6 Apr 25

Priorslee Balancing Lake and The Flash

3.0°C > 9.0°C: Mostly clear and fine with a few patches of cloud for a while c.08:00. Just frosted. Almost calm start with mist over the water. A mainly light easterly breeze later. Good visibility becoming very good.

Sunrise: 06:32 BST

* = a species photographed today.

Priorslee Balancing Lake: 05:45 – 06:55 // 08:05 – 09:55

(84th visit of the year)

Bird notes:
- a pair of Gadwall joined by another drake.
- I did not see the duck Pochard but may well have overlooked her.
- no Tufted Duck.
- eight was the highest Great Crested Grebes total I noted.

Bird(s) noted flying over here:
- 4 Canada Geese: two pairs outbound
- 3 Greylag Geese: a trio outbound
- 2 Stock Doves: together
- 17 Wood Pigeons
- 1 Collared Dove
- 3 Herring Gulls
- 1 Lesser Black-backed Gull
- 2 Sparrowhawks
- 34 Jackdaws
- 6 Rooks

Counts from the lake area:
- 4 Canada Geese: of these three arrived
- 2 Mute Swans
- *3 (2♂) Gadwall
- 2 (2♂) Mallard
- no Pochard
- no Tufted Duck
- 11 Moorhens
- 31 Coots
- 8 Great Crested Grebes
- *2 Black-headed Gulls
- 3 Herring Gulls
- 1 Lesser Black-backed Gull
- 1 Cormorant

Hirundines etc. noted:
- *>30 Sand Martins
- >4 Barn Swallows
- 2 House Martins

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

On the West end street lamp poles

Pre-dawn:
Most of the poles were slightly frosted.

Flies:
*2 plumed midges

Spiders:
*3 spiders of different species

Noted later:

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

Hoverflies:
*Tapered Dronefly Eristalis pertinax

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

A clear sky pre-dawn.

And another fiery sunrise.

A drake Gadwall posing in the sun.

Not a species that I expect to see now until late June. One of two Black-headed Gulls that dropped in together c.06:05, this one a first year bird.

With it was this bird. Perhaps an adult though the dark along the folded wing suggests it could be a second year bird. Both likely therefore non-breeders wandering around.

I may be able to do better later. One of many Sand Martins this morning. Note the dark band across the upper breast. Difficult to see when the bird is flying around, twisting this way and that after insects.

A stubby bill on this species, the whole mouth opening wide to scoop up insects in flight.

I can only think this is a male Tapered Dronefly Eristalis pertinax but it looked only two-thirds the size of all the others I have been seeing.

This is a normal sized specimen. None too helpful without any scale reference.

Another Dark-edged Bee-fly Bombilius major with the harmless proboscis showing clearly.

A male plumed midge, almost certainly Chironomus plumosus.

There were three different spiders on the lightly-frosted street lamp poles. This is one of the species colloquially known as Cucumber Green Orb Spiders Araniella-type. There are several similar species.

This is one of the Long-jawed Orb-web Spiders Tetragnatha sp., also known as Stretch Spiders. I am not sure what its tiny companion is: perhaps a springtail?

I have been unable to get an identity for spider #3.

Plane of the day. This is a Comco-Ikarus C42 FB100 Charlie, the latest version of this German design aircraft available as a "do it yourself kit" or, as in this instance, for a specialist company to assemble the kit for you. The aircraft was manufactured in 2021. The owner flies it from Sleap Airfield near Wem and was on his way to make a short visit to a small farm strip near Abingdon in Oxfordshire.

A man and two teenagers were engaged in climbing the fence in to the Ricoh grounds and removing cut timbers from trees that fell in the storms. Clearly the notices about CCTV on the Ricoh fencing did not deter them. I did point out they were trespassing and stealing but was not prepared to push it further. I did not think it worth a 999 call but after 30 minutes of listening to recorded messages on West Mercia Police's 101 line I gave up. I have reported it on their web site. I have 'blurred' the registrations in this photo. I note the Toyota RAV4 has a Christian fish symbol attached. Very Christian behaviour, especially on a Sunday.

(Ed Wilson)

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

The Flash: 07:00 – 08:00

(81st visit of the year)

Bird notes:
- with leaves appearing rapidly it is now difficult to see inside the island. I could only confirm a single Mute Swan was present.
- just one duck Mallard seen.
- back to a pair of Great Crested Grebes.
- the two adult Lesser Black-backed Gulls present throughout.

Bird(s) noted flying over here:

None

Noted on / around the water:
- 35 Canada Geese
- 1 Greylag Goose
- 1 Mute Swan: see notes
- 17 (16♂) Mallard
- 16 (13♂) Tufted Duck
- 6 Moorhens
- 35 Coots
- *2 Great Crested Grebes
- *2 Lesser Black-backed Gulls: two adults

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

Of note:

Nothing else

One of the Great Crested Grebe pair noted seemed to be testing a previously used nesting platform. The pair was also seen displaying.

A good trick if you can manage it. An adult Lesser Black-backed Gull attempts to land on the broken-off trunk of a tree on the island.

A female Blackbird having a bath in the Wesley Brook.

(Ed Wilson)

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

2014
Priorslee Lake
3 Cormorants
2 Grey Herons
12 Tufted Duck
7 Blackcaps
6 Chiffchaffs
2 Willow Warblers
(Ed Wilson)

The Flash
1 Cormorant
1 Cackling Goose
39 Tufted Ducks
1 Blackcap
4 Chiffchaffs
(Ed Wilson)

Trench Lock Pool
4 Great Crested Grebes
23 Tufted Ducks
1 Sand Martin
1 Blackcap
2 Chiffchaffs
1 Willow Warbler
(Ed Wilson)

2013
Priorslee Lake
1 Little Grebe
4 Great Crested Grebes
1 Cormorant
2 Gadwall
21 Tufted Ducks
6 Redwings
1 Fieldfare
372 Jackdaws
Kestrel
Willow Tit
(Ed Wilson, John Isherwood)

The Flash
2 Great Crested Grebes
1 Cormorant
1 Pochard
58 Tufted Duck
1 Brambling
(Ed Wilson, John Isherwood)

Trench Lock Pool
2 Great Crested Grebes
2 Cormorants
2 Greylag Geese
4 Shoveler
19 Tufted Duck
(Ed Wilson)

Nedge Hill
50 Meadow Pipit
100 Redwing
Green Woodpecker
3 Red legged Partridge
Fieldfare
7 Lapwing
Linnet
(John Isherwood)

2012
Nedge Hill
2 Wheatear
(John Isherwood)

2011
Nedge Hill
2 Common Redstart
4 Wheatear
(John Isherwood)

Priorslee Flash
Garden Warbler
(Ed Wilson)

2007
Priorslee Lake
20 Tufted Duck
2 Buzzard
1 Kestrel
1 Skylark
36 Meadow Pipit
9 Chiffchaff
1 Redpoll
8 Bullfinch
5 Reed Bunting
(Martin Adlam)

2006
Priorslee Lake
5 Great Crested Grebes
2 Cormorants
6 Tufted Ducks
1 Ruddy Duck
7 Stock Doves
235 Wood Pigeons
3 Great Spotted Woodpeckers
7 Meadow Pipits
20 Wrens
21 Blackbirds
2 Fieldfares again
2 Blackcaps
5 Chiffchaffs
3 Willow Warblers
1 Willow Tit
15 Greenfinches
3 Siskins
3 Reed Buntings
(Ed Wilson)

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)

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

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)

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

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)

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)

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

The Flash:

No visit

(Ed Wilson)

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

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)

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

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)