25 Mar 19

Priorslee Lake and The Flash

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

5.0°C > 8.0°C:  Fine and clear. Moderate NW wind. Very good visibility

Sunrise: 06:01 GMT

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

(79th visit of the year)

Bird notes from today
- a lone gull over the water at 05:25 chased an over flying Grey Heron: it turned out to be a Herring Gull rather than the expected Black-headed Gull. Just a singleton of the latter species flew through
- the Grey Heron was chased high W. Some 10 minutes later one arrived from the W – same bird?
- Little Grebe(s) were very noisy this morning calling from inside the NW reeds – recently I have only seen them in the NE area. Later there was a single by the NW reeds and two birds in the SW area
- many fewer Wood Pigeons everywhere today. Just 45 of the 56 seen over were birds flying off NW. Some of these seemed to be starting off from rather near the lake and joining small groups as they passed overhead
- 2 Sand Martins by 07:45. Numbers built up to 16 birds together at 08:10. Thereafter variable numbers may have been other birds passing or some of the original 16 feeding over a wider area than the lake itself
- on several recent days when I have flushed the Magpie roost I have heard calls that sounded like Jackdaws. I dismissed these – Magpies make all manner of strange corvid-like noises at times. This morning I not only heard Jackdaw-like calls before the Magpies were disturbed, I later saw at least 4 and may be as many as 16 Jackdaws apparently emerging from these trees. I cannot recall Jackdaws roosting here previously
- exact number of Chiffchaffs still hard to ascertain as birds move around. I guess until the females arrive and choose a nest-site the males will move around more
- Song Thrush seen carrying food or nesting material. Still as many as eight birds singing first thing

Bird totals

Birds noted flying over or flying near the lake
- 3 Greylag Geese (pair outbound; single inbound)
- 1 Canada Goose (single outbound)
- 1 Cormorant
- 1 Grey Heron
- 1 Black-headed Gull
- 1 Lesser Black-backed Gull
- 2 Feral Pigeons
- 1 Stock Dove
- 56 Wood Pigeons
- 1 Collared Dove
- c.330 Jackdaws (see notes)
- 1 Starling

Hirundines noted – weather too clear for them to stop-off?
- at least 16 Sand Martins

Warblers noted (singing birds)
- 5 (5) Chiffchaffs again
- 3 (3) Blackcaps again

The counts from the lake area:
- 2 Mute Swans
- 2 Canada Geese (arrived yet again)
- 6 (4♂) Mallard again
- 5 (3♂) Tufted Duck
- 1 Grey Heron
- 3 Little Grebes
- 4 Great Crested Grebes again
- 9 Moorhens
- 26 Coots
- 1 Herring Gull

Also noted
- 1 Grey Squirrel

I was walking up Teece Drive when I saw a Magpie on a garden wall with a dark bird next to it. Too large for a Blackbird; not fat-enough for a pigeon. So what is it? Some clues here with the blue-grey back; the barred tail; the long yellow legs; and the rufous on the thighs (don’t blame me for the green washing line!).

Now then: the hooked bill and fierce eye all point to a bird of prey – a male Sparrowhawk. The female would not show any rufous.

He knows exactly where the shutter noise is coming from!

From this angle we see the ‘false eyes’ on the nape. Many birds of prey (and owls too) show this. I have never seen a convincing explanation as to why.

It walked off down the wall when there was still too little light to freeze the action but we see the barring very well even if the photos is not 100% sharp. What exactly it was doing I have no idea. It would hop down the other side of the wall and reappear a few seconds later a few feet away. Could it have been plucking a victim in the garden? The Magpie flew off as soon as I approached.

Almost a ‘point and hope’ shot as the group of Sand Martins rose it to the sky above me. We can just about make out the black breast band. House Martin always looks tubby in comparison. Also their underwing is paler. As we see here, Sand Martin has a dark underwing, indeed the inner part is almost black.

A surprised Song Thrush. It had just come from delivering nesting material or food and stopped off in a tree alongside without apparently noticing me. I did not have to crop or do anything else to this photo.

At last: managed to find one of the Chiffchaffs giving a reasonable view. Note the dark legs, typical of this species. Also typical are the browner feet.

The same bird looks rather different in this light and at this angle with almost no hint of the supercilium obvious in the previous shot.

Yesterday a female Reed Bunting: today a male.

