30 Mar 18

Priorslee Lake only

3.0°C > 4.0°C: Very low overcast started to clear from the E c.08:00. Light SE wind. Moderate / poor visibility

Sunrise: 06:49 BST

Priorslee Lake: 05:50 – 08:35

(35th visit of the year)

Notes from today:

Best sighting today was a rare glimpse of a Water Rail in flight. I was on the Wesley Brook foot bridge trying in vain to get a photo of a pair of wing-waving Dunnocks when the Water Rail, presumably hiding under the bridge, could stand the suspense no longer and broke cover and flew down the brook before diving in to the reeds. It is many weeks since I have even heard this species here and I assumed that the hard weather had moved the birds on. Perhaps it had and this is a returning bird?

I may have partially solved the recent absence of Rooks. A friend who lives in Kynnersley tells me that when they moved in to the village there were 100s of Rooks in the trees but they have all gone in the last year, The question arises as to why and to where they have gone. It may explain why so few are seen over the lake

Other notes:
- single drake Gadwall back
- three pairs of Great Crested Grebes today
- a single adult Black-headed Gull flew high N
- count of the Jackdaw passage was hampered by low cloud and poor visibility: first group was 62 birds at the late time 06:24: no more until 12 birds at 06:35. Very few thereafter. All to the E of the water
and
- nothing on the lamps

Today’s bird totals

Birds noted flying over / near the lake:
- 2 Greylag Geese
- 2 Canada Geese again
- 1 Common Buzzard
- 1 Black-headed Gulls
- 1 Lesser Black-backed Gull
- 11 Feral Pigeons (1 group)
- 33 Wood Pigeons
- 79 Jackdaws
- 4 Rooks
- 1 Pied Wagtail
- 3 Redwings
- 2 Siskins

Hirundine count
none

Warblers noted: figure in brackets refers to singing birds
- 8 (7) Chiffchaffs

The counts from the lake area
- 6 + 4 Mute Swans again
- 4 Greylag Geese
- 6 Canada Geese
- 1 (1♂) Gadwall
- 4 (3♂) Mallard
- 6 Great Crested Grebes
- 1 Water Rail
- 9 Moorhens
- 60 Coots

A Wren caught shouting out from between the brambles. You can almost see what it had for breakfast

(Ed Wilson)

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

2017
Priorslee Lake
Today's Sightings Here

2016
Priorslee Lake
Today's Sightings Here

2014
Priorslee Lake
1 Little Grebe
4 Great Crested Grebes
3 Cormorants
1 Grey Heron
19 Tufted Duck
4 Meadow Pipits
1 Redwing
1 Blackcap
7 Chiffchaffs
197 Jackdaws
(Ed Wilson)

The Flash
2 Great Crested Grebes
1 Cackling Goose
2 Common Teal
42 Tufted Ducks
3 Chiffchaffs
(Ed Wilson)

2013
Horsehay Pool
Mandarin Ducks
(JW Reeves)

2012
Priorslee Lake
4 Great Crested Grebes
15 Tufted Duck
1 Peregrine Falcon
3 Blackcaps
12 Chiffchaffs
(Ed Wilson, John Isherwood )

The Flash 
46 Tufted Duck 
3 Blackcaps
4 Chiffchaffs
(Ed Wilson)

Nedge Hill
Raven
(John Isherwood)

2006
Priorslee Lake
7 Chiffchaff
1 Willow Warbler
1 Swallow
14 Tufted Duck
2 Ruddy Duck
1 Sparrowhawk
5 Great Crested Grebe
1 Dabchick.
1 Grey Heron
20 Redwing
4 Siskins
2 Linnet
9 Greenfinch
4 Reed Bunting
10 Meadow Pipit
1 Willow Tit
(Martin R Adlam)