3 Mar 19

Priorslee Lake and The Flash

Priorslee Lake:  05:45 – 08:30
The Flash:  08:35 – 09:15

7.0°C:  Overcast with rain after 09:00. Light S wind ahead of predicted Storm Freya mayhem. Good visibility

Sunrise: 06:53 GMT

Priorslee Lake:  05:45 – 08:30

(58th visit of the year)

Bird notes from today
- one pair of Canada Geese seems to have taken up residence and were on top of the dam more or less throughout
- there were 11 Moorhens on the SW grass early. Later there were four at the N end of the dam and two at the S end of the dam. I am inclined to think that some of these birds go right across the water to breakfast on the grass and I could be double-counting some
- another Woodcock sighting
- first Black-headed Gull not until 06:50: rather few from the W
- 25 Black-headed Gulls flew in very high from the N with 16 of them circling around to land on the water with the other nine flying on (with 5 Lesser Black-backed Gulls)
- later 59 Black-headed Gulls briefly on the football field
- 1 Lesser Black-backed Gull on the usual buoy, very early at 06:35: did not stay long
- Magpies started leaving their roost at 06:20 and unusually ahead of the Jackdaws
- the Jackdaws all streamed past at 06:25 and my attempts to count blocks of 10 gave me at least 710 birds – likely under-recorded though. A few stragglers
- Rook(s) heard over as early as 06:10 but too dark to see any. Just two followed the Jackdaws
- unusual sight of 10 Crows together in one tree
- very flew Wood Pigeons flying
- one Chiffchaff in song; another heard calling and then in song; a third bird calling only
- at least three Redwings in the trees later

Bird totals

Birds noted flying over or flying near the lake
- 11 Canada Geese (all outbound)
- 9 Black-headed Gulls
- 5 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
- 3 Wood Pigeons only
- >710 Jackdaws
- >2 Rooks
- 1 Pied Wagtail
- 1 Goldfinch
- 1 Siskin

Birds recorded leaving roosts around the lake
- [Magpies not counted]
- 3 Reed Buntings

The counts from the lake area:
- 2 Canada Geese
- 9 (7♂) Mallard again
- 2 (1♂) Tufted Duck
- 1 Cormorant (arrived)
- 1 Grey Heron
- 3 Great Crested Grebes again
- 11 (17?) Moorhens (see notes)
- 27 Coots
- >60 Black-headed Gulls
- 1 Lesser Black-backed Gull

- 1 orb-web spider on a pole: nothing else of note
- first Dog's Mercury (Mercurialis perennis) noted

Here we see 10 Crows in the same tree. Conventional wisdom is that crows occur in 1s and 2s and it is Rooks that are in groups. Clearly these crows have not read the books. It would be rather unusual for Rooks to sit in trees like this anyway

This is Dog's Mercury (Mercurialis perennis)

(Ed Wilson)

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The Flash:  08:35 – 09:15

(52nd visit of the year)

Notes from here:
- last year’s Mute Swan cygnet once again sitting inside the island throughout my visit
- Gadwall and Shoveler apparently gone
- drake Pochard new in
- a single Black-headed Gull dropped in as I was leaving
- 1 calling Chiffchaff

Birds noted flying over / near The Flash
None

The counts from the water
- 2 + 1 Mute Swans as usual
- 18 Canada Geese
- 26 (17♂) Mallard
- 1 (1♂) Pochard
- 42 (23♂) Tufted Ducks
- 2 Great Crested Grebes again
- 2 Moorhens again
- 31 Coots
- 1 Black-headed Gull

(Ed Wilson)

Notes
1. A few photos Here taken at RSPB Burton Mere - 2 Mar
2. A few photos Here taken at Belvide - 27 Feb

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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
1 Caspian Gull
1 Iceland Gull
(Tom Lowe)

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

2010
Priorslee Lake
1 Little Grebe
5 Great Crested Grebes
6 Gadwall
33 Pochard
71 Tufted Duck
(Ed Wilson)

2009
Priorslee Lake
5 Great Crested Grebes
11 Mute Swans
10 Tufted Ducks
1 Iceland
1 Glaucous Gull
(Ed Wilson, Mike Cooper)