17 Apr 19

Priorslee Lake and The Flash

Priorslee Lake:  05:15 – 06:35 // 07:30 – 09:25
The Flash:  06:40 – 07:20

6.0°C > 8.0°C:  Low cloud with the sun threatening to break through. Did not do so until after I left. Light E breeze. Moderate visibility and hazy again

Sunrise: 06:08 BST

Priorslee Lake:  05:15 – 06:35 // 07:30 – 09:25

(102nd visit of the year)

It is now very noisy first thing with the dawn chorus of thrushes, blackbirds and wrens drowning out some of the quieter songsters

 Bird notes from today
- the cob Mute Swan did a good job of chasing off the geese
- single Little Grebes seen in two different locations in the NE area. Possibly from different nesting pairs? Another heard calling from the NW area
- only a single Moorhen seen with none using the SW grass (no fishermen today to deter them either)
- at one point six Carrion Crows were high in the air over the dam and calling loudly. These split in to two groups of three birds that went their separate ways. Odd
- the Redwing was a late-date bird. May have flown in to trees alongside Teece Drive but I could not find it
- the only confirmed Sand Martin was a bird high over. It flew through my binocular-view as I was checking a passing Rook. I could not re-find it or any others. Three hirundines over the W end trees while I was on the dam remained unidentified
- a single Barn Swallow flew through. Three others stopped off for a while

Bird totals

Birds noted flying over or flying near the lake
- 1 Greylag Goose (inbound)
- 1 Lesser Black-backed Gull
- 2 Stock Doves
- 12 Wood Pigeons
- 1 Jackdaw
- 2 Rooks
- 1 Redwing

Hirundines noted
- 1 Sand Martin
- 4 Barn Swallows
- 3 unidentified hirundines

Warblers noted (singing birds)
- 10 (7) Chiffchaffs
- 5 (5) Willow Warblers
- 17 (11) Blackcaps

 The counts from the lake area:
- 2 Mute Swans
- 2 Greylag Geese (pair arrived and departed)
- 2 Canada Geese (pair arrived and departed)
- 8 (7♂) Mallard
- 4 (2♂) Tufted Ducks
- 2 Grey Herons
- 2+ Little Grebes (see notes)
- 3 Great Crested Grebes
- 1 Moorhen only
- 21 Coots
- 1 Common Sandpiper

 On the lamp poles pre-dawn
- at least 1 Plumed Midge (Chironomus plumosus)
- 1 gnat sp., possibly Trichocera regelationis ('winter gnat')
- 1 Common Green Lacewing (Chrysoperia carnea)
- 2 spiders of 2 different species (none identified)
also, on the wall of the Sailing Club hut
- at least 2 Plumed Midges (Chironomus plumosus)

A fine study of a Common Sandpiper – well it would be if it had legs and there was not an annoying stem in the way. The bird was standing just over a small bank which is why it has no legs. I dared not move more in to view to get the vegetation out of the way as the bird would have flown. Shows all the plumage detail well though.

Stand-by to be bored with Chiffchaff photos. As previously noted the leaves will soon make all the warblers very hard to see so let’s make the most of them while we can.

If you look closely under the bill there is a small ‘growth’ – not as extensive as the ‘horn’ on the bird I photographed yesterday. Thanks to some research by Martin Adlam I now know that these growths are called ‘pollen horns’. When birds are feeding on nectar they pick up pollen as well as nectar on their faces and this coagulates to form these hard patches. Researchers study the pollen granules and can find out where and on what the birds have been feeding.

About to break in to song here [actually if I have remembered correctly this is a female and it is in fact only calling].

“My better side?” 

Not so much an ‘angry bird’ as a ‘quizzical bird’.

I think this is Wood Forget-me-not (Myosotis sylvatica). The leaves look too shiny and lacking in hairs for the very similar Field Forget-me-not (Myosotis arvensis). If you know for certain let me know through the web site please.

A close-up of the flowers. Note the still opening flower is more pink than blue.

Two spiders for the price of one. The one at the top left looks very similar to and is perhaps a Nursery Web Spider (Pisaura mirabilis). The other looks rather like a wolf-spider of the genus Pardosa.

