7 Apr 17

Priorslee Lake: 05:34 – 09:02

7.0°C > 8.5°C: Unexpectedly cloudy but soon started to clear before more low cloud later. Light W breeze. Very good visibility.

Sunrise: 06:31 BST

(51st visit of the year)

Notes from today:
- a first-year Mute Swan arrived and was just about to touch down when it noticed the cob at full speed chasing the Canada Geese that had just arrived: he decided to leave. All the commotion and the en came off the nest to see what was going on
- more Tufted Duck today: one pair flew out before 06:00
- the cob swan had already had a go at the adult Lesser Black-backed Gull at 05:45 – I guess it is likely that it roosted. When the gull eventually left at 06:30 it seemed to have a damaged wing, unable to lift it above the horizontal, even though it flew off strongly
- 2 Sand Martins flew more or less straight through at 08:00
- 2 Redwings seen in trees
- Song Thrushes heard singing from nine different locations this morning but I am not entirely convinced there are more than five different songsters
and
- no moths again
- a millipede, probably Tachypodoiulus niger
- small bat sp., presumed a Pipistrelle, flying pre-dawn
- a few Yellow Archangel (Lamium galeobdolon) flowers opened since yesterday
- first Lady's Smock / Cuckooplant / Milkmaid (Cardamine pratensis) flowers

Birds noted flying over the lake
- 5 Greylag Geese
- 1 Canada Goose
- 1 Lesser Black-backed Gull
- 2 Feral Pigeons
- 19 Wood Pigeons
- 428 Jackdaws
- 2 Rooks again
- 1 Meadow Pipit
- 1 Linnet

Hirundine counts
- 2 Sand Martins

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

The counts from the lake area
- 3 Mute Swans (see notes)
- 2 Canada Geese briefly
- 7 (5♂) Mallard
- 14 (8♂) Tufted Ducks
- 2 (3?) Grey Herons yet again!
- 6 Great Crested Grebes
- 7 Moorhens
- 26 Coots again
- 1 Lesser Black-backed Gull

The early cloud clearing away to the SW to leave a clear (and tame?) sunrise.

... we not quite. A bit of colour.

And worth another shot.

.. or two!

The first-year Mute Swan still with some grey in the plumage decides not to stop.

The cob Mute Swan and one of the Canada Geese – the swan was chasing the other goose which was hiding behind one of the boat platforms.

A drake Mallard in close-up. Note the blue speculum just peeking out from the folded wing.

And his mate, also keeping a careful watch on me.

It is usually male Blackbirds that are better at posing for photos, so this female was welcome.

“My larder”: this spider is possibly Tetragnatha montana but genitalia examination is needed to separate several similar species.

This is something new for me: a millipede. It seems to be Tachypodoiulus niger, known variously as the white-legged snake millipede or the black millipede. Quite what it was doing climbing down a lamp post is hard to say!

These are the first flowers of Lady's Smock / Cuckooplant / Milkmaid (Cardamine pratensis).

The Wild Cherry (Prunus avium) flowers already look a bit tatty.

The fine weather has persuaded some Yellow Archangel (Lamium galeobdolon) flowers to open.

(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
2 Great Crested Grebes
1 Snipe
(Ed Wilson, A. Harper)

The Flash
2 Great Crested Grebes
34 Tufted Ducks
1 Blackcap
3 Chiffchaffs
(Ed Wilson)

Trench Lock Pool
4 Great Crested Grebes
11 Tufted Ducks
12 Sand Martins
1 Swallow
2 Chiffchaffs
(Ed Wilson)

2013
Priorslee Lake
2 Little Grebes 
5 Great Crested Grebes 
2 Cormorants
1 Heron
15 Tufted Ducks 
Woodcock
1 Sky Lark
3 Meadow Pipits
7 Redwings
39 Fieldfare 
149 Jackdaws
Brambling
(Ed Wilson)

The Flash
1 Pochard 
48 Tufted Duck 
(Ed Wilson)

Nedge Hill
2 Red-legged Partridge
2 Sky Larks 
1 Redwing
1 Linnet
(Ed Wilson)

2012
Priorslee Lake 
20+ Sand Martins 
3 Swallows 
1 House Martin 
7 Chiffchaff 
2 Blackcap 
(Martin Grant) 

2011
Priorslee Lake
1 Redshank 
(Ed Wilson) 

Nedge Hill 
Common Redstart 
(Observer Unknown) 

2007
Priorslee lake
3 Great Crested Grebe 
1 Pintail x Mallard 
11 Tufted Duck 
1 Ruddy Duck 
2 Buzzard 
2 Sand Martin 
5 Meadow Pipit 
4 Blackcap 
8 Chiffchaff 
1 Willow Tit 
3 Reed Bunting 
(Martin Adlam) 

2006 
Priorslee Lake 
6 Great Crested Grebes 
1 Heron 
3 Cormorants 
4 Tufted Ducks 
2 Ruddy Ducks 
118 Jackdaws 
4 Stock Doves 
3 Sky Larks 
3 Meadow Pipits 
19 Robins 
27 Blackbirds 
1 Redwing 
1 Blackcap 
7 Chiffchaffs 
4 Willow Warblers 
17 Magpies 
3 Jays 
8 Greenfinches 
10 Siskins 
5 Reed Buntings 
(Ed Wilson)