1 Apr 25

Priorslee Balancing Lake and The Flash

4.0°C > 7.0°C: Fine and clear. After an almost calm start a chilly south-east breeze picked up. Very good visibility.

Sunrise: 06:43 BST

* = a species photographed today.

Priorslee Balancing Lake: 05:45 – 09:15

(79th visit of the year)

New for the year here were two Barn Swallows over the water briefly at 08:45. My latest date for three years for my first sighting. Bird species #82 here for me this year.

Bird notes:
- *on my first circuit I noted a pair of Gadwall. Later there was another drake.
- the duck Pochard still here: no Tufted Duck.
- ten Great Crested Grebes counted.
- a significant proportion of the Wood Pigeons flying over were very high as if migrating. But they were mainly singles or twos and not all going the same way so I never noticed in time to separate them from the usual more local movements.
- many more Jackdaws passing on roost dispersal mainly because of the clear skies to the East.
- a single Willow Warbler was heard singing from the Ricoh copse.
- *I noted three Blackcaps having a scrap: at least two of them were males. Whether two were disputing a female or the trio were attempting to sort out a territory was unclear.

Bird(s) noted flying over here:
- 13 Canada Geese: a duo, a trio and an octet outbound
- 2 Greylag Geese: pair inbound
- 56 Wood Pigeons
- 3 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
- 91 Jackdaws
- 12 Rooks

Counts from the lake area:
- 11 Canada Geese: all but four of these arrived
- 2 Greylag Geese: arrived and departed
- 2 Mute Swans
- *3 (2♂) Gadwall
- 6 (5♂) Mallard
- 1 (0♂) Pochard
- no Tufted Duck
- 6 Moorhens
- 35 Coots
- 10 Great Crested Grebes
- 1 Lesser Black-backed Gull
- 1 Cormorant: arrived
- 1 Grey Heron: arrived 06:25

Warblers recorded (the figure in brackets is birds noted singing):
- 1 (1) Cetti's Warbler
- 1 (1) Willow Warbler
- *24 (23) Chiffchaffs
- *7 (6) Blackcaps

On the West end street lamp poles

Pre-dawn:

Moths:
*1 March Moth Alsophila aescularia: on a different lamp
Nothing else on dew-covered poles

Noted later:
A few things despite the chilly east wind blowing on to the sunlit vegetation

Bees, wasps etc.:
*Tawny Mining Bee Andrena fulva
Buff-tailed Bumblebee Bombus terrestris

*Common Wasp Paravespula vulgaris

Hoverflies:
*Tapered Dronefly Eristalis pertinax

Mammals:
bat sp.: seen over the water c.06:00 and too large for a pipistrelle
*Brown Rat Rattus norvegicus: road casualty in Teece Drive

Flowers:
*probable Wavy Bittercress Cardamine flexuosa

 I was told "just one more tree to go". It is called "thinning" apparently. Pah!

Dawn just starting.

More colour later.

Very smart: the lone drake Gadwall.

Here is the duck Gadwall looking at me through one slitty eye.

She was one of a pair and here she is with her suitor. She now has the nictating membrane drawn across here eye. This a translucent third eyelid that can be used to protect the eye.

An aggressive-looking Chiffchaff.

A non-aggressive Chiffchaff.

"Give us a song". A pity about the twig in the way.

This is one of the three Blackcaps that were chasing around.

A different Blackcap.

Today's March Moth Alsophila aescularia seen among the detritus on a different street lamp pole to the previous two days. The same individual?

A female Tawny Mining Bee Andrena fulva. I think the adjacent hole in the leaf is coincidental.

A Common Wasp Paravespula vulgaris.

There were male Tapered Droneflies Eristalis pertinax everywhere. Here on Blackthorn Prunus spinosa blossom.

Here on a wooden fence along Teece Drive.

And here on a Cherry Laurel Prunus laurocerasus leaf.

