15 Apr 25

Priorslee Balancing Lake and The Flash

8.0°C > 10.0°C: Cloudy, tending to brighten later. Almost calm. Good visibility.

Sunrise: 06:12 BST

* = a species photographed today.

Unusual is the apparent late and extended passage of Willow Warblers. At both sites one or two birds seem to be sticking around in the same place. It is some years since the species nested at either location, I think because the trees are now too tall – the species likes scrubby willows, especially on hill sides.

Fewer Blackcaps heard today. I assume the bumper number yesterday included birds passing through.

Priorslee Balancing Lake: 05:25 – 06:35 // 07:40 – 09:30

(92nd visit of the year)

No sign of any workers from the council cutting down vegetation alongside Teece Drive. One of the many "brambles" they cut down yesterday goes by the popular name of Buddleia or Butterfly Bush. Need I say more?

Highlight today was a singing Grasshopper Warbler in the reedy vegetation in the north-east area. I noted it as I passed by at both 05:50 and 08:05. The chances of seeing this arch-skulker are approximately equal to zero so I didn't bother to look. I have recorded this species here on passage in four of the last ten years with last year being a bumper year with at least three different birds noted. Further back in time a male sang throughout the breeding season but I was never able to determine whether there was a nest. This year's bird species total moves on to 88.5.

Bird notes:
- the pair of Gadwall seen briefly. Perhaps they are thinking of nesting and spend much of the time hidden at their chosen site.
- the duck Pochard still present.
- nine confirmed Great Crested Grebes.
- a single Common Sandpiper. I did not see it anywhere around the lake c.06:00 but it was present at 09:00 on the south-west grass.
- what I assume were the same group of 26 Herring Gulls appeared overhead at 05:55. They circled high twice and then departed to the West.
- a Common Buzzard was sitting on a street lamp pole in Teece Drive at 06:30.
- a Sedge Warbler was singing from reeds along the South side at 05:55 in the same place as I noted what was probably a different passage bird on 10 April. Later it, or another, was singing in the south-east scrubby area. No Reed Warbler was heard in this same area today.

Bird(s) noted flying over here:
- 9 Canada Geese: a pair and a trio outbound; two separate pairs inbound
- 1 Stock Dove
- 13 Wood Pigeons
- 26 Herring Gulls
- 2 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
- 2 Jackdaws
- 2 Rooks

Counts from the lake area:
- 9 Canada Geese: of these six arrived as three pairs
- 2 Mute Swans
- 8 (6♂) Mallard again
- 1 (0♂) Pochard
- 7 Moorhens
- 34 Coots
- *9 Great Crested Grebes
- 1 Common Sandpipers
- 3 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
- 1 Cormorant: arrived

Hirundines etc. noted:
- 4 Sand Martins
- 1 Barn Swallow
- *2 House Martins

Warblers recorded (the figure in brackets is birds noted singing):
- 1 (1) Cetti's Warbler
- 5 (4) Willow Warblers
- 17 (13) Chiffchaffs
- 1 (1) Sedge Warbler: perhaps two – see notes
- 3 (3) Reed Warblers
- 1 (1) Grasshopper Warbler
- 11 (10) Blackcaps

On the West end street lamp poles

Pre-dawn:

Flies:
*1 plumed midge Chironomus plumosus
*1 smaller probable gall midge species.

Spiders:
*1 Lace-weaver Spider Amaurobius sp.
*1 Long-jawed Orb-web Spider Tetragnatha sp.

Noted later:

Alder flies:
*Alder Fly Sialis lutaria

New flowers for the year:
*Lady's Smock / Cuckooplant / Milkmaid Cardamine pratensis

I am not sure how Great Crested Grebes manage to apparently stand up in the water – I guess because the feet are so far back that helps. Wing-flapping like this shows the extent of the white on the front, back and inner part of the wings.

A distant House Martin showing the white rump as it turns towards the camera.

A perky Dunnock. "Give us a song then".

Thank you. This species is also known as Hedge Sparrow. The "hedge" is correct as that is their favourite hiding place. "Sparrow" is not – our sparrows are related to the African weaver-bird family. This species is related to Accentors which mostly inhabit open steppe in Central Asia hence it is sometimes called Hedge Accentor.

I think the banded abdomen on this midge make it a plumed midge Chironomus plumosus – a female because the antennae are not 'plumed'.

A much smaller midge, also a female I suggest, with long antennae (hard to see). I suspect a species of gall midge. These are easier to identify from the galls on the food plant than the confusingly similar adults.

I am not entirely sure how they are managing but is seems we could have more Alder Flies Sialis lutaria next year. It does at least show that this species has two pairs of wings.

