9 Mar 19

Priorslee Lake, The Flash, Trench Lock Pool and Trench Middle Pool

Priorslee Lake:  05:35 – 08:30
The Flash:  08:35 – 09:20
Trench Lock Pool:  09:30 – 09:35 // 10:10 – 10:30
Trench Middle Pool:  09:40 – 10:05

5.0°C > 8.0°C but 5.0°C in showers:  Heavy passing showers. Fresh / strong WNW wind. Excellent visibility except in showers

Sunrise: 06:39 GMT

Priorslee Lake:  05:35 – 08:30

(64th visit of the year)

Bird notes from today
- two silent geese flew high N separately. Neither called. On size not Canada Geese, but ....
- an extra drake Tufted Duck. Kept well away from the other three (two drakes): these probably the birds logged yesterday
- back to three Great Crested Grebes
- two of the local Common Buzzards were circling over. There was another bird displaying to the far N
- had trouble counting the Coots with the strong wind causing eye-watering – likely the cause of today’s lower number
- long after the Magpie roost dispersed four birds were seen flying very high to the NE and these then flew in to land in the trees used by the Magpies after leaving their roost perches and before setting off for the day’s mayhem. Very strange
- c.350 Jackdaws only at 05:58. Long ‘tail’ of 70 more birds with the last at 06:39
- 2 Chiffchaffs singing
- more Siskins in Alders again
- some of the Reed Buntings leaving the roost area perhaps not going very far – to areas around the lake where they were later heard calling?

Bird totals

Birds noted flying over or flying near the lake
- 1 Greylag Goose (high outbound)
- 2 Canada Geese (pair outbound)
- 2 unidentified geese
- 1 Common Buzzard
- 4 Black-headed Gulls
- 6 Lesser Black-backed Gull
- 1 Herring Gull
- 18 Wood Pigeons only
- c.420 Jackdaws
- 2 Rooks
- 1 Redwing
- 1 Lesser Redpoll again

Birds recorded leaving roosts around the lake
- >34 Magpies (partial count? Nest-building well underway)
- 1 Redwing
- 8 Reed Buntings

The counts from the lake area:
- 1 Greylag Goose (stopped off outbound)
- 2 Canada Geese (pair arrived)
- 4 (3♂) Mallard only
- 4 (3♂) Tufted Duck
- 2 Grey Herons again
- 3 Great Crested Grebes
- 11 Moorhens
- 28 Coots
- 41 Black-headed Gulls

Other things
- 4 small flies on one of the lamps later

Pre-dawn the first of the showers passing over. We can see the precipitation ‘hanging’ in a curtain suggesting – as was proved later – it is sleet or hail rather than just rain.

Once it passed over the sunrise looked quite benign ....

Unless you looked to the W where the next shower was rapidly approaching.

... and giving this partial rainbow.

A Grey Heron in silhouette as it comes in to land. Two Canada Geese in the background.

Did I mention ‘silhouette’?

This Long-tailed Tit looks puzzled as to whether the catkin might be edible.

And seems to decide against it.

(Ed Wilson)

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The Flash:  08:35 – 09:20

(58th visit of the year)

Notes from here:
- neither the Gadwall nor the drake Pochard located today: perhaps they were tucked up out of the wind somewhere

Birds noted flying over / near The Flash
- 2 Jackdaws

The counts from the water
- 2 + 1  Mute Swans again
- 8 Canada Geese
- 24 (16♂) Mallard
- 31 (19♂) Tufted Ducks
- 2 Great Crested Grebes still
- 2 Moorhens
- 32 Coots

A rather scruffy-looking Nuthatch. There is a reason ...

It was in the middle of preening session.

Really digging deep to get at the base of the feathers.

Of course birds need to continue to keep sharp look-out for danger.

And a listen-out as well it seems.

(Ed Wilson)

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Trench Lock Pool:  09:30 – 09:35 // 10:10 – 10:30

(14th visit of the year)

Bird species added to my 2019 log from here
40      Pied Wagtail
heard flying over

Today’s notes from here
- exactly same number and sex-composition of Tufted Duck as at The Flash
- after months on its own a 2nd Great Crested Grebe has arrived: they did not seen at all interested in each other
- in the very windy conditions not too much should be read in to the low Coot count

Birds noted flying over / near here [other than local Wood Pigeons and Jackdaws]
- 1 Pied Wagtail – as noted above

The counts from the water
- 2 Mute Swans
- 18 Canada Geese
- 3 (2♂) Mallard
- 1 (1♂) feral Mallard as ever
- 1 (1♂) Pochard still
- 31 (19♂) Tufted Ducks
- 2 Great Crested Grebes
- 2 Moorhens
- 25 Coots
- 1 Black-headed Gull only

(Ed Wilson)

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Trench Middle Pool:  09:40 – 10:05

(14th visit of the year)

Notes from here
- Pink-footed Goose apparently gone
- Great Crested Grebes not seen again
- many fewer Coots

Birds noted flying over / near here
None

The counts from the water
- 3 Greylag Geese
- 43 Canada Geese
- 13 (10♂) Mallard
- 4 (2♂) Tufted Ducks
- 12 Moorhens
- 17 Coots only
- 48 Black-headed Gulls


(Ed Wilson)

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

2017
Priorslee Lake
Today's Sightings Here

2015
Priorslee Lake
Today's Sightings Here

2012
Priorslee Lake
1 Iceland Gull
1 Grey Wagtail
(Martin Grant)

2011
Priorslee Lake
13 Pochard
37 Tufted Ducks
1 Chiffchaff. First of the year
(Ed Wilson)

2010
Priorslee Lake
3 Snipe
1 Teal
11 Pied Wagtails
13 Reed Buntings
(Ed Wilson)

2009
Priorslee Lake
1 Glaucous Gull
17 Redwings
1 Linnet
(Ed Wilson, Martin Grant)

2007
Priorslee Lake
6 Cormorant
22 Tufted Duck
1 Ruddy Duck
420 Wood Pigeon
33 Wren
25 Robin
22 Blackbird
17 Fieldfare
22 Redwing
1 Chiffchaff. First of the year
4 Goldcrest
59 Magpie
218 Jackdaw
6 Reed Bunting
(Ed Wilson)

Priorslee Flash
4 Great Crested Grebe
3 Pochard
38 Tufted Duck
11 Goosander
1 Stock Dove
(Ed Wilson)

2006
Priorslee Lake
6 Great Crested Grebes
6 Pochard
33 Tufted Ducks
2 Ruddy Ducks
115 Coots
226 Wood Pigeon
178 Jackdaws
21 Blackbirds
c.25 Fieldfares
12 Redwings
1 Willow Tit
9 Greenfinches
6 Redpolls
7 Reed Buntings
(Ed Wilson)