I know I have done plenty of these before ... however this specimen shows up well against the contrasting backdrop of the wall of the Sailing Club hut. The full effect of the plumes of a male Chironomus plumosus (plumed midge) are well-seen.

(Ed Wilson)
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The Flash:  06:40 – 07:20

(95th visit of the year)

Notes from here:
- broods of 9 and 1 Mallard ducklings
- Great Crested Grebe gone missing again
- with most Coot nests now active an accurate count is almost impossible. Some nests are well-hidden
also
- at least 1 Plumed Midge (Chironomus plumosus) on the lamp posts

 Birds noted flying over / near The Flash
- 2 Greylag Geese
- 1 Feral Pigeon
- 4 Wood Pigeons

 Hirundines noted
None

Warblers noted (singing birds)
- 2 (2) Chiffchaffs
- 5 (5) Willow Warblers
- 4 (3) Blackcaps

The counts from the water:
- 2 + 1 Mute Swans as usual
- 5 Greylag Geese
- 29 Canada Geese
- 2 (1♂) Gadwall again
- 19 (14♂) + 10 (2 broods) Mallard
- 21 (15♂) Tufted Ducks
- [no Great Crested Grebe]
- 1 Moorhen only
- 23 Coots

Here is mum Mallard with 10 off-spring. I think she is looking rather smug.


The duck Mallard with the lone duckling looks rather dishevelled. Is part of the wing missing? Looks that way.
(Ed Wilson)

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Between the lake and The Flash

At or around the lower pool
- drake Mallard again
- 1 Moorhen
- 1 (1) Goldcrest
- 2 (1) Chiffchaff
- no Willow Warblers
- 1 (1) Blackcap

At or around the upper pool
- 1 Moorhen
- 2 (1) Goldcrests
- 2 (1) Blackcaps again

(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 Cormorant
2 Grey Herons
8 Greylag Geese
10 Tufted Duck
1 Sand Martin
4 Swallows.
1 Sedge Warbler
10 Blackcaps
7 Chiffchaffs
191 Jackdaws
(Ed Wilson)

 Woodhouse Lane
2 Red-legged Partridges
1 Whitethroat
4 Sky Larks
1 Blackcap
1 Chiffchaff
1 Linnet
2 Yellowhammers
(Ed Wilson)

 Nedge Hill
1 Wheatear
1 Common Whitethroat
1 Willow Warbler
3 Chiffchaff
2 Swallow
2 Blackcap
6 Skylark
1 Great Spotted Woodpecker
(Martin Grant)

 2013
Nedge Hill
1 Common Redstart
5 Whitethroat
15 Wheatear
2 Swallows
Chiffchaff
2 Yellowhammer
6+ Skylarks
3 Linnet
(Ian Grant, Martin Grant)

 2012
Priorslee Lake
1 Dark-bellied Brent Goose
(John Isherwood)

 Nedge Hill
1 Redstart
2 Wheatear
1 Raven
(John Isherwood)

 2011
Priorslee Lake
1 Common Sandpiper
2 Tufted Ducks
1 Lapwing
1 Siskin
Common Whitethroat
(John Isherwood/Ed Wilson)

 Nedge Hill
1 Common Redstart
12 Wheatear
(John Isherwood)

 2010
Priorslee Lake
1 Common Sandpiper
(John. Isherwood)

 2009
Priorslee Lake
2 Reed Warblers
1 Pochard
17 Tufted Duck
6 Swallows
2 Reed Warblers
4 Blackcaps
5 Chiffchaffs
1 Willow Warbler
1 Jay
(Ed Wilson)

 2008
Priorslee Lake
1 Little Grebe
1 Gadwall
7 Tufted Ducks
1 Common Sandpiper
111 Sand Martins
1 House Martin
4 Swallows
1 Blackcap
4 Willow Warblers
11 Chiffchaffs
1 Common Tern
(Ed Wilson)

 2006
Priorslee Lake
4 Great Crested Grebes
3 Tufted Ducks
3 Ruddy Duck
9 Common Sandpiper
11 Chiffchaff
8 Willow Warbler
4 Blackcaps
1 Common Whitethroat
1 Swallow
1 Willow Tit
5 Greenfinch
1 Linnet
1 Redpoll
4 Reed Bunting
(Martin Adlam)