Priorslee Lake: 07:15 – 09:30
Sunrise: 06:42 BST
1°C > 5°C Increasing high cloud had just about chased away the frost. Increasing SSE wind. Very good visibility
(52nd visit of the year)
Best today was the first Willow Warbler of the year. Blackcap should be next – any day now
Other notes
- found one place on the dam where it was possible to see the pen Swan on the nest
- just 2 drake Gadwall today
- same count of Tufted Duck as yesterday, though a drake was seen to fly off later
- the same Black-headed Gull was again on the ground in the old Celestica grounds and looking rather sluggish as if it might be unwell
- in addition to the 38 Wood Pigeons counted overhead a party of c.75 flushed out of trees to the E and some circled over the lake area before settling back to the E
- Green Woodpecker heard calling in the distance
- the Cetti’s Warbler heard again. Back in the NW area
- 3 Redwing flushed from trees
- very few small birds noted flying over, though conditions were good for seeing them
Counts of birds flying over the lake (in addition to those on / around lake)
- 3 Greylag Geese (2 groups)
- 2 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
- 6 Feral Pigeons (3 groups)
- 1 Stock Dove
- 38 Wood Pigeons
- 1 Collared Dove
- 9 Jackdaws
- 7 Rooks
- 10 Starlings
- 2 Pied Wagtail
- 2 Greenfinches again
- 3 Goldfinches
- 3 Siskins
Hirundine totals
- 2 Sand Martins
Singing warblers around the lake
- 1 Cetti’s Warbler again
- 8 Chiffchaffs
- 1 Willow Warbler
The counts from the lake area
- 2 Mute Swans
- 2 (2♂) Gadwall
- 3 (3♂) Mallard
- 31 (19♂) Tufted Ducks again
- 1 Cormorant
- 1 Grey Heron
- 11 Great Crested Grebes
- 20 Moorhens
- 61 Coots
- 1 Black-headed Gull again
Just a remnant red sky ahead of more general cloud this morning.
A Chiffchaff in song.
When I got closer it refused to sing. This specimen certainly has dark feet.
And here is his other side. A Willow Warbler would look ‘sharper’ with a more distinct supercilium.
A classic shot of a Greylag Goose from underneath. The all-orange bill prevents confusion with any other species of wild goose (though how ‘wild’ any of the geese in this area is can be debated).
In the slack water by the dam this pair(?) of Great Crested Grebes were making interestingly distorted reflections.
Bit of a jumbled background but hay-ho: we can’t win them all. A Great Tit of course. The bright colour might suggest a male but I think the ‘stripe’ is too narrow and that this has to be a female.
(Ed Wilson)
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Priorslee Flash: 09:35 – 09:55
(34th visit of the year)
Notes
- several white shapes inside the island were probably the Swans and / or the all-white feral goose
- no Cormorants today
The only birds noted flying over
- 2 Goldfinches
Singing warblers around the water
- 1 Chiffchaff
The counts from the water
- ? Mute Swan
- 22 Canada Geese
- ? all-white feral goose
- 9 (7♂) Mallard
- 23 (14♂) Tufted Ducks
- 1 all-white feral duck
- 1 Great Crested Grebe again
- 4 Moorhens
- 14 Coots
no gulls
(Ed Wilson)
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On this day in .....................
2015Priorslee Lake
Today's Sightings Here
2014
Priorslee Lake
1 Sand Martin
4 Great Crested Grebes
9 Tufted Duck
2 Blackcaps
6 Chiffchaffs
127 Jackdaws
(Ed Wilson)
The Flash
1 Sand Martin
2 Teal
45 Tufted Ducks
1 Blackcap
4 Chiffchaffs
(Ed Wilson)
Woodhouse Lane
1 Chiffchaff
2 Linnets
4 Yellowhammer
(Ed Wilson)
2013
Priorslee Lake
1 Kittiwake
5 Gadwall
7 Wigeon
Kestrel
Sparrowhawk
Willow Tit
(John Isherwood, Jim Almond, Arthur Harper)
Horsehay Pool
2 Mandarin Ducks
(Jim Almond)
Priorslee Lake
1 Kittiwake
5 Gadwall
7 Wigeon
Kestrel
Sparrowhawk
Willow Tit
(John Isherwood, Jim Almond, Arthur Harper)
Horsehay Pool
2 Mandarin Ducks
(Jim Almond)
2009
Priorslee Lake
3 Great Crested Grebe
8 Tufted Duck
3 Chiffchaff
(Ed Wilson)
Trench
2 Great Crested Grebe
2 Cormorant
32 Tufted Duck
2 Chiffchaff
(Ed Wilson)
Priorslee Flash
33 Tufted Duck
2 Chiffchaff
1 Willow Warbler
2007
The Flash
1 Shoveler
(John Isherwood)
Priorslee Lake
3 Great Crested Grebe
8 Tufted Duck
3 Chiffchaff
(Ed Wilson)
Trench
2 Great Crested Grebe
2 Cormorant
32 Tufted Duck
2 Chiffchaff
(Ed Wilson)
Priorslee Flash
33 Tufted Duck
2 Chiffchaff
1 Willow Warbler
2007
The Flash
1 Shoveler
(John Isherwood)
2006
Priorslee Lake
7 Great Crested Grebes
9 Tufted Ducks
1 Ruddy Duck
184 Wood Pigeons
2 Stock Doves
1 House Martin
5 Sand Martins
1 Curlew
1 Great Spotted Woodpecker
1 Sky Lark
2 Meadow Pipits
25 Wrens
20 Robins
27 Blackbirds
1 Redwing
2 Willow Warblers
3 Chiffchaffs
1 Willow Tit
10 Greenfinches
2 Siskins
5 Reed Buntings
(Ed Wilson)
Priorslee Lake
7 Great Crested Grebes
9 Tufted Ducks
1 Ruddy Duck
184 Wood Pigeons
2 Stock Doves
1 House Martin
5 Sand Martins
1 Curlew
1 Great Spotted Woodpecker
1 Sky Lark
2 Meadow Pipits
25 Wrens
20 Robins
27 Blackbirds
1 Redwing
2 Willow Warblers
3 Chiffchaffs
1 Willow Tit
10 Greenfinches
2 Siskins
5 Reed Buntings
(Ed Wilson)