31 Mar 24

Priorslee Balancing Lake and The Flash

4.0°C > 7.0°C: A clear start with a light ground frost in sheltered areas. Low cloud again after 08:30, initially patchy, more extensive after 09:00. Light but increasing easterly breeze. Very good visibility.

Sunrise: 06:46 BST

Priorslee Balancing Lake: 05:45 – 07:10 // 08:10 – 09:45

(69th visit of the year)

Bird notes:
- the pair of Gadwall were very mobile but seemed happy-enough to stay.
- at least two Siskins overhead. Others possibly heard.

Counts of birds noted flying over:
- 3 Canada Geese: two singles outbound; single inbound.
- 2 Greylag Geese: pair outbound
- 12 Wood Pigeons
- 1 Herring Gull
- 2 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
- *1 Sparrowhawk
- 1 Skylark: another fly-over and not a bird from the fields to the East
- 12 Jackdaws
- 4 Rooks
- 2 Siskins

Hirundines etc. noted:

None

Warblers noted (the figure in brackets relates to birds heard singing):
- 1 (1) Cetti's Warbler
- 1 (1) Willow Warbler
- 17 (16) Chiffchaffs
- *7 (5) Blackcaps

Counts from the lake area:
- 11 Canada Geese: one pair throughout; seven others present when I arrived; two other pairs arrived. Most departed
- 3 Greylag Geese: a trio arrived and stayed a while
- 2 Mute Swans
- 2 (1) Gadwall
- 4 (3♂) Mallard: also *2 (1♂) in the Wesley Brook beside the Priorslee Avenue tunnel and later on the lower pool
- 30 (22♂) Tufted Duck
- 7 Moorhens
- 35 Coots
- 1 Great Crested Grebe
- 1 Cormorant: arrived
- 1 Grey Heron: arrived and departed

Noted on the street lamps poles pre-dawn:
Cold with a lot of dew so very little.

Springtails:
- 1 springtail Orchesella cincta.

Noted later:

Bees etc.:
- Buff-tailed Bumblebee Bombus terrestris

Hoverflies:
- *Tapered Dronefly Eristalis pertinax
- *Common Dronefly Eristalis tenax

Beetles:
- Alder Leaf Beetle Agelastica alni

A slightly smaller waning moon today. Low towards the horizon so some distortion.

A fine start with an indication of the cloud to come lurking far to the East.

The rufous tones indicate this is a male Sparrowhawk. Here it is doing its sky-dancing display flight.

And now flying in circles with wings held down.

Note how the white under-tail coverts are fluffed out.

This feature perhaps more obvious from the side. He was a long way away by this time.

A male Blackcap sitting up straight.

I am always pleased to snap a Goldcrest. I wonder how they got that name?

There was a Blackcap on this branch but when I raised the camera it flew off only to be replaced by a Blue Tit. So I took the Blue Tit's photo anyway.

Preparing for jungle warfare?

 A Dunnock with nesting material.

A male hoverfly (the eyes meet) and the mostly pale front legs indicate this is a Tapered Dronefly Eristalis pertinax even though on this specimen the abdomen is not especially tapered, as it was on one I photographed yesterday.

A female hoverfly (the eyes do not meet) and mainly dark front legs indicates this is a Common Dronefly Eristalis tenax.

(Ed Wilson)

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In the Priorslee Avenue tunnel:

- *1 cranefly Dicranomyia chorea
- 1 cranefly Tipula sp.

I know it is not in focus. The point here is that this is the fourth cranefly Dicranomyia chorea I have noted in four days and I had never identified one previously. The 'M' mark on the folded wing seems distinctive-enough.

(Ed Wilson)

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Between the Balancing Lake and The Flash:

- Until today I had not noted any Starlings returning to the estate where they usually breed. I saw a pair mating on the roof of one of the houses backing on to the footpath by the upper pool/

(Ed Wilson)

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The Flash: 07:15 – 08:05

(71st visit of the year)

Bird notes:
- a pair of Bullfinches was seen at both the bottom and top of squirrel alley but as I had walked all around the water between the sightings I suspect it was the same pair.

