4.0°C > 12.0°C: Clear skies. Light easterly breeze, increasing moderate, even fresh. Very good visibility.
Sunrise: 05:42 BST
* = a species photographed today
$ = a new species for me in this area
Priorslee Balancing Lake: 05:20 – 06:25 // 07:25 – 09:30
(104th visit of the year)
Bird notes:
- the pair of Greylag Geese still with seven small goslings.
- three broods of Mallard ducklings: *one very new brood of eight; *a newish brood of three; and another brood of three several day old ducklings.
- no Lesser Black-backed Gulls around dawn. Just two separate adult fly-overs.
- at least eight Swifts screaming overhead. Summer(?) is here.
- a Long-tailed Tit party with very recently fledged juvenile. I nearly trod on a grounded bird, but it flew off!
- only one Sedge Warbler noted.
- six Reed Warblers heard today.
- a Lesser Whitethroat between the lake and the M54 heard c.05:45 only.
- a Common Whitethroat singing where it had been recently.
- no chance of any resolution to the Garden Warbler conundrum. Nothing other than Blackcaps in the area this morning.
- five Starlings seen on food ferrying duty.
Bird(s) noted flying over here:
- 2 Greylag Geese: a pair flew West
- 2 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
- 1 Cormorant
- 3 Wood Pigeons only
- 2 Rooks
Counts from the lake area:
- 4 Canada Geese: two pairs throughout
- 4 + 7 (1 brood) Greylag Geese: as yesterday – the resident family: a pair flew in.
- 2 Mute Swans
- *14 (9♂) + 14 (3 broods) Mallard: see notes
- 2 (1♂) Tufted Duck again
- 6 Moorhens
- 20 Coots
- 7 Great Crested Grebes: I wish they would stop playing submarines
- *2 Grey Herons: at least one departed
Hirundines etc. noted:
- 8 Swifts
- >4 Sand Martins
- >8 Barn Swallows
- no House Martins
Warblers noted (the number in brackets refers to birds singing):
- 16 (15) Chiffchaffs
- 1 (1) Sedge Warbler
- 6 (6) Reed Warblers
- 22 (20) Blackcaps
- 1 (1) Lesser Whitethroat
- 1 (1) Common Whitethroat
- no Garden Warbler
On the West end street lamp poles post-dawn:
Cold again:
Moths:
- *1 Swallow Prominent Pheosia tremula: same place as yesterday
nothing else
Noted around the area later:
- *1 Swallow Prominent Pheosia tremula: same place as yesterday
nothing else
Noted around the area later:
Butterflies:
- *1 Green-veined White Pieris napi
- *1 Speckled Wood Pararge aegeria
- *1 Green-veined White Pieris napi
- *1 Speckled Wood Pararge aegeria
Bees, wasps etc.:
- *unidentified mining bee Andrena sp
- *Red Mason Bee Osmia bicornis
- *unidentified mining bee Andrena sp
- *Red Mason Bee Osmia bicornis
Hoverflies:
- *Early Epistrophe Epistrophe eligans [Spring Smoothtail]
- *Tapered Dronefly Eristalis pertinax
- Chequered Hoverfly Melanostoma scalare [Long-winged Duskyface]
- *Common Pipiza Pipiza noctiluca [Common Pithead]: same date as my first last year which was my earliest
- *Humming Syrphus Syrphus ribesii [Common Flower Fly]
- *Hairy-eyed Syrphus Syrphus torvus
- Syrphus sp. S. ribesii / S. vitripennis
- *Early Epistrophe Epistrophe eligans [Spring Smoothtail]
- *Tapered Dronefly Eristalis pertinax
- Chequered Hoverfly Melanostoma scalare [Long-winged Duskyface]
- *Common Pipiza Pipiza noctiluca [Common Pithead]: same date as my first last year which was my earliest
- *Humming Syrphus Syrphus ribesii [Common Flower Fly]
- *Hairy-eyed Syrphus Syrphus torvus
- Syrphus sp. S. ribesii / S. vitripennis
Other flies:
- plumed midge Chironomus plumosus
- *dagger fly Empis tessellata: my first April record of any of the Empis group
- *Muscid fly Phaonia subventa
- other unidentified flies
- plumed midge Chironomus plumosus
- *dagger fly Empis tessellata: my first April record of any of the Empis group
- *Muscid fly Phaonia subventa
- other unidentified flies
Beetles:
- 7 Spot Ladybird Coccinella 7-punctata
- 7 Spot Ladybird Coccinella 7-punctata
Spiders, harvestmen etc.:
- *Wolf Spider(?) to be identified – perhaps!
At c.06:00 the two Grey Herons were sparring. This one stood on the dam top and stared at me as I approached.
An unidentified mining bee Andrena sp. My best guess would be a Chocolate Mining Bee Andrena scotica. The pale hairs are not extensive enough for the Google Lens suggestion of Ashy Mining Bee A. cineria
A female Early Epistrophe hoverfly Epistrophe eligans. This one shows why it is sometimes called Spring Smoothtail.
A male Tapered Dronefly Eristalis pertinax signalling to turn left. It shows the dark cloud in the wing to better effect than when they are at rest with wings folded over their abdomen.
