22 Mar 19

Priorslee Lake and The Flash

Priorslee Lake:  05:00 – 06:35 // 07:40 – 09:25
The Flash:  06:45 – 07:30

10.0°C:  Cloudy with very few breaks: no sun. Moderate SW wind. Very good visibility

Sunrise: 06:08 GMT

Spring arrival of Chiffchaffs now well under way: six (five singing) at the lake; three singing at The Flash; and one singing alongside the Wesley Brook between the two

Priorslee Lake:  05:00 – 06:35 // 07:40 – 09:25

(76th visit of the year)

Bird notes from today
- 2 Common Buzzards seen probably mating in the Ricoh area – certainly CLOSE
- 2 Grey Herons seen flying high E – too high, I think, to have left the lake. I did not see any around the lake today
- four single Black-headed Gulls: the first arrived at 05:43. None stayed
- just one of the Wood Pigeons flying over  were noted as ‘high and a likely migrant’
- it was a rather dark morning and I would have struggled to see the dispersing Jackdaws anyway. However I did not hear any large groups either
- on checking a party of five Redwings flying over I noted a group of 21 finches flying high E above them – too high to hear any flight-calls. Rather puzzling as they did not fly like Siskin ‘bullets’; or ‘bounce’ like Goldfinches – the most likely two species here
- later a group of 13 more Redwings over; and later still four seen in trees alongside Teece Drive

Bird totals

Birds noted flying over or flying near the lake
- 10 Canada Geese (4 pairs and a single outbound; single inbound)
- 2 Grey Herons
- 2 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
- 1 Herring Gull
- 14 Wood Pigeons only
- 1 Collared Dove
- 32 Jackdaws only
- 2 Rooks
- 18 Redwings (2 groups)
- 21 unidentified finches (see notes)

Warblers noted (singing birds)
- 6 (5) Chiffchaffs

The counts from the lake area:
- 2 Mute Swans: rings not read
- 5 (4♂) Mallard
- 2 (1♂) Tufted Duck
- 1 Little Grebe remains
- 5 Great Crested Grebes
- 8 Moorhens
- 28 Coots again
- up to 4 Black-headed Gulls

Also noted
- 1 Common Green Lacewing (Chrysoperia carnea) on a lamp pole pre-dawn

One of the Buzzards in the Ricoh copse that may just have been mating. Although somewhat blurred by foreground twigs not the barring on the tail.

Barring slightly more obvious here as the bird turns. Buzzards are easier to age when you can see the breast and belly pattern: this is likely an adult as the eye is dark and the cere (above the base of the bill) is distinctly yellow.

Although this looks more like a ‘brown’ lacewing than a ‘green’ one I think this is the effect of the camera flash and it is in fact a Common Green Lacewing (Chrysoperia carnea).

(Ed Wilson)

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The Flash:  06:45 – 07:30

(69th visit of the year)

Bird species added to my 2019 log from here
59      Sand Martin
These appeared at the top end c.07:05 and stayed around at least until I left. Perhaps more sheltered here than at the lake which is why there were none there?

Other notes from here:
- Gadwall not located again
- 1 Great Crested Grebe seen again briefly but then vanished before I could follow where it went and perhaps locate a nest
- the 11 finches flew SE in a tight group: too far away to hear the flight calls or see any features c.f. the sighting at the lake today
also
- 1 Grey Squirrel again

Birds noted flying over / near The Flash
- 2 Greylag Geese
- 1 Sparrowhawk
- 1 Feral Pigeon
- 4 Wood Pigeons
- 1 Starling
- 11 unidentified finches

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

The counts from the water
- 2 + 1  Mute Swans as ever
- 26 Canada Geese
- 17 (13♂) Mallard
- 39 (22♂) Tufted Ducks
- 1 Great Crested Grebe again
- 3 Moorhens
- 34 Coots

(Ed Wilson)

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Between the lake and The Flash

The pools are rather overgrown with vegetation which means that numbers that can be seen are variable
- 2 (1♂) Mallard on the lower pool
- 1 Moorhen on the lower pool
- 1 party of Long-tailed Tits by the lower pool
- 1 Chiffchaff singing by the upper part of Wesley Brook

(Ed Wilson)

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

2016
Priorslee Lake
Today's Sightings Here

2015
Priorslee Lake
Today's Sightings Here

2011
Priorslee Lake
5 Great Crested Grebes
4 Cormorants
24 Tufted Duck
9 Meadow Pipits
4 Redwings
4 Chiffchaffs singing
2 Brimstone butterflies
(Ed Wilson, Martin Grant)

The Flash 
43 Tufted Ducks 
1 Sky Lark
2 Chiffchaffs singing
(Ed Wilson)

Nedge Hill
8 Lapwings
3 Redwings
1 Chiffchaff singing
(Ed Wilson)

Trench 
2 Little Grebes 
30 Tufted Duck
(Ed Wilson)

2010
Priorslee Lake
1 Little Grebe 
2 Gadwall
23 Tufted Duck
4 Sand Martins
1 Willow Warbler
2 Chiffchaffs singing
8 Linnets 
(Ed Wilson)

Nedge Hill
7 Wheatear
1 Green Woodpecker
1 Sky Lark
1 Chiffchaff
(Ed Wilson)

The Flash
2 Great Crested Grebe
43 Tufted Duck
2 Sparrowhawks
(Ed Wilson)

2007
Priorslee Lake
4 Cormorant
33 Tufted Duck
1 Ruddy Duck
1 Kittiwake
31 Wren
24 Robin
23 Blackbird
1 Redwing
4 Chiffchaff  singing
34 Magpie
176 Jackdaw
7 Greenfinch
5 Reed Bunting
(Ed Wilson)

The Flash
10 Great Crested Grebe
2 Pochard
23 Tufted Duck
1 Chiffchaff singing
1 Willow Tit
1 Reed Bunting
(Ed Wilson)

2006
Priorslee Lake
2 Little Grebes
6 Great Crested Grebes
49 Tufted Ducks
2 Ruddy Ducks
1 Water Rail
2 Lapwings
c.950 Black-headed Gulls
509 Wood Pigeon
6 Stock Doves
613 Wood Pigeons
1 Great Spotted Woodpecker
13 Pied Wagtails
24 Wrens
19 Robins
22 Blackbirds
5 Redwings
1 Chiffchaff
2 Willow Tits
17 Magpies
17 Greenfinches
4 Siskins
7 Reed Buntings
(Ed Wilson)