11 Apr 18

Priorslee Lake and The Flash

7.5°C > 6.5°C: Very dull with low cloud and some showery rain after 08:45. Moderate ENE wind. Moderate visibility at best

Sunrise: 06:21 BST

Another very dull day, the low cloud making it impossible to see anything flying over unless it was more or less directly overhead

Priorslee Lake: 05:30 – 06:40 // 07:45 – 09:20

(45th visit of the year)

Notes from today:
- two trios of Mallard over: perhaps the same birds even though >2 hours apart
- a 6th Great Crested Grebe may be sitting in the NW reeds
- I assume most of the Jackdaws were beyond the very limited visible range this morning
- 4 Barn Swallows flew W at 08:15: at least 6 seen with c.10 Sand Martins over the water at 08:45. A photo reveals at least 11 Barn Swallows in a tree
- Long-tailed Tits seen mating this morning – something I cannot recall seeing this species do before
- 6 of the singing Chiffchaffs seem to have established territories
- 6 Blackcap territories: there are still at least 2 ‘gaps’ where birds bred last year
- 3 Reed Bunting territories: only one of the males was singing
and, all on the lamps
- a mayfly sp. that seemed to be Olive Upright (Rhithrogena semicolorata)
- a fly sp., probably a Helina sp. and possibly Helina sexmaculata
- yet another White-legged Snake Millipede (Tachypodoiulus niger)

Today’s bird totals

Birds noted flying over / near the lake:
- 6 (4♂) Mallard
- 1 Lesser Black-backed Gull
- 2 Feral Pigeons
- 41 Jackdaws

Hirundines seen today
- >10 Sand Martins
- >11 Barn Swallows

Warblers noted: figure in brackets are singing birds (not necessarily all the males seen were noted singing)
- 8 (7) Chiffchaffs
- 4 (4) Willow Warblers
- 8 (6) Blackcaps

The counts from the lake area
- 6 + 4 Mute Swans
- 2 (2♂) Mallard again
- 5 Great Crested Grebes again
- 3 Moorhens again
- 38 Coots

A change from flying shots of last year’s cygnets: here they are at rest and preening.

Identification only possible using the camera. At the time I was standing on the dam and could see birds perched right at the other end on a tree near the Teece Drive gate. What exactly were they? I could not identify them in binoculars though as one bird flew in to land it seemed to be a hirundine sp. and probably a Sand Martin. But hirundines in a tree? They do in fact sometimes perch on trees during bad weather. The photo reveals they were indeed hirundines. I dare not enlarge the photo any more so I cannot specifically identify all 19 birds here: at least 11 Swallows I think.

This Nuthatch is here caught ‘singing’ its infrequently heard trilling notes. This bird is on a different territory to the birds I recently photographed at The Flash.

And here he is between songs.

This mayfly seems to be an Olive Upright (Rhithrogena semicolorata). One of the few mayflies that fly in April.

This fly is perhaps Helina sexmaculata though Helina sp. are generally hard to specifically identify.

(Ed Wilson)

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The Flash: 06:50 – 07:40

(31st visit of the year)

A very quiet morning with nothing to note

Birds noted flying over
None

Hirundines seen today
None

Warblers noted: figures in brackets are singing birds (not necessarily all the males seen were noted singing)
- 5 (4) Chiffchaffs
- 6 (6) Willow Warblers
- 4 (4) Blackcaps again

The counts from the water
- 2 Mute Swans
- 4 Greylag Geese: more heard from inside island
- 32 Canada Geese
- 17 (15♂) Mallard
- 25 (14♂) Tufted Ducks
- 2 Great Crested Grebes still
- 2 Moorhens only
- 13 Coots only

Noted between the lake and The Flash
- 1 Willow Warbler singing by the upper pool

(Ed Wilson)

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

2017
Local area
Today's Sightings Here

2016
Priorslee Lake and Local Area
Today's Sightings Here

2015
Local Area
Today's Sightings Here

2014
Priorslee Lake
3 Great Crested Grebes
1 Cormorant
3 Grey Herons
2 Greylag Geese
4 Tufted Duck
1 Common Sandpiper
>6 Sand Martins
1 Grasshopper Warbler
7 Blackcaps
7 Chiffchaffs
2 Willow Warblers
(Ed Wilson)

The Flash
4 Greylag Goose
1 Cackling-type Goose
24 Tufted Ducks
3 Sand Martins
3 Blackcap
3 Chiffchaffs
4 Willow Warbler
(Ed Wilson)

Trench Lock Pool
4 Great Crested Grebes
1 Greylag Geese
22 Tufted Ducks
3 Blackcaps
2 Chiffchaffs
(Ed Wilson)

Trench Middle Pool
12 Greylag Geese
4 Tufted Duck
2 Blackcap
3 Chiffchaffs
2 Willow Warblers
(Ed Wilson)

2013
Priorslee Lake
12 Swallow, House Martin & Sand Martin.
2 Little Ringed Plover 
2 Common Sandpiper
2 Willow Warbler
(Arthur Harper, Ian Grant and John Isherwood)

The Flash
Cackling Canada Goose
4 Sand Martins
2 Shoveler
(John Isherwood, Martin Grant)

Trench Middle Pool
House Martin
4 Sand Martin
2 Chiffchaffs
(Martin Grant)

Trench Lock Pool
12 Sand Martins
(Martin Grant)

2008
Priorslee Lake
4 Gadwall
80+ Hirundines
1 House Martin
(John Isherwood)

Nedge Hill
10 Wheatear
(John Isherwood)

2007
Priorslee Lake
4 Tufted Duck
1 Ruddy Duck
1 Buzzard
2 Blackcap
3 Chiffchaff
3 Linnet
2 Reed Bunting
(Martin Adlam)

Priorslee Village
Willow Warbler
Chiffchaff
(Martin Adlam)

Nedge Hill
1 Mallard
1 Buzzard
2 Red-legged Partridge
1 Great Spotted Woodpecker
8 Skylark
3 Meadow Pipit
1 Fieldfare
1 Blackcap
2 Willow Warbler
2 Chiffchaff
4 Linnet
(Martin Adlam)

2006 
Priorslee Lake 
5 Great Crested Grebes
1 Heron
4 Tufted Ducks
2 Ruddy Ducks
2 Stock Doves
90 Wood Pigeons
2 Kestrels
1 Sky Lark
1 Meadow Pipit
4 Grey Wagtails
6 Pied Wagtails
2 House Martin 
24 Wrens
15 Robins
24 Blackbirds
1 Wheatear
4 Blackcaps
5 Chiffchaffs
2 Willow Warblers
13 Greenfinches
3 Siskins
2 Linnets
7 Reed Buntings
(Ed Wilson)