19 Apr 24

Priorslee Balancing Lake and The Flash

9.0°C > 7.0°C: Cloudy with early light sprinkles. After 08:45 heavy drizzle and gusty westerly wind. Very good visibility but moderate at best in heaviest of the drizzle.

Sunrise: 06:02 BST

* = a species photographed today

The Willow Warblers at The Flash go on and on.

Priorslee Balancing Lake: 05:20 – 06:15 // 07:10 – 09:15

(85th visit of the year)

Bird notes:
- the first Willow Warbler to arrive here and sang for over two weeks has either moved on or found a partner and settled down to breed. I have heard no song from the area for the last two mornings.
- I think I will have to scrub yesterday's Grasshopper Warbler record. I heard the same noise today and was again unable to locate the source despite a more extensive investigation. My Merlin app. failed to 'hear' the species. As we approach the full dawn chorus at the start of May there are many overlapping sounds that can be confusing.

Counts of birds noted flying over:
- 2 Canada Geese: a pair flew outbound
- 5 Wood Pigeons
- 12 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
- 2 Jackdaws

Hirundines etc. noted:
- *10+ Sand Martins
- *4+ Barn Swallows
all during the heaviest drizzle

Warblers noted (the figure in brackets relates to birds heard singing):
- 1 (1) Cetti's Warbler
- 3 (3) Willow Warblers
- 13 (11) Chiffchaffs
- 15 (13) Blackcaps
- 2 (2) Common Whitethroats
'nominal' warbler:
- 1 (1) Goldcrest

Counts from the lake area:
- 2 Canada Geese: the resident pair throughout
- 2 Mute Swans
- 3 (3♂) Mallard
- 16 (10♂) Tufted Duck
- 2 Moorhens
- 19 Coots
- *3 Great Crested Grebes
- *1 Common Sandpiper
- 2 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
- 1 Cormorant: arrived
- 1 Grey Heron

Noted on the street lamps poles pre-dawn:

Damp.

Hoverflies:
- *1 Gossamer Hoverfly or Common Dainty Baccha elongata

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

Also at this time:
- 1 pipistrelle-type bat. My first this year (overnight fishermen reported seeing as many as eight last week end)

Noted later in wet conditions:

Flies:
- *possible dance fly sp.

Beetles:
- Alder Leaf Beetle Agelastica alni

Another Great Crested Grebe depleting the population of the lake's Perch Perca fluviatilis.

Going...

...going...

...(almost) gone. While a Barn Swallow passes by. Turns out it was my best photo of Barn Swallow this morning.

Some of the Tufted Duck were rather jumpy this morning. Here three drakes and a duck take to air.

A drake ahead of a duck.

Two drakes.

Five drakes and a duck. Seems a bit unfair.

I didn't manage to get any closer to today's Common Sandpiper.

A rufous-looking Common Buzzard flying across the lake.

One of the two Lesser Black-backed Gulls that dropped in while it was raining. This is a smart adult in Summer plumage.

I took very many photos of the Sand Martins hawking insects during the rain. This is one of the better results. An obvious brown tone to the plumage.

Note the pale collar and the dark breast band. These features are, in practice, hard to see in practice – or at least they are to my eyes.

As it manoeuvres the wings take on a more paddle-shape.

 Perhaps my best. A short fork in the tail when it is spread while manoeuvring.

This is a male Pied Wagtail. Note that compared with Wednesday's White Wagtail the back is jet black and the flanks are darker grey.

A trio of Goldfinches in the wet grass feeding on the flower heads of Dandelion Taraxacum sp.

A closer view of one of the Goldfinches.

For some reason this hoverfly – Gossamer Hoverfly or Common Dainty Baccha elongata – seemed to be fast asleep on a street lamp pole pre-dawn. I guess they have to sleep somewhere but a street lamp pole?

One of several tiny flies that I have recently seen on the boxing ring handrails. Difficult to photograph as they are small and move around at speed. I think they are a species of dance fly. I'll try again.

Today's White-legged Snake Millipede Tachypodoiulus niger.

