6 May 26

Priorslee Balancing Lake and The Flash

7.0°C > 8.0°C: Cloudy apart from a sliver of clear skies to the north-east that was making only slow progress. Light north-easterly breeze. Very good visibility.

Sunrise: 05:28 BST

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

Priorslee Balancing Lake: 05:20 – 06:30 // 07:25 – 09:25

(108th visit of the year)

Bird notes:
- *the seven Greylag Geese goslings still doing well.
- *just two well-grown Mallard ducklings seen.
- all the gulls seen today were fly-overs.
- a few changes in the warblers:
just the two Sedge Warblers along the South side noted
again seven singing Reed Warblers with one bird still singing from the scrubby area between the South side path and the M54.
a Garden Warbler was singing only briefly near its traditional nesting area in the tallest bushes alongside the M54.
three singing Common Whitethroats noted: at the usual nest site; one halfway along the South side; the third at the West end alongside the footpath.

Bird(s) noted flying over here:
- 5 Canada Geese: tow pairs and a single flew West
- 2 Greylag Geese: a pair flew South
- 1 Herring Gull
- 6 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
- 2 Stock Doves: together again
- 2 Wood Pigeons only
- 1 Jackdaw

Counts from the lake area:
- 2 Canada Geese arrived and departed
- *4 + 7 (1 brood) Greylag Geese; the resident family was periodically joined by one (or more?) pairs
- 2 Mute Swans
- 10 (8♂) + *2 (1 brood) Mallard
- 9 (6♂) Tufted Duck
- 5 Moorhens
- 18 Coots only
- 6 Great Crested Grebes
- *1 Grey Heron

Hirundines etc. noted:
Minimum numbers as birds swirled around
- *8 Swifts
- 15 Sand Martins
- *8 Barn Swallows
- 2 House Martins

Warblers noted (the number in brackets refers to birds singing):
- 15 (14) Chiffchaffs
- 2 (2) Sedge Warblers: see notes
- 7 (7) Reed Warblers
- 19 (17) Blackcaps
- 3 (3) Common Whitethroat: see notes
- 1 (1) Garden Warbler: see notes

On the West end street lamp poles post-dawn:
It remains very disappointing:

Flies:
- *1 Muscid (House Fly) perhaps Phaonia subventa.

Noted around the area later:
Very little in the overcast conditions with temperatures below the magic 10°C

Bees, wasps etc.:
- *1 "black ant"

Other flies:
- *probable Common Orange Legionnaire Beris vallata
- *Fever-fly Dilophus febrilis
- Yellow Dung Fly Scathophaga stercoraria
- other unidentified flies

It was overcast when I arrived and I was taken by surprise that a sliver of clear sky to the East was producing a colourful sunrise.

I was slightly late scampering(?) in to the best position for a reflection in the water.

All say "ah!". The seven Greylag Goose goslings were happy with their parents on the dam top with myself and several fishermen in close attendance.

Another pair of Greylag Geese seemed to want to join the family but were unhappy about our presence.

One put its undercarriage down on the next pass.

The pair still thinking about it.

Undercarriage up and away.

Two well-grown Mallard ducklings with a few adult feathers beginning to show.

My friend the Grey Heron hiding in the new-growth reeds again. A Reed Warbler was singing from about a foot behind the heron.

About the best of a poor bunch of photos of a Swift. A good job I am using a digital camera. Had I still been using film I would be bankrupt will all the discarded photos of empty frames and blurred images.

Ditto Barn Swallow.

A "black ant" I found walking along the hand-rail of the boxing ring on the dam.

This fly is probably a Common Orange Legionnaire Beris vallata. There are several similar species: this is the most likely on date and location.

Not an insect I have recorded previously: I think a Fever-fly Dilophus febrilis.

The only creature on any of the street lamp poles around dawn was this unidentified fly, probably from the Muscid (House Fly) family. The wing shape suggests a Phaonia species and the orange abdomen suggests P. subventa. However that species has bold stripes on the thorax.

Not new for the year. I took this photo of Cowslips Primula veris in their usual location. However genuine wild Cowslips have the flowers in a "nodding one-sided cluster" and I do wonder whether these are a (cross with a) garden-escape cultivar.

(Ed Wilson)

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Noted in the Priorslee Avenue tunnel:

Flies:
- 4 midges of at least two species
Nothing else!

(Ed Wilson)

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The Flash: 06:35 – 07:20

(105th visit of the year)

New bird species
- *a drake Gadwall was noted partly buried in the vegetation at the top end. Strangely this is my first of this species in the area this year of what was becoming an increasingly frequent and sometimes long-staying "Winter" visitor.
- a Garden Warbler was singing quietly, also at the top end. This species held territory for many weeks a few years ago. I mostly record it as a one-day bird and then not every year.
This year's species total for me moves on to #67.

Other bird notes:
- two pairs of Greylag Geese took to the air in quick succession. I think one of these was the pair that arrived a few minutes later.
- five visiting Mute Swans seemed to have overwhelmed the resident cob. As a result none was seen flying and I was unable to checked whether any of them was ringed.

Bird(s) noted flying over here:
- 2 Herring Gulls: second year birds together
- 1 Lesser Black-backed Gull: adult

Noted on / around the water:
- 14 Canada Geese
- 4 Greylag Geese: see notes
- 7 Mute Swans: (assuming the resident pen hidden on the nest): see notes
- 17 (14♂) Mallard
- *1 (1♂) Gadwall
- no Tufted Duck
- 5 Moorhens
- 17 Coots only
- 2 Great Crested Grebes

Hirundines etc. noted:

None

Warblers noted (the number in brackets refers to birds singing):
- 6 (6) Chiffchaffs: why so variable?
- 1 (1) Garden Warbler
- 5 (4) Blackcaps

Notes around the area:

Flies:
- *St Mark's Fly or Hawthorn Fly Bibio marci
- *Yellow Dung Fly Scathophaga stercoraria
- *2 unidentified midges

Other things:
- Common European Earwig Forficula dentata

Flowers:
- *Welsh Poppy Papaver cambricum

Across the width of the water I espied a drake Gadwall. The white speculum caught my eye. It is just possible to make out the chestnut tone of the feathers on the back and some spotting on the grey breast.

Both my apps suggest this hairy fly is a St Mark's Fly or Hawthorn Fly Bibio marci and they may well be correct. I just don't recall them being as large as this one.

A female and hence not very yellow Yellow Dung Fly Scathophaga stercoraria trying to stay camouflaged on a lichen-covered street lamp pole.

There were several of these unidentified midges on the street lamp poles.

A Welsh Poppy Papaver cambricum.

(Ed Wilson)

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2012
Priorslee Lake
1 Common Sandpiper
(John Isherwood)

Nedge Hill
10 Wheatear
(John Isherwood)

2008
Nedge Hill
5 Wheatear
Yellow Wagtail
(Ed Wilson)

2006
Priorslee Lake
Hobby
1 Common Sandpiper
1 Cuckoo
2 Ruddy Ducks
(Ed Wilson / Martin Adlam)

Nedge Hill
1 Ring Ouzel
4 Wheatear
(Arthur Harper)