that is noted as a late Summer / Autumn flying species so I am not sure.
(Ed Wilson)
The Flash: 09:30– 10:40
(Ed Wilson)
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The Flash: 09:30– 10:40
(63rd visit of the year)
Bird notes:
- there were likely unrecorded geese lurking inside the island at nest sites.
- most of the duck Mallard seemed to be hiding: probably on nests with their first broods.
- two Great Crested Grebes were mostly close together. A third was noted elsewhere.
Bird(s) noted flying over here:
- 3 Black-headed Gulls: flew West together high over.
- *4 Common Buzzards displaying overhead
Warblers noted (the figure in brackets relates to birds heard singing):
- *6 (6) Chiffchaffs
Noted on / around the water:
- 27 Canada Geese
- 5 Greylag Geese
- 2 + 4 Mute Swans
- 20 (17♂) Mallard
- 1 (1♂) all-white feral duck
- 21 (13♂) Tufted Duck
- 7 Moorhens
- 33 Coots
- 3 Great Crested Grebes
Noted elsewhere
- 9 Alder Leaf Beetles Agelastica alni on the wooden railing along the West side
One of the four Common Buzzards circling over and displaying. I find the tail colour rather confusing. There is a very common New World species Red-tailed Hawk with a tail that looks like this though the body markings differ. I cannot recall noticing such a rufous tail on a Common Buzzard before.
One of the Chiffchaffs here was at the top of a smaller tree and more easy to photograph.
Here he is again.
(Ed Wilson)
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Sightings from previous years
2011
Priorslee Lake
5 Great Crested Grebes
4 Cormorants
24 Tufted Duck
9 Meadow Pipits
4 Redwings
4 Chiffchaffs singing
2 Brimstone butterflies
(Ed Wilson, Martin Grant)
The Flash
43 Tufted Ducks
1 Skylark
2 Chiffchaffs singing
(Ed Wilson)
Nedge Hill
8 Lapwings
3 Redwings
1 Chiffchaff singing
(Ed Wilson)
Trench
2 Little Grebes
30 Tufted Duck
(Ed Wilson)
2010
Priorslee Lake
1 Little Grebe
2 Gadwall
23 Tufted Duck
4 Sand Martins
1 Willow Warbler
2 Chiffchaffs singing
8 Linnets
(Ed Wilson)
Nedge Hill
7 Wheatear
1 Green Woodpecker
1 Skylark
1 Chiffchaff
(Ed Wilson)
The Flash
2 Great Crested Grebe
43 Tufted Duck
2 Sparrowhawks
(Ed Wilson)
2007
Priorslee Lake
4 Cormorant
33 Tufted Duck
1 Ruddy Duck
1 Kittiwake
31 Wren
24 Robin
23 Blackbird
1 Redwing
4 Chiffchaff singing
34 Magpie
176 Jackdaw
7 Greenfinch
5 Reed Bunting
(Ed Wilson)
The Flash
10 Great Crested Grebe
2 Pochard
23 Tufted Duck
1 Chiffchaff singing
1 Willow Tit
1 Reed Bunting
(Ed Wilson)
2006
Priorslee Lake
2 Little Grebes
6 Great Crested Grebes
49 Tufted Ducks
2 Ruddy Ducks
1 Water Rail
2 Lapwings
c.950 Black-headed Gulls
509 Wood Pigeon
6 Stock Doves
613 Wood Pigeons
1 Great Spotted Woodpecker
13 Pied Wagtails
24 Wrens
19 Robins
22 Blackbirds
5 Redwings
1 Chiffchaff
2 Willow Tits
17 Magpies
17 Greenfinches
4 Siskins
7 Reed Buntings
(Ed Wilson)