12 Apr 18

Priorslee Lake and The Flash

5.0°C > 5.5°C: Another extremely dull day with very low cloud and rain after 08:35. Light E wind. Moderate / poor visibility.

Sunrise: 06:19 BST (or so it says)

Despite – or perhaps because of – the very low cloud there were some good sightings at the lake and a bumper number of, especially Willow, warblers at both sites

Priorslee Lake: 05:30 – 06:50 // 07:45 – 09:00

(46th visit of the year)

Two highlights today
- the first Common Sandpiper of the year: my first date in 2016 was also 12 April and in 2017 the 13 April so right on schedule. My species #77 here this year
- an Oystercatcher on the dam and then the SW grass; heard only previously this year

Notes from today:
- all 4 cygnets went for a protracted fly again. Later two of ‘our’ cygnets went for a short flight – the first time I have seen the resident cygnets separate
- the Tufted Duck was present early only
- 3 Sparrowhawks: at least 2 birds – male and female for certain with 2 sightings of males
- no idea why Coots numbers are increasing
- 4 Barn Swallows and 8 Sand Martins flew W at 07:50: at least 3 more Barn Swallows and 4 more Sand Martins over the water later with birds using the buoys to rest
- 12 Chiffchaffs in song was my highest number this year
- 7 Willow Warblers must be about my largest-ever single day total here
and
nothing on the lamps this morning

Today’s bird totals

Birds noted flying over / near the lake:
- 3 Sparrowhawk sightings – now many birds?
- 1 Lesser Black-backed Gull again
- 2 Stock Dove
- 3 Wood Pigeons
- 6 Jackdaws only

Hirundines seen today
- 12 Sand Martins
- 8 Barn Swallows

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

The counts from the lake area
- 6 + 4 Mute Swans again
- 3 (2♂) Mallard
- 1 (1♂) Tufted Duck
- 5 Great Crested Grebes yet again
- 7 Moorhens
- 43 Coots
- 1 Oystercatcher
- 1 Common Sandpiper

Horrible light and the photo badly pixelating but no mistaking the white marks of a Common Sandpiper.

Slightly better light for this Oystercatcher on the dam.

I said it was horrible light: we can just about make out two Barn Swallows resting on one of the buoys.

And apropos my comments about Barn Swallows resting in trees here is another photo I took yesterday on farmland near Newport with 3 Barn Swallows sitting out drizzly conditions on top of a 150’ Oak tree. They were making occasional feeding forays over a nearby pool and returning.

(Ed Wilson)

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The Flash: 07:00 – 07:35

(32nd visit of the year)

A singing Mistle Thrush, as far as I could tell in trees next to The Priorslee pub, was my first here this year bring the species total to 53

Other notes from today
- one Mute Swan with a yellow ring: the other looked unringed. Visibility rather bad though
- where were the Great Crested Grebes?
- so many Willow Warblers: hard to keep track of them all!

Birds noted flying over again
None

Hirundines seen today
None

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

The counts from the water
- 2 Mute Swans again
- 3 Greylag Geese
- 1 Greylag x Canada Goose
- 44 Canada Geese
- 14 (12♂) Mallard
- 21 (12♂) Tufted Ducks
- [no Great Crested Grebes]
- 6 Moorhens
- 9 Coots only

Noted between the lake and The Flash
- pair of Mallards on the lower pool
- a Moorhen on the lower pool
- 1 Chiffchaff singing by the lower pool
- 2 Song Thrushes (a pair?) beside the lower pool

Still horrible light and at long range: the Mute Swan on the right seems to have a yellow Darvic ring. Cannot be certain that the bird on the left is ringed.

(Ed Wilson)

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

2016
Priorslee Lake
Today's Sightings Here

2015
Priorslee Lake
Today's Sightings Here

2014
Priorslee Lake
3 Great Crested Grebes
1 Cormorant
2 Grey Herons
1 Greylag Goose
2 Common Sandpipers
c.6 Sand Martins
2 Barn Swallows
1 Grasshopper Warbler
10 Blackcaps
5 Chiffchaffs
1 Willow Warbler
(Ed Wilson)

2012
Priorslee Lake
2 Swallows flew through 
2 Meadow Pipits 
4 Great Crested Grebes 
3 Tufted Duck 
9 Blackcaps
4 Willow Warblers
12 Chiffchaffs
(Ed Wilson)

The Flash
1 Swallow
1 Reed Bunting
3 Great Crested Grebes
33 Tufted Duck 
5 Blackcaps
6 Willow Warblers
3 Chiffchaffs
(Ed Wilson)

Nedge Hill
5 Lapwings
1 Swallow
1 Green Woodpecker
8 Skylarks
3 Willow Warblers
4 Chiffchaffs
1 Common Redstart
13 Wheatear
1 Raven
(Ed Wilson, John Isherwood)

East Priorslee
2 Wheatear
(John Isherwood)

2006
Priorslee Lake
3 Blackcaps
6 Chiffchaffs
2 Willow Warblers
2 Sand Martins
2 Greylag Geese
3 Stock Doves
1 Lapwing
(Ed Wilson)