4 Apr 24

Priorslee Balancing Lake and The Flash

7.0°C > 10.0°C: Very low cloud with light rain. Cloud lifted somewhat after 08:30, even brighter spells but still some occasional rain. Light south-easterly wind. Mostly moderate visibility.

Sunrise: 06:36 BST

Will it ever stop raining and start being sunny.

Priorslee Balancing Lake: 05:45 – 06:50 // 07:45 – 09:50

(74th visit of the year)

New Bird Species
A new species for my bird year list for here: a Meadow Pipit flew West overhead at 08:20. Species #79.

Other bird notes:
- I now know where the Canada Goose nest is and can confirm there is a currently resident pair.
- three Great Spotted Woodpeckers were seen chasing around and making a lot of noise.
- at least nine Starlings have returned to the estate area where they will probably breed.

Counts of birds noted flying over:
- 15 Canada Geese: five pairs and a trio outbound; pair inbound
- 2 Greylag Geese: pair outbound
- 6 Wood Pigeons
- 2 Jackdaws
- 1 Meadow Pipit

Hirundines etc. noted:

None

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

Counts from the lake area:
- 5 Canada Geese: one pair throughout; a single arrived and left of its own accord; a pair arrived and it took the cob Mute Swan to dislodge them.
- 2 Mute Swans
- 3 (2♂) Mallard feeding on the football field grass at 06:40: also 2 (2♂) on the upper pool
- 11 (7♂) Tufted Duck
- 5 Moorhens
- 35 Coots
- 4 Great Crested Grebes
- 2 Cormorants: arrived separately again
- 1 Grey Heron

Noted on the street lamps poles pre-dawn:

Flies:
- *1 male plumed midge
- *1 fungus gnat
- *1 cranefly Dicranomyia chorea
- *1 possible Muscid fly Helina abdominalis
- 1 Common Green Lacewing Chrysoperia carnea

Springtails:
- 1 springtail Tomocerus vulgaris
- *2 globular springtails

Beetles:
- 1 weevil sp.

Arthropods:
- 1 White-legged Snake Millipedes Tachypodoiulus niger

Other things
- *1 earthworm-type

Spiders:
- *3 Long-jawed Orb-web Spiders Tetragnatha sp.
- *1 unidentified spider

Noted later:

Flies:
- *Alder Fly Sialis lutaria

Beetles:
- Alder Leaf Beetle Agelastica alni

Arthropods:
- Two Toothed Door Snail Clausilia bidentata

Spiders:
- *Bridge Orb-web Spider Larinioides sclopetarius
- *Long-jawed Orb-web Spider Tetragnatha sp.

Plant:
- *first flower of Hedge Garlic Alliaria petiolata
- *possible Rough-stalked Feather-moss Brachythecium rutabulum

Fungus:
- *Common Jellyspot Dacrymyces stillatus

This is the Willow Warbler that seems to have established a territory here, singing from around the small copse in the south-west area for ten days. All other Willow Warblers have been one-day birds, presumably passing through.

Not a very distinct supercilium on this bird.

I am not sure it is a reliable feature to separate this species from Chiffchaff but to my eyes the pale crescents around the eye are less obvious here. This would not be a practical feature 'in the field' though.

Leaden skies do not allow good photos of male Blackcaps.

Told you. A different songster.

This Song Thrush was busy gathering food.

 Staring me down!

Perhaps my best photo of a male plumed midge?

A fungus gnat. No idea as to species: there are many.

Another photo of the cranefly Dicranomyia chorea. This is the species with the 'M' mark across the folded wings – except with this individual it is not very apparent.

Obsidentify's best suggestion for this fly was clearly wrong so it was back to the internet. My best suggestion is the Muscid fly Helina abdominalis.

 My first Alder Fly Sialis lutaria of the year here with a raindrop on its back. 15 April was my previous earliest date for this species. It, and the closely-related lacewings, are not 'flies' (Diptera) but of a more primitive family Neuroptera or 'nerve-winged', named from their complex wing venation. In shape it resembles the caddis flies, which are 'true flies'. Parallel evolution?

I found this Bridge Orb-web Spider Larinioides sclopetarius in the sailing club shelter.

A Long-jawed Orb-web Spider Tetragnatha sp. with breakfast. Note two globular springtails lurking.

Another without breakfast.

And another. This was one of at least six of this species and several other spiders in the sailing club shelter. I very rarely see any other insects in the shelter. The spiders seem happy so I assume they have devoured all the other insects before I get there.

A spider for which I cannot get an identity.

An earthworm perhaps? Eight feet up a street lamp pole?!

The first signs of Hedge Garlic (also known as Jack-by-the-Hedge) Alliaria petiolata coming in to flower.

On the small wall under the Teece Drive fence there is much moss. This example is possibly Rough-stalked Feather-moss Brachythecium rutabulum. It is a common species within the genus.

This Common Jellyspot fungus Dacrymyces stillatus was on the Teece Drive fence.

(Ed Wilson)

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In the Priorslee Avenue tunnel:

Flies:
- 2 male plumed midges

Arthropods:
- 1 White-legged Snake Millipedes Tachypodoiulus niger
- *1 Girdled Snail Hygromia cinctella

I found this Girdled Snail Hygromia cinctella in the Priorslee Avenue tunnel. It makes a change to find not only an occupied shell but an individual that is active.

(Ed Wilson)

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The Flash: 06:55 – 07:40

(76th visit of the year)

Bird notes:
- so: where were many of the Mallard today?
- there seemed to be too many Blackcaps singing today. I doubt they can all find a territory and that some will move on.
- a pair of Tree creepers seen The male heard in full song: a not often heard (perhaps recognised?) song.

Bird(s) noted flying over here:
- 3 Jackdaws
- 1 Lesser Redpoll

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

Noted on / around the water:
- 38 Canada Geese: of these 11 departed in four groups; and a pair arrived
- 4 Greylag Geese
- 2 + 4 Mute Swans
- 13 (10♂) Mallard
- no all-white feral duck seen
- 23 (14♂) Tufted Duck
- 4 Moorhens
- 28 Coots
- 1 Great Crested Grebe

Noted elsewhere:

Beetles:
- 1 Alder Leaf Beetle Agelastica alni on fencing

(Ed Wilson)

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Sightings from previous years

2014
Priorslee Lake
4 Great Crested Grebes
3 Cormorants
1 Grey Heron
3 Greylag Geese
5 Common Teal
4 Wigeon
31 Tufted Duck
1 Kittiwake
c.12 Sand Martins
2 Swallow
3 Blackcaps
6 Chiffchaffs
2 Willow Warblers
(Ed Wilson)

The Flash
2 Great Crested Grebes
1 Shoveler
43 Tufted Ducks
2 Blackcap
4 Chiffchaffs
(Ed Wilson)

Trench Lock Pool
4 Great Crested Grebes
23 Tufted Ducks
1 Chiffchaffs
(Ed Wilson)

Nedge Hill
Red-legged Partridge
4 Skylarks
6 Meadow Pipits
1 Blackcap
3 Chiffchaffs
1 Willow Warbler
1 Linnet
2 Yellowhammer
(Ed Wilson)

2013
Priorslee Lake
2 Little Grebes
5 Great Crested Grebe
2 Gadwall
13 Tufted Ducks
(Ed Wilson)

The Flash
Cackling Goose
(JW Reeves)

Leegomery
Woodcock
(JW Reeves)

Long Lane, Wellington
1 Redshank
(JW Reeves)

2012
Priorslee Lake
2 Swallows
20 Sand Martins
2 Meadow Pipits
(Martin Grant)

2009
Priorslee Lake
4 Shoveler
2 Sand Martin
(John Isherwood)

The Flash
2 Shoveler
1 Snipe
1 Willow Warbler

Nedge Hill
1 Wheatear
1 Blackcap
(John Isherwood)

2008
Nedge Hill
Whinchat
(Paul King)

2007
Priorslee Lake
1 Teal
(John Isherwood)

2006
Priorslee Lake
6 Great Crested Grebes
2 Herons
6 Tufted Ducks
2 Ruddy Ducks
318 Jackdaws
105 Wood Pigeons
1 Skylark
5 Meadow Pipits
22 Wrens
24 Robins
25 Blackbirds
58 Fieldfares
3 Willow Warblers
6 Chiffchaffs
2 Willow Tits
15 Greenfinches
1 Siskin
2 Redpolls
4 Reed Buntings
(Ed Wilson)