18 Mar 19

Priorslee Lake and The Flash

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

4.0°C > 7.0°C:  Broken mainly high cloud. Light W wind. Very good visibility

Sunrise: 06:18 GMT

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

(72nd visit of the year)

Bird species added to my 2019 log from here (in sighting order)
71      Curlew
this species is occasionally seen / heard on Spring passage: my last record was 07 April 2016
72      Meadow Pipit
after yesterday’s ‘were they?’ record no mistaking a calling bird over today: also on Spring passage
73      Linnet
an usual record of a group of 8 flew E. Mostly I log just singles overhead. This species breeds on the farmland to the E

Other bird notes from today
- probably two Pheasants. I flushed one roosting in the S grass and he took the chance of flying over the M54. Later presumed a different bird heard calling from the construction site to the N
- first two Black-headed Gulls arrived at 05:40. Number insignificant now
- three Great Spotted Woodpeckers – a pair, one drumming: another drumming bird
- a pair of Stock Doves alongside Teece Drive again
- I have logged the Collared Dove as a fly-over but in might have come from the trees – an unlikely location for this essentially urban species. It was jinking through the trees as it flew away from me and hard to see how it had avoided crashing earlier
- the Jackdaws at 05:35 seemed to be mostly out of sight below hedge-height. Likely many more
- two Chiffchaffs singing
- two Mistle Thrushes getting very upset with a pair of Magpies
- a Jay seemed to have located the roosted Tawny Owl judging by the noise it was making
- no fewer than nine Reed Buntings seen at various locations including four together shredding reed-heads along the S side. Only one noted singing

Bird totals

Birds noted flying over or flying near the lake
- 4 Greylag Geese (pair outbound; pair inbound)
- 6 Canada Geese (three pairs outbound)
- 1 Cormorant
- 1 Lapwing
- 1 Curlew
- 2 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
- 1 Herring Gull
- 1 Stock Dove again
- 39 Wood Pigeons
- 1 Collared Dove again
- >130 Jackdaws
- 1 Meadow Pipit
- 4 Siskins
- 8 Linnets

Roosts around the lake just about ceased and separate counts suspended

Warblers noted (singing birds)
- 2 (2) Chiffchaffs

The counts from the lake area:
- 2 Mute Swans
- 5 (4♂) Mallard only
- 3 (2♂) Tufted Duck
- 1 Grey Heron
- 4 Great Crested Grebes
- 11 Moorhens
- 29 Coots
- 13 Black-headed Gulls

Other things
- Emmelina monodactyla (Common Plume moth) on a lamp pole

Despite being mostly cloudy there was a red sky for early risers.

Really red for a while.

Not again: yes the Great Crested Grebes were getting friendly again

And again.

Very much a ‘grab shot’ to record the passing Curlew. Long curved bill could only be confused with the smaller Whimbrel. This bird called so there was no confusion. And Whimbrel would be more likely in May than March / April.

Many of the Black-headed Gulls are now in full breeding plumage. In fact most have left for their breeding colonies and numbers here are much reduced.

A slightly better Stock Dove photo than my previous effort. Note the greeny / purple neck patch – not white as in Wood Pigeon. Also the black marks in the wing.

The other bird of the pair preening.

A Blue Tit digs in to dead leaves after morsels.

Today’s #1 attempt at ‘the best’ Long-tailed Tit picture.

Attempt #2 is somewhat better.

This is not a contender. But what is it doing?

So far the Chiffchaffs have been rather uncooperative for decent photos. Once the main numbers arrive I hope to do better.

A handsome male Reed Bunting.

Well it is a ‘Reed’ Bunting so this should be typical behaviour. There were four birds close together. Were they digging for seeds exposed by the recently exploded heads of the reed-mace? Or were they collecting material for nests? Answers on a post-card ...

Here is the Emmelina monodactyla (Common Plume moth). Plume moths are hard to identify. Their wings are divided in to up to eight sections and at rest they are held tightly rolled up, effectively hiding any markings.

The moth detected my presence and reared-up as I tried to get a side-shot.

