3.0°C > 9.0°C: Another clear start. An area of broken medium-high cloud took the edge off the sun later. Just frosted again. Calm start with light mist over the water; a light easterly breeze later. Very good visibility.
Sunrise: 06:01 BST
* = a species photographed today
$ = a new species for me in this area
Priorslee Balancing Lake: 05:30 – 06:35 // 07:30 – 09:50
(96th visit of the year)
New bird species
Another addition to my 2026 bird species list for here. A Lesser Whitethroat was singing from the Ricoh hedge c.09:15. A typical location for this species. It moved up and down the dense hedgerow and I glimpsed it move twice – which is about par for this species. Whether it will stay and breed is always difficult to determine. Once it has found a mate and set up a territory it will stop singing and be almost impossible to see. Bird species #80 this year. In common with many other warbler species this is my earliest-ever date.
Other bird notes:
- the cob Mute Swan was busy chasing the Canada Geese and it was difficult to know how many there were: at least seven?
- no sign of yesterday's Mallard with ducklings.
- a lone drake Tufted Duck.
- I could only find four Great Crested Grebes.
- a Common Sandpiper arrived.
- no Lesser Black-backed Gulls visited today.
- no Willow Warblers noted (here or at The Flash)
- three Sedge Warblers again, one in a new location.
- four Reed Warblers noted.
- a Starling was noted apparently on feeding duty, ferrying from the grassy area toward the estate. Another(?) was singing(!?) from trees in a garden in Pitchford Drive.
- no Pied Wagtails on the dam: there was a pair of Grey Wagtails instead.
- at least one Lesser Redpoll was calling from tree tops around the Teece Drive gate at c.06:30. Possibly more as there were also Goldfinches calling and when a group of 16 "finches" flew off there did not seem to be enough twittering flight calls for them all to be Goldfinches.
Bird(s) noted flying over here:
- 7 Greylag Geese: a pair flew East and a quintet flew West
- 6 Wood Pigeons
- 7 Jackdaws (I'll have to start earlier to see more on these lighter mornings)
Counts from the lake area:
- 7 Canada Geese: two pairs and a trio seen arriving. Most chased away,
- 2 Mute Swans: the pen on the nest throughout
- 5 (3♂) Mallard
- 1 (1♂) Tufted Duck
- 6 Moorhens
- 21 Coots
- 4 Great Crested Grebes
- *1 Common Sandpiper: arrived
- 1 Herring Gull: immature
- 1 Grey Heron: departed
Hirundines etc. noted:
- >5 Sand Martins
- 2 Barn Swallows again
Warblers noted (the number in brackets refers to birds singing):
- 1 (1) Cetti's Warbler
- no Willow Warblers
- *15 (14) Chiffchaffs
- 3 (3) Sedge Warblers again
- 4 (4) Reed Warblers
- 18 (14) Blackcaps
- 1 (1) Lesser Whitethroat
- *1 (1) Common Whitethroat
On the West end street lamp poles post-dawn:
Nothing in chilly conditions with dew-covered poles
Noted around the area later:
[numbers only given for moths and butterflies unless exceptional counts noted]
The lack of full sun kept it quiet.
Bees, wasps, etc.:
- *Red-tailed Bumblebee Bombus lapidarius
- *Buff-tailed Bumblebee Bombus terrestris
- *Red-tailed Bumblebee Bombus lapidarius
- *Buff-tailed Bumblebee Bombus terrestris
Hoverflies:
- none
- none
Other flies:
- only a few unidentified flies.
- only a few unidentified flies.
Beetles:
- 7 Spot Ladybird Coccinella 7-punctata
- 7 Spot Ladybird Coccinella 7-punctata
Third morning with little change. A hint of mist over the water.
A Common Sandpiper. This species can often be identified at long range from its "bobbing" gait.
Not 100% sharp but a view of the under-wing pattern.
"Well that's not very nice".
"Slightly better".
