10 Mar 17

Priorslee Lake and The Flash

7.0°C > 9.0°C: Cloudy, initially medium-high cloud; later lower. Calm with light SSE wind later. Good visibility

Sunrise: 06:37 GMT

Best today was a Blackcap ‘tac’-ing away in the shrubs alongside the lower pool between the lake and The Flash – as a result it does not go on either site list! As I checked out this bird – it was a male – the reason for its annoyance was revealed when a hitherto unseen Sparrowhawk shot out of the same shrubs

Priorslee Lake: 05:24 – 07:10 // 08:00 – 09:20

(27th visit of the year)

A Pheasant heard calling from the Ricoh plantation was my 71st confirmed species at the lake this year. This species has been active and noisy in Spring the previous two years. Females have been seen occasionally so they may well try and breed in the area

Notes from today:
- Coot numbers rather variable at the moment as they start nest-building and disappear in to the reeds
- 2 Great Spotted Woodpeckers together in the NW area: probably it was a 3rd bird I heard and then saw to the E of Castle Farm Way
- a Chiffchaff in song again
- just 1 Siskin overhead and none seen in the trees: all moved off?
and
- a small bat sp., presumed a Pipistrelle, over N side 05:50
- 1 March Moth on the lamps this morning – a very fresh specimen
- a stretch spider, presumed Common stretch-spider (Tetragnatha extensa), on another lamp

Birds noted flying over the lake
- 4 Greylag Geese (2 pairs)
- 8 Canada Geese (4 pairs)
- 1 Cormorant
- 34 Black-headed Gulls
- 1 Lesser Black-backed Gull
- 3 Stock Doves
- 34 Wood Pigeons
- 268 Jackdaws (28 singles / groups)
- 16 Rooks only (7 singles / groups)
- 1 Redwing
- 1 Greenfinch again
- 1 Siskin

Roost / departure counts
- ?? Magpies
- 8 Redwing

The counts from the lake area
- 2 Mute Swans
- 7 Canada Geese (2 groups)
- 1 all-white feral goose
- 2 (1♂) Gadwall still present
- 8 (5♂) Mallard again
- 18 (11♂) Tufted Ducks
- 7 Cormorants
- 1 Grey Heron again
- 10 Great Crested Grebes
- 11 Moorhens
- 34 Coots
- 34 Black-headed Gulls (same as overflights)
- 3 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
- 1 Herring Gull

A fine pair of Tufted Ducks. The drake has aquatic vegetation hanging from his bill. As far as I know this is not a pairing ritual: just present as he surfaced from a dive to feed. A great ‘tuft’ on this bird.

Another fine portrait: here is a 1st year Black-headed Gull.

Another March Moth included primarily because it seems to be a very fresh and well-marked specimen.

This is the stretch spider, presumed Common stretch-spider (Tetragnatha extensa). All spiders grow throughout their life so at this date this specimen is rather smaller than individuals I usually see.

(Ed Wilson)

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The Flash: 07:15 – 07:50

(21st visit of the year)

Notes

- probably more Canada Geese present than I counted – some birds inside the island looking for nest sites probably overlooked

- a Sparrowhawk seen high over: perhaps the one I flushed earlier –see above

Birds noted flying over here

- 8 Black-headed Gulls

- 1 Lesser Black-backed Gull

- 1 Feral Pigeon again

- 6 Wood Pigeons

- 1 Jackdaw

The counts from the water

- 2 Mute Swans

- >54 Canada Geese

- 1 all white feral goose

- 11 (8♂) Mallard

- 1 (1♂) Pochard again

- 35 (20♂) Tufted Duck

- 1 Cormorant: flew off

- 1 Great Crested Grebe

- 7 Moorhens

- 15 Coots

- 13 Black-headed Gulls

A single Moorhen was again seen on the upper pool beside the path between the lake and The Flash

(Ed Wilson)

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

2016
Priorslee Lake
Today's Sightings Here

2015
Priorslee Lake
Today's Sightings Here

2014
Priorslee Lake
3 Great Crested Grebe
11 Tufted Duck
3 Cormorant
7 Great Black-backed Gulls
465 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
48 Herring Gulls
37 Black-headed Gulls
1 Chiffchaff
(John Isherwood, Martin Grant)

2013
Priorslee Lake
35 Tufted Duck
27 Wigeon
(Tony Beckett)

The Flash
36 Tufted Duck
6 Mute Swan
9 Pochard
(Tony Beckett)

2011
Priorslee Lake
7 Pochard
18 Tufted Ducks
1 Chiffchaff
(Ed Wilson)

2010
Priorslee Lake
1 Little Grebe
1 Water Rail
(Ed Wilson)

2007
Priorslee Lake
10 Cormorants
3 Grey Heron
24 Tufted Duck
1 Ruddy Duck
497 Wood Pigeon
32 Wren
30 Robin
21 Blackbird
7 Redwing
31 Magpie
198 Jackdaw
5 Greenfinch
5 Reed Bunting
(Ed Wilson)

2006
Priorslee Lake
1 Little Grebe
6 Great Crested Grebes
4 Cormorants
2 Pochard
35 Tufted Ducks
2 Ruddy Ducks
109 Coots
1 Water Rail heard
2 Lapwings
295 Wood Pigeons
245 Jackdaws
12 Greenfinches
6 Reed Buntings.
(Ed Wilson)