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
*1 March Moth Alsophila aescularia
Flies:
none
Noted later:
none
Noted later:
Bees, wasps etc.:
*Tawny Mining Bee Andrena fulva
*Honey Bee Apis mellifera
Buff-tailed Bumblebee Bombus terrestris
Common Wasp Paravespula vulgaris
*Tawny Mining Bee Andrena fulva
*Honey Bee Apis mellifera
Buff-tailed Bumblebee Bombus terrestris
Common Wasp Paravespula vulgaris
Hoverflies:
*Tapered Dronefly Eristalis pertinax
*Tapered Dronefly Eristalis pertinax
Other flies:
*blow fly Calliphora sp.
*blow fly Calliphora sp.
New flowers for the year:
*Dog's Mercury Mercurialis perennis
*Cowslip Primula veris
An adult Cormorant with a 'bad hair' day, the brisk north-west wind raising the crest this species develops in its breeding season.
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).
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.
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...
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)
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:
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.
(Ed Wilson)
Between the Balancing Lake and The Flash:
*Dog's Mercury Mercurialis perennis
*Cowslip Primula veris
The sort-of sunrise with the clouds threatening to break but not delivering much sun.
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.
A slightly better photo of a Honey Bee Apis mellifera than I managed yesterday....
...before it flew off.
Another male.
...stretch them out.
A blow fly Calliphora sp., one of several species in various genera popularly called "bluebottles"
(Ed Wilson)
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
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
A male Blackcap sitting up straight.
(Ed Wilson)
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
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)
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)
- 2 (2♂) Mallard on the lower pool again
- 4 Moorhen: one pair on each pool
(Ed Wilson)
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
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)