This is a female Common Pipiza hoverfly Pipiza noctiluca. The female has a more extensive dark cloud in her wings and the small yellow areas at the top of the abdomen. This is the same date as my first last year which was my earliest-ever.
I think this is a female Hairy-eyed Syrphus Syrphus torvus mainly because of the narrower and straighter yellow band across the middle of the abdomen. Looking at Steven Falk's web site this seems to be a feature only shown by some females. Seeing the hairy eyes is "hard"!
This the dagger fly Empis tessellata:. The "dagger" mouth-piece can be seen. It is my first April record of any of the Empis group of dagger flies.
I know it is not very clear: but then it is not clear what this spider is doing! It seems to be one of the Wolf Spiders.
(Ed Wilson)
Noted in the Priorslee Avenue tunnel:
(102nd visit of the year)
Bird notes:
- *the same two visiting Mute Swans (7JSS and 7JXY) made a brief appearance with the resident pen coming off the nest to help chase them away.
- *a new brood of five Mallard ducklings.
- only the Great Crested Grebe on the nest platform noted.
- for the first time for many days I did not hear the Great Spotted Woodpecker drumming (or any calls). The drumming has been particularly persistent this Spring.
- the Long-tailed Tits were still taking food to the nest unlike the fledged family at the lake. The adults were very upset as I arrived as a Magpie was lurking. I chased the Magpie away but for how long?
Bird(s) noted flying over here:
- 2 Canada Geese: a pair flew East
Noted on / around the water:
- 14 Canada Geese
- 5 Greylag Geese
- *4 Mute Swans: see notes
- *22 (17♂) + 5 (1 brood) Mallard
- 11 (6♂) Tufted Duck
- 4 Moorhens
- 19 Coots again
- 1 Great Crested Grebes: see notes
Warblers noted (the number in brackets refers to birds singing):
- 5 (5) Chiffchaffs
- 7 (6) Blackcaps again
Noted around the area:
- *Wolf Spider(?) to be identified – perhaps!
Not an exciting sunrise but much better than yesterday's gloom even if it was only 4.0°C.
At the time I counted seven ducklings. The photo shows I need more fingers: there are eight.
Another new brood? Just three ducklings.
I gave it a suitable wide berth and it peered over its shoulder at me.
A Green-veined White butterfly Pieris napi. "In the field" I though this was be a Small White P. rapae. It was only when I edited the photo and reduced the contrast from the bright sun that the "veins" became obvious.
A Speckled Wood butterfly Pararge aegeria camouflaged among the leaf litter.
Still here in the same place as yesterday: the Swallow Prominent moth Pheosia tremula.
A smart-looking Red Mason Bee Osmia bicornis
Two in one day!
A female Humming Syrphus Syrphus ribesii.
While I was photographing the Tapered Drone Fly this Muscid fly Phaonia subventa barged in.
(Ed Wilson)
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Noted in the Priorslee Avenue tunnel:
Flies:
- 9 midges of several species
(Ed Wilson)
The Flash: 06:30 – 07:20
- 9 midges of several species
(Ed Wilson)
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
The Flash: 06:30 – 07:20
(102nd visit of the year)
Bird notes:
- *the same two visiting Mute Swans (7JSS and 7JXY) made a brief appearance with the resident pen coming off the nest to help chase them away.
- *a new brood of five Mallard ducklings.
- only the Great Crested Grebe on the nest platform noted.
- for the first time for many days I did not hear the Great Spotted Woodpecker drumming (or any calls). The drumming has been particularly persistent this Spring.
- the Long-tailed Tits were still taking food to the nest unlike the fledged family at the lake. The adults were very upset as I arrived as a Magpie was lurking. I chased the Magpie away but for how long?
Bird(s) noted flying over here:
- 2 Canada Geese: a pair flew East
Noted on / around the water:
- 14 Canada Geese
- 5 Greylag Geese
- *4 Mute Swans: see notes
- *22 (17♂) + 5 (1 brood) Mallard
- 11 (6♂) Tufted Duck
- 4 Moorhens
- 19 Coots again
- 1 Great Crested Grebes: see notes
Warblers noted (the number in brackets refers to birds singing):
- 5 (5) Chiffchaffs
- 7 (6) Blackcaps again
Noted around the area:
Flies:
- *1 wood gnat, probably Sylvicola punctatus
One of the two visiting Mute Swans. It is just possible to read enough of the ring on the left leg to confirm it is the pen 7JSS
Unlike the fledged (and sadly not photographed) young at the lake the nestlings in Long-tailed Tit nest here were still being fed.
Too small for most craneflies: this is a wood gnat, probably Sylvicola punctatus. It is the only common member of this family that lacks dark marking on the wing-tips.