A species of spider that I can at least partially identify – a Lace-weaver Spider Amaurobius sp.

Another species of spider that I can partially identify – a Long-jawed Orb-web Spider Tetragnatha sp.

Perhaps I need to use my smart phone for photos of flowers in future. A not-very-good photo of just opening Lady's Smock / Cuckooplant / Milkmaid Cardamine pratensis.

(Ed Wilson)

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The Flash: 06:40 – 07:35

(90th visit of the year)

Bird notes:
- a Canada Goose was noted dead and floating in the water by the island. Is avian fly still around? Birds do of course die naturally. This bird not included in my count.
- the resident cob Mute Swan was vigorously chasing away two visiting sub-adults. I have assumed the pen is on the nest as she was not party to the dispute.
- probably three Great Crested Grebes seen again. Two were at the top end near the overhanging trees again. One was seen later near the island at which time I could not see the pair.

Bird(s) noted flying over here:
- 3 Herring Gulls: adult and two immatures
- 1 Lesser Black-backed Gull: adult
- 1 Sparrowhawk
- 4 Jackdaws

Noted on / around the water:
- 28 Canada Geese: of these a pair departed
- 2 Greylag Geese: departed singly
- *3 Mute Swans: only one resident confirmed; two visiting sub-adults chased away.
- 15 (11♂) Mallard
- 19 (15♂) Tufted Duck
- 9 Moorhens
- 27 Coots
- 3 Great Crested Grebes: see notes

Warblers recorded (the figure in brackets is birds noted singing):
- 6 (6) Willow Warblers again
- 9 (6) Chiffchaffs
- 3 (3) Blackcaps

Otherwise of note.
*1 Pike Esox lucius

The two visiting Mute Swans departing.

This I reckon is a cob with the larger swelling on at the base of his bill. The bill does not seem as 'bright' as a bird in breeding condition would be so it is perhaps a second or third year bird.

And this is what I assume is his mate – a pen. Also with a dull-coloured bill.

Not something I see too often: a Pike Esox lucius.

Taken from one of the footbridges the Pike seemed reluctant to swim out in to the main part of the water while I and several other folk were standing on the bridge. No photos on the web show any individuals with pale markings as shown here.

(Ed Wilson)

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2014
Priorslee Lake
3 Great Crested Grebes
3 Grey Herons
2 Greylag Geese over
9 Tufted Duck
1 Little Ringed Plover
2 Common Sandpipers
10 Blackcaps
6 Chiffchaffs
5 Willow Warbler
117 Jackdaws
(Ed Wilson)

The Flash
2 Great Crested Grebes
1 Cackling-type Goose
29 Tufted Ducks
3 Blackcap
4 Chiffchaffs
4 Willow Warbler
(Ed Wilson)

Trench Lock Pool
4 Great Crested Grebes
5 Tufted Ducks
4 Blackcaps
3 Chiffchaffs
7 Willow Warblers
(Ed Wilson)

Trench Middle Pool
3 Great Crested Grebes
8 Greylag Geese
13 Tufted Duck
3 Blackcaps
2 Chiffchaffs
(Ed Wilson)

Nedge Hill
4 Wheatear
Willow Warbler
Blackcap
(Ian Grant)

2013
Priorslee Lake
2 Great Crested Grebe
1 Buzzard
3 Chiffchaff
(Tony Beckett)

Long Lane, Wellington
10 Ringed Plover
5 Dunlin
(J W Reeves)

2012
Nedge Hill
2 Redstart
1 Wheatear
(Martin Grant)

2011
Priorslee Lake
Grey Wagtail
1 Common Sandpiper
5 Tufted Duck
1 Kingfisher
(Ed Wilson)

Nedge Hill
2 Wheatear
Common Redstart
11 Wheatear
(John Isherwood, Ed Wilson)

Telford Railway Station
11 Waxwings
(Colin Wright)

2007
Nedge Hill
1 Buzzard
4 Skylark
1 Fieldfare
3 Willow Warbler
2 Chiffchaff
3 Greenfinch
4 Linnet
(Martin Adlam)

Priorslee Village
Black-tailed Godwit
(Martin Adlam)

2006
Priorslee Lake
4 Great Crested Grebes
1 Heron
3 Greylag Geese
3 Tufted Ducks
2 Ruddy Duck
1 Water Rail
3 Common Sandpiper
1 Ringed Plover
12 Chiffchaff
7 Willow Warbler
6 Blackcaps
1 Sky Lark
2 Grey Wagtail
1 Willow Tit
4 Greenfinch
3 Linnet
5 Reed Bunting.
(Martin Adlam, John Isherwood)