16 Apr 19

Priorslee Lake and The Flash

Priorslee Lake:  05:15 – 06:30 // 07:30 – 09:20
The Flash:  06:40 – 07:20

6.0°C > 8.0°C:  Mostly cloudy, sometimes hazy sun. Calm with very light SE wind later. Moderate visibility at best and very hazy

Sunrise: 06:10 BST

Priorslee Lake:  05:15 – 06:30 // 07:30 – 09:20

(101st visit of the year)

In the hazy conditions nothing much was seen flying over

Best today were presumably two Tawny Owls calling near the Teece Drive gate at 05:20. I am still confused as to whether either sex can emit both types of call – both were heard at slightly different times from very slightly different locations. Probably two birds involved. They may well have young to feed by now

Fishermen camped on the SW grass likely precluded any chance of Common Sandpipers. It also meant a low count of Moorhens

Other bird notes from today
- Little Grebes only heard today
- 2 single Lesser Black-backed Gulls, both full adults, each dropped in for a few minutes
- no hirundines seen!

Bird totals

Birds noted flying over or flying near the lake
- 5 Greylag Geese (2 singles outbound; single and pair inbound)
- 2 Canada Geese (pair outbound)
- 9 Wood Pigeons

Hirundines noted
None

Warblers noted (singing birds)
- 9 (7) Chiffchaffs
- 6 (5) Willow Warblers
- 16 (10) Blackcaps

The counts from the lake area:
- 2 Mute Swans
- 4 Canada Geese (2 arrived: all 4 departed)
- 7 (6♂) Mallard
- 7 (4♂) Tufted Ducks
- 2 Grey Herons again
- Little Grebe(s) heard only
- 3 Great Crested Grebes
- 3 Moorhens
- 20 Coots
- 2 Lesser Black-backed Gulls

On the lamp poles pre-dawn
- >4 Plumed Midge (Chironomus plumosus)
- 3 spiders of 3 different species (none identified)

Another sunrise surprise. It appeared cloudy but in reality much of that was haze and this almost mauve colour appeared very briefly.

Yesterday I photographed a calling and hence female Chiffchaff on these twigs. Today the bird was intermittently singing, so a male. A bird with a strange growth above the bill.

Perhaps seen more clearly here even if the bird is slightly out of focus. Also noticeable is that from this angle the supercilium on this bird does extend behind the eye, though it is rather diffuse.

I suspect this is Herb Robert (Geranium robertianum) again, here growing under cover and hence with larger flowers than the specimen I found on the nutrient-poor dam. I remain somewhat confused as the petal of Herb Robert are described as ‘scarcely notched’ whereas these are not at all notched. The stem of the yet-to-open flower seems rather too hairy for this species. I cannot find any other “crane’s bill” species that fits, not least because most do not flower before May.

Some mainly poor photos of the spiders on the lamp posts this morning. Let’s get the worst out of the way.

Species #2. From the shape looks to be an orb-web spider.

A smaller all-dark spider as species #3.

(Ed Wilson)

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The Flash:  06:40 – 07:20

(94th visit of the year)

Notes from here:
- a drake and then a duck Gadwall seen separately near the island – nesting there?
- where were all the duck Mallard? Apart from one bird with a single duckling none was found
also
- at least 3 Plumed Midges (Chironomus plumosus) on the lamp posts

Birds noted flying over / near The Flash
- 3 Canada Geese
- 2 Black-headed Gulls

Hirundines noted
None

Warblers noted (singing birds)
- 5 (5) Chiffchaffs
- 6 (6) Willow Warblers
- 8 (6) Blackcaps

The counts from the water:
- 2 + 1 Mute Swans
- 28 Canada Geese
- 2 (1♂) Gadwall
- 14 (13♂) + 1 (1 brood) Mallard
- 19 (12♂) Tufted Ducks
- 1 Great Crested Grebe still
- 5 Moorhens
- [Coots not counted]

(Ed Wilson)

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Between the lake and The Flash

At or around the lower pool
- drake Mallard
- 1 (1) Chiffchaff
- 2 (2) Willow Warblers again
- 2 (1) Blackcaps
- 1 (1) Reed Bunting

At or around the upper pool
- 2 (1) Blackcaps
- party of Long-tailed Tits

(Ed Wilson)

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

2017
Priorslee lake
Today's Sightings Here

2016
Local Area
Today's Sightings Here

2015
Priorslee Lake
Today's Sightings Here

2014
Priorslee Lake
1 Little Grebe
3 Great Crested Grebes
1 Cormorant
2 Grey Herons
10 Tufted Duck
2 Common Sandpipers
6 Sand Martin
2 Swallow
11 Song Thrushes
11 Blackcaps
6 Chiffchaffs
2 Willow Warbler
112 Jackdaws
(Ed Wilson)

The Flash
2 Great Crested Grebes
2 Cormorants
1 Grey Heron
4 Greylag Geese
25 Tufted Ducks
2 Blackcap
2 Chiffchaffs
2 Willow Warbler
(Ed Wilson)

Nedge Hill
Curlew
6 Sky Lark
3 Meadow Pipit
5 Blackcap
3 Chiffchaffs
2 Linnets
1 Yellowhammer
(Ed Wilson)

2013
Priorslee Lake
1 Wheatear
2 Common Sandpiper
(John Isherwood)

East Priorslee
5 Wheatear
(John Isherwood)

Nedge Hill
3 Yellow Wagtails
Common Whitethroat
62 Wheatear
1 Fieldfare
3 Common Redstart 
Willow Warbler
2 Swallows
Linnet
Skylark
Chiffchaff
(Martin Grant, Ian Grant, John Isherwood)

Long Lane, Wellington
1 Little Ringed Plover
1 Ringed Plover
12 Lapwing
2 Stock Dove
4+ Skylark
5 Teal
(Martin Grant)

2012
Nedge Hill
1 White Wagtail
1 Redstart
2 Wheatear
(John Isherwood)

2011
Priorslee Lake
1 Yellow Wagtail
(John Isherwood/ Ed Wilson)

Nedge Hill
1 Lesser Whitethroat
1 Whitethroat
15 Wheatear
2 Linnets
(John Isherwood, Ed Wilson)

2009
Priorslee Lake
2 Great Crested Grebes
9 Tufted Duck
1 Buzzard
25 Sand Martins
6 Swallows
3 Skylarks
2 Blackcaps
3 Chiffchaffs
3 Willow Warblers
1 Willow Tit
2 Jays
4 Linnets
1 Siskin
(Ed Wilson)

The Flash
Common Sandpiper
Redpoll
(Ed Wilson)

2007
Priorslee Lake
4 Chiffchaff
5 Blackcap
1 Willow Warbler
1 Reed Bunting
8 Tufted Duck
(Martin Grant)

2006
Priorslee Lake
4 Great Crested Grebes
1 Little Grebe
2 Heron
4 Tufted Ducks
2 Ruddy Duck
7 Common Sandpiper
4 Swallow
3 Sand Martin
1 Kestrel
1 Raven
2 Sky Lark
2 Grey Wagtail
2 Meadow Pipit
1 Wheatear
9 Chiffchaff
4 Willow Warbler
5 Blackcaps
1 Sedge Warbler.
5 Greenfinch
2 Siskin
1 Linnet
5 Reed Bunting.
(Martin Adlam, John Isherwood)