(Ed Wilson)

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The Flash:  06:45 – 07:30

(72nd visit of the year)

Notes from here:
- the ‘missing’ adult Mute Swan was likely at the nest-site on the island, though I could not see her
- two of the Greylag and nine of the Canada Geese flew in, the latter as a group
- please treat the Tufted Duck total with some caution – birds were flying around a lot and getting an accurate count was difficult. There did seem to be fewer
- 2 Sparrowhawks flushed out of trees at bottom end flew off S. Later presumably a different bird out of trees at top end
- some Coots sitting on nests. I still need to locate some of the nest sites
- a single Jay at the top end of squirrel alley and then three more at the bottom end
also
- more fungus found in squirrel alley: perhaps Common Bonnet (Mycena galericulata)

Birds noted flying over / near The Flash
- 5 Wood Pigeons
- 2 Jackdaws
- 6 Starlings

Warblers noted (singing birds)
- 6 (6) Chiffchaffs
- 1 (1) Blackcap

The counts from the water
- 1 + 1 Mute Swans (see notes)
- 3 Greylag Geese
- 33 Canada Geese
- 23 (18♂) Mallard
- 24 (14♂) Tufted Ducks
- 1 Great Crested Grebe again
- 2 Moorhens
- 28 Coots

Its a wonder it can fly!

Here, from a different angle, we see the drake Mallard has been in the wars. Perhaps with the other drake over partnering with the duck

Another fine shot of a Nuthatch. It seemed to be cleaning out the hole in the Ash tree. I guess it may nest in the hole.

The male Blackcap here decided to show itself. A pair has nested in this spot for at least the last four years. Is it just a good spot? Or can they find their way back from their Winter quarters, usually in sub-Saharan Africa?

More fungus. Squirrel alley is a dank place with many fallen tree trunks. My vote – for what its worth – would be Common Bonnet (Mycena galericulata). Reportedly around from ‘late Spring’ whereas as most fungus is found from late Summer in to Winter.

Here showing the gills on the underside.

(Ed Wilson)

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Between the lake and The Flash

- 1 (1♂) Mallard on the lower pool
- 1 Moorhen on the upper pool
- 1 Chiffchaff singing by the upper pool

(Ed Wilson)

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

2018
Priorslee Lake
Today's Sightings Here

2017
Priorslee Lake
Today's Sightings Here

2016
Priorslee Lake
Today's Sightings Here

2014
Priorslee Lake
1 Little Grebe
7 Cormorants
2 Gadwall
18 Tufted Duck
1 Kittiwake
1 Sand Martin
7 Chiffchaffs
158 Jackdaws
(Ed Wilson)

The Flash
1 Kittiwake
(John Isherwood)

Trench Lock Pool
2 Little Grebes
4 Great Crested Grebes
15 Tufted Ducks
2 Chiffchaffs
(Ed Wilson)

Trench Middle Pool
2 Tufted Duck
2 Chiffchaffs
1 Willow Warbler
(Ed Wilson)

2013
Priorslee Lake
2 Little Grebes 
3 Great Crested Grebe 
7 Wigeon 
2 Gadwall 
34 Tufted Ducks 
c.450 Black-headed Gulls
c.350 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
c.50 Herring Gulls
1 Great Black-backed Gull.
(Ed Wilson)

The Flash
3 Great Crested Grebes 
7 Swans 
2 Pochard 
73 Tufted Duck 
(Ed Wilson)

2011
Nedge Hill
2 Wheatear
(John Isherwood)

2010
Priorslee Lake
1 Little Grebe 
4 Great Crested Grebe 
4 Gadwall
27 Tufted Duck
c.210 Jackdaws
(Ed Wilson)

The Flash
3 Great Crested Grebe 
36 Tufted Duck
2 Siskins
1 Reed Bunting
(Ed Wilson)

2007
Priorslee Lake
3 Cormorant
2 Shoveler
27 Tufted Duck
1 Green Woodpecker
29 Wren
22 Robin
21 Blackbird
5 Fieldfare
9 Redwing
6 Chiffchaff
36 Magpie
99 Jackdaw
8 Greenfinch
7 Reed Bunting
(Ed Wilson)

The Flash
4 Great Crested Grebe
1 Mallard x Pintail
2 Pochard
17 Tufted Duck
3 Chiffchaff
1 Reed Bunting
(Ed Wilson)

2006
Priorslee Lake
1 Barn Ow
1 Little Grebe
6 Great Crested Grebes
1 Shoveler
26 Tufted Ducks
2 Water Rail
532 Wood Pigeon
2 Great Spotted Woodpeckers
2 Sky Larks
15 Pied Wagtails
26 Wrens
34 Blackbirds
6 Redwings
1 Willow Warbler
1 Chiffchaff
17 Magpies
4 Jays
1 Brambling
13 Greenfinches
4 Siskins
1 Linnets
5 Reed Buntings
(Ed Wilson)