This plant with tiny white flowers is growing in profusion on the dam top around the boxing ring. I think it is Wavy Bittercress Cardamine flexuosa. There are similar species which mostly flower later in the year.

Gruesome: a Brown Rat Rattus norvegicus, apparently a road casualty in Teece Drive

Plane of the day #1: Flying over at 45,000 feet is a Gulfstream Aerospace GVII-G600, marketed as a Gulfstream 600. Unless you can get a discount you need close on $58 million dollars to buy one new.

FlightRadar24 does not provide data for many of the executive jets (the owners want to keep their movements confidential) merely noting a "GA6C". This is the aircraft's identity from a different source. It is currently cavorting with the gnomes at Zurich having flown from the Chicago area. The registered owner in the US Federal Aviation Authority's database is a trust company so we will never know.

Plane of the day #2: this is a Boeing 747 Jumbo freighter. It was built in 2004 and has spent its entire career flying for Singapore Airlines Cargo division.

And the FlightRadar24 data for this flight. After four hours on the ground in Brussels it was next stop Mumbai.

(Ed Wilson)

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The Flash: 09:20 – 10:25

(77th visit of the year)

Bird notes:
- the Tufted Duck were almost all together at the top end and calling. Most of them took flight and departed. I could not see which direction they headed, Just four (three drakes) of the original 20 remained.
- a Great Crested Grebe still here! Two days running.
- just one singing Willow Warbler.

Bird(s) noted flying over here:
- 4 Jackdaws

Noted on / around the water:
- 22 Canada Geese
- 4 Greylag Geese
- 2 Mute Swans
- 14 (11♂) Mallard
- 1 (1♂) feral Mallard ['Aylesbury Duck']
- *20 (14♂) Tufted Duck
- 11 Moorhens
- 29 Coots
- 1 Herring Gull: second year
- 1 Lesser Black-backed Gull: near adult? seen only against the light and briefly

Warblers recorded (the figure in brackets is birds noted singing):
- no Willow Warbler
- 8 (8) Chiffchaffs
- 3 (3) Blackcaps

Noted later:

Bees, wasps etc.:
Buff-tailed Bumblebee Bombus terrestris
*Common Wasp Paravespula vulgaris

Hoverflies:
*Tapered Dronefly Eristalis pertinax

These two Tufted Ducks seemed to be behaving as a pair while many others were milling about and chasing. The duck, on the right, is unusual in showing no sign of even a vestigial 'tuft' on the hind crown. It is also unusual for the white in the wing to be visible at rest. I can't turn her in to a rare species though.

A Common Wasp Paravespula vulgaris coming to get you. This is of course the, relatively, harmless end.

Male Tapered Droneflies Eristalis pertinax were everywhere here too. This one on an Ivy Hedera helix leaf.

(Ed Wilson)

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2014
Priorslee Lake
1 Sand Martin
4 Great Crested Grebes
9 Tufted Duck
2 Blackcaps
6 Chiffchaffs
127 Jackdaws
(Ed Wilson)

The Flash
1 Sand Martin
2 Teal
45 Tufted Ducks
1 Blackcap
4 Chiffchaffs
(Ed Wilson)

Woodhouse Lane
1 Chiffchaff
2 Linnets
4 Yellowhammer
(Ed Wilson)

2013
Priorslee Lake
1 Kittiwake
5 Gadwall
7 Wigeon
Kestrel
Sparrowhawk
Willow Tit
(John Isherwood, Jim Almond, Arthur Harper)

Horsehay Pool
2 Mandarin Ducks
(Jim Almond)

2009
Priorslee Lake
3 Great Crested Grebe
8 Tufted Duck
3 Chiffchaff
(Ed Wilson)

Trench
2 Great Crested Grebe
2 Cormorant
32 Tufted Duck
2 Chiffchaff
(Ed Wilson)

