28 Mar 19

Priorslee Lake [with Woodhouse Lane] and The Flash

Priorslee Lake:  04:40 – 06:40 // 07:40 – 10:05
[Woodhouse Lane:  08:45 – 09:10]
The Flash:  06:40 – 07:30

4.0°C > 10.0°C:  Mainly sunny with an area of cloud 06:20 – 07:30. Just frosted as temperature dipped pre-dawn. Almost calm. Mostly very good visibility, hazy to S and E

Sunrise: 05:54 GMT

Priorslee Lake:  04:40 – 06:30 // 07:40 – 10:05

(82nd visit of the year)

My ‘bird of the day’ was my second Oystercatcher of the year here. Flushed off by walkers at c.08:15

Other bird notes from today
- Little Grebes heard calling in NW and NE areas; seen off NW, NE reeds and along S side. How many birds involved unclear, but three seen at same time
- only two Great Crested Grebes seen. The same pair passed both putative nest sites without any others coming to chase them away (c.f. pair displaying at The Flash today)
- single Black-headed Gull flew through W at 08:35 and presumed same back E two minutes later
- 198 of the 226 Wood Pigeons flying over were flying high N / NW in 23 small groups, mainly to the E of the lake and mainly before 06:20
- eight of the 147 Jackdaws logged possibly came out of a roost around the lake: still not 100% sure
- two Blackcaps again – neither was where birds have been singing in the last three days. I assume this species is still moving through
- 13 finch-type birds in 4 groups flying along the same track as most Wood Pigeons. Far too distant to ID – would possibly have been able to hear them from Woodhouse Lane, but I was in the Teece Drive area at the time

Bird totals

Birds noted flying over or flying near the lake
- 4 Greylag Geese (pair outbound and pair inbound)
- 2 Canada Geese (pair inbound)
- 1 Black-headed Gull
- 1 Lesser Black-backed Gull
- 3 Feral Pigeons
- 226 Wood Pigeons
- 147 Jackdaws
- 3 Goldfinches
- 13 unidentified finch-types (see notes)

Hirundines noted
None

Warblers noted (singing birds)
- 8 (7) Chiffchaffs
- 2 (2) Blackcaps (see notes)

The counts from the lake area:
- 2 Mute Swans
- 6 Canada Geese (pair throughout; trio and single visited)
- 5 (4♂) Mallard
- 8 (4♂) Tufted Ducks
- 1 Grey Heron
- 3+ Little Grebes
- 2 Great Crested Grebes
- 9 Moorhens again
- 1 Oystercatcher
- 29 Coots

Also: nothing on the lamp poles early but seen later
- 1 Common Wasp (Vespula (Paravespula) vulgaris)
- >2 Bee-flies (Bombilius major)
- 1 probable Early Mining Bee (Andrena haemorrhoa)
- 1 Common Drone-fly (Eristalis tenax) hoverfly

A great morning to be up. The sleeping Mute Swans just about visible.

Sun-up: must be 05:54.

This Blackcap is full of the joys of Spring.

He looks rather ‘sway-backed’ here, not entirely due to the shadows. Note how both mandibles almost ‘hook’ at the tips.

Common Drone-fly (Eristalis tenax). One of the earliest hoverflies on the wing – and one of the latest too. Indeed in sunny weather in winter these are sometimes active.

I think this an Early Mining Bee (Andrena haemorrhoa). I would like to have been able to see the ‘tail’ more clearly to eliminate Tree Bumblebee.

Full frontal of a Common Wasp (Vespula (Paravespula) vulgaris).

One of my favourite insects – a Bee-fly (Bombilius major). These harmless critters are great. They are a beautiful furry foxy red, they hover with a characteristic loud buzz, they have patterned wings and a long proboscis for feeding on nectar. The shadow shows the proboscis well. The wing marks are harder to see here.

Better here, certainly on the left wing.

And here the furry body.

And here with wings-a-blur as it hovers in the grass.

(Ed Wilson)

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Notes from Woodhouse Lane (08:45 – 09:10)

(6th visit of the year)

Not a full visit – mainly to check for warblers around the sluice area, though I did walk up to the lane and then north, unusually, for a short distance
some totals (singing birds)
- 2 (2) Skylarks
- 1 (1) Chiffchaff
- 1 (1) Chaffinch
- 1 (1) Blackcap
- 6 (4) Yellowhammers
Still no Meadow Pipits, Goldfinches or Linnets in the area

Apart from searching for migrant warblers a target for my time here was splendid breeding-plumage male Yellowhammers – like this.

