29 May 17

Priorslee Lake: 06:52 – 08:22

14.5°C > 14.0°C: Low cloud with rain after 07:35 for a while. Light SE wind. Moderate visibility.

Sunrise: 04:54 BST

(68th visit of the year)

None of the forecast heavy showers and thunderstorms had materialised with the low cloud discouraging an early visit. A quick look to check whether anything (e.g. terns) had been brought down

Notes from today:
- single drake Tufted Duck early; later a 2nd noted before both flew off
- as usual Great Crested Grebes do their best to confuse. When I arrived there were 2 pairs keeping close company – non-breeders?; a juvenile in close company with a sleeping adult; a slightly larger juvenile, probably from the same brood, alone in the middle of the water; and another adult in the NW area, apparently alone and soon seen flying off high to the W. Later each juvenile was with an adult and the two other pairs remained mainly asleep
- single Swift and House Martin briefly over before the rain. As the rain started c.8 Swifts, c.10 Barn Swallows and c.30 House Martins arrived. As the rain eased all the Swifts and many of the House Martins departed. However Barn Swallows numbers continued to increase. No Sand Martins were seen or heard
and
- still nothing on the lamps
- 2 Silver-ground Carpet moths flushed from vegetation
- a Black Snipe fly (Chrysopilus cristatus)

On with the bird totals

Birds noted flying over the lake:
- 1 Canada Goose
- 1 Cormorant again
- 1 Lesser Black-backed Gull
- 1 Herring Gull

Hirundine etc. counts:
- c.8 Swifts
- >30 Barn Swallows
- >30 House Martins

No warblers counts made

The counts from the lake area
- 2 + 5 Mute Swans
- 9 (7♂) + 4 (1 brood) Mallard
- 2 (2♂) Tufted Ducks
- 7 (7?) + 2 (1 brood) Great Crested Grebes
- 1 Moorhen
- 21 + ? Coots (juveniles heard only)

(Ed Wilson)

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
On this day in ...........
2015
Priorslee Lake
Today's Sightings Here


2014
Priorslee Lake
Today's Sightings Here

2
013
Priorslee Lake
1 Sedge Warbler
5 Reed Warbler
(John Isherwood)

Long Lane, Wellington
2 Dunlin
1 Sanderling
(Andy Latham)

2009
Priorslee Lake
4 Tufted Ducks
Ed Wilson

2007
Priorslee Lake
Swifts
Kestrel
Great Black-backed Gull
(Martin Adlam)

28 May 17

Priorslee Lake and The Flash

14.0°C > 16.0°C: Broken mid-level cloud cleared away before puffy clouds increased. Light / moderate WNW wind. Very good visibility.

Sunrise: 04:55 BST

Priorslee Lake: 05:12 – 06:35 // 07:35 – 09:15

(67th visit of the year)

A male House Sparrow straying from the estate on to my recording area became my 93rd species at the lake this year
Juvenile Wren, Robin and Great Tits all seen this morning

Other notes from today:
- one of the drake Mallards is starting to acquire its dull ‘eclipse’ plumage
- at last some juvenile Coots. No idea why this has, so far, been a very poor year whereas last year produced a bumper number of juveniles fledging. Many of the adults this year seem to be more interested in fighting than nesting
- no sign of the Sedge Warbler today but yesterday it only sang briefly once then so perhaps busy breeding?
- had a good scout around for the Reed Warblers today and think 10 singing birds – hard to be sure exactly how many there are in some of the larger reed patches as the song source appears to move as birds turn their heads. Whatever the precise number it is higher than it was last year
and
- nothing on the lamps again
- >10 Silver-ground Carpet moths flushed from vegetation
- >20 Timothy Tortrix (Aphelia paleana) moths in the vegetation
- a Blood-vein moth found in the vegetation
- Common Blue, Azure and Blue-tailed Damselflies were new for me this year
- Black Snipe Fly (Chrysopilus cristatus) and another snipe fly Rhagio scolopaceus
- lurking Common stretch-spiders (Tetragnatha extensa)
- more new(ly identified) flowers noted this morning included
.... Early Marsh Orchid (Dactylorhiza incarnata)
.... Common Poppy (Papaver rhoeas)
.... White Dead-Nettle (Lamium album)
.... Blue Flag Iris (Iris versicolor)
.... Goat's-beard or Jack-go-to-bed-at-noon (Tragopogon sp.)
.... Woody Nightshade or Bittersweet (Solanum dulcamara)
.... Blackberry (Rubus fruticosus aggregate) flowers
.... Dogwood (Cornus sanguinea) flowers
.... Hedge Woundwort (Stachys sylvatica) [not quite in flower yet]
.... Spear Thistle (Cirsium vulgare) [also not quite in flower yet]
.... Smooth Sow-thistle or Milk Thistle (Sonchus oleraceus)
.... White Clover (Trifolium repens) [now found on the dam]