Priorslee Flash
33 Tufted Duck
2 Chiffchaff
1 Willow Warbler

2007
The Flash
1 Shoveler
(John Isherwood)

2006
Priorslee Lake
7 Great Crested Grebes
9 Tufted Ducks
1 Ruddy Duck
184 Wood Pigeons
2 Stock Doves
1 House Martin
5 Sand Martins
1 Curlew
1 Great Spotted Woodpecker
1 Skylark
2 Meadow Pipits
25 Wrens
20 Robins
27 Blackbirds
1 Redwing
2 Willow Warblers
3 Chiffchaffs
1 Willow Tit
10 Greenfinches
2 Siskins
5 Reed Buntings
(Ed Wilson)

31 Mar 25

Priorslee Balancing Lake and The Flash

3.0°C > 10.0°C: Mostly clear overhead and to the East with just wisps of high cloud. More extensive medium-level cloud to the West. Almost calm. Very good visibility.

Sunrise: 06:46 BST

Back to twice around the lake and then to The Flash.

* = a species photographed today.

Priorslee Balancing Lake: 05:50 – 09:00

(78th visit of the year)

Bird notes:
- only the new pair of Mute Swans remain.
- the duck Pochard still here: also a lone Tufted Duck.
- eleven Great Crested Grebes counted.
- of course after noting yesterday that the Cetti's Warbler had been uncharacteristically subdued recently it was shouting its head-off today.

Bird(s) noted flying over here:
- 4 Canada Geese: quartet outbound
- 2 Greylag Geese: pair outbound
- 3 (2♂) Tufted Duck: together
- 38 Wood Pigeons
- 1 Black-headed Gull
- 2 Herring Gulls
- 5 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
- 35 Jackdaws
- 6 Rooks

Counts from the lake area:
- 5 Canada Geese
- 2 Mute Swans
- 7 (6♂) Mallard
- 1 (0♂) Pochard
- 1 (1♂) Tufted Duck
- 9 Moorhens
- 42 Coots
- 11 Great Crested Grebes
- no gulls
- no Cormorants
- 1 Grey Heron: flushed c.06:30 and not seen again

Warblers recorded (the figure in brackets is birds noted singing):
- 1 (1) Cetti's Warbler
- 22 (22) Chiffchaffs again
- 8 (8) Blackcaps

On the West end street lamp poles

Pre-dawn:

Moths:
1 March Moth Alsophila aescularia
On the same lamp pole as yesterday but in a very different position. Both days it has gone when I rechecked the poles later.
Nothing else on dew-covered poles

Noted later:
An earlier departure meant fewer insects around.

Bees, wasps etc.:
Buff-tailed Bumblebee Bombus terrestris

Hoverflies:
Tapered Dronefly Eristalis pertinax

Other flies:
cranefly, possibly Limonia nubeculosa

New flowers for the year:
Wood Anemone Anemone nemorosa

Early dawn.

Slightly later dawn.

Two Great Crested Grebes seem surprised.

I flushed this Common Buzzard then went and hid in a tree beside the M54. Two Jays decided it wasn't going to stay there and chased it out...

...and away.

You will be pleased to know that I did not photograph the other 21 singing Chiffchaffs.

A male Tapered Dronefly Eristalis pertinax rubbing its hands (wee, front legs) together.

On a wall I found this cranefly, possibly Limonia nubeculosa.

Must try harder with my generally rubbish flower photos. These are Wood Anemone Anemone nemorosa.

(Ed Wilson)

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The Flash: 09:05 – 10:10

(76th visit of the year)

Bird notes:
- a Great Crested Grebe back again!
- just one singing Willow Warbler.

