24 Mar 18

Priorslee Lake and The Flash

4.0°C > 6.0°C: Medium overcast with light rain and some low cloud / mist over the hills, clearing at times. Very light N wind. Moderate visibility, poor at times

Sunrise: 06:04 GMT

Priorslee Lake: 05:25 – 06:50 // 07:40 – 09:15

(29th visit of the year)

Another good day with four new species for my site year-list
- a male Pheasant heard calling to the N. This species is heard and occasionally seen most years in Spring and has nested in the Ricoh copse
- a male Peregrine flew S over Teece Drive at 06:45
- an Oystercatcher heard flying over at 08:55. This species is often recorded in Spring, sometime staying for several days
- a Redshank flushed off the dam-face at 06:10 stayed around until at least 08:00. I record this species on Spring passage most years
My year species total here now stands at 70

Also worthy of special note was the presumed return of the same three Goldeneyes with 2 birds (the adult drake and a duck) present until at least 08:50

I also heard of a drake Pintail present two weeks ago. This species is the rarest of our dabbling ducks and something of a bogey bird for me – they were always ‘seen yesterday’ or ‘earlier’

Finally the local community are planting more trees around the ‘football field’ this weekend – these rather larger than those planted earlier

Other notes from today:
- the resident cob Mute Swan rather more aggressive to his cygnets this morning though they showed no sign of taking much notice of him. Meanwhile the cob in the NE area is acting territorially, keeping the other swans well away
- many fewer Tufted Ducks today: a few seemed to have swelled the numbers at The Flash. They seemed very restless yesterday so perhaps were thinking about migrating and have now left
- low number of Black-headed Gulls: most likely mostly left for their breeding sites. Only a few will be seen before they return in mid-June
- in addition to the two Stock Doves flying over I, unusually, flushed one from the grassy area in the SW part of the area. In previous year I have suspected birds have nested in the old Ash tree near the Teece Drive gate but that mainly dead tree collapsed under the weight of the snow this winter
- arrived in time for the Jackdaw passage this morning and was ready for them to pass to the W. c.350 did just that at 05:30. Several other groups over the lake added to this total. Birds were also heard to the E but the visibility was too poor to see these
- a Pied Wagtail on the dam for the second morning suggests it might be getting ready to breed locally (in Stafford Park?), once again to bring its newly-fledged juveniles here
- a late Redwing seen in the trees alongside Teece Drive
- the quieter traffic of a weekend allowed me to hear a Yellowhammer in song from the fields to the E
and
- nothing on the lamps again
- a few of the Daffodils at the Castle Farm gate are just opening (plants in gardens here and around The Flash are well open)
- a few plants of Dog's Mercury (Mercurialis perennis) about to flower

Today’s bird totals

Birds noted flying over / near the lake:
- 4 Greylag Geese (pair inbound and a pair circling)
- 4 Canada Geese (2 pairs outbound)
- 4 (3♂) Mallard
- 1♀ Sparrowhawk
- 1♂ Peregrine Falcon
- 1 Oystercatcher
- 2 Black-headed Gulls
- 2 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
- 2 Stock Doves
- 22 Wood Pigeons
- >410 Jackdaws
- 2 Greenfinches
- 1 Siskin

Warblers noted: figure in brackets is singing birds
- 5 (2) Chiffchaffs

The counts from the lake area
- 6 + 4 Mute Swans
- 8 Canada Geese
- 3 (2♂) Gadwall
- 6 (4♂) Mallard again
- 7 (4♂) Tufted Ducks
- 3 (1♂) Goldeneyes
- 2 Little Grebes
- 3 Great Crested Grebes
- 1 Redshank
- 8 Moorhens
- 68 Coots
- 11 Black-headed Gulls
- 1 Kingfisher

A return by the trio of Goldeneye. This poor-light shot is included to illustrate the strange head-throwing display by drakes – his head goes right over his back (making my neck ache to watch). She looks unimpressed. Looking at these photos today I now think there is one drake and both the other birds are ducks rather than one being a first-year drake.

A rather better shot of the drake Goldeneye.

Not easy to capture this Redshank as it was rather flighty. Was pleased with this shot showing leg and bill colour, the barred tail and the distinctive white trailing edges to the wings.

Against the light it is harder to judge leg colour but we see just how long the legs (shanks) are.

And here, lurking in the vegetation, we get an idea of the bill length. The barred tail is also evident.

Hope to do better later but reasonably pleased with this Chiffchaff photo. At this time of year they are mostly moving through and constantly moving and feeding, intermittently singing as they do. Mobile birds in dull conditions don’t make for easy photographs. When the residents arrive and sing from song-perches they should be easier to photo.

This male Siskin was seen between the lake and The Flash where the trees are smaller and I could get a better shot. He is now in full yellow breeding plumage.

A Daffodil at the lake just about opening.

This is Dog's Mercury (Mercurialis perennis) about to flower.

(Ed Wilson)

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The Flash: 07:00 – 07:30

(17th visit of the year)

Notes from today
- only 1 Mute Swan seen again
- drake Pochard new in / back
- low number of Black-headed Gulls here as well

Birds noted flying over
- 2 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
- 2 Starlings

The counts from the water
- 1 Mute Swan only
- 7 Greylag Geese
- 19 Canada Geese
- 1 white feral goose as usual
- 16 (10♂) Mallard
- 1 (1♂) Pochard
- 42 (25♂) Tufted Ducks
- 2 Great Crested Grebes again
- 7 Moorhens
- 23 Coots
- 4 Black-headed Gulls

Seen between the lake and The Flash
- a male Siskin: very few at the lake the last two days

(Ed Wilson)

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

2016
Priorslee Lake
Today's Sightings Here

2014
Priorslee Lake
7 Chiffchaffs
1 Little Grebe
4 Great Crested Grebes
5 Cormorants
1 Grey Heron
19 Tufted Duck
3 Buzzard
30 Fieldfares
5 Redwings
7 Chiffchaffs
>700 Jackdaws
1 Raven
1 Marsh Tit
(Ed Wilson, Martin Grant)

The Flash
2 Great Crested Grebes
2 Common Teal
50 Tufted Ducks
(Ed Wilson)

2013
Priorslee Lake
1 Little Grebe 
3 Great Crested Grebe 
7 Wigeon 
2 Gadwall 
37 Tufted Ducks 
c.180 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
c.50 Herring Gulls
2 Chiffchaffs
(Ed Wilson)

2010
Priorslee Lake
Oystercatcher 
11 Pied Wagtail
2 Redwings
Willow Warbler
4 Chiffchaffs singing
12 Linnets
1 Siskin
4 Great Crested Grebe 
2 Gadwall
28 Tufted Duck
c.225 Jackdaws
(Ed Wilson)

Nedge Hill
3 Wheatears
(Ian Grant)

The Flash
4 Great Crested Grebes
46 Tufted Duck
2 Chiffchaffs
(Ed Wilson)

2007
Priorslee Lake
4 Great Crested Grebe
25 Tufted Duck
1 Ruddy Duck
1 Sky Lark
1 Sand Martin
28 Wren
20 Robin
33 Blackbird
1 Redwing
3 Chiffchaff
32 Magpie
117 Jackdaw
4 Greenfinch
6 Reed Bunting
(Ed Wilson)

Priorslee Village
Raven
Blackcap
(Martin Adlam)

Nedge Hill
3 Sky Lark
1 Chiffchaff
3 Greenfinch
6 Yellowhammer
(Ed Wilson)

The Flash
6 Great Crested Grebe
2 Pochard
22 Tufted Duck
2 Chiffchaff 
1 Reed Bunting
(Ed Wilson)