11 Apr 26

The Flash and Priorslee Balancing Lake

5.0°C > 8.0°C: Early mainly light rain moved away East with some sunny intervals later. Moderate south-westerly breeze increasing fresh once the clearance passed. Very good visibility.

[Sunrise: 06:22 BST]

* = a species photographed today
$ = a new species for me in this area

A late start avoiding the worst of the rain.

Priorslee Balancing Lake: 08:10 – 09:50

(86th visit of the year)

A full walk-around after my late start though the numbers are not wholly comparable.

Bird notes:
- two Reed Buntings were seen to fly off high North together from the South side reeds.

Bird(s) noted flying over here:
- 1 Mute Swan: flew south-west 08:15
- 1 Lesser Black-backed Gull
- 2 Stock Doves: together
- 4 Wood Pigeons only

Counts from the lake area:
- 8 Canada Geese: at various times
- 4 Greylag Geese: at various times
- 2 Mute Swans
- 9 (8♂) Mallard: no ducklings seen
- 12 (8♂) Tufted Duck
- 3 Moorhens only
- 24 Coots
- 3 Great Crested Grebes only
- 2 Common Sandpipers
- 1 Grey Heron
- 1 Great (White) Egret: arrived ?

Hirundines etc. noted:
a big swirling mass, impossible to do more than estimate:
- >50 Sand Martins
- >10 Barn Swallows
- >6 House Martins

Warblers noted (the number in brackets refers to birds singing):
- 1 (1) Cetti's Warbler
- 4 (4) Willow Warblers
- 18 (15) Chiffchaffs
- 2 (2) Sedge Warblers again
- 2 (2) Reed Warblers again
- 15 (14) Blackcaps

On the West end street lamp poles post-dawn:

Flies:
- 2 wood gnats, perhaps Sylvicola fenestralis

Around the area later:

Nothing noted apart from:
windy and cool

Flower:
- Herb-Robert Geranium robertianum

It is a while since I have seen a Grey Heron doing its "balancing on a buoy" trick.

One of the very many Sand Martins hunting insects over the water. Note the pale collar and that the head is the darkest part of the plumage from above.

On the underside note the dark breast band and also that the "arm-pits" are darker than the rest of the plumage.

Another flies by.

Here with the tail spread there is no obvious fork.

A plan view.

I have no idea why the breast band look raised here. It shouldn't be.

Another with the tail held in a 'V'.

The Barn Swallows were less cooperative (and there were fewer). This is a male with one of the streamers broken. It is reported that females prefer males with the longest or most balanced streamers (how do they know?).

Another of the few acceptable photos I took of a Barn Swallows. This one with equal length streamers.

 I think this has to be a female with short streamers.

The "arm-pits" on Barn Swallows are pale. Note also the pale spots at the base of the tail when spread. I will try harder!

House Martins were few and far between. This was my best. Note the tubbier appearance and the whiter belly extending on the rump. The 'arm-pits' are not darker in this species.

"Give us a song Mr. Chiffchaff" ( if "chiff-chaff- chiff-chaff-chiff-chaff..." can be called a song).

The wind blowing the plumage to reveal grey-looking feathers.

Now just what exactly is that red splodge?

It is the rear end of the crest of this Goldcrest which it raises when excited...

 ...seen again here...

...and here...

 ...and again.

Indulgent I know but I have rarely seen a Goldcrest so well for such a long period let alone been able to photograph it.

A vocal individual.

This flower is Herb-Robert Geranium robertianum

(Ed Wilson)

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In the Priorslee Avenue tunnel:

Flies
- 6 unidentified midges of at least two species
- 1 moth fly Psychodidae sp. [Drain Fly or Owl Fly]

(Ed Wilson)

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The Flash: 07:15 – 08:05

(84th visit of the year)

Bird notes:
- the pen Mute Swan on / at the nest throughout.
- yesterday the Tufted Duck were nearly paired: they were not today!
- three late Siskins flew out of trees behind Wordsworth Way.

