28 Mar 17

Priorslee Lake and The Flash

5.0°C > 6.0°C: Low overcast and very misty again. Light SSE wind. Poor visibility

Sunrise: 06:54 BST

Priorslee Lake: 11:00

13 Sand Martins
A male Blackcap singing
5 male Chiffchaff singing

(Mart Grant)

Priorslee Lake: 06:06 – 07:00 // 07:45 – 09:18

(42nd visit of the year)

Notes from today:
- only 1 Mute swan seen: I assume the pen was on the nest hidden away somewhere
- 10 singing Chiffchaffs a good count: at least six of these seem to be holding a stable territory but whether they can all attract females and stay to breed is a bit premature to say
- now 3 singing Blackcaps
and
- still no moths on the lamps
- a 2nd clump of Primroses (Primula vulgaris) found
- first Violets of the year – Sweet Violets (Viola odorata)
- Hairy Bittercress (Cardamine hirsuta) growing on the dam

Birds noted flying over the lake
*** sighting badly affected by the very misty conditions ****
- 8 Canada Geese (3 groups) yet again
- 1 Lesser Black-backed Gull
- 1 Feral Pigeons
- c.164 Jackdaws

Warblers counts: number in brackets = singing birds
- 10 (10) Chiffchaffs
- 3 (3) Blackcaps

The counts from the lake area
- 1 Mute Swan
- 6 (5♂) Mallard again
- 14 (9♂) Tufted Ducks
- 1 Cormorant
- 1 Grey Heron again
- 6 Great Crested Grebes
- 5 Moorhens again
- 32 Coots

Very much a ‘grab shot’ on a very dull morning: a male Blackcap amongst the Blackthorn blossom.

The flowers are not yet fully open but this seems to be Hairy Bittercress (Cardamine hirsuta). Strangely it is the not dissimilar Wavy Bittercress (Cardamine flexuosa) that has hairy stems.

An upgrade on yesterday: I found another Primrose plant (Primula vulgaris) more in the open.

A Sweet Violet (Viola odorata) flower. ‘Odorata’ because this is the violet that gives its name to the aroma of the same name.

(Ed Wilson)

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

The Flash 07:10 – 07:40

(31st visit of the year)

A singing Blackcap in S-side bushes became my 55th confirmed bird species logged from around the water this year

Notes
- drake Gadwall apparently gone
- no Great Crested Grebes seen – probably the mist
and
- a March Moth on one of the lamps – a lamp I very rarely check: my last record from here was 28 March 2014, both very late dates for this species

Birds noted flying over
None

Warblers counts: number in brackets = singing birds
- 4 (4) Chiffchaffs
- 1 (1) Blackcap

The counts from the water
- 1 Mute Swan
- 23 Canada Geese
- 1 all white feral goose
- 11 (11♂) Mallard
- 25 (15♂) Tufted Duck
- 1 Cormorant
- 2 Moorhens
- 16 Coots

Between the lake and The Flash alongside the path
- 2 (2) Mallard on the lower pool
- single Moorhen on the upper pool
- a singing Chiffchaff moving towards The Flash

(Ed Wilson)

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

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

2015
Priorslee Lake
Today's Sightings Here

2014
Priorslee Lake
2 Little Grebes
4 Great Crested Grebes
9+ Cormorants
1 Grey Heron
2 Swans
2 Shoveler
30 Tufted Duck
10 Chiffchaffs
 5 Siskins
(Ed Wilson)

The Flash
2 Great Crested Grebes
1 Cackling Goose
51 Tufted Ducks
3 Chiffchaffs
1 Meadow Pipit
2 Fieldfare
(Ed Wilson)

Nedge Hill
7 Meadow Pipits
c.150 Fieldfare
c.30 Starlings
1 Chiffchaff
(Ed Wilson)

2013
Priorslee Lake
7 Wigeon
22 Tufted Duck
1 Glaucous Gull
1 Yellow-legged Gull
1 hybrid Ring-billed x Lesser Black-backed Gull
1 Mediterranean Gull
c.400 Black-headed Gulls
63 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
4 Herring Gulls.
(Tom Lowe, Martin Grant)

Nedge Hill
2 Lapwing
(Martin Grant)

Little Wenlock, Candles Landfill Site
1 Glaucous Gull
Iceland Gull
1 Yellow-legged Gull.
(Tom Lowe)

2012
Priorslee Lake
10 Chiffchaffs singing
4 Blackcaps singing
1 Sky Lark
1 Willow Tit
1 Raven flew over
3 Great Crested Grebes
11 Tufted Duck 
(Ed Wilson)

Priorslee Flash
2 Great Spotted Woodpeckers
38 Tufted Duck
5 Chiffchaffs singing
(Ed Wilson)

2008
Priorslee Lake
4 Great Crested Grebes 
6 Gadwall
c.15 Tufted Duck
1 Fieldfare
11 Linnets
5 Chiffchaffs
c.40 Sand Martins
(Ed Wilson)

The Flash 
4 Great Crested Grebes
30 Tufted Ducks
Siskins
2 Chiffchaffs
(Ed Wilson)

Nedge Hill
10 Meadow Pipits
Linnets
Sky Larks
(Ed Wilson)

2006
Priorslee Lake
7 Great Crested Grebes
2 Cormorants
14 Tufted Ducks
3 Ruddy Ducks
1 Kittiwake
242 Wood Pigeons
4 Stock Doves
2 Buzzards
1 Kestrel
3 Meadow Pipits
3 Grey Wagtails
9 Pied Wagtails
26 Wrens
3 Fieldfare
94 Redwings
2 Swallow
13 Sand Martins
1 Blackcap
1 Willow Warbler
7 Chiffchaffs
18 Magpies
4 Jays
127 Jackdaws
13 Greenfinches
7 Siskins
7 Reed Buntings
(Ed Wilson, Martin Adlam)