16 Mar 16

Priorslee Lake
Location

Morning Report: 07:15 – 09:25

Sunrise: 06:20

c.+5°C > +7°C: Very dull with low cloud – broke only after I left. Moderate N breeze. Moderate visibility

A very standard morning. The only excitement was from a shape I saw run across the N side out of the corner of my eye which caused much noise and excitement with tits, wrens and robins flying excitedly back and forth, calling loudly. No real idea what the culprit was: the split-second view it struck me as grey, but I doubt the birds would react much, if at all, to a Grey Squirrel that they must see all the time

(40th visit of the year)

Notes
- more Tufted Duck today: presumably birds moving back N. No sign of any summer visitors though
- try as I might I could not find more than 10 Great Crested Grebes this morning
- a party of 10 Redwings leaping between grass in Ricoh grounds and the trees in the copse. They were accompanied by at least 25 finches may of which were unidentified: certainly Goldfinches and Greenfinches were calling and part of the group, but I suspect some Linnets as well
- Willow Tit making buzzy call (rather than song this morning). Soon after 2 birds seen shooting through the vegetation might have been this species. Would be nice to think he has found a mate
- Greenfinches very noisy this morning with at least 10 birds present in the tree-tops
- think I have finally nailed the number of singing Chaffinches at the moment: just one rather mobile bird that roams all the way alongside Teece Drive, alongside the footpath and the W end and along much of the N side. I only ever hear one bird in song at any one time
and
- as a PS I made a short stop yesterday evening when the only record of any interest was 19 Linnets together in the bush by the entrance to the new Academy. This is very strange as I live next to a school and a few years ago a party of >50 Linnets roosted in the school grounds right by the exit and would do so at school exit time. Perhaps Linnets like schools

Counts of birds flying over the lake (in addition to those on / around lake)
- 5 Black-headed Gulls
- 5 Lesser Black-backed Gull
- 5 Herring Gulls (a pattern here!)
- 6 Wood Pigeons only
- 1 Collared Dove
- 3 Jackdaws
- 3 Rooks
- 7 Starlings
- 1 Greenfinch
- 5 Goldfinches
- 2 Siskins

The counts from the lake area
- 2 Mute Swans
- 5 (3♂) Gadwall remain
- 5 (3♂) Mallard
- 20 (14♂) Tufted Ducks
- 1 Grey Heron again
- 1 Cormorant
- 10 Great Crested Grebes only
- 20 Moorhens
- 59 Coots
- no gulls

One of the Redwings feeding on the ground – in the newly mown grass? – inside the Ricoh factory. The background building has worked to my advantage here setting off the plumage of the Redwing well.

(Ed Wilson)

Early Morning Sighting:  06:20

5 Gadwall

(John Isherwood)

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Devil's Dingle: 07:30
Location

1 Chiffchaff
1 Oystercatcher
2 Snipe
25 Teal

(John Isherwood)

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On this day in 2007, 2010, 2011, 2012 and 2013
2013
Little Wenlock, Candles Landfill Site
1 Iceland Gull
1 Yellow-legged Gull.
(Tom Lowe)

2012
Priorslee Lake
1 Kittiwake 
2 adult Little Gulls
(J Reeves / Jim Almond / Andy Latham)

2011
Priorslee Lake
13 Pochard
18 Tufted Duck
5 Great Crested Grebe
12+ Sand Martin
3 Chiffchaff
17 Pied Wagtails
23 Linnets
11 Greenfinches
(Mike Cooper, (Martin Grant, Ed Wilson)

 Priorslee Flash
 2 Great Crested Grebe
c.12 Tufted Duck
4  Teal
2 Chiffchaff  singing
1 Kingfisher
(Ed Wilson)

 Trench Lock 
30 Tufted Duck 
6 Sand Martins
3 Chiffchaffs
1 Willow Warbler
( Ed Wilson)

2010
Priorslee Lake
1 Little Grebe 
7 Great Crested Grebe 
1 Heron
6 Gadwall
19 Tufted Duck
2 Reed Buntings
( Ed Wilson)

2007
Priorslee Lake
4 Great Crested Grebe
15 Tufted Duck
1 Ruddy Duck
3 Buzzard
1 Kestrel
46 Golden Plover
4 Stock Dove
281 Wood Pigeon
27 Wren
38 Robin
21 Blackbird
1 Redwing
4 Chiffchaff singing
3 Jay
35 Magpie
159 Jackdaw
3 Reed Bunting
(Ed Wilson)