27 Apr 19

Priorslee Lake and The Flash

Priorslee Lake:  10:10 – 11:05
The Flash:  11:10 – 11:45

7.0°C:  Mainly cloudy with some light rain. Very strong / gale-force W wind. Very good visibility

Sunrise: 05:46 BST

The rain and strong wind suggested an early visit would be unproductive. I had hoped the wind might have brought some early Swifts or passing terns. Not while I was present

Priorslee Lake:  10:10 – 11:05

(112th visit of the year)

bird notes from today
- precise numbers of the hirundines impossible to judge as they swirled around in the very strong wind

Bird totals

Birds noted flying over or flying near the lake
None

Hirundines noted
- >200 Sand Martins
- >10 Barn Swallows
- >8 House Martins

Warblers noted
None

The counts from the lake area:
- 2 Mute Swans
- 4 Greylag Geese
- 7 (7♂) Mallard
- 2 Grey Herons
- 1 Great Crested Grebe
- 1 Moorhen
- 15 Coots

Here we see a House Martin (with the white rump) and a Sand Martin. All these birds’ characteristics depend somewhat on their flight. The House Martin has a more deeply forked tail, is somewhat tubbier and the wings are blunter. The Sand Martin’s collar shows well here.

Two Sand Martins here showing the way the wing tips can look different. Note the almost complete absence of fork in the tail. The right-hand bird has a primary feather missing from the left wing.

A passing Sand Martin.

Plan view of Sand Martin. Here the tail looks slightly forked.

Almost a plan view showing the extent of the white collar not quite over the neck.

Two Sand Martins showing how the white belly ‘gleams’. As the bird twists and turns it can look like a House Martin’s rump. The collar is shown well, and one bird has its tail spread.

This close-up shows the dark around the eye-socket – just like an American baseball player.

Visible here too.

And this one shows best the dark underwing close to the body – this is the same bird with the missing primary.

This does not have a missing primary.

Two Sand Martins, the upper bird holding its tail slightly forked.

Contrast with the deeply forked tail of a Barn Swallow. Note too the white spots in the spread tail and that the back is blue-black and the outer wings dark grey.

Another view of this bird. Can just about make out the red face.

We can see the red on the face and throat here.

(Ed Wilson)

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The Flash:  11:10 – 11:45

(105th visit of the year)

Species added to my 2019 bird log from here
66      House Martin
a very small number of hirundines here compared with the lake. Probably mostly passing through. At least two House Martins

Other notes from here:

Birds noted flying over / near The Flash
None

Hirundines noted
- >4 Sand Martins
- >2 Barn Swallows
- >4 House Martins

Warblers noted
None

The counts from the water:
- 2 + 1 Mute Swans
- 22 Canada Geese
- 21 (15♂) + 6 (1 brood) Mallard
- 5 (3♂) Tufted Ducks
- 2 Great Crested Grebes again
- 2 Moorhens again
- -- Coots [not counted]

(Ed Wilson)

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

2018
Priorslee Lake
Today's Sightings Here

2017
Local area
Today's Sightings Here

2016
Priorslee Lake
Today's Sightings Here

2015
Priorslee Lake
Today's Sightings Here

2013
Priorslee Lake
4 Great Crested Grebes 
2 Greylag Geese
3 Common Sandpipers 
1 Reed Warblers 
1 Common Whitethroat 
11 Blackcaps 
10 Chiffchaffs 
2 Willow Warblers 
(Ed Wilson)

The Flash
Wood Warbler
2 Great Crested Grebe 
1 Greylag Goose 
1 Richardson's / Cackling-type Canada Goose 
16 Tufted Duck 
5 Blackcaps 
Wood Warbler
1 Chiffchaff
6 Willow Warblers
(Ed Wilson)

The Wrekin
3 Wood Warblers
1 Redstart
5 Pied Flycatchers
2 Tree Pipits
2 Redpolls
1 Siskin
(Ed Wilson, JW Reeves)

2012
Priorslee Lake
6 Tufted Duck
6 Swift
50 Swallow
25 House Martin
2 Sand Martin
1 Grasshopper Warbler
1 Wheatear
1 Sedge Warbler
6 Common Sandpiper
(John Isherