10.0°C > 14.0°C: Early mainly light rain showers. Cloud lifted after 07:30 with some sunny intervals. Fresh southerly wind. Mostly Very good visibility.
Sunrise: 06:34 BST
Priorslee Balancing Lake: 05:55 – 06:50 // 07:45 – 10:00
(75th visit of the year)
Bird notes:
Counts of birds noted flying over:
- 7 Canada Geese: three pairs and a single outbound
- 1 Greylag Goose: inbound
- 4 (3♂) Mallard
- 14 Wood Pigeons
- 1 Herring Gull
- 4 Jackdaws
- 2 Rooks
Hirundines etc. noted:
None
Warblers noted (the figure in brackets relates to birds heard singing):
- 1 (1) Cetti's Warbler
- 3 (3) Willow Warblers
- *19 (17) Chiffchaffs
- *13 (10) Blackcaps
Counts from the lake area:
- 7 Canada Geese: one pair throughout; two pairs and a single arrived with only one pair being successfully chased away.
- 2 Mute Swans
- 1 (1♂) Mallard: also 4 (4♂) on the upper pool
- 14 (10♂) Tufted Duck
- 5 Moorhens
- 34 Coots
- 4 Great Crested Grebes
- 2 Cormorants: arrived separately yet again
Noted on the street lamps poles pre-dawn:
Warblers noted (the figure in brackets relates to birds heard singing):
- 1 (1) Cetti's Warbler
- 3 (3) Willow Warblers
- *19 (17) Chiffchaffs
- *13 (10) Blackcaps
Counts from the lake area:
- 7 Canada Geese: one pair throughout; two pairs and a single arrived with only one pair being successfully chased away.
- 2 Mute Swans
- 1 (1♂) Mallard: also 4 (4♂) on the upper pool
- 14 (10♂) Tufted Duck
- 5 Moorhens
- 34 Coots
- 4 Great Crested Grebes
- 2 Cormorants: arrived separately yet again
Noted on the street lamps poles pre-dawn:
Wet and windy.
Flies:
- *1 Phaonia subventa or P. rufiventris
- *1 Phaonia subventa or P. rufiventris
Springtails:
- 1 springtail Tomocerus vulgaris
Noted later:
- 1 springtail Tomocerus vulgaris
Noted later:
Bees:
- Buff-tailed Bumblebee Bombus terrestris
- *possible Common Mini-miner Andrena minutula agg.
- Buff-tailed Bumblebee Bombus terrestris
- *possible Common Mini-miner Andrena minutula agg.
Hoverflies:
- *Tapered Dronefly Eristalis pertinax
- Common Dronefly Eristalis tenax
- *Chequered Hoverfly Melanostoma scalare
- Grey-spotted Boxer Platycheirus albimanus
- *Tapered Dronefly Eristalis pertinax
- Common Dronefly Eristalis tenax
- *Chequered Hoverfly Melanostoma scalare
- Grey-spotted Boxer Platycheirus albimanus
Bugs:
- *Hawthorn Shieldbug Acanthosoma haemorrhoidale
- *Hawthorn Shieldbug Acanthosoma haemorrhoidale
Beetles:
- at least 12 Alder Leaf Beetles Agelastica alni at various points
- *7 Spot Ladybird Coccinella 7-punctata
- *Harlequin Ladybird Harmonia axyridis var. succinea
- at least 12 Alder Leaf Beetles Agelastica alni at various points
- *7 Spot Ladybird Coccinella 7-punctata
- *Harlequin Ladybird Harmonia axyridis var. succinea
Arthropods:
- *Arion sp. slugs on the wall of the sailing club HQ.
- *possible Wrinkled Snails Candidula intersecta also on the wall of the sailing club HQ.
- *Arion sp. slugs on the wall of the sailing club HQ.
- *possible Wrinkled Snails Candidula intersecta also on the wall of the sailing club HQ.
A Jay in flight illustrating the rounded wings.
Making a noise of course and here showing the blue / black banding on the wings.
What a sweetie. A Chiffchaff.
Another Chiffchaff in song...
...and looking pensive.
"who me?"
A male Blackcap with a crane fly as its breakfast.
Another posing.
And another singing...