(Ed Wilson)

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In the Priorslee Avenue tunnel:

Nothing noted

(Ed Wilson)

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Between the Balancing Lake and The Flash:

Flies:
- 1 female plumed midge Chironomus plumosus

(Ed Wilson)

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The Flash: 06:20 – 07:05

(87th visit of the year)

Bird notes:
- a drake Tufted Duck was noted, apparently dead, entangled in fishing line.

Bird(s) noted flying over here:

None

Warblers noted (the figure in brackets relates to birds heard singing):
- 15 (15) Willow Warblers
- 5 (5) Chiffchaffs
- 9 (7) Blackcaps
'nominal' warbler:
- 2 (2) Goldcrests

Noted on / around the water:
- 29 Canada Geese
- 4 Greylag Geese
- 2 + 4 Mute Swans
- 15 (13♂) Mallard
- 16 (11♂) Tufted Duck
- 6 Moorhens
- *21 + 1 juvenile Coots
- 1 Great Crested Grebe
- 1 Lesser Black-backed Gull: departed

Noted elsewhere around The Flash:

Flies:
- 2 female plumed midges Chironomus plumosus
- *1 perhaps Lauxania cylindriconis

Beetles:
- 2 Alder Leaf Beetle Agelastica alni on street lamp poles

Flowers:
I may have confused you (and myself) about the Bluebells yesterday. When I wrote the text I assumed they were a form of our native Bluebell and reported the scientific name of Hyacinthoides non-scripta. Only when I looked at the photo and investigated further on line did I realise they were a form of Spanish Bluebell H. hispanica. I forgot at amend the text. Apologies.

A juvenile Coot looks out on the big wide world.

At the time I thought this was a drake Tufted Duck caught in fishing line and was sad. Looking at the photo I realise it is in fact a Magpie. Am I right to be less sad?

I found this very small fly on a notice attached to a street lamp pole. For a fly it has long and thick antennae, albeit the thickness is enhanced by shadows. Perhaps Lauxania cylindriconis though the abdomen looks the wrong shape.

(Ed Wilson)

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Sightings from previous years

2013
Priorslee Lake
1 Kittiwake
1 Sedge Warbler
3 Little Ringed Plover
4 Common Sandpiper
2 Blackcap
Sand Martin
Swallow
(John Isherwood)

East Priorslee
2 Wheatear
(John Isherwood)

Nedge Hill
1 Whinchat
7 Redstart
57 Wheatear
Fieldfare
Meadow Pipit
Siskin
Lesser Whitethroat
(Mick Wall, John Isherwood)

Redhill Lane
10+ Wheatear
4 Yellowhammer
(Mick Wall)

2012
The Wrekin
2 Ring Ouzel
(Observer Unknown)

2011
Priorslee Lake
1 Common Sandpiper
(John Isherwood)

Nedge Hill
1 Grasshopper Warbler
26 Wheatear
(John Isherwood)

2010
Priorslee Lake
1 Swift
2 House Martin
2 Swallow
150 Sand Martin
7 Blackcap singing
1 Common Sandpiper
(Martin and Ian Grant)

2007
Priorslee Lake
1 Pintail x Mallard
1 Kestrel
Tawny Owl
1 Common Sandpiper
20 Swallow
20 Sand Martins
2 Blackcap
1 Garden Warbler
3 Chiffchaff
4 Reed Bunting
(Martin Grant, Martin Adlam, Ed Wilson)

Nedge Hill
2 Wheatear
(Martin Grant)

The Flash
Common Sandpiper
(Ed Wilson)

2006
Priorslee Lake
6 Great Crested Grebes
3 Ruddy Duck
1 Common Sandpiper
1 Buzzard
1 Kestrel
12 Sand Martins
8 Swallows
4 House Martins.
2 Stock Doves
1 Skylark
30 Wrens
18 Robins
26 Blackbirds
6 Blackcaps
11 Chiffchaffs
12 Willow Warblers
1 Willow Tit
5 Greenfinches
3 Reed Buntings
(Ed Wilson)