"Much better but you need a preen". A "ruffled" Chiffchaff.
A male Common Whitethroat.
What a poser. Why do Lesser Whitethroat (almost) never perch out like this?
Mrs. Blackbird has found a worm and chopped it in half.
Going in for the kill.
Chomp!
"Just wait till I get back to the nest. The kids will love this!"
A Buff-tailed Bumblebee Bombus terrestris also tucks in.
(Ed Wilson)
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Noted in the Priorslee Avenue tunnel:
Flies:
- 3 midges of two species
(Ed Wilson)
The Flash: 06:40 – 07:25
- 3 midges of two species
(Ed Wilson)
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
The Flash: 06:40 – 07:25
(92nd visit of the year)
New bird species:
*Also a new bird species for the year here for me. Almost unbelievably my first Pied Wagtail of the year here, a male, was seen on a roof in Derwent Drive. Species #64 [Checking my records for previous year this is perhaps not as exceptional as I thought: my first in 2024 was on 26 April]
Other bird notes:
- the Tufted Ducks were as three pairs.
- two adult Lesser Black-backed Gulls arrived and after circling took up position on roofs in Westcroft Walk / Collett Way.
- no Willow Warblers noted
Bird(s) noted flying over here:
- 1 Herring Gull
Noted on / around the water:
- 14 Canada Geese: of these a pair departed
- no Greylag Geese
- 2 Mute Swans
- 17 (14♂) Mallard
- 6 (3♂) Tufted Duck
- 8 Moorhens
- 21 Coots
- 2 Great Crested Grebes
- *2 Lesser Black-backed Gulls: adults, arrived together
Warblers noted (the number in brackets refers to birds singing):
- 7 (6) Chiffchaffs
- 7 (7) Blackcaps
Noted around the area:
Flies:
- 1 female plumed midge Chironomus plumosus
- 1 female plumed midge Chironomus plumosus
Flower:
- *either Early Dog-violet Viola reichenbachiana or Common Dog-violet V. riviniana
Standing tall and proud: one of two adult Lesser Black-backed Gulls that were on roofs in Westcroft Walk / Collett Way.
A flower of a Dog-violet, either Early Dog-violet Viola reichenbachiana or Common Dog-violet V. riviniana, not separable from this angle.
(Ed Wilson)
2014
Priorslee Lake
2 Great Crested Grebe
7 Tufted Duck
1 Cormorant
40 Swifts
2 Jays
4 Chiffchaff
1 Great Spotted Woodpecker
(Tony Beckett)
2013
Priorslee Lake
2 Little Ringed Plovers
(John Isherwood)
Nedge Hill
1 White Wagtail
1 Common Redstart
41 Wheatear
1 Fieldfare
1 Raven
(John Isherwood)
The Wrekin
1 Wheatear
11+ Tree Pipit
7 Common Redstart
6 Pied Flycatchers
(JW Reeves)
2012
Priorslee Lake
2 Common Sandpiper
(John Isherwood)
Nedge Hill
2 Wheatear
(John Isherwood)
The Wrekin
2 Ring Ouzel
2 Pied Flycatchers
(J W Reeves)
2010
Wrekin
2 Wood Warblers
3+ Common Redstarts
4+ Pied Flycatchers
2+ Tree Pipits
Tawny Owl
4 Green Woodpecker
1 Lesser Spotted Woodpecker
(J Reeves)
2008
Priorslee Lake
1 Little Grebe
5 Great Crested Grebes
4 Common Sandpipers