Bird(s) noted flying over here:

None

Warblers noted (the figure in brackets relates to birds heard singing):
- *1 (1) Willow Warbler
- 10 (9) Chiffchaffs
- 4 (4) Blackcaps

Noted on / around the water:
- 29 Canada Geese
- 8 Greylag Geese: of these two pairs flew off
- 2 + 4 Mute Swans
- 23 (19♂) Mallard
- 1 (1♂) all-white feral duck
- 23 (13♂) Tufted Duck
- 7 Moorhens
- 32 Coots
- no Great Crested Grebe
- 1 Lesser Black-backed Gull: second year

Noted elsewhere.
- Buff-tailed Bumblebee Bombus terrestris in flight.
- *2 Common Green Lacewings Chrysoperia carnea on street lamps poles
- 1 Alder Leaf Beetle Agelastica alni on a street lamp pole

The head of this Willow Warbler is mainly hidden. The pale eye-brow (supercilium) is wider and longer than on the bird I photographed yesterday and more typical of illustrations in bird guides.

One of two Common Green Lacewings Chrysoperia carnea I found. This one still in Winter brown colouration.

This one is beginning to show some green tones.

(Ed Wilson)

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Sightings from previous years

2014
Priorslee Lake
3 Great Crested Grebes
13 Cormorants
4 Greylag Geese
22 Tufted Duck
5 Sand Martins
6 Redwings
8 Chiffchaffs
>500 Jackdaws
(Ed Wilson)

The Flash
50 Tufted Ducks
4 Chiffchaffs
4 Siskins
(Ed Wilson)

2013
Priorslee Lake
1 Little Grebe
6 Great Crested Grebes
1 Cormorant
7 Wigeon
2 Gadwall
1 Pochard
42 Tufted Ducks
1 Great Black-backed Gull
Mediterranean Gull.
Ring-billed x Lesser Black-backed Gull.
>1500 Black-headed Gulls
2 Redwings
65 Magpies
25 Siskins
2 Reed Buntings
(Ed Wilson)

The Flash
2 Great Crested Grebes
6 Swans
2 Pochard
85 Tufted Duck
(Ed Wilson)

2010
Priorslee Lake
3 Buzzards
1 Little Grebe
5 Great Crested Grebe
4 Gadwall
36 Tufted Duck
c.160 Jackdaws
(Ed Wilson)

The Flash
4 Great Crested Grebe
3 Greylag Geese
32 Tufted Duck

Trench
1 Cormorant
43 Tufted Ducks
(Ed Wilson)

2007
Priorslee Lake
Little Ringed Plover
1 Cormorant
1 Mallard x Pintail
18 Tufted Duck
1 Ruddy Duck
1 Little Ringed Plover
1 Kittiwake
33 Wren
29 Robin
24 Blackbird
3 Chiffchaff
39 Magpie
3 Greenfinch
6 Reed Bunting
(Ed Wilson)

The Flash
8 Great Crested Grebe
2 Pochard
27 Tufted Duck
1 Snipe
3 Chiffchaff
2 Reed Bunting
(Ed Wilson)

2006
Priorslee Lake
1 Barn Owl
1 Little Grebe
5 Great Crested Grebes
1 Shoveler
30 Tufted Ducks
2 Water Rails
321 Wood Pigeons
2 Skylarks
5 Meadow Pipits
33 Wrens
21 Robins
21 Blackbirds
1 Fieldfare
3 Redwings
1 Chiffchaff
1 Willow Tit
18 Greenfinches
8 Siskins
1 Linnet
6 Reed Buntings
1 Yellowhammer.
(Ed Wilson)

30 Mar 24

Priorslee Balancing Lake and The Flash

3.0°C > 10.0°C: Yet another mixed morning. Clear when I arrived. Low cloud soon streamed in from the south-east, lowering to mist. This lifted after 07:30 and then began to break with good sunny spells after 08:30. Light southerly wind. Very good visibility but poor or very poor in mist.

