4 Apr 25

Priorslee Balancing Lake and Woodhouse Lane area

The Flash: no visit

8.0°C > 12.0°C: Fine though hazy and periods with high cloud, especially to the South. A light / moderate north-easterly breeze. Good visibility.

Sunrise: 06:37 BST

* = a species photographed today.

Priorslee Balancing Lake: 05:45 – 08:10 // 08:55 – 09:55

(81st visit of the year)

Bird notes:
- another pair of adult Mute Swans flew in and were chased away. Later two other birds, an adult and a first year, flew West.
- no Gadwall seen.
- the duck Pochard was seen bathing and then wing flapping. She was some distance away from me at the time but from what I could see the wings looked normal.
- a strange sighting of a Moorhen flushed out of the large Oak tree alongside the Belisha beacon in Teece Drive!
- just nine Great Crested Grebes.
- a few Sand Martins appeared and then disappeared and perhaps returned. A maximum of three seen at any one time.

Bird(s) noted flying over here:
- 6 Canada Geese: two pairs outbound; a pair inbound
- 2 Mute Swans
- 25 Wood Pigeons again
- 2 Herring Gulls
- 1 Lesser Black-backed Gull
- 1 Sparrowhawk yet again
- *1 Peregrine
- 33 Jackdaws
- 7 Rooks
- *1 Raven

Counts from the lake area:
- 9 Canada Geese: of these seven arrived
- 2 Greylag Geese: arrived and departed
- *4 Mute Swans: a visiting pair briefly
- no Gadwall
- 4 (3♂) Mallard
- 1 (0♂) Pochard
- 10 Moorhens
- 32 Coots
- 9 Great Crested Grebes
- 7 Herring Gulls
- *5 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
- 2 Cormorants: arrived separately
- 1 Grey Heron

Hirundines etc. noted:
- 3+ Sand Martins

Warblers recorded (the figure in brackets is birds noted singing):
- 1 (1) Cetti's Warbler
- no Willow Warbler
- 23 (23) Chiffchaffs
- 8 (7) Blackcaps

On the West end street lamp poles

Pre-dawn:
Most of the poles were exposed to the brisk wind so little seen.

Bees, wasps etc.:
*'black ant'

Flies:
plumed midges

Spiders:
*Amaurobius sp., probably A. fenestralis

Noted later:

Bees, wasps etc.:
*possible Chocolate Mining Bee Andrena scotica
Common Wasp Paravespula vulgaris

Hoverflies:
*Cheilosia sp.
Tapered Dronefly Eristalis pertinax

New flowers for the year:
*Wavy Bitter-cress Cardamine flexuosa
*probable species of Crane's-bill Geranium sp.
*Green Alkanet Pentaglottis sempervirens

A worthwhile sunrise today. The first signs of colour.

Progressing well. The patches of high cloud persisted most of the time I was present.

Maximum colour.

Another hazy sun rise.

And the long view.

A visiting pair of Mute Swans arrive and give me a view to confirm that neither has a ring.

The new resident cob in hot pursuit.

And the resident pen takes on the other visitor.

I think I need to duck!

"I told you I could walk on water".

"And I can go water-skiing".

"If I flap hard I can stand on water"

You don't find many illustrations of Lesser Black-backed Gulls that look like this. The wings suggest it is a first summer bird but that should have a complete tail band whereas on this bird the central tail feathers are adult. I suspect an unusual variant of a second summer bird.

No detail possible on this Peregrine flying over c.06:45. It looks to be carrying prey but I cannot make out what that might be.

Vide yesterday's Carrion Crow and not-a-Raven: here is a Raven. A very large bill and a large tail.

A cooperative Mining Bee Andrena sp. that not only allowed me to get very close but also...

...to allow me to put in shadow for extra detail to be seen. My best suggestion is for it to be a Chocolate Mining Bee Andrena scotica.

The hoverfly on the dandelion is one of the mostly very difficult to identify species in the genus Cheilosia.

On a plastic tie that has been on a street lamp pole for many years I noted this black ant. No idea as to species.

This spider is one of the Amaurobius species, and on habitat is probably A. fenestralis. Separation from other members of the family is not possible from photos.

This seems to be Wavy Bitter-cress Cardamine flexuosa. There is a similar species, Hairy Bitter-cress C. hirsuta that, perversely, seems not to have hairs on the stem. Don't ask.

Without falling in the Wesley Brook I could not get a better photo of this flower I suspect it is a species of Crane's-bill Geranium sp. I will try again if I remember!

On safe (safer?) ground with this flower: Green Alkanet Pentaglottis sempervirens.