On with the bird totals

Birds noted flying over the lake:
- 8 Canada Geese (1 group)
- 1 Cormorant
- 4 Lesser Black-backed Gulls (1 group)
- 3 Wood Pigeons
- 2 Jackdaws
- 1 Raven

Hirundine etc. counts:
- 12 Swifts
- 2 Barn Swallows

Warblers counts: number in brackets = singing birds
- 8 (8) Chiffchaffs
- 1 (1) Willow Warblers again
- 14 (14) Blackcaps again
- 2 (2) Garden Warblers
- 2 (0) Common Whitethroats again
- 10 (10) Reed Warblers

The counts from the lake area
- 2 + 5 Mute Swans
- 7 (4♂) + 4 (1 brood) Mallard
- 2 (1♂) Tufted Ducks
- 5 + 2 (1 brood?) Great Crested Grebes
- 1 Moorhens
- 24 + 3 (2 broods) Coots

------------------------------------------------------------------------

The Flash: 06:45 – 07:30

(49th visit of the year)

A Reed Warbler singing at the W end was new for my 2017 site list: number 65 and my first here for two years. In 2015 a bird was heard on one day only so it will be interesting to see whether this one stays. They seem to use here only if the lake is ‘full’ and with at least 10 songsters there it may well be

Other notes from here
- the 7 cygnets seemed to be doing well: no-one I spoke to had seen more than this number when they first hatched
- 10 of the Canada Geese were wandering in the roadway to the W of the water
- there were apparently 3 Canada Goose goslings for a while with the cob Mute Swan noted chasing the parents. None remains
- no idea why so few Mallard
- with two pairs of Tufted Ducks still around it is possible that breeding may be attempted (there were also more lone drakes)
- possible juvenile Great Crested Grebe(s) on the back of one of the adults
- just 1 House Martin with a sizeable group of 14 Swifts
- Tree Creeper(s) heard again
- juvenile Great Tits heard

Birds noted flying over
None

Hirundine etc. counts
- 14 Swifts
- 1 House Martin only

Warblers counts: number in brackets = singing birds
- 2 (2) Chiffchaffs
- 3 (2) Blackcaps

The counts from the water
- 2 + 7 Mute Swans
- 36 Canada Geese
- the white feral goose has reappeared]
- 6 (6♂) Mallard only
- 8 (6♂) Tufted Duck
- 2 + ? Great Crested Grebes
- 1 Moorhen
- 18 + 4 (2 broods) Coots

Between the lake and The Flash alongside the path
- 2 drake Mallard on the lower pool
- a singing Blackcap, much nearer The Flash than usual

(Ed Wilson)

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
On this day in ...........
2016
Priorslee Lake
Today's Sightings Here


2015
Priorslee Lake
Today's Sightings Here


2007
Priorslee Lake
2 Ruddy Ducks
(Martin Adlam)

2006
Priorslee Lake
Cuckoo
(Martin Adlam)

27 May 17

Priorslee Lake: 05:29 – 06:49

15.0°C > 14.0°C: Clear to E with angry-looking clouds spreading from the W with heavy spots of rain by 06:45. Light SE wind. Good visibility

Sunrise: 04:57 BST

(66th visit of the year)