Sunrise: 05:48 GMT

Priorslee Balancing Lake: 05:00 – 06:25 // 07:15 – 09:50

(68th visit of the year)

Bird notes:
- a pair of Gadwall was flushed out of the West end reeds by fighting Coots and flew off.

Counts of birds noted flying over:
- 22 Canada Geese: two pairs outbound; groups of seven and 11 flew North.
- 2 Greylag Geese: pair inbound
- 2 Mute Swans: adults apparently
- 27 Wood Pigeons
- 1 Skylark: not a bird from the fields to the East
- 4 Jackdaws
- 2 Rooks

Hirundines etc. noted:
- 3 Sand Martins: briefly

Warblers noted (the figure in brackets relates to birds heard singing):
- 1 (1) Cetti's Warbler
- *1 (1) Willow Warbler
- 21 (17) Chiffchaffs
- *7 (6) Blackcaps

Counts from the lake area:
- 6 Canada Geese: one pair throughout; two other pairs visited briefly
- 3 Greylag Geese: a pair and a single with...
- *1 mainly white feral goose visited briefly
- 2 Mute Swans
- 2 (1) Gadwall: see notes
- 3 (3♂) Mallard: also *2 (1♂) in the Wesley Brook beside the Priorslee Avenue tunnel
- 33 (24♂) Tufted Duck
- 6 Moorhens
- 38 Coots
- 4 Great Crested Grebes
- 1 Herring Gull: first year
- 2 Cormorants: both present by 05:30

Noted on the street lamps poles pre-dawn:

Flies:
- 1 midge sp.

Noted later:

Bees etc.:
- *Honey Bee Apis mellifera
- Red-tailed Bumblebee Bombus lapidarius
- Buff-tailed Bumblebee Bombus terrestris

Hoverflies:
- *Tapered Dronefly Eristalis pertinax
- *Grey-spotted Boxer Platycheirus albimanus [also known as Grey-spotted Sedgesitter]

Other flies:
- *Dark-edged Bee-fly Bombilius major
- *many probably Lucilia species of greenbottle.

It has been so rare to see the moon recently that I was shaking with excitement when I took the photo and it is not quite sharp. Sorry!

This mainly white feral goose arrived in the company of a Greylag Goose. They were soon chased off by the nesting Canada Geese. My excuse this time is that it was 05:25 and cloudy. I think the camera did well.

One of the local Common Buzzards. It had just attempted to land in the Ricoh copse but the Carrion Crows had other ideas.

The Willow Warbler that seems to have set up territory here.

Hiding her head in the shadow is my first female Blackcap of the year. Females have brown caps.

Still hiding.

That's better.

Meanwhile a suitor sings away...

 ...or not.

Keeping an eye on things.

Even a one thousandth of a second exposure has not managed to freeze the wings of this feeding Honey Bee Apis mellifera.

 I assume these Honey Bees are Simon's bees – they were just outside his garden. I must ask him why they are doing this. Mr. Google suggests "they may have found a sweet food source that is not apparent to our eyes".

A male Tapered Dronefly Eristalis pertinax turning right. A male because the eyes meet and the abdomen is clearly tapered.

Here he is in close-up.

This male is a bit confusing. It does not looked 'tapered' from this angle yet the mostly pale front legs preclude it being any other of the similar species.

 It is just about possible to see the grey abdomen marks that identifies this hoverfly as a Grey-spotted Boxer Platycheirus albimanus [also known as Grey-spotted Sedgesitter]. The contrast with the Dandelion flower took some work with the photo-editor to tone down.

I was unable to get a better angle on this Dark-edged Bee-fly Bombilius major without causing it to fly. The photo shows its furry body but you have to look more closely to see the long proboscis, purely used for accessing nectar.

