3 May 16

Priorslee Lake: 07:15 – 10:00
Location

Sunrise: 05:32 BST

3°C > 9°C Clear start after slight frost; some high cloud from W by 07:30 and then puffy cloud building to light showers by 10:30. Light W / SW wind. Very good visibility

Highlight today was the male Pied Flycatcher seen at the lake. It seems improbable that the bird found by Martin Grant here last Friday is still around – a species that favours upland mature oak woodlands. But it seems just as improbable that two birds would turn up on passage in the same year. So ...? I also heard the bird sing briefly

(67th visit of the year)

Other notes
- clear-out of many of the Tufted Duck. Whether due to the onset of breeding season or disturbance over the holiday weekend is hard to say. Mote likely the latter as there were none at The Flash either
- only 6 Great Crested Grebes on the water but two of these seemed to be ‘standing guard’ at nests
- an Oystercatcher flew W to the S before 07:45
- 4 Goldcrests were in song this morning
- here (and at The Flash) many of the Willow Warblers seem to have moved on
- the Reed Warblers doing some mimicry added Barn Swallow to its repertoire this morning

Counts of birds flying over the lake (in addition to those on / around lake)
- 1 Oystercatcher
- 6 Feral Pigeons (single and a party)
- 2 Wood Pigeons only
- 6 Rooks

Hirundine etc. totals
- >20 Common Swifts
- >15 Sand Martins
- 4 Barn Swallows
- >6 House Martin

Warblers seen / heard around the lake: numbers in brackets are singing birds
- 1 (1) Cetti’s Warbler
- 7 (7) Chiffchaffs
- 3 (2) Willow Warbler
- 22 (15) Blackcaps
- 1 (1) Lesser Whitethroat
- 2 (2) Common Whitethroats
- 2 (2) Sedge Warblers
- 5 (5) Reed Warblers

The counts from the lake area
- 2 Mute Swans
- 3 (2♂) Mallard
- 9 (6♂) Tufted Ducks
- 8? Great Crested Grebes
- 4 Moorhens
- 29 Coots

A bit distant but you can see the highlight in the eye of this Swift.

And in case you think they are all-black ... We can just about make out the pale throat, something my eyes can almost never see but the camera can.

Not a new subject but when lit well a Common Buzzard always worth a photo, especially as they are so variable.

The same Buzzard, I think, peering down.

This a different bird?

A ‘grab-shot’ against the light but no mistaking this: a male Pied Flycatcher. My first-ever at this site.

(Ed Wilson)

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Woodhouse Lane: 08:25 – 09:00
Location

A walk around the fields and along the lane: generally quiet but Whitethroats back in usual numbers

Notes
- a few Sand Martins and Swallows over the fields were presumably passing through
- just the one Sky Lark in song. Perhaps (hope?) the others too are bust with parental duties

and

- a micro moth on dandelion flower likely a Common Nettle-tap (Anthophila fabriciana)

Some numbers (numbers in brackets are singing birds)
- 1 (1) Sky Lark
- 1 (1) Chiffchaff
- 2 (2) Blackcaps
- 4 (4) Common Whitethroats
- 4 (3) Song Thrush
- 2 Linnets
- 3 (1) Yellowhammer

Compare with last week’s photo. The intensity of the yellow increasing.

This small moth on the dandelion is a Common Nettle-tap (Anthophila fabriciana) [had not noticed the other bug and cannot ID from the part visible here].

(Ed Wilson)

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Priorslee Flash: 10:10 – 10:35
Location

(42nd visit of the year)

Notes

- neither the all-white goose nor the all-white feral duck were noted today
- Tufted Duck all gone
- the Lesser Black-backed Gull over was my only gull of the day
- a good search in the distance over St. George’s found just 2 Swifts around their traditional site. My first from here this year
- no Blackcaps recorded here
- a Reed Bunting singing here again – back at the S end this morning

Birds noted flying over
- 1 Lesser Black-backed Gull

Hirundines seen here
- 2 Swifts
- 4 Sand Martins
- 2 Barn Swallows
- 2 House Martins

Warblers seen / heard around the water: numbers in brackets are singing birds
- 2 (1) Chiffchaffs
- 1 (1) Willow Warbler
- no Blackcaps

The counts from the water
- 2 Mute Swans
- 28 Canada Geese
- 17 (14♂) Mallard
- 2 Great Crested Grebes
- 16 Coots

(Ed Wilson)

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On this day in .....................
2015
Local Area

Today's Sightings Here

2014
Local Area

Today's Sightings Here

2013
Nedge Hill

7 Wheatear
2 Fieldfare
(John Isherwood)

Wrekin
2 Wood Warbler
2 Tree Pipit
Pied Flycatchers
Common Redstarts
(Jim Almond)

2012
Nedge Hill

4 Wheatear
Hobby
(Martin Grant / Arthur Harper)

2010
Nedge Hill
20 Wheatear
(John Isherwood)

2006
Priorslee Lake

2 Common Sandpipers
2 Ruddy Ducks
(Ed Wilson)