26 Mar 19

Priorslee Lake and The Flash

Priorslee Lake:  05:00 – 06:30 // 07:40 – 09:20
The Flash:  06:40 – 07:30

4.0°C > 9.0°C:  Just frosted in shelter. Areas of high cloud fading; then broken lower cloud arrived after 08:00. Light / moderate W wind. Very good visibility

Sunrise: 05:59 GMT

Priorslee Lake:  05:00 – 06:30 // 07:40 – 09:20

(80th visit of the year)

Bird notes from today
- the Herring Gull was flying up and down between 05:17 and 05:24. Otherwise all the gulls flew through or over
- Little Grebe(s) were very noisy again. I only located one bird, though I am sure that there were at least two calling
- only the two Great Crested Grebes in the NE area were seen. I heard one bird calling in the NW area but could not see either bird on the nest here
- just 24 of the 52 Wood Pigeons seen over were birds flying high NW
- 1 Sand Martins by 07:55 seemingly gone by 08:05. Three seen briefly 08:25
- 12 Jackdaws seemed to emerge from near the Magpie roost: still not 100% confident about their origin though
- the 13 Fieldfare flew high W to the S – should they not be going NE?
- almost as soon as the Fieldfare passed over four Redwings dropped in to the trees in the SW area. They stayed less than five minutes

Bird totals

Birds noted flying over or flying near the lake
- 8 Canada Goose (pair and trio outbound; trio inbound)
- 2 Cormorants
- 2 Black-headed Gull
- 6 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
- 1 Herring Gull
- 1 Feral Pigeon
- 1 Stock Dove again
- 52 Wood Pigeons
- 84 Jackdaws
- 13 Fieldfare

Hirundines noted – weather too clear for them to stop-off?
- at least 4 Sand Martins

Warblers noted (singing birds)
- 5 (5) Chiffchaffs yet again
- 2 (2) Blackcaps

The counts from the lake area:
- 2 Mute Swans
- 6 Canada Geese (four flew off)
- 7 (5♂) Mallard
- 11 (6♂) Tufted Duck
- 3 Grey Herons
- >1 Little Grebe (see notes)
- >2 Great Crested Grebes (see notes)
- 10 Moorhens
- 26 Coots again
- 1 Herring Gull again

Also noted
- 1 probable Large Dark Olive Mayfly (Baetis rhodani) on a lamp pole

The high cloud gave the sunrise some interest. Note the aircraft vapour trail on the right. There were a lot of these ....

... as one trailing aircraft passes underneath another.

A later view as the sun came up behind the cloud.

The daily Long-tailed Tit photo.

Shooting up in to the light does not give the best results but then Blackcaps rarely sit in the open like this so you have to try.

Mayflies are not easy to separate and ideally a more detailed view of the wing venation would help. However this is most likely a Large Dark Olive Mayfly (Baetis rhodani) – a species that commonly emerges early in the year.

(Ed Wilson)

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The Flash:  06:40 – 07:30

(73rd visit of the year)

Notes from here:
- neither adult Mute Swan seen: I have yet to work out the angle to see in to the nest-site on the island
- I had to work hard for the Mallard: five drakes and three ducks were on six different roofs; and two drakes were in a front garden of one of the houses
- no Great Crested Grebe seen today
- pair of Great Spotted Woodpeckers in squirrel alley
also
- many plumed midge sp. seen – did not ID them

Birds noted flying over / near The Flash
- 1 Lesser Black-backed Gull
- 2 Stock Doves
- 6 Wood Pigeons
- 7 Jackdaws

Warblers noted (singing birds)
- 2 (2) Chiffchaffs only
- 1 (1) Blackcap

The counts from the water
- 0 + 1 Mute Swans (see notes)
- 31 Canada Geese
- 19 (16♂) Mallard
- 24 (14♂) Tufted Ducks again
- 3 Moorhens
- 36 Coots

‘Only’ a Wood Pigeon but he (I assume) was in feisty mode trying to interest a female and was holding his wings partly open. Note the white around the bend of the wing. Very strange iris on these birds.

The male Great Spotted Woodpecker in squirrel alley – male because of the red on the nape.

Here the female is chiselling bark off a dead snag to look for goodies underneath.

And turned around to show no red on the nape.

A Jay of course.

(Ed Wilson)

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Between the lake and The Flash

- 3 (1♂) Mallard on the lower pool
- 2 Moorhens: singles seen on the both pools

(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

2015
Priorslee Lake
Today's Sightings Here

2014
Priorslee Lake
3 Great Crested Grebes
13 Cormorants
4 Greylag Geese
22 Tufted Duck
5 Sand Martins
6 Redwings
8 Chiffchaffs
>500 Jackdaws
(Ed Wilson)

The Flash
50 Tufted Ducks
4 Chiffchaffs
4 Siskins
(Ed Wilson)

2013
Priorslee Lake
1 Little Grebe
6 Great Crested Grebes
1 Cormorant
7 Wigeon 
2 Gadwall 
1 Pochard 
42 Tufted Ducks 
1 Great Black-backed Gull
Mediterranean Gull.
Ring-billed x Lesser Black-backed Gull.
>1500 Black-headed Gulls
2 Redwings
65 Magpies
25 Siskins
2 Reed Buntings
(Ed Wilson)

The Flash
2 Great Crested Grebes 
6 Swans
2 Pochard 
85 Tufted Duck 
(Ed Wilson)

2010
Priorslee Lake
3 Buzzards
1 Little Grebe 
5 Great Crested Grebe
4 Gadwall
36 Tufted Duck
c.160 Jackdaws
(Ed Wilson)

The Flash
4 Great Crested Grebe 
3 Greylag Geese 
32 Tufted Duck

Trench
1 Cormorant
43 Tufted Ducks
(Ed Wilson)

2007
Priorslee Lake
Little Ringed Plover
1 Cormorant
1 Mallard x Pintail
18 Tufted Duck
1 Ruddy Duck
1 Little Ringed Plover
1 Kittiwake
33 Wren
29 Robin
24 Blackbird
3 Chiffchaff
39 Magpie
3 Greenfinch
6 Reed Bunting
(Ed Wilson)

The Flash
8 Great Crested Grebe
2 Pochard
27 Tufted Duck
1 Snipe
3 Chiffchaff
2 Reed Bunting
(Ed Wilson)

2006
Priorslee Lake
1 Barn Owl
1 Little Grebe
5 Great Crested Grebes
1 Shoveler
30 Tufted Ducks
2 Water Rails
321 Wood Pigeons
2 Sky Larks
5 Meadow Pipits
33 Wrens
21 Robins
21 Blackbirds
1 Fieldfare
3 Redwings
1 Chiffchaff
1 Willow Tit
18 Greenfinches
8 Siskins
1 Linnet
6 Reed Buntings
1 Yellowhammer.
(Ed Wilson)