27 Mar 19

Priorslee Lake, The Flash, Trench Lock Pool and Trench Middle Pool

Priorslee Lake:  05:00 – 06:30 // 07:40 – 09:25
The Flash:  06:40 – 07:30
Trench Lock Pool:  09:35 – 09:50 // 10:40 – 11:10
Trench Middle Pool:  09:55 – 10:35

6.0°C > 11.0°C:  Mostly cloudy with a clear period 07:00 – 08:00. Light W wind. Very good visibility

Sunrise: 05:56 GMT

Priorslee Lake:  05:00 – 06:30 // 07:40 – 09:25

(81st visit of the year)

Bird species added to my 2019 log from here
74      Red-legged Partridge
This is only my second record of this species here, the first being on 14 May 2015. I expected the crashing in the undergrowth to be one of the currently resident Pheasants and was rather surprised when this emerged and clattered away

Until then my ‘bird of the day’ had been my second over-flying Curlew of the year. This flew W without calling at 06:03

Other bird notes from today
- an ‘extra’ Mute Swan was seen off at c.06:20. A ‘grab shot’ with the camera shows it had a BTO-type metal ring but there was no chance of reading it
- a Little Grebe seen off the NE reeds: at least one heard calling in the NW reeds, but not seen
- all four Great Crested Grebes seen at various times though often out of sight in the reeds
- single Black-headed Gull arrived c.08:00 and stayed around
- 31 of the 55 Wood Pigeons flying over  were likely migrants flying off high NW
- six of the Jackdaws logged probably came out of roost trees around the lake; another five possibly did. The cloudy weather provided too little contrast to be able to see the main departure groups – assuming they did indeed pass by
- a single Sand Martin noted directly over the dam at 08:05. Did not see it or any others before or after
- one party of Wood Pigeons heading NW had three Goldfinches with it – odd
- after a winter with record numbers of roosting Reed Buntings there remain many around the lake – I logged nine today

Bird totals

Birds noted flying over or flying near the lake
- 2 Canada Geese (pair outbound)
- 1 Grey Heron
- 1 Curlew
- 11 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
- 55 Wood Pigeons
- 19 Jackdaws only
- 1 Meadow Pipit

Hirundines noted
- 1 Sand Martin

Warblers noted (singing birds)
- 5 (5) Chiffchaffs once more
- 2 (2) Blackcaps yet again

The counts from the lake area:
- 3 Mute Swans: visitor left c.06:20
- 2 Greylag Geese (stopped off inbound)
- 2 Canada Geese (throughout)
- 5 (3♂) Mallard
- 11 (6♂) Tufted Duck again
- 1 Cormorant
- 1 Grey Heron
- 2+ Little Grebe
- 4 Great Crested Grebes
- 9 Moorhens
- 27 Coots
- 1 Black-headed Gull

Of course it was right down the other end of the lake. A Cormorant comes in to land. Big white thigh patch and some head plumes make this an adult.

This Grey Heron flew in from the E, circled and then left to the E, casting a big shadow as it did so.

What an amazing furry creature. It is an owl-midge, also called a moth-fly. Almost certainly of genus Pericoma. The closest I can find on the web is Pericoma signata. That is from the New World so I am none too sure about the specific identity.

For scale here it is resting (at 7 o‘clock) on a bramble leaf.

(Ed Wilson)

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

The Flash:  06:40 – 07:30

(74th visit of the year)

Notes from here:
- one adult Mute Swan on the nest: the other came away from the nest and started chasing the geese
- in contrast to yesterday there were no Mallard on roofs or in gardens
- 13 of the over-flying Wood Pigeons went N in a single group
- two Chiffchaffs seen chasing. Did not call or sing at this time and did not seem connected to the two singing birds

Birds noted flying over / near The Flash
- 1 Lesser Black-backed Gull again
- 3 Feral Pigeons
- 21 Wood Pigeons
- 4 Jackdaws

Warblers noted (singing birds)
- 4 (2) Chiffchaffs

The counts from the water
- 2 + 1 Mute Swans present
- 1 Greylag Goose (arrived)
- 25 Canada Geese
- 14 (12♂) Mallard
- 22 (15♂) Tufted Ducks
- 4 Moorhens
- 32 Coots

Not quite the right colour due to the early light. This Nuthatch atop the stump of the Ash in which it looks likely to be nesting.

They are very vocal at this time of year ....

An acrobatic Blue Tit looking for food amongst the remains of Hazel catkins.

Between the lake and The Flash
- 1 (1♂) Mallard on the lower pool
- single Moorhens on both the upper and lower pools again

(Ed Wilson)

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

Trench Lock Pool:  09:35 – 09:50 // 10:40 – 11:10

(17th visit of the year)

Bird species added to my 2019 log from here
41      Chiffchaff
42      Blackcap

Other notes from here
- a second pair of Mute Swans was just leaving, having been chased off, as I arrived
- two of the Great Crested Grebes have started nest-building: the third remains alone
- some Coots likely sitting on nests and hidden from view
- two of the three Herring Gulls seem likely to have been the birds seen passing over Middle Pool: the third could have been the bird circling overhead here earlier. They left individually
also
- Peacock butterfly
- Terrapin sp. basking on a rock

Birds noted flying over / near here [other than local Wood Pigeons and Jackdaws]
- 2 Canada Geese
- 3 Common Buzzards
- 2 Lesser Black-backed Gulls again
- 1 Herring Gull
- 1 Starling

Warblers noted (singing birds)
- 2 (2) Chiffchaffs
- 2 (2) Blackcaps

The counts from the water
- 4 > 2 Mute Swans
- 2 Canada Geese
- 8 (7♂) Mallard
- 1 (1♂) feral Mallard
- 19 (14♂) Tufted Ducks
- 3 Great Crested Grebes again
- 4 Moorhens again
- 22 Coots only
- 3 Herring Gulls

A fine-looking Jackdaw.

