22 Apr 26

Priorslee Balancing Lake and The Flash

4.0°C > 10.0°C: Clear skies for about five minutes then low cloud scudded in from the East, only lifting and beginning to break very gradually after 07:30. A sunny intervals later. Keen easterly breeze again. Very good visibility.

Sunrise: 05:57 BST

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

Priorslee Balancing Lake: 05:20 – 06:35 // 07:25 – 09:45

(97th visit of the year)

Bird notes:
- the cob Mute Swan again had a pair of visiting adult Mute Swans to dispatch.
- the same two duck Mallard with ducklings today in groups of two and three.
- two single over-flying adult Lesser Black-backed Gulls were the only gulls noted today.
- still one Willow Warbler singing.
- now five Sedge Warblers singing: not seen any yet!
- down to two Reed Warblers heard. The reed beds are not in good condition at the moment.
- the Lesser Whitethroat was already singing from the Ricoh hedge by 05:25 again and still singing at 09:10. Another was singing from the south-east copse: whether this was a new bird or the bird that was alongside the M54 yesterday looking for a quieter location.
- the Mistle Thrush was singing alongside Teece Drive again, today on all four of my transits.

Bird(s) noted flying over here:
- 4 Canada Geese: a pair flew East and a pair flew West
- 2 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
- 11 Wood Pigeons
- 15 Jackdaws

Counts from the lake area:
- 4 Canada Geese: two pairs arrived separately
- 4 Mute Swans: see notes
- *13 (10♂) + 5 (2 broods) Mallard
- 4 (2♂) Tufted Duck
- 3 Moorhens only
- 19 Coots only
- 4 Great Crested Grebes only
- 1 Grey Heron

Hirundines etc. noted:
at least 75 birds low over the water: perhaps
- *>45 Sand Martins
- *>30 Barn Swallows

Warblers noted (the number in brackets refers to birds singing):
- 1 (1) Cetti's Warbler
- 1 (1) Willow Warblers
- 16 (14) Chiffchaffs
- 5 (5) Sedge Warblers
- 2 (2) Reed Warblers
- *21 (17) Blackcaps
- 2 (2) Lesser Whitethroats again
- *1 (1) Common Whitethroat again

On the West end street lamp poles post-dawn:
nothing in chilly and breezy conditions

Noted around the area later:
[numbers only given for moths and butterflies unless exceptional counts noted]
The easterly breeze meant that no insects were motivated to sit in the sun.

Bees, wasps, etc.:
- *Tawny Mining Bee Andrena fulva

Hoverflies:
- *Early Epistrophe Epistrophe eligans [Spring Smoothtail]
- *Chequered Hoverfly Melanostoma scalare [Long-winged Duskyface]

Other flies:
- only a few unidentified flies.

NB: I do not have any positive unidentified on yesterday's black, hairy caterpillar or larvae but a search of the internet has found a beetle larva that looks similar. It is an Australian species(!) but the family has a worldwide distribution so...

The scudding low clouds soon covered the whole sky for several hours.

A duck Mallard and her two ducklings with two adult drakes in close attendance.

The other duck Mallard with her three ducklings.

Normally the Feral Pigeons stay on roofs in Teece Drive or Pitchford Drive. This morning three were in the road at c.06:30. The back one is an attractively-marked individual of this very variable species.

This form most closely resembles their wild ancestor, the Rock Dove. Nowadays this can only be found in the UK on cliffs in the Scottish North West Highlands. Feral birds have been bred in to many colour forms, often as Racing Pigeons. These latter birds will always have coloured and lettered rings on their legs.

A few almost sharp photos of Sand Martins from this morning's melee.

A Barn Swallow in almost the same pose.

Another

A third.

A sort of failure. The Cetti's Warbler was singing loudly and I was hoping for a glimpse when it moved. This female Blackcap popped out and I snapped away before realising it was not the Cetti's. She seems to have nesting material in her bill.

"Whitethroat" seems a good name, especially when the male puffs-out his throat feathers. A male Common Whitethroat.

Most years I would be pleased with this Goldcrest photo. After the amazing performance by one in front of me some ten days ago this is distinctly average.

Very few insects were out and about in the chilly wind. This Tawny Mining Bee Andrena fulva was an exception.