(Ed Wilson)
2014
Nedge Hill
2 Lesser Whitethroat
10 Wheatear
(John Isherwood)
2013
Priorslee Lake
2 Great Crested Grebes
1 Common Sandpiper
4 Reed Warblers
2 Common Whitethroat
18 Blackcaps
7 Chiffchaffs
5 Willow Warblers
(Ed Wilson)
The Flash
3 Greylag Goose
1 Richardson's / Cackling-type Canada Goose
1 Pochard
11 Tufted Duck
4 Blackcaps
3 Chiffchaffs
5 Willow Warblers
(Ed Wilson)
Nedge Hill
2 Red-legged Partridges
Swallows
7 Wheatear
2 Common Whitethroats
3 Blackcaps
1 Chiffchaffs
4 Bullfinches
(Ed Wilson)
2011
Priorslee Lake
3 Common Sandpipers
(Ed Wilson, John Isherwood)
Nedge Hill
2 Wheatear
(John Isherwood)
2010
The Wrekin
1 Wood Warbler
4 Common Redstart
1 Pied Flycatcher
(Paul Rutter)
2009
Priorslee Lake
Common Sandpiper
1 Sand Martin
2 Swallows
6 Reed Warblers
Common Whitethroat
3 Blackcap
4 Chiffchaff
3 Reed Buntings
3 Linnets
1 Yellowhammer
(Ed Wilson)
2007
Priorslee Lake
4 Great Crested Grebe
6 Tufted Duck
2 Ruddy Duck
3 Swifts
2 Sand Martins
4 Swallows
4 Cormorants
1 Kestrel
1 Sparrowhawk
3 Common Sandpipers
2 Grey Wagtail
6 Blackcap
1 Garden Warbler
2 Sedge Warbler
2 Reed Warblers
5 Chiffchaff
3 Greenfinch
2 Reed Bunting
(Ed Wilson, Martin Adlam)
Nedge Hill
1 Ring Ouzel
Common Whitethroat
2 Swallows
(Martin Adlam)
Priorslee Flash
2 Greylag Geese
1 Grey Wagtail here
2 Chiffchaffs
1 Reed Bunting
(Ed Wilson)
2006
Priorslee Lake
3 Great Crested Grebes
2 Ruddy Ducks
1 Common Buzzard
1 Kestrel
1 Swallows
1 Grey Wagtail
4 Sedge Warbler
2 Reed Warblers
4 Blackcaps
2 Garden Warbler
5 Chiffchaffs
3 Willow Warblers
2 Lesser Whitethroat
4 Greenfinches
2 Reed Buntings
(Martin Adlam)
- *1 wood gnat, probably Sylvicola punctatus
And the cob 7JXV.
Mrs. Mallard had found the darkest and dingiest corner to hide her new brood of five ducklings.
A different adult with food. Where do they find all these insects?
(Ed Wilson)
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
2014
Nedge Hill
2 Lesser Whitethroat
10 Wheatear
(John Isherwood)
2013
Priorslee Lake
2 Great Crested Grebes
1 Common Sandpiper
4 Reed Warblers
2 Common Whitethroat
18 Blackcaps
7 Chiffchaffs
5 Willow Warblers
(Ed Wilson)
The Flash
3 Greylag Goose
1 Richardson's / Cackling-type Canada Goose
1 Pochard
11 Tufted Duck
4 Blackcaps
3 Chiffchaffs
5 Willow Warblers
(Ed Wilson)
Nedge Hill
2 Red-legged Partridges
Swallows
7 Wheatear
2 Common Whitethroats
3 Blackcaps
1 Chiffchaffs
4 Bullfinches
(Ed Wilson)
2011
Priorslee Lake
3 Common Sandpipers
(Ed Wilson, John Isherwood)
Nedge Hill
2 Wheatear
(John Isherwood)
2010
The Wrekin
1 Wood Warbler
4 Common Redstart
1 Pied Flycatcher
(Paul Rutter)
2009
Priorslee Lake
Common Sandpiper
1 Sand Martin
2 Swallows
6 Reed Warblers
Common Whitethroat
3 Blackcap
4 Chiffchaff
3 Reed Buntings
3 Linnets
1 Yellowhammer
(Ed Wilson)
2007
Priorslee Lake
4 Great Crested Grebe
6 Tufted Duck
2 Ruddy Duck
3 Swifts
2 Sand Martins
4 Swallows
4 Cormorants
1 Kestrel
1 Sparrowhawk
3 Common Sandpipers
2 Grey Wagtail
6 Blackcap
1 Garden Warbler
2 Sedge Warbler
2 Reed Warblers
5 Chiffchaff
3 Greenfinch
2 Reed Bunting
(Ed Wilson, Martin Adlam)
Nedge Hill
1 Ring Ouzel
Common Whitethroat
2 Swallows
(Martin Adlam)
Priorslee Flash
2 Greylag Geese
1 Grey Wagtail here
2 Chiffchaffs
1 Reed Bunting
(Ed Wilson)
2006
Priorslee Lake
3 Great Crested Grebes
2 Ruddy Ducks
1 Common Buzzard
1 Kestrel
1 Swallows
1 Grey Wagtail
4 Sedge Warbler
2 Reed Warblers
4 Blackcaps
2 Garden Warbler
5 Chiffchaffs
3 Willow Warblers
2 Lesser Whitethroat
4 Greenfinches
2 Reed Buntings
(Martin Adlam)