Another Jackdaw collecting nesting material – no doubt to stuff down someone’s chimney.

Here on a rock is the terrapin sp. All UK records are of individuals abandoned by their owners. Most sold in pet shops are hybrids, though Yellow-bellied Slider (Trachemys scripta) genes are dominant We can just about see the yellow on the underneath here.

The flowers of White Dead-Nettle (Lamium album). Like all dead-nettles this has no sting. 

(Ed Wilson)

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

Trench Middle Pool:  09:55 – 10:35

(17th visit of the year)

Bird species added to my 2019 log from here
41      Chiffchaff

Other notes from here
- some under-recording of geese likely as nesting birds hide on the island – and perhaps elsewhere: one Greylag Goose emerged from vegetation on the shady SE side
- the two over-flying Herring Gulls were probably two of the gulls on Trench Lock Pool when I got back there
- Grey Wagtail(s) again
and
- an unidentified flower that seems related to Comfrey

Birds noted flying over / near here
- 2 Herring Gulls
- 2 Stock Doves
- 2 Jackdaws

Warblers noted (singing birds)
- 2 (2) Chiffchaffs

The counts from the water
- 2 Mute Swans: Darvic rings not read
- 15 Greylag Geese
- 49 Canada Geese
- 12 (11♂) Mallard
- 4 (2♂) Tufted Ducks
- 2 Great Crested Grebes
- 7 Moorhens
- 27 Coots
- [no gulls on the water]

Seemed to be a dispute between normally placid Greylag Geese.

 I suspect a female was involved as one of the combatants makes off with his partner.

What looks like a pair of Moorhens in a courtship ritual, all the while balanced on a log. Apologies about the foreground twigs – there was no way I could shoot from an angle to avoid the twigs. The behaviour deserved illustrating.

One of them in close up. Very subtle colouring.

A passing adult Herring Gull showing the wing-tip marks with ‘mirrors’ in the outer primaries and a white strip along the outermost primary. The paleness of the upperwing and the extent of the black in the tip point to a bird of race argenteus – the local race. In winter we get Scandinavian birds with a darker shade of upperwing and less black in the wing tip. These should have mostly left to breed by now.

Two Carrion Crows to compare. Note the head-shape of this bird and compare with ...

... This smoother outline. Birds do not always look like they do in the Field Guides.

A Grey Wagtail. From this angle we can see the length of the tail – longer in grey than any other wagtail species. The bib on adult males becomes solid black. This bird could be a female or a first-year male: perhaps even an adult male yet to complete the change in to breeding plumage.

Here it is in a very typical environment – right at the water’s edge ready to catch flies.

This flower seems related to Comfrey. Common Comfrey (Symphytum officinale) does not flower until May and this specimen was growing in deep shade and thus unlikely to be far advanced. None of my reference books shows any members of the family with blue below the white. Perhaps a garden escape? Help!

(Ed Wilson)

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

On this day..........

2018
Priorslee Lake
Today's Sightings Here

2017
Priorslee Lake
Today's Sightings Here

2015
Priorslee Lake
Today's Sightings Here

2014
Priorslee Lake
6 Great Crested Grebes
5+ Cormorants
31 Tufted Duck
1 Kittiwake
7 Fieldfare
6 Chiffchaffs
c.230 Jackdaws
(Ed Wilson)

The Flash
1 Cackling Goose
2 Teal
49 Tufted Ducks
3 Chiffchaffs
(Ed Wilson)

2013
Priorslee Lake
2 Little Grebes
7 Great Crested Grebes
7 Wigeon 
2 Gadwall 
1 Pochard 
34 Tufted Ducks 
c.500 Black-headed Gulls
7 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
31 Herring Gulls
1 Common Gull
1 Yellow-legged Gull
1 Great Black-backed Gull 
5 Redwings
(Ed Wilson)

The Flash 
3 Great Crested Grebes 
1 Pochard 
62 Tufted Duck 
Steppe Gull?
(Ed Wilson)

Trench Lock Pool
2 Great Crested Grebes 
1 Cormorant 
26 Tufted Duck 
(Ed Wilson)

Trench Middle Pool
3 Cormorants
2 Goosander 
(Ed Wilson)

2011
Priorslee Lake
1 Dunlin
1 Raven
(John Isherwood)

Priorslee Flash
2 Shoveler
1 Willow Warbler
(John Isherwood)

Nedge Hill
4 Wheatear
(John Isherwood)

2010
Priorslee Lake
16 Fieldfares
1 Willow Warbler
4 Great Crested Grebe 
4 Herons 
4 Gadwall
29 Tufted Duck
c.215 Jackdaws
(Ed Wilson)

2007
Priorslee Lake
2 Pochard
27 Tufted Ducks
16 Meadow Pipits
36 Robins
28 Blackbirds
5 Chiffchaffs
1 Redpoll
7 Reed Buntings
(Ed Wilson)

2006
Priorslee Lake
5 Great Crested Grebes
1 Pochard
24 Tufted Ducks
2 Ruddy Duck
1 Water Rail
127 Wood Pigeon
21 Wrens
3 Fieldfare
3 Redwing
3 Chiffchaff
2 Willow Warblers
8 Sand Martins
22 Siskin
6 Linnets
4 Reed Buntings
(Ed Wilson, Martin Adlam, Martin Grant)