Bird(s) noted flying over here:

None

Noted on / around the water:
- 33 Canada Geese
- 5 Greylag Geese
- 2 Mute Swans
- 22 (19♂) Mallard
- 17 (12♂) Tufted Duck
- 7 Moorhens
- 27 Coots

Warblers recorded (the figure in brackets is birds noted singing):
- 1 (1) Willow Warbler
- 8 (8) Chiffchaffs
- 3 (3) Blackcaps

Noted later:

Bees, wasps etc.:
Buff-tailed Bumblebee Bombus terrestris

Hoverflies:
Tapered Dronefly Eristalis pertinax

Spiders, harvestman etc.:
Long-jawed Orb-web Spider Tetragnatha sp.

I came across a trio of fighting Goldcrests with their crests erect showing red. The bundle of bird disappeared in to a bush and only this one emerged leaving the camera struggling to keep up.

Too many branches for the camera to 'lock-on' to the bird.

Perhaps the best of the bunch.

A Tapered Dronefly Eristalis pertinax. This is of course a species of hoverfly and here doing what it says on the tin.

My first Long-jawed Orb-web Spider Tetragnatha sp. of the year.

(Ed Wilson)

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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 25

Priorslee Balancing Lake and The Flash

8.0°C > 11.0°C: Broken cloud. Many patches of blue failed to deliver as much sun as they promised. Moderate, gusting fresh, north-westerly wind. Very good visibility.

Sunrise: 06:49 BST

All times now BST.

After today and for the next week or so it will be back to twice around the lake and then to The Flash so as to avoid getting tangled up with the school run.

* = a species photographed today.

Priorslee Balancing Lake: 06:00 – 07:25 // 08:35 – 10:00

(77th visit of the year)

More about the tree felling alongside Teece Drive. I was shown a post on the Priorslee Community Notice Board that reported the council were "clearing storm damage and removing over-mature crack willows infected with honey fungus...over or adjacent to what would be described as a high target area because of their proximity to the school".

Well now. If it is honey fungus then the advice from the Forestry Commission web site:

"..the most effective means of controlling the disease is to remove all sources of infection from the site.

This normally means removing infected stumps and plants though it is worth bearing in mind that other buried wood, fence posts for example, can sometimes harbour the disease. There is no simple way of removing stumps; methods which claim to burn, dissolve or rot them away are ineffective. Small stumps can be dug out by hand, but larger ones require the help of jacks, winches or excavators."

Alongside Teece Drive many of the large timbers remain laying around. It was also suggested that the trees would soon re-grow from the stumps. That does not square with the honey fungus claim. Perhaps the message has got somewhat garbled along the line?

Since none of the trees was in danger of falling on the paths or roadways I still do not understand why wholesale (any?) felling has been undertaken. Boys with toys?

It is perhaps pertinent to point out that at The Flash there is a large tree which is riddled with honey fungus adjacent to a footpath. The council have known about it for at least three years.

End of rant – for now.

Bird notes:
- four Mute Swans when I arrived: only the new pair remained later.
- a pair of Gadwall on my first pass only.
- the duck Pochard still here and happily diving with the small group of Tufted Duck.
- twelve Great Crested Grebes counted. I surrender.
- the Cetti's Warbler has been uncharacteristically subdued recently but one of this morning's outbursts was from the boundary hedge with the M54. The first time I have heard him that far from the water-side.
- after yesterday's scarcely credible count of 21 singing Chiffchaffs I was most careful not to double-count any today. And the answer? 22!
- no Redwings seen or heard.

Bird(s) noted flying over here:
- 4 Canada Geese: two pairs outbound
- 14 Wood Pigeons
- 5 Black-headed Gulls
- 4 Herring Gulls
- 15 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
- 1 Sparrowhawk
- 13 Jackdaws
- 2 Rooks

Counts from the lake area:
- 3 Canada Geese
- 4 Mute Swans: two of these departed: plus one long dead: see notes
- 2 (1♂) Gadwall: departed
- 8 (6♂) Mallard
- 1 (0♂) Pochard
- 4 (3♂) Tufted Duck
- 6 Moorhens
- 34 Coots
- 12 Great Crested Grebes
- 2 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
- *2 Cormorants: arrived separately