(Ed Wilson)

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The Flash:  06:45 – 07:35

(75th visit of the year)

Notes from here:
- the cygnet may need to be taken away by Cuan Wildlife Rescue: the cob had it pinned against one of the fishing platforms for a while this morning
- Great Crested Grebes returned – and a pair displaying at both ends of the water
- just as the one bird seen at the lake yesterday the two Sand Martins were here and then they weren’t

Birds noted flying over / near The Flash
- 6 Feral Pigeons
- 1 Stock Dove
- 6 Wood Pigeons
- 2 Jackdaws

Hirundines noted
- 2 Sand Martins

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

The counts from the water
- 2 + 1 Mute Swans
- 2 Greylag Geese (departed)
- 25 Canada Geese again
- 14 (11♂) Mallard
- 25 (14♂) Tufted Ducks
- 2 Great Crested Grebes
- 3 Moorhens
- 29 Coots

They had to do this in the darkest part of the water – record shot only really.

Yep! More Long-tailed Tit photos.

Look no tail!

And one with a short tail [not true of course: it is the angle foreshortening the tail].

(Ed Wilson)

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Between the lake and The Flash

- 2 (2♂) Mallard on the lower pool
- single Moorhens on both the upper and lower pools still
- 1 (1) Chiffchaff beside the upper pool

A Moorhen metaphorically wading through the fallen pussy willow blossoms.

I know I have done this before, but the light on this singing(?) male Starling was superb. Throat all puffed out with effort.

(Ed Wilson)

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

2018
Priorslee Lake
Today's Sightings Here

2017
Priorslee Lake
Today's Sightings Here

2015
Priorslee Lake
Today's Sightings Here

2014
Priorslee Lake
2 Little Grebes
4 Great Crested Grebes
9+ Cormorants
1 Grey Heron
2 Swans
2 Shoveler
30 Tufted Duck
10 Chiffchaffs
 5 Siskins
(Ed Wilson)

The Flash
2 Great Crested Grebes
1 Cackling Goose
51 Tufted Ducks
3 Chiffchaffs
1 Meadow Pipit
2 Fieldfare
(Ed Wilson)

Nedge Hill
7 Meadow Pipits
c.150 Fieldfare
c.30 Starlings
1 Chiffchaff
(Ed Wilson)

2013
Priorslee Lake
7 Wigeon
22 Tufted Duck
1 Glaucous Gull
1 Yellow-legged Gull
1 hybrid Ring-billed x Lesser Black-backed Gull
1 Mediterranean Gull
c.400 Black-headed Gulls
63 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
4 Herring Gulls.
(Tom Lowe, Martin Grant)

Nedge Hill
2 Lapwing
(Martin Grant)

Little Wenlock, Candles Landfill Site
1 Glaucous Gull
Iceland Gull
1 Yellow-legged Gull.
(Tom Lowe)

2012
Priorslee Lake
10 Chiffchaffs singing
4 Blackcaps singing
1 Sky Lark
1 Willow Tit
1 Raven flew over
3 Great Crested Grebes
11 Tufted Duck 
(Ed Wilson)

Priorslee Flash
2 Great Spotted Woodpeckers
38 Tufted Duck
5 Chiffchaffs singing
(Ed Wilson)

2008
Priorslee Lake
4 Great Crested Grebes 
6 Gadwall
c.15 Tufted Duck
1 Fieldfare
11 Linnets
5 Chiffchaffs
c.40 Sand Martins
(Ed Wilson)

The Flash 
4 Great Crested Grebes
30 Tufted Ducks
Siskins
2 Chiffchaffs
(Ed Wilson)

Nedge Hill
10 Meadow Pipits
Linnets
Sky Larks
(Ed Wilson)

2006
Priorslee Lake
7 Great Crested Grebes
2 Cormorants
14 Tufted Ducks
3 Ruddy Ducks
1 Kittiwake
242 Wood Pigeons
4 Stock Doves
2 Buzzards
1 Kestrel
3 Meadow Pipits
3 Grey Wagtails
9 Pied Wagtails
26 Wrens
3 Fieldfare
94 Redwings
2 Swallow
13 Sand Martins
1 Blackcap
1 Willow Warbler
7 Chiffchaffs
18 Magpies
4 Jays
127 Jackdaws
13 Greenfinches
7 Siskins
7 Reed Buntings
(Ed Wilson, Martin Adlam)