20 Sand Martins
4 Swallows
2 Grey Wagtails
1 Wheatear
1 Redwing singing
8 Willow Warblers
9 Chiffchaffs
1 Willow Tit
(Ed Wilson)
2007
Priorslee Lake
1 Common Sandpiper
Grey Wagtail
4 Sand Martin
House Martins
Chiffchaff
1 Lesser Whitethroat
(Ed Wilson, Martin Adlam)
2006
Priorslee Lake
6 Great Crested Grebes
3 Greylag Geese
3 Tufted Ducks
2 Ruddy Ducks
2 Sand Martins
15 Swallows
House Martins
2 Stock Doves
26 Wrens
19 Robins
20 Blackbirds
10 Song Thrushes
1 Redwing
9 Blackcaps
9 Chiffchaffs
7 Willow Warblers
2 Sedge Warbler
10 Greenfinches
5 Reed Buntings
(Ed Wilson, Martin Adlam)
Lanes to east of Priorslee Lake
1 Skylark
1 Meadow Pipit
4 Blackcaps
3 Chiffchaffs
1 Willow Warbler
2 Greenfinch
2 Linnets
2 Reed Buntings
8 Yellowhammers
(Ed Wilson)
Nedge Hill
2 Skylark
2 Meadow Pipit
1 Fieldfare
2 Wheatear
1 Blackcap
2 Willow Warbler
2 Chiffchaff
2 Linnet
(Martin Adlam)
Priorslee Flash
1 Common Sandpiper
(Ed Wilson)
- *either Early Dog-violet Viola reichenbachiana or Common Dog-violet V. riviniana
Another black and white bird on the roofs: my first Pied Wagtail of the year here.
(Ed Wilson)
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Priorslee Lake
2 Great Crested Grebe
7 Tufted Duck
1 Cormorant
40 Swifts
2 Jays
4 Chiffchaff
1 Great Spotted Woodpecker
(Tony Beckett)
2013
Priorslee Lake
2 Little Ringed Plovers
(John Isherwood)
Nedge Hill
1 White Wagtail
1 Common Redstart
41 Wheatear
1 Fieldfare
1 Raven
(John Isherwood)
The Wrekin
1 Wheatear
11+ Tree Pipit
7 Common Redstart
6 Pied Flycatchers
(JW Reeves)
2012
Priorslee Lake
2 Common Sandpiper
(John Isherwood)
Nedge Hill
2 Wheatear
(John Isherwood)
The Wrekin
2 Ring Ouzel
2 Pied Flycatchers
(J W Reeves)
2010
Wrekin
2 Wood Warblers
3+ Common Redstarts
4+ Pied Flycatchers
2+ Tree Pipits
Tawny Owl
4 Green Woodpecker
1 Lesser Spotted Woodpecker
(J Reeves)
2008
Priorslee Lake
1 Little Grebe
5 Great Crested Grebes
4 Common Sandpipers
20 Sand Martins
4 Swallows
2 Grey Wagtails
1 Wheatear
1 Redwing singing
8 Willow Warblers
9 Chiffchaffs
1 Willow Tit
(Ed Wilson)
2007
Priorslee Lake
1 Common Sandpiper
Grey Wagtail
4 Sand Martin
House Martins
Chiffchaff
1 Lesser Whitethroat
(Ed Wilson, Martin Adlam)
2006
Priorslee Lake
6 Great Crested Grebes
3 Greylag Geese
3 Tufted Ducks
2 Ruddy Ducks
2 Sand Martins
15 Swallows
House Martins
2 Stock Doves
26 Wrens
19 Robins
20 Blackbirds
10 Song Thrushes
1 Redwing
9 Blackcaps
9 Chiffchaffs
7 Willow Warblers
2 Sedge Warbler
10 Greenfinches
5 Reed Buntings
(Ed Wilson, Martin Adlam)
Lanes to east of Priorslee Lake
1 Skylark
1 Meadow Pipit
4 Blackcaps
3 Chiffchaffs
1 Willow Warbler
2 Greenfinch
2 Linnets
2 Reed Buntings
8 Yellowhammers
(Ed Wilson)
Nedge Hill
2 Skylark
2 Meadow Pipit
1 Fieldfare
2 Wheatear
1 Blackcap
2 Willow Warbler
2 Chiffchaff
2 Linnet
(Martin Adlam)
Priorslee Flash
1 Common Sandpiper
(Ed Wilson)