(Ed Wilson)

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The Flash:

No visit

(Ed Wilson)

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Woodhouse Lane: 08:10 – 08:55

(2nd visit of the year)

Nothing too startling but a better visit than my first attempt:

The usual suspects of Wood Pigeon, Magpie, Blue Tit, Great Tit, Blackbird, Wren, Robin and Dunnock.

No obvious migrants. Worth noting:

Birds:
- just one Pheasant heard calling (none on my last visit).
- 4 (3) Mallard in one of the muddy storm overflow pools.
- 3 Stock Doves.
- *2 Skylarks singing very intermittently. One of these ought to have been audible from the lake area but I have not logged it from there as yet.
- 1 Jay
- no Willow Warblers, not even in the small willow scrub area.
- 5 Chiffchaffs: four singing.
- no Blackcaps.
- no wagtails on the output heaps from the composting site.
- 5 Chaffinches: two males.
-* c.15 Linnets in a small group.
- no Goldfinches
- *4 Yellowhammers: none singing

The high cloud dimmed the sun to such and extent that there were no insects flying.

New flowers for the year:
-* Greater Stitchwort Stellaria holostea

The first of a selection of rather poor photos. This a singing Skylark.

One Linnet from a flock of about 15 flying around.

A male Yellowhammer high up in a tree.

Another doing its best to hide in the hedge.

Now why could the Yellowhammer not sit up straight like this Robin.

This is Greater Stitchwort Stellaria holostea. Five white petals each almost divided.

(Ed Wilson)

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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)

3 Apr 25

Priorslee Balancing Lake and The Flash

6.0°C > 8.0°C: Fine and clear though hazy. A brisk easterly breeze. Good visibility.

Sunrise: 06:39 BST

* = a species photographed today.

Priorslee Balancing Lake: 05:40 – 09:10

(80th visit of the year)

Bird notes:
- some Mute swan news courtesy of Martin Grant, keeper of the ring data (though ringing is no longer taking place in Shropshire). It was the resident cob (blue 7JNU) that was killed and the pen (blue 7JSS) that stayed around until Sunday. Of the newly established pair the pen (blue 7JUE) was born here in 2020. The cob is unringed and hence of unknown provenance.
- *the previous pen 7JSS returned today.
- a pair of Gadwall only.
- the duck Pochard still here and at the dam end for a change at first light.
- a "full house" of 12 Great Crested Grebes. There probably usually are: it is finding them that is the challenge.
- what I presume is the same Oystercatcher was on the south-west grass by 06:10 and then flew off high East calling at 08:00
- a single Barn Swallow was present briefly.

Bird(s) noted flying over here:
- 2 Canada Geese: a pair outbound
- 2 Greylag Geese: a pair outbound
- 27 Wood Pigeons again
- 1 Herring Gull
- 4 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
- 1 Sparrowhawk again
- 56 Jackdaws
- 6 Rooks

Counts from the lake area:
- 6 Canada Geese: of these fine arrived
- *3 Mute Swans: see notes
- 2 (1♂) Gadwall
- 7 (5♂) Mallard
- 1 (0♂) Pochard
- 5 Moorhens
- 36 Coots
- *12 Great Crested Grebes
- *1 Oystercatcher: see notes
- 2 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
- 1 Cormorant: arrived
- 1 Grey Heron

Hirundines etc. noted:
- 1 Barn Swallow

Warblers recorded (the figure in brackets is birds noted singing):
- 1 (1) Cetti's Warbler
- no Willow Warbler
- 20 (20) Chiffchaffs
- *6 (6) Blackcaps

On the West end street lamp poles

Pre-dawn:

Most of the poles were exposed to the brisk wind so little seen.

Lacewings:
*1 Common Green Lacewing Chrysoperia carnea

Noted later:

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

Hoverflies:
Tapered Dronefly Eristalis pertinax

Sunrise through the haze. For some reason the camera does not render contrasting and bright objects the correct colour.

Changing the setting on the camera now gives the correct colour to the sun but none of the foreground is visible.

The new pair of Mute Swans were getting very friendly with synchronised head-dipping.

With tails raised this is a clear prelude to...

...mating...

...or apparently "drowning your partner".

Another Mute Swan arrives...

...and comes in to splash down with the blue Darvic ring 7JSS just about readable. So this is the erstwhile resident pen (and mother to the pen in the current pair).

A Great Crested Grebe has caught a fish.

Not a species of fish I can identify. Over to you Martin?

The task is, without hands, to manoeuvre the fish so that it goes down head-first and thus no spines get stuck on the way down.

Often putting the fish back in the water and allowing it to wriggle in to the desired orientation,

This must have been about right as the next shot had the grebe turned away and the fish gone!

