8 Mar 19

Priorslee Lake and The Flash

Priorslee Lake:  05:35 – 06:50 // 07:45 – 09:35
The Flash:  07:00 – 07:35

2.0°C > 6.0°C:  Clear start, just frosted. High cloud from W after 07:00, thickening and lowering. Calm start with light S breeze later. Very good visibility

Sunrise: 06:41 GMT

First day of ‘summer schedule’. One lap of the lake before walking to The Flash and back. Then a more in-depth look at the lake, all the while avoiding ‘the school run’

Priorslee Lake:  05:35 – 06:50 // 07:45 – 09:35

(63rd visit of the year)

Bird species added to my 2019 log from here
67      Nuthatch
At last! The final all-year ‘regular’ species logged. I know where this species hangs out and have been watching and listening all year. Today there he was calling away exactly where he should have been for the last 9 weeks

Other bird notes from today
- 4th Great Crested Grebe today: not (yet?) hooked up with the lone bird in the NW area
- 2 Stock Doves found in trees alongside Teece Drive, opposite the academy
- >500 Jackdaws passed at 05:58 in concurrent large parties to the E and W as well as over the lake making an accurate count impossible. Also hard to determine how many Rooks with them
- 3 Chiffchaffs seen again: only two heard singing today
- no Redwings logged as leaving roosts. However one bird was heard alarm calling at 05:55 and then started singing along the S side. Likely one of several birds seen at the W end later
- 8 Siskins today in Alders along the N side

Bird totals

Birds noted flying over or flying near the lake
- 9 Canada Geese (8 outbound as 4 pairs; 1 inbound)
- 5 Black-headed Gulls
- 1 Lesser Black-backed Gull
- 10 Wood Pigeons only
- >500 Jackdaws (see notes)
- >10 Rooks
- 1 Lesser Redpoll

Birds recorded leaving roosts around the lake
None
(see Redwing notes)

The counts from the lake area:
- 2 Greylag Geese (pair stopped off inbound)
- 8 (6♂) Mallard
- 3 (2♂) Tufted Duck
- 2 Grey Herons
- 4 Great Crested Grebes
- 12 Moorhens
- 34 Coots
- 25 Black-headed Gulls

Other things
- just 5 small flies on one of the lamps later

This looks a bit more lurid than in real life. The sky was certainly a mauve-red though.

A long view shows the tones in the sky somewhat more realistically.

To the S there was this unusual cloud formation.

Just as the sun was rising the colour changed to a more yellow tone.

Not my best picture of a Common Buzzard but shows that this bird has a very full crop and will not need to eat again for a while.

That full-crop is not at all evident in this flight shot.

And can really only be seen if you know from this angle.

This Stock Dove was not being too helpful. Points to note are: no white patch on the neck; small black wing patches; and short tail – on a Wood Pigeon at rest the dark wing tips would be separated from the dark tail band by a grey uppertail.

Still rather high up though the Siskins today offered a better opportunity to see them eating Alder cones. A female here.

... And here.

... And here probably a first-year male – the black crown is not very extensive –really gets stuck in.

Can be difficult perching on a dead willow-herb stem ... this male Reed Bunting attempts the feat.

And succeeds.

On International Women’s Day it is only fair that a female Reed Bunting should show how it is done.

“I can even turn around without falling off”.

(Ed Wilson)

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The Flash:  07:00 – 07:35

(57th visit of the year)

Notes from here:
- little change: no Goosander today
- highest count of Coots this year. Several pairs started nest-building. There will not be room for them all
- Great Spotted Woodpecker(s) calling and drumming in squirrel alley

Birds noted flying over / near The Flash
- 1 Feral Pigeon
- 1 Wood Pigeon
- 1 Jackdaw
- 2 Siskins

The counts from the water
- 2 + 1  Mute Swans
- 15 Canada Geese (5 of these flew off)
- 2 (1♂) Gadwall
- 21 (14♂) Mallard
- 1 (1♂) Pochard again
- 35 (20♂) Tufted Ducks
- 2 Great Crested Grebes
- 4 Moorhens
- 35 Coots
- 2 Black-headed Gulls again

(Ed Wilson)

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Between the lake and The Flash

(1st visit of year)

- 2 (1♂) Mallard at the lower pool
- 2 Moorhens at the lower pool
- 2 Starlings over. Breeding birds returned to the estate?
- 1 Reed Bunting in song at lower pool. My first-ever record here. Bird then flew off W over Priorslee Avenue
and
- 1 female plumed midge sp. (Chironomus plumosus) on a lamp pole

Just a record shot: the male Reed Bunting at the lower pool – my first at this location.

When I saw and photographed this I expected it to be a Chironomus plumosus – plumed midge. “But it has no plumes” I hear you say. True: so it must be a female. Only males have the plumes to detect pheromones given off by females. I had certainly not appreciated that in this species before even though there are many moth species where it is only the male that has feathered antenna.

(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

2012
Priorslee Lake
1 Iceland Gull
2 Great Black-backed Gulls
(John Isherwood)

Holmer Lake
1 Goosander
(John Isherwood)

2011
Priorslee Lake
13 Pochard
41 Tufted Ducks
1 Oystercatcher
(Ed Wilson)

2007
Priorslee Lake
9 Cormorant
15 Tufted Duck
1 Woodcock
311 Wood Pigeon
36 Robin
24 Blackbird
10 Redwing
53 Magpie
5 Reed Bunting
(Ed Wilson)

2006
Priorslee Lake
1 Ruddy Duck
1 Little Grebe
4 Great Crested Grebes
2 Herons
1 Cormorant
6 Pochard
42 Tufted Ducks
2 Ruddy Ducks
103 Coots
1 Water Rail
1 Ring-billed Gull
141 Wood Pigeon
142 Jackdaws
23 Blackbirds
11 Song Thrushes
1 Redwing
14 Greenfinches
6 Reed Buntings.
(Ed Wilson and et al)