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

Noted on / around the water:
- 22 Canada Geese: of these seven departed together
- 2 Greylag Geese
- 2 Mute Swans
- 21 (16♂) Mallard
- 6 (5♂) Tufted Duck
- 6 Moorhens again
- 24 Coots again
- 1 Great Crested Grebe still
- 2 Lesser Black-backed Gulls: adults, briefly

Warblers noted (the number in brackets refers to birds singing):
- 5 (4) Willow Warblers
- 9 (8) Chiffchaffs
- 9 (8) Blackcaps

Of note around the area:

Moths:
- 1 caterpillar of a Geometer moth to be identified: same pole as yesterday

Flies:
- 1 midge
- 1 wood gnat, perhaps Sylvicola fenestralis

Spiders, harvestmen etc.:
- 1 Long-jawed Orb-web Spider Metellina merianae

It can't be much fun being a duck (female) Mallard when you get pounced on...

...half-drowned...

 ...and fought over. There are four drakes here and she is still underwater.

It was on the same lamp post so I guess this is a better view of the same caterpillar as yesterday. It is almost certainly from the Engrailed moth Ectropis crepuscularia. I frequently record the adult (imago) during July.

This is a wood gnat, perhaps Sylvicola fenestralis. There are several similar species and microscopic examination is needed to positively identify them. There were also two on the street lamp poles at the Balancing Lake.

I think this is a Long-jawed Orb-web Spider Metellina merianae.

(Ed Wilson)

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2014
Priorslee Lake
3 Great Crested Grebes
1 Cormorant
3 Grey Herons
2 Greylag Geese
4 Tufted Duck
1 Common Sandpiper
>6 Sand Martins
1 Grasshopper Warbler
7 Blackcaps
7 Chiffchaffs
2 Willow Warblers
(Ed Wilson)

The Flash
4 Greylag Goose
1 Cackling-type Goose
24 Tufted Ducks
3 Sand Martins
3 Blackcap
3 Chiffchaffs
4 Willow Warbler
(Ed Wilson)

Trench Lock Pool
4 Great Crested Grebes
1 Greylag Geese
22 Tufted Ducks
3 Blackcaps
2 Chiffchaffs
(Ed Wilson)

Trench Middle Pool
12 Greylag Geese
4 Tufted Duck
2 Blackcap
3 Chiffchaffs
2 Willow Warblers
(Ed Wilson)

2013
Priorslee Lake
12 Swallow, House Martin & Sand Martin.
2 Little Ringed Plover
2 Common Sandpiper
2 Willow Warbler
(Arthur Harper, Ian Grant and John Isherwood)

The Flash
Cackling Canada Goose
4 Sand Martins
2 Shoveler
(John Isherwood, Martin Grant)

Trench Middle Pool
House Martin
4 Sand Martin
2 Chiffchaffs
(Martin Grant)

Trench Lock Pool
12 Sand Martins
(Martin Grant)

2008
Priorslee Lake
4 Gadwall
80+ Hirundines
1 House Martin
(John Isherwood)

Nedge Hill
10 Wheatear
(John Isherwood)

2007
Priorslee Lake
4 Tufted Duck
1 Ruddy Duck
1 Buzzard
2 Blackcap
3 Chiffchaff
3 Linnet
2 Reed Bunting
(Martin Adlam)

Priorslee Village
Willow Warbler
Chiffchaff
(Martin Adlam)

Nedge Hill
1 Mallard
1 Buzzard
2 Red-legged Partridge
1 Great Spotted Woodpecker
8 Skylark
3 Meadow Pipit
1 Fieldfare
1 Blackcap
2 Willow Warbler
2 Chiffchaff
4 Linnet
(Martin Adlam)

2006
Priorslee Lake
5 Great Crested Grebes
1 Heron
4 Tufted Ducks
2 Ruddy Ducks
2 Stock Doves
90 Wood Pigeons
2 Kestrels
1 Skylark
1 Meadow Pipit
4 Grey Wagtails
6 Pied Wagtails
2 House Martin
24 Wrens
15 Robins
24 Blackbirds
1 Wheatear
4 Blackcaps
5 Chiffchaffs
2 Willow Warblers
13 Greenfinches
3 Siskins
2 Linnets
7 Reed Buntings
(Ed Wilson)