(Ed Wilson)

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The Flash:  06:40 – 07:20

(65th visit of the year)

Bird species added to my 2019 log from here
56      Pied Wagtail
most years this species is around the roadway and houses in the winter: not so this year and this fly-over was my first

Other notes from here:
- may have partially solved the “are they / aren’t they” Gadwall: today I saw them fly in across the estate from the W. Could they be prospecting a nest in gardens? or the woods behind?
- significantly fewer Tufted Ducks and those present seemed very restless flying and chasing about
- a pair of Great Crested Grebes displaying at the top end. Another in the usual area around the island: could not see whether this bird had a mate hiding somewhere
- the two over-flying Collared Doves were different from two seen around the estate
- the Starlings went up from St Georges in response to the Sparrowhawk
- 1 Chiffchaff in song from the island

Warblers noted (singing birds)
- 1 (1) Chiffchaff

Birds noted flying over / near The Flash
- 1 Sparrowhawk
- 1 Black-headed Gull
- 7 Wood Pigeon
- 2 Collared Doves
- 1 Jackdaw
- 22 Starlings
- 1 Pied Wagtail

The counts from the water
- 2 + 1  Mute Swans again
- 5 Greylag Geese
- 17 Canada Geese
- 2 (1♂) Gadwall
- 17 (13♂) Mallard
- 29 (19♂) Tufted Ducks
- 3 Great Crested Grebes
- 3 Moorhens
- 31 Coots
- 1 Black-headed Gull

(Ed Wilson)

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Between the lake and The Flash

(2nd visit of year)

- 1 (1♂) Mallard on the Wesley Brook
- 2 (1♂) Mallard in the Wesley Brook
- 1 Moorhen on the upper pool
- 2 Moorhens at the lower pool
- 1 Great Spotted Woodpecker drumming alongside the lower pool again
and
- some fungus - perhaps Lumpy Bracket (Trametes gibbosa)

This fungus found on the stump-end of a trimmed tree.

In close-up. Why do the fungus I find rarely look like any illustrations in my books or any pictures on the web? Perhaps this is Lumpy Bracket (Trametes gibbosa). Then again ....

(Ed Wilson)

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

2017
Priorslee Lake
Today's Sightings Here

2016
Priorslee Lake
Today's Sightings Here

2015
Priorslee Lake
Today's Sightings Here

2014
Priorslee Lake
2 Gadwall
(John Isherwood)

The Flash
2 Teal
(John Isherwood)

Nedge Hill
2 Lapwing
Green Woodpecker
Linnet
Meadow Pipit
Red-legged Partridge
Stock Dove
(John Isherwood)

2013
Priorslee Lake
1 Mediterranean Gull
1 Iceland Gull
4 Great Crested Grebes
5 Wigeon
2 Gadwall
7 Wigeon 
21 Tufted Ducks 
Chiffchaff 
(Ed Wilson/John Isherwood)

The Flash
2 Pochard 
1 Greater Scaup 
69 Tufted Duck 
(Ed Wilson)

Nedge Hill
20 Linnets
Meadow Pipit
Fieldfare
Redwing
Lapwing
(John Isherwood)

Little Wenlock, Candles Landfill Site
1 Caspian Gull
(Tom Lowe)

2010
Priorslee Lake
4 Great Crested Grebe
6 Gadwall
22 Tufted Duck
(Ed Wilson)

2007
Priorslee Lake
2 Great Crested Grebe
1 Pochard
23 Tufted Duck
1 Ruddy Duck
4 Tufted Duck
1 Green Woodpecker
9 Chiffchaff
1 Willow Tit
4 Buzzard
24 Wren
24 Robin
21 Blackbird
33 Redwing
39 Magpie
6 Reed Bunting
(Ed Wilson, Martin Adlam)

2006
Priorslee Lake
c.2500 Black-headed Gulls
605 Lesser-black backed Gulls
5 Herring Gulls
3rd Winter Lesser-black backed Gull Larus fuscus race: heuglini (Siberian Gull)
7 Pochard
34 Tufted Duck
6 Great Crested Grebe
2 Little Grebe
1 Cormorant
7 Siskins
(Martin R Adlam)