First day back after 2 weeks in Europe and an abbreviated visit due to threatening clouds and forecast thunderstorms. Just time for a single lap
notes from today:
- resident Mute Swans have 5 cygnets
- the 4 Mallard ducklings still doing well
- a juvenile Great Crested Grebe seen diving seen likely to be from a different brood to two very dependent singles seen, each close to one adult. However seen once only and unconfirmed
- still no sign of any juvenile Coots: strange
- loose part of 12 very scruffy-looking Lesser Black-backed Gulls about the only birds flying over
- Great Spotted Woodpecker juvenile along N side indicates successful breeding
- low numbers of some warbler species may be due to birds busy raising broods: always difficult after some time away to pinpoint all the territories and it was a rather brisk tour ahead of the rain
and
- still no moths on the lamps: just a single caddis fly sp. noted
- Silver-ground Carpet moth flushed from vegetation
- a Timothy Tortrix (Aphelia paleana) moth in the vegetation
- a probable Black Snipe fly (Chrysopilus cristatus)
- new flowers noted this morning included
.... Common Hogweed (Heracleum sphondylium)
.... Ox-eye daisy (Leucanthemum vulgare)
.... Meadow Vetchling (Lathyrus pratensis)
.... Dog Rose (Rosa canina agg.)
.... Guelder Rose (Viburnum opulus) [aka dogberry; water elder; cramp bark; snowball tree; European cranberry bush]
.... Yellow Flag (Iris pseudacorus)
.... Common Bird's-foot Trefoil (Lotus corniculatus)
.... White Clover (Trifolium repens) [but only outside the Teece Drive gate]
.... Hawkweed (Hieraceum brittanicum)
with the following plants that have insignificant flowers
.... Cleavers (Galium aparine)
.... Broad-leaved dock (Rumex obtusifolius)
.... Common or Stinging Nettle (Urtica dioica)

On with the totals

Birds noted flying over the lake:
- 12 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
- 1 Rook

Hirundine etc. counts:
- 2 Swifts
- 2 House Martins

Warblers counts: number in brackets = singing birds
- 5 (5) Chiffchaffs
- 1 (1) Willow Warblers
- 14 (14) Blackcaps
- 3 (3) Garden Warblers
- 2 (0) Common Whitethroats
- 1 (1) Sedge Warblers
- 5 (5) Reed Warblers

The counts from the lake area
- 2 + 5 Mute Swans
- 12 (8♂) + 4 (1 brood) Mallard
- 3 (2♂) Tufted Duck
- 5 + 2 (1 brood?) Great Crested Grebes (see notes)
- 2 Moorhens
- 26 Coots

(Ed Wilson)

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
On this day in ...........
2016
Priorslee Lake
Today's Sightings Here


2015
Priorslee Lake
Today's Sightings Here

2014
Priorslee Lake
Today's Sightings Here


2009
Priorslee Lake
3 Little Egrets
(Ed Wilson)

2007
Priorslee Lake
Little Ringed Plover
(John Isherwood)

26 May 17

No Sightings in today.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
On this day in ...........
2016
Priorslee Lake
Today's Sightings Here


2015
Priorslee Lake
Today's Sightings Here

2014
Priorslee Lake
Today's Sightings Here


2009
Priorslee Lake
Oystercatcher
Common Sandpiper
2 Common Terns
(Ed Wilson)

2007
Priorslee Lake
Common Tern
(Ed Wilson)

25 May 17

No Sightings in today.



Note

In Shrewsbury there is a Night Heron by the pond in Dingle Gardens Here. Present since 22 Apr. Via BirdGuides Here

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
On this day in ...........
2016
Priorslee Lake
Today's Sightings Here


2015
Priorslee Lake
Today's Sightings Here

2014
Priorslee Lake
Today's Sightings Here
2012
Nedge Hill
2 Ravens mobbing Kestrel.
(John Isherwood)

2010
Priorslee Lake
Ringed Plover
(Ed Wilson)

2009
Priorslee Lake
Red Kite
(Ed Wilson)

24 May 17

No Sightings in today.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
On this day in ...........
2016
Priorslee Lake
Today's Sightings Here


2015
Priorslee Lake
Today's Sightings Here

2014
Priorslee Lake
Today's Sightings Here

2007
Priorslee Lake
Cuckoo
(Ed Wilson)

23 May 17

No Sightings in today.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
On this day in ...........
2016
Priorslee Lake
Today's Sightings Here


2015
Priorslee Lake
Today's Sightings Here

2006
Priorslee Lake
Mink seen by locals
(Ed Wilson)