The Oystercatcher on the south-west grass around dawn alongside a Moorhen and with a Coot dancing past.

And now flying off...

 ...noisily.

A male Blackcap against the light sky.

Give us a song then.

Another male Blackcap doing what they like doing – hiding behind leaves and twigs.

False alarm. A corvid with a large bill and well-fingered primary feathers. So a Raven? Nope: just a Carrion Crow flying strongly to open its wing-feathers. A Raven would show a larger and diamond-shaped tail as well as an even larger bill.

A Common Green Lacewing Chrysoperia carnea. This individual has now turned back green after over-wintering as a brown-bodied insect for greater camouflage amongst the leaf-litter.

(Ed Wilson)

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The Flash: 09:15 – 10:00

(79th visit of the year)

With on-going limb-removal on some of the trees my heart was not really in it. I annoyed the council workers by walking through the taped off area on the grounds that they were not displaying a footpath closure notice (the OpenReach team working very briefly in Derwent Drive erected full signage). We had another robust discussion. All rather pointless as the workers are doing what they have been told to do.

Bird notes:
- Martin Grant provided some more information on one of the Mute Swans here. The bird with the green Darvic ring CF59 is the pen that was paired with yellow 52F from 2018 until he died (naturally) in 2022. Her new partner was the cob that was shot a few weeks ago. I was pleased to get confirmation that CF59 is a pen as I saw her paddling around the water two days ago with the other (unringed) bird sitting on the island at what I assume is the nest site. Would a cob do this? I suppose he must!
- what a surprise: a Great Crested Grebe!

Bird(s) noted flying over here:

None

Noted on / around the water:
- 25 Canada Geese
- 4 Greylag Geese
- 2 Mute Swans
- 11 (9♂) Mallard
- 11 (7♂) Tufted Duck
- 4 Moorhens
- 24 Coots
- 1 Great Crested Grebe

Warblers recorded (the figure in brackets is birds noted singing):
- 7 (7) Chiffchaffs
- no Blackcaps

Also noted:

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

Hoverflies:
Tapered Dronefly Eristalis pertinax

Other flies:
*Dark-edged Bee-fly Bombilius major

I was not very motivated here this morning. The only photos I took were of this Dark-edged Bee-fly Bombilius major

(Ed Wilson)

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2014
Priorslee Lake
4 Great Crested Grebes
3 Cormorants
1 Grey Heron
2 Greylag Geese
9 Tufted Duck
c.30 Sand Martins
1 Swallow
4 Blackcaps
5 Chiffchaffs
(Ed Wilson)

The Flash
2 Great Crested Grebes
3 Greylag Geese
2 Common Teal
53 Tufted Ducks
2 Blackcap
4 Chiffchaffs
(Ed Wilson)

Trench Lock Pool
4 Great Crested Grebes
23 Tufted Ducks
c.25 Sand Martins
2 Swallows
1 Blackcap
2 Chiffchaffs
1 Willow Warbler
(Ed Wilson)

2013
Priorslee Lake
1 Little Grebe
4 Great Crested Grebe
2 Gadwall
32 Tufted Ducks
75 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
41 Herring Gulls on the water.
(Ed Wilson)

Horsehay Pool
Hybrid Ring-billed x Lesser Black-backed Gull
(Martin Ryder)

2012
Priorslee Lake
4 Great Crested Grebes
2 Tufted Duck: both drakes this morning
7 Blackcaps
14 Chiffchaffs
1 Willow Warbler
(Ed Wilson)

Priorslee Flash
4 Great Crested Grebes
40 Tufted Duck
7 Blackcaps
4 Chiffchaffs
2 Willow Warblers
1 Reed Bunting
(Ed Wilson)

Trench Pool
5 Tufted Duck
2 Chiffchaffs
(Ed Wilson)

Nedge Hill
3 Wheatear
(John Isherwood)

Redhill
6 Tree Sparrow
(John Isherwood)

2011
Nedge Hill
Male Common Redstart
4 Wheatear
(Martin and Ian Grant)

2006
Priorslee Lake
1 Little Grebe
5 Great Crested Grebes
12 Tufted Ducks
2 Ruddy Ducks
2 Stock Doves
178 Wood Pigeons
1 Great Spotted Woodpecker
2 Skylarks
3 Meadow Pipits
168 Sand Martins
1 House Martin
28 Wrens
29 Blackbirds
3 Blackcap
4 Willow Warblers
6 Chiffchaffs
2 Willow Tits
8 Greenfinches
4 Siskins
5 Reed Buntings
(Ed Wilson, Martin Grant)
(Yvonne C)