These ought to be one of the species of cluster fly but I suspect they are one of the Lucilia species of greenbottle.

Plane of the day. This is a Piper PA-28R-201T Turbo Arrow III, the 'R' indicating a retractable under-carriage. It is owned by a company with a registered address at Ford Heath, Shrewsbury though the aircraft flies out of Hawarden Airport (Chester). Today it was on a day-trip to Elstree Aerodrome near Watford in North London.

(Ed Wilson)

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In the Priorslee Avenue tunnel:

- *1 cranefly Limonia nubeculosa
- *1 cranefly Tipula oleracea
- 1 owl midge Psychodidae sp.

Almost in the tunnel was this pair of Mallard.

 The duck really is a most attractively-marked bird.

Not all craneflies are created equal and losing a leg does not help. This is the cranefly Limonia nubeculosa, a Spring-flying species.

While this is the cranefly Tipula oleracea which may be seen anytime until late Autumn.

(Ed Wilson)

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The Flash: 06:30 – 07:10

(70th visit of the year)

New Bird Species
An addition to my 2024 bird list from this site was a Mistle Thrush heard singing from behind houses in Wordsworth Way. Species #59.

Bird notes:
- one Great Spotted Woodpecker was seen drumming with *another shinning up a tree at the top end. Later a bird (the same?) was drumming and then calling loudly near The Priorslee.
- An unusual sight was a Willow Warbler, a Chiffchaff and a Blackcap all singing from the same bush though they all moved on almost immediately.

Bird(s) noted flying over here:

None

Warblers noted (the figure in brackets relates to birds heard singing):
- *2 (2) Willow Warblers
- 10 (9) Chiffchaffs
- *6 (6) Blackcaps

Noted on / around the water:
- 21 Canada Geese
- 4 Greylag Geese: of these one with....
- 1 mainly white feral goose
- 2 + 4 Mute Swans
- 20 (17♂) Mallard
- 1 (1♂) all-white feral duck
- 28 (20♂) Tufted Duck
- 7 Moorhens
- 33 Coots
- 1 Great Crested Grebe

Elsewhere.

Nothing of note

Very misty here. I thought this size-comparison between a Collared Dove (on the left) and a Wood Pigeon was instructive.

Another fog special. A female Great Spotted Woodpecker shinning up a trunk. A female because she lacks the red on the nape. And because she was with a drumming bird and only males drum.

This warbler caused me to pause. It was dipping its tail as it moved, albeit deliberately, through the vegetation. It also shows an indistinct pale eyebrow (supercilium). These features suggest a Chiffchaff. Yet it was singing like a Willow Warbler. Features supporting it being a Willow Warbler are the orangey legs, the horn-coloured lower mandible and the relatively long wings. Willow Warblers winter in sub-Saharan Africa and need longer wings to propel them here than Chiffchaffs which mostly winter in the Mediterranean basin.

Slightly less foggy: a male Blackcap.

(Ed Wilson)

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Sightings from previous years

2014
Priorslee Lake
1 Little Grebe
4 Great Crested Grebes
3 Cormorants
1 Grey Heron
19 Tufted Duck
4 Meadow Pipits
1 Redwing
1 Blackcap
7 Chiffchaffs
197 Jackdaws
(Ed Wilson)

The Flash
2 Great Crested Grebes
1 Cackling Goose
2 Common Teal
42 Tufted Ducks
3 Chiffchaffs
(Ed Wilson)

2013
Horsehay Pool
Mandarin Ducks
(JW Reeves)

2012
Priorslee Lake
4 Great Crested Grebes
15 Tufted Duck
1 Peregrine Falcon
3 Blackcaps
12 Chiffchaffs
(Ed Wilson, John Isherwood )

The Flash
46 Tufted Duck
3 Blackcaps
4 Chiffchaffs
(Ed Wilson)

Nedge Hill
Raven
(John Isherwood)