Just two hoverflies of different species. This an Early Epistrophe Epistrophe eligans.

And this a female Chequered Hoverfly Melanostoma scalare (triangular yellow spots).

(Ed Wilson)

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Noted in the Priorslee Avenue tunnel:

Flies:
- 8 midges
- 1 moth fly Psychodidae sp. [Drain Fly or Owl Fly]

(Ed Wilson)

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The Flash: 06:40 – 07:20

(94th visit of the year)

Bird notes:
- only one of the pair of visiting adult Mute Swans had time to splash down before the resident cob had them on their way. One of these visitors had a blue Darvic ring 7JSS. The resident pen was not seen off the nest at any time.
- now two pairs of Tufted Duck.
- three Willow Warbler heard singing.
- a male Pied Wagtail was briefly on a roof in Derwent Drive before flying off high West.

Bird(s) noted flying over here:

None

Noted on / around the water:
- 20 Canada Geese: of these a single departed
- 1 Greylag Goose
- *4 Mute Swans: see notes
- 15 (14♂) Mallard
- 4 (2♂) Tufted Duck
- 6 Moorhens
- 21 Coots
- 2 Great Crested Grebes

Warblers noted (the number in brackets refers to birds singing):
- 3 (3) Willow Warbler
- 6 (6) Chiffchaffs
- 5 (4) Blackcaps

Noted around the area:

Flies:
- 2 male plumed midges

Spiders, harvestmen etc.:
- 1 Long-jawed Orb-web Spider Tetragnatha sp.

One of the visiting Mute Swans decides to leave. Note it has a blue Darvic ring, unreadable here.

The resident cob in full cry pursuing the visitors.

Here they go...

...and a quick edit revealed the code on the ring as 7JSS. I know this has been around for some years. I'll ask Martin Grant for the details and report back.

The male Great Spotted Woodpecker was drumming again, this time from high up alongside squirrel alley. This is the female (no red on the nape): she flew from the island towards the male.

(Ed Wilson)

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2013
Nedge Hill
1 Whinchat
20 Wheatear
1 Blackcap
Willow Warbler
(Ian Grant)

2012
Priorslee Lake
6 Great Crested Grebes
1 Heron
5 Tufted Duck
12 Blackcaps
4 Willow Warblers
12 Chiffchaffs
(Ed Wilson)

Priorslee Flash
6 Great Crested Grebes
5 Greylag Geese
31 Tufted Duck
1 Heron
1 Buzzard
6 Blackcaps
4 Willow Warblers
4 Chiffchaffs
(Ed Wilson)

Nedge Hill
5 Lapwings
1 Green Woodpecker
3 Skylarks
1 Blackcap
1 Willow Warbler
3 Chiffchaffs
6 Linnets
(Ed Wilson)

2011
Priorslee Lake
1 Yellow Wagtail
5 Common Sandpiper
1 Lesser Whitethroat
1 Sedge Warbler
(John Isherwood)

Nedge Hill
1 Yellow Wagtail
10 Wheatear
(John Isherwood)

2008
Priorslee Lake
3 Great Crested Grebes
2 Gadwall
1 Common Sandpiper
Swallows
Sand Martins
Common Whitethroat
(Ed Wilson, Martin Adlam)

The Nedge
Blackcap
Willow Warbler
Chiffchaff
(Martin Adlam)

2007
Priorslee Lake
2 Sedge Warblers
Reed Warbler
Common Sandpipers
(Ed Wilson)

Nedge Hill
1 Wheatear
1 Cuckoo
(Ed Wilson)

2006
Priorslee Lake
6 Great Crested Grebes
5 Greylag Geese
12 Tufted Ducks
2 Ruddy Duck
27 Sand Martins
11 Swallows
5 House Martins
1 Sedge Warbler
8 Blackcaps
7 Chiffchaffs
4 Willow Warblers
25 Wrens
23 Blackbirds
5 Greenfinches
1 Siskin
1 Redpoll
3 Reed Buntings.

Lanes to the east of Priorslee Lake
6 Pheasants
8 Skylarks
2 Whitethroats
4 Blackcaps
2 Chiffchaffs
1 Greenfinch
6 Yellowhammers
(Ed Wilson)