5.0°C > 6.0°C: Low overcast and very misty again. Light SSE wind. Poor visibility
Sunrise: 06:54 BST
Priorslee Lake: 11:00
13 Sand Martins
A male Blackcap singing
5 male Chiffchaff singing
(Mart Grant)
Priorslee Lake: 06:06 – 07:00 // 07:45 – 09:18
(42nd visit of the year)
Notes from today:
- only 1 Mute swan seen: I assume the pen was on the nest hidden away somewhere
- 10 singing Chiffchaffs a good count: at least six of these seem to be holding a stable territory but whether they can all attract females and stay to breed is a bit premature to say
- now 3 singing Blackcaps
and
- still no moths on the lamps
- a 2nd clump of Primroses (Primula vulgaris) found
- first Violets of the year – Sweet Violets (Viola odorata)
- Hairy Bittercress (Cardamine hirsuta) growing on the dam
Birds noted flying over the lake
*** sighting badly affected by the very misty conditions ****
- 8 Canada Geese (3 groups) yet again
- 1 Lesser Black-backed Gull
- 1 Feral Pigeons
- c.164 Jackdaws
Warblers counts: number in brackets = singing birds
- 10 (10) Chiffchaffs
- 3 (3) Blackcaps
The counts from the lake area
- 1 Mute Swan
- 6 (5♂) Mallard again
- 14 (9♂) Tufted Ducks
- 1 Cormorant
- 1 Grey Heron again
- 6 Great Crested Grebes
- 5 Moorhens again
- 32 Coots
Very much a ‘grab shot’ on a very dull morning: a male Blackcap amongst the Blackthorn blossom.
An upgrade on yesterday: I found another Primrose plant (Primula vulgaris) more in the open.
(Ed Wilson)
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The Flash 07:10 – 07:40
(31st visit of the year)
A singing Blackcap in S-side bushes became my 55th confirmed bird species logged from around the water this year
Notes
- drake Gadwall apparently gone
- no Great Crested Grebes seen – probably the mist
and
- a March Moth on one of the lamps – a lamp I very rarely check: my last record from here was 28 March 2014, both very late dates for this species
Birds noted flying over
None
Warblers counts: number in brackets = singing birds
- 4 (4) Chiffchaffs
- 1 (1) Blackcap
The counts from the water
- 1 Mute Swan
- 23 Canada Geese
- 1 all white feral goose
- 11 (11♂) Mallard
- 25 (15♂) Tufted Duck
- 1 Cormorant
- 2 Moorhens
- 16 Coots
Between the lake and The Flash alongside the path
- 2 (2) Mallard on the lower pool
- single Moorhen on the upper pool
- a singing Chiffchaff moving towards The Flash
(Ed Wilson)
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On this day in ...........
2015Priorslee Lake
Today's Sightings Here
2014
Priorslee Lake
2 Little Grebes
4 Great Crested Grebes
9+ Cormorants
1 Grey Heron
2 Swans
2 Shoveler
30 Tufted Duck
10 Chiffchaffs
5 Siskins
(Ed Wilson)
The Flash
2 Great Crested Grebes
1 Cackling Goose
51 Tufted Ducks
3 Chiffchaffs
1 Meadow Pipit
2 Fieldfare
(Ed Wilson)
Nedge Hill
7 Meadow Pipits
c.150 Fieldfare
c.30 Starlings
1 Chiffchaff
(Ed Wilson)
2013
Priorslee Lake
7 Wigeon
22 Tufted Duck
1 Glaucous Gull
1 Yellow-legged Gull
1 hybrid Ring-billed x Lesser Black-backed Gull
1 Mediterranean Gull
c.400 Black-headed Gulls
63 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
4 Herring Gulls.
(Tom Lowe, Martin Grant)
Nedge Hill
2 Lapwing
(Martin Grant)
Little Wenlock, Candles Landfill Site
1 Glaucous Gull
Iceland Gull
1 Yellow-legged Gull.
(Tom Lowe)
2012
Priorslee Lake
10 Chiffchaffs singing
4 Blackcaps singing
1 Sky Lark
1 Willow Tit
1 Raven flew over
3 Great Crested Grebes
11 Tufted Duck
(Ed Wilson)
Priorslee Flash
2 Great Spotted Woodpeckers
38 Tufted Duck
5 Chiffchaffs singing
(Ed Wilson)
2008
Priorslee Lake
4 Great Crested Grebes
6 Gadwall
c.15 Tufted Duck
1 Fieldfare
11 Linnets
5 Chiffchaffs
c.40 Sand Martins
(Ed Wilson)
The Flash
4 Great Crested Grebes
30 Tufted Ducks
Siskins
2 Chiffchaffs
(Ed Wilson)
Nedge Hill
10 Meadow Pipits
Linnets
Sky Larks
(Ed Wilson)
2006
Priorslee Lake
7 Great Crested Grebes
2 Cormorants
14 Tufted Ducks
3 Ruddy Ducks
1 Kittiwake
242 Wood Pigeons
4 Stock Doves
2 Buzzards
1 Kestrel
3 Meadow Pipits
3 Grey Wagtails
9 Pied Wagtails
26 Wrens
3 Fieldfare
94 Redwings
2 Swallow
13 Sand Martins
1 Blackcap
1 Willow Warbler
7 Chiffchaffs
18 Magpies
4 Jays
127 Jackdaws
13 Greenfinches
7 Siskins
7 Reed Buntings
(Ed Wilson, Martin Adlam)