2006
Priorslee Lake
7 Chiffchaff
1 Willow Warbler
1 Swallow
14 Tufted Duck
2 Ruddy Duck
1 Sparrowhawk
5 Great Crested Grebe
1 Little Grebe
1 Grey Heron
20 Redwing
4 Siskins
2 Linnet
9 Greenfinch
4 Reed Bunting
10 Meadow Pipit
1 Willow Tit
(Martin R Adlam)

29 Mar 24

Priorslee Balancing Lake and The Flash

3.0°C > 11.0°C: Another mixed morning. Broken medium cloud early. Very low cloud and drizzle after 06:30. Began to lift and break after 08:30 with latterly some sunny spells. Light south-easterly wind. Very good visibility but poor in drizzle.

Sunrise: 05:50 GMT

Priorslee Balancing Lake: 04:50 – 06:25 // 07:15 – 10:00

(67th visit of the year)

Between Christmas and the New Year I filled in a council report form about a failed street lamp along the West end path. On Wednesday a replacement lamp pole was fitted. The only problem is that it wasn't the one that had failed. It is possible that I quoted the wrong lamp serial number when I reported it (the serial number was not included in the council's acknowledgment email). It still means that whoever replaced the pole failed to check whether it was working!

Bird notes:
- a pair of Gadwall again.
- one pair of Great Crested Grebes was seen mating: not something I can recall seeing before. They were almost inside the reeds and the male (I presume) was on the female's back, standing vertically with his bill straight up – in a moment's panic I thought I was looking at a Bittern!
- were there really 22 singing Chiffchaffs? There did seem to be. A record count for me. Also five calling birds that did not seem to be songsters having a quiet moment.

Counts of birds noted flying over:
- 12 Canada Geese: three pairs and a quartet outbound; pair inbound
- 2 Greylag Geese: pair outbound
- 21 Wood Pigeons
- 1 Collared Dove
- 6 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
- 3 Cormorants: together
- 6 Jackdaws
- 1 Rook

Hirundines etc. noted:

None

Warblers noted (the figure in brackets relates to birds heard singing):
- 1 (1) Cetti's Warbler
- 1 (1) Willow Warbler
- *27 (22) Chiffchaffs: seems improbable!
- *4 (4) Blackcaps

Counts from the lake area:
- 4 Canada Geese: pair throughout; another pair briefly
- 2 Mute Swans
- 2 (1) Gadwall: seen asleep on the south-west grass after 08:30 but not previously
- 3 (3♂) Mallard: also 2 (2♂) on the lower pool toward The Flash
- 38 (28♂) Tufted Duck
- 7 Moorhens
- 35 Coots
- 3 Great Crested Grebes
- 2 Cormorants: arrived separately
- 1 Grey Heron: arrived 05:15; not seen after 06:00

Noted on the street lamps poles pre-dawn:

Flies:
- *1 midge sp.

Springtails:
- 1 springtail Orchesella cincta
- 4 springtails Tomocerus type

Noted later:

Bees etc.:
- *Honey Bee Apis mellifera

Hoverflies:
- *Tapered Dronefly Eristalis pertinax

Other flies:
- *many 'greenbottles'
- *unidentified Muscid fly
- *Root-maggot fly Botanophila fugax

Beetles:
- 7 Spot Ladybird Coccinella 7-punctata

*Also a PS from Wednesday. I now think that the larva I thought be from the Light Emerald moth Campaea margaritaria is more likely to be a 'leather jacket' - the larva of a Tipula cranefly.

Pre-dawn looked promising. Within the hour there was low cloud and drizzle.

A Chiffchaff caught at a strange angle on a bad-feather day. The point here is that you should not believe bird guides that tell you Chiffchaff legs are black. Most are: but it is not a completely reliable feature.

A male Blackcap. My best – so far.

A very unusual Wren. It has both its mouth closed and its tail lowered.

Again.

A Honey Bee Apis mellifera. For some reason the long antennae that distinguish bees from hoverflies are not evident in this view.

