2 Apr 19

Priorslee Lake and The Flash

Priorslee Lake:  09:40 – 10:35
The Flash:  10:40 – 11:30

5..0°C:  Clearing after rain. Moderate WNW wind. Very good visibility

Sunrise: 06:42 BST

Priorslee Lake:  09:40 – 10:35

(87th visit of the year)

Short visit mainly looking from lay-by at W end to see whether the rain had brought any migrants

Bird species added to my 2019 log from here
78      House Martin
A single bird located within the big group of Sand Martins (and two Barn Swallows)

Other bird notes from today
- all the three Little Grebes were together in the NE area: calls heard from here
- just four Great Crested Grebes: another bird likely on a nest inside reeds
- I presume some of the Coots are now on nests in the reeds and not readily visible. Hence the low counts
- a male Grey Wagtail on the dam (with a pair of Pied Wagtails). My first record of this species here since 15th March

Bird totals

Hirundines noted
- c.100 Sand Martins
- >2 Barn Swallows
- 1 House Martin

The counts from the lake area:
- 2 Mute Swans
- 4 (3♂) Mallard
- 10 (6♂) Tufted Ducks
- 1 Grey Heron
- 3 Little Grebes
- 4+ Great Crested Grebes
- 6 Moorhens
- 20 Coots only

This Great Crested Grebe has caught breakfast. The red pectoral(?) fin just visible, the red tail fin and the feint black banding on the body indicate it has caught a Perch.

All it had to do now is swallow it.

Easier said than done.

Manoeuvre it around a bit .... 

... open my throat ... 

Doesn’t seem to be lined up straight.

Head back and try again.

Damn: seems to be stuck 

If I throw my head right back ....

Hmm: that didn’t work either [at this point I changed camera settings with the intention of shooting a video of the action, but when I next looked the grebe was fishless. I rather suspect it gave up.

It was not the weather for clear and colourful shots. A male Grey Wagtail with the black bib now obvious and extensive. Not as yellow on the breast and belly as I would expect to see when in full breeding plumage.

(Ed Wilson)

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The Flash:  10:40 – 11:30

(80th visit of the year)

Notes from here:
- the Mute Swans seem to be building their nest on a platform adjacent to the footpath alongside Derwent Drive – this seems a risky place to nest even if it gives them some peace from the geese
- why so many Mallard? There was much flying about and some possible double-counting. That said there were many more then for some days

Birds noted flying over / near The Flash
- 2 Lesser Black-backed Gulls (singles)
- 1 Common Buzzard again
- 4 Feral Pigeons
- 2 Wood Pigeons again

Hirundines noted
None

Warblers noted (singing birds)
- 6 (5) Chiffchaffs still
- 1 (1) Blackcap

The counts from the water:
- 2 + 1 Mute Swans again
- 2 Greylag Geese (departed)
- 18 Canada Geese
- 26 (19♂) Mallard
- 17 (10♂) Tufted Ducks
- 2 Great Crested Grebes
- 3 Moorhens
- 28 Coots

This Chiffchaff seemed mostly oblivious of me as it preened.

It kept a good look-out between spells of preening. Because I stayed still it seemed to take little notice of me.

Although I was only c.200 yards from where I photographed a Chiffchaff on Sunday 31st I think this is a different (non-singing) bird – previously there seemed to be either bare skin or a tick at the base of the bird’s upper mandible. This bird does not show that.

Going in for another root about.

And the back as well.

A photo-‘angry bird’.

All neat and tidy and ready to chase those insects for lunch.

You will struggle to find an illustration of a Blackbird that looks like this. I am 99% certain that this is a first year male bird – at any age a female would be browner than this bird even though our bird shows some brown tones in the wing. The extent of yellow on the bill is another clue. However the paleness of the throat and the extent of the pale fringes to the body feathers seems unusual, especially at this date – probably a late-brood male from 2018. [if you gaze deep in to the bird’s eye you can see a reflection of me taking its photo]

(Ed Wilson)

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

2017
Priorslee Lake
Today's Sightings Here

2015
Priorslee Lake
Today's Sightings Here

2014
Priorslee Lake
5 Great Crested Grebes
1 Cormorant
7 Greylag Geese
14 Tufted Duck
4 Blackcaps
6 Chiffchaffs
229 Jackdaws
(Ed Wilson)

The Flash
6 Greylag Geese
1 Cackling Goose
52 Tufted Ducks
2 Blackcap
4 Chiffchaffs
(Ed Wilson)

Trench Lock Pool
3 Great Crested Grebes
3 Greylag Geese
12 Tufted Ducks
1 Little Gull
2 Chiffchaffs
(Ed Wilson)

Trench Middle Pool
33 Greylag Geese
10 Tufted Duck
3 Chiffchaffs
(Ed Wilson)

2013
Priorslee Lake
1 Water Rail
2 Gadwall
7 Wigeon
2 Little Grebe
Chiffchaff
Reed Bunting.
(John Isherwood)

The Flash
1 Brambling
1 Shoveler
(John Isherwood)

Nedge Hill
>100 Fieldfare
> 50 Redwing
6 Lapwing
Meadow Pipit
Yellowhammer
(John Isherwood)

2012
Priorslee Lake
3 Great Crested Grebes 
9 Greylag Geese
2 Tufted Duck
1 Curlew
1 Peregrine
4 Blackcaps
13 Chiffchaffs
(Ed Wilson)

The Flash
4 Great Crested Grebes 
48 Tufted Duck 
2 Blackcaps
1 Willow Warbler
5 Chiffchaffs
(Ed Wilson)

Nedge Hill
1 Curlew
5 Sky Larks
1 Blackcap 
3 Chiffchaffs
(Ed Wilson)

2011
Priorslee Lake
2 Curlew
Wheatear
> 50 Sand Martin
(John Isherwood)

Nedge Hill
1 male Common Redstart
21 Wheatear
(John Isherwood, Ian Grant)

2010
Priorslee Lake
White Wagtail
Wheatear
3 Sand Martin
Chiffchaff
Willow Warbler
Willow Tit
(John Isherwood)

Nedge Hill
Common Redstart
6 Lapwing
(John Isherwood)

2009
Priorslee Lake
3 Great Crested Grebe
17 Tufted Duck
2 Willow Tit
4 Chiffchaffs
4 Bullfinch
1 Reed Bunting
(Ed Wilson)

The Flash 
25 Tufted Duck
2 Shoveler
3 Chiffchaffs
(Ed Wilson)

Nedge Hill 
2 Lapwing 
2 Curlew
1 Blackcap
1 Sparrowhawk 
4 Meadow Pipits
4 Skylarks
4 Chiffchaffs 
8 Goldfinches
5 Yellowhammers 
(Ed Wilson)

2006
Priorslee Lake
5 Great Crested Grebes
1 Heron
7 Tufted Ducks
2 Ruddy Ducks
146 Jackdaws
1 Stock Dove
192 Wood Pigeons
2 Sky Larks
1 Meadow Pipit
27 Blackbirds
31 Fieldfares
3 Swallow
53 Sand Martins
4 Swallow
3 Blackcaps
2 Willow Warblers
4 Chiffchaffs
2 Jays
22 Greenfinches
2 Siskins
(Ed Wilson, Martin Grant)