...and he is now looking pensive.
A male Tapered Dronefly Eristalis pertinax.
A side-elevation view of a female.
My first Chequered Hoverfly Melanostoma scalare of the year.
One of many similar-looking slugs on one wall of sailing club HQ. I have not been able to get an identity for any of them.
Another Hawthorn Shieldbug Acanthosoma haemorrhoidale on the Teece Drive fence.
A 7 Spot Ladybird Coccinella 7-punctata diving it to Cherry Laurel Prunus laurocerasus for food.
A Harlequin Ladybird Harmonia axyridis var. succinea.
Another.
(Ed Wilson)
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Arthropods:
- *2 Common Shiny Woodlouse Oniscus asellus
- *2 Common Shiny Woodlouse Oniscus asellus
One of several Common Shiny Woodlouse Oniscus asellus that were in the Priorslee Avenue tunnel.
(Ed Wilson)
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The Flash: 06:55 – 07:40
(77th visit of the year)
Bird notes:
- a duck Mallard with 10 ducklings. She was close to the all-white drake but I don't think he was the other parent as the ducklings looked just like Mallard ducklings always do.
- I saw my first female Blackcaps for here this year.
Bird(s) noted flying over here:
- 2 Black-headed Gulls
- 1 Cormorant
Warblers noted (the figure in brackets relates to birds heard singing):
- 5 (5) Willow Warblers
- 9 (8) Chiffchaffs
- 8 (5) Blackcaps
Noted on / around the water:
- 34 Canada Geese
- 4 Greylag Geese
- 2 + 4 Mute Swans
- *8 (5♂) + 10 (1 brood) Mallard
- *1 (1♂) all-white feral duck
- 19 (13♂) Tufted Duck
- 5 Moorhens
- 27 Coots
- no Great Crested Grebe
Noted elsewhere:
Flies:
- 1 plumed midge on a street lamp pole.
- 1 plumed midge on a street lamp pole.
The best I could do with the cuddly ducklings.
(Ed Wilson)
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Sightings from previous years
2014
Priorslee Lake
3 Cormorants
2 Grey Herons
9 Tufted Duck
4 Blackcaps
7 Chiffchaffs
1 Willow Warblers
131 Jackdaws
(Ed Wilson)
The Flash
1 Cackling Goose-type
37 Tufted Ducks
3 Blackcaps
4 Chiffchaffs
1 Willow Warbler
(Ed Wilson)
Trench Lock Pool
4 Great Crested Grebes
23 Tufted Ducks
3 Sand Martins
1 Chiffchaffs
(Ed Wilson)
2013
Priorslee Lake
2 Little Grebes
5 Great Crested Grebes
2 Gadwall
23 Tufted Ducks
2 Redwings
1 Fieldfare
3 Chiffchaffs
(Ed Wilson)
The Flash
3 Great Crested Grebes
48 Tufted Duck
2 Brambling
(Ed Wilson)
Nedge Hill
4 Lapwings
1 Stock Dove
3 Skylarks
8 Redwing
(Ed Wilson)
Horsehay Pool
Male Wheatear
(Glenn Bishton)
2011
Priorslee Lake
1 Goosander
(John Isherwood)
Nedge Hill
1 Ring Ouzel
60 Golden Plover
20 Yellowhammer
4 Wheatear
(John Isherwood, Andy Latham, John Isherwood, Ed Wilson)
2007
Priorslee lake
2 Great Crested Grebe
17 Tufted Duck
68 Lesser Black-backed Gull
1 Kingfisher
5 Meadow Pipit
1 Blackcap
6 Chiffchaff
3 Reed Bunting
(Martin Adlam)
2006
Priorslee Lake
6 Great Crested Grebe
5 Herons
7 Tufted Ducks
3 Lapwings
2 Ruddy Ducks
418 Jackdaws
27 Wrens
26 Blackbirds
47 Sand Martins
1 Swallow.
2 Fieldfares
1 Barn Owl
4 Meadow Pipits
2 Fieldfares
2 Blackcaps
6 Chiffchaffs
5 Willow Warblers
1 Willow Tit
9 Greenfinches
2 Siskins
7 Reed Bunting
(Ed Wilson, Martin Adlam)