Warblers recorded (the figure in brackets is birds noted singing):
- 1 (1) Cetti's Warbler
- 22 (22) Chiffchaffs
- 4 (4) Blackcaps

On the West end street lamp poles

Pre-dawn:

Moths:
*1 March Moth Alsophila aescularia

Flies:
none

Noted later:

Bees, wasps etc.:
*Tawny Mining Bee Andrena fulva
*Honey Bee Apis mellifera
Buff-tailed Bumblebee Bombus terrestris
Common Wasp Paravespula vulgaris

Hoverflies:
*Tapered Dronefly Eristalis pertinax

Other flies:
*blow fly Calliphora sp.

New flowers for the year:
*Dog's Mercury Mercurialis perennis
*Cowslip Primula veris

The sort-of sunrise with the clouds threatening to break but not delivering much sun.

An adult Cormorant with a 'bad hair' day, the brisk north-west wind raising the crest this species develops in its breeding season.

A March Moth Alsophila aescularia on one of the street lamp poles pre-dawn. A common species though I do not see it every year and my last last record here was 27 March 2018. Like many "Winter" species only the male has fully-developed wings and can fly. A slow start to my 2025 moth logs, this being species #6.

Not all mining bees are hard to identify. I managed one over-zoomed shot to ensure the camera focussed on the bee and not the leaves with this result before the bee flew off not to be seen again. It is a female Tawny Mining Bee Andrena fulva (males are smaller and mainly black).

A slightly better photo of a Honey Bee Apis mellifera than I managed yesterday....

...before it flew off.

One of many Tapered Droneflies Eristalis pertinax sunbathing on the Ivy leaves. This is a male though the abdomen is not as tapered as many I have seen.

Another male.

Conversely this female Tapered Dronefly has a more tapered abdomen than I would expect. Here she is using her middle pair of legs to clear here wings and then...

...stretch them out.

A blow fly Calliphora sp., one of several species in various genera popularly called "bluebottles"

Tiny white flowers on an unobtrusive plant. It is Dog's Mercury Mercurialis perennis. Ten days later than my photo from 2022.

I checked two days ago and there was no sign of these Cowslips Primula veris. They are very late this year: in 2024 I photographed flowers on 24 February.

(Ed Wilson)

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The Flash: 07:30 – 08:30

(75th visit of the year)

Bird notes:
- I was told that the new pairing of Mute Swans was seen mating a few days ago.
- yesterday's Great Crested Grebe seemed to have gone once more!
- still two singing Willow Warblers in trees alongside the Priorslee Academy. I did not expect this as these days this species is a passage migrant here. Many years ago it bred at the top end but the trees are probably now too tall to meet this species' preference.
- one of the four Blackcaps noted was a non-singing male.

Bird(s) noted flying over here:
- 5 Jackdaw

Noted on / around the water:
- 35 Canada Geese
- 2 Greylag Geese
- 2 Mute Swans
- 19 (16♂) Mallard [yesterday's total should have read 18 (15♂) Mallard if you are keeping notes]
- no feral Mallard x?
- no all-white feral Mallard [’Aylesbury Duck’]
- 11 (7♂) Tufted Duck again
- 10 Moorhens
- 30 Coots

Warblers recorded (the figure in brackets is birds noted singing):
- *2 (2) Willow Warblers
- 8 (8) Chiffchaffs
- *4 (2) Blackcaps

Of note:

Nothing

You will have to take my word for it that this is a Willow Warbler. It is barely possible to see that it has a more-defined pale eyebrow than would a Chiffchaff. Luckily it was singing – and then flew off.

 A male Blackcap sitting up straight.

(Ed Wilson)

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Between the Balancing Lake and The Flash:

Of interest
- 2 (2♂) Mallard on the lower pool again
- 4 Moorhen: one pair on each pool

(Ed Wilson)

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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)