5 Apr 25

Priorslee Balancing Lake and The Flash

4.0°C > 9.0°C: Early low cloud tending to lift and break all the while. A moderate north-easterly breeze. Good visibility becoming very good as cloud lifted.

Sunrise: 06:35 BST

* = a species photographed today.

Priorslee Balancing Lake: 05:45 – 06:50 // 07:40 – 09:55

(83rd visit of the year)

Bird notes
Two new birds for my 2025 lake list:
- a Skylark was heard singing from across Castle Farm Way. Yesterday in Woodhouse Lane I noted that I ought to have been able to hear the one I saw there from the dam top area. It would be tempting to suggest that with less traffic at weekends then it was therefore easier to hear today. Except that with Castle Farm Way being the diversion route for the closed eastbound M54 there was more traffic!
- while it was still mostly overcast a swirling group of c.50 hirundines over the water and sometimes high overhead. Among them I noted my first two House Martins of the year.
My bird species total for this year moves on to #84
It seems I missed another species. While I was away at The Flash several of the fishermen heard a Green Woodpecker calling from the North side.

Other bird notes:
- a pair of Gadwall again.
- the duck Pochard present still.
- a single drake Tufted Duck noted.
- only seven Great Crested Grebes found.

Bird(s) noted flying over here:
- 6 Canada Geese: a pair outbound; a quartet inbound
- 2 Greylag Geese: a pair outbound
- 2 Mute Swans
- 1 Stock Dove
- 18 Wood Pigeons
- 8 Herring Gulls
- 3 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
- 7 Jackdaws
- 1 Rook

Counts from the lake area:
- 7 Canada Geese: of these four arrived, three of which departed
- 2 Mute Swans
- 2 (1♂) Gadwall
- 5 (4♂) Mallard
- 1 (0♂) Pochard
- 1 (1♂) Tufted Duck
- 7 Moorhens
- 30 Coots
- 7 Great Crested Grebes
- *1 Herring Gull
- 2 Cormorants: arrived separately
- 1 Grey Heron: departed 06:40

Hirundines etc. noted:
At least 50 with confirmed counts
- 15 Sand Martins
- 12 Barn Swallows
- 2 House Martins

Warblers recorded (the figure in brackets is birds noted singing):
- 1 (1) Cetti's Warbler
- *1 (1) Willow Warbler
- *23 (23) Chiffchaffs again
- 4 (7) 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

Nothing else noted

Noted later:

Bees, wasps etc.:
unidentified mining bee Andrena sp.
*Common Carder Bee Bombus pascuorum
Buff-tailed Bumblebee Bombus terrestris
Common Wasp Paravespula vulgaris

Hoverflies:
*Tapered Dronefly Eristalis pertinax

Flowers

No new flowers for the year:

An omission from yesterday:

Mammals:
1 Pipistrelle-type bat hunting between trees at the West end c.06:00

No colourful sunrise today It took several hours for the cloud to break up to any significant degree.

The only gull to appear at the lake this morning was this first year Herring Gull that came for a quick drink. This individual retains the all-dark bill shown during its first winter. Many will now show some pale at the base of the bill.

A few half-reasonable photos of the Willow Warbler.

This species is slightly more robust than Chiffchaff and often with a yellow wash (juveniles in Autumn can be bright yellow). They also have more of a distinct supercilium (eyebrow).

In flight..

...and again. The legs are pinkish rather than the usually black legs of Chiffchaff. Not a very useful field mark is that the wings are longer. This is presumed to be because this species is a sub-Saharan migrant whereas Chiffchaffs mostly winter in the Mediterranean Basin. It is also very unusual in moulting its flight feathers twice each year with fresh set of feathers to fly to Africa and another set to fly back.

Some cooperative Chiffchaffs today. Here is one. No supercilium and dark legs. Also no yellowish wash to the plumage.

#2. This does show a supercilium, less pronounced than on most Willow Warblers.

Giving us a 'song'?

#3 having a 'bad feather' day with the wind blowing in the wrong direction.

A very 'bad feather' day.

Not exactly pristine when it turns to face the wind. The black legs apparent again here.

Tail and wings spread. It was stretching rather than flying as its feet are still firmly anchored.

And #4. This shows a weak supercilium but...

...it disappears as it turns its head.

A Robin looking pensive.

A male Pied Wagtail. At this time of year all these wagtails need to be checked for the possibility of any being the Continental race / species (depending upon which taxonomy you follow) called White Wagtail. These have pale grey backs and clean white flanks – so no chance here.

Dandelions may be weeds to you but to a Common Carder Bee Bombus pascuorum...

...they are the nectar of the gods for breakfast, lunch and dinner (and remember weeds are only wild flowers in the wrong place).

Nectar for this male Tapered Dronefly Eristalis pertinax also.

Another male Tapered Dronefly sitting to show the pattern of pale and dark areas on the legs. On females, where the abdomen is not tapered, the leg pattern is the easiest(?) feature to separate this species from the Common Dronefly E. tenax.

(Ed Wilson)

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The Flash: 06:55 – 07:35

(80th visit of the year)

Bird notes:
- no duck Mallard seen!
- now three Great Crested Grebes.
- all the gulls arrived more or less together, circled low over the water and flew on.

Bird(s) noted flying over here:
- 1 Cormorant

Noted on / around the water:
- 36 Canada Geese
- 3 Greylag Geese
- 2 Mute Swans
- 10 (10♂) Mallard
- 1 (1♂) feral Mallard x?
- 13 (10♂) Tufted Duck
- 8 Moorhens
- 30 Coots
- 3 Great Crested Grebes
- 6 Herring Gulls: two adults and four immatures
- 2 Lesser Black-backed Gulls: two adults

Warblers recorded (the figure in brackets is birds noted singing):
- 6 (6) Chiffchaffs
- 1 (1) Blackcaps

Also noted:

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

(Ed Wilson)

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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)