'Two for the price of one': a Tapered Dronefly Eristalis pertinax with one of the many species of 'greenbottles'.

Here is the dronefly again. It is a female (the eyes do not meet) so it is not especially 'tapered'. It can be separated from Common Dronefly E. tenax by the extensively pale legs. I do wish they would not sun themselves on the shiny Cherry Laurel leaves: it makes them hard to photograph.

An unusual midge. The antennae are not really 'plumed' as they would be for a male of most species. Yet most females have vestigial plumes.

What I believe to be a Muscid fly. Not identified to species.

A combination of the Obsidentify app. and the Naturespot web site gives the identity of this as a Root-maggot fly Botanophila fugax.

From Wednesday the larva that I thought at the time might of a the Light Emerald moth Campaea margaritaria but which I now believe to be a 'leather jacket' - the larva of a Tipula cranefly.

(Ed Wilson)

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In the Priorslee Avenue tunnel:

- 1 cranefly Dicranomyia chorea.

(Ed Wilson)

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The Flash: 06:30 – 07:10

(69th visit of the year)

Bird notes:
- the four immature Mute Swans went for their traditional daily flight around. However today they made at least five circuits and gained enough height to fly over all the trees around the water.
- both Willow Warblers seemed to be passing through, moving northward through the vegetation.

Bird(s) noted flying over here:

None

Warblers noted (the figure in brackets relates to birds heard singing):
- 2 (2) Willow Warblers
- 7 (7) Chiffchaffs
- 7 (7) Blackcaps

Noted on / around the water:
- 18 Canada Geese: of these three pairs flew in
- 7 Greylag Geese: of these a pair flew off
- 2 + 4 Mute Swans
- 20 (17♂) Mallard
- 1 (1♂) all-white feral duck
- 34 (20♂) Tufted Duck
- 3 Moorhens
- 31 Coots
- 1 Great Crested Grebe

Elsewhere.

Nothing of note 

(Ed Wilson)

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Sightings from previous years

2014
Priorslee Lake
2 Little Grebes
3 Great Crested Grebes
4 Cormorants
1 Grey Heron
31 Tufted Duck
3 Redwings
5 Sand Martins
7 Chiffchaffs
1 Willow Warbler
(Ed Wilson)

The Flash
2 Great Crested Grebes
1 Cackling Goose
2 Common Teal
49 Tufted Ducks
3 Great Spotted Woodpeckers
4 Chiffchaffs
(Ed Wilson)

Trench Lock Pool
3 Great Crested Grebes
17 Tufted Ducks
1 Blackcap
2 Chiffchaffs
(Ed Wilson)

Trench Middle Pool
3 Tufted Duck
3 Chiffchaffs
(Ed Wilson)

2013
Priorslee Lake
2 Gadwall
7 Wigeon
Iceland Gull
(John Isherwood and et al)

The Flash
1 Shoveler
2 Pochard
(John Isherwood)

Horsehay Pool
2 Mandarin Ducks
(Paul Spear)

2012
Priorslee Lake
3 Great Crested Grebes
16 Tufted Duck
2 Blackcaps
12 Chiffchaffs
(Ed Wilson)

The Flash
4 Great Crested Grebes
47 Tufted Duck
1 Blackcap
5 Chiffchaffs
(Ed Wilson)

Nedge Hill
2 Red-legged Partridges
(Ed Wilson)

2008
Priorslee Lake
Oystercatcher
Blackcap
5 Chiffchaffs
Sand Martins
7 Gadwall
(Ed Wilson, John Isherwood)

Nedge Hill
2 Wheatear
6 Skylarks
1 Fieldfare
3 Redwings
Lapwing
Green Woodpecker
14 Linnets.
(Ed Wilson)

2006
Priorslee Lake
Barn Owl
25 Sand Martins
3 Chiffchaffs
1 Willow Warbler
47 Redwings
4 Meadow Pipits
12 Tufted Duck
4 Jays
433 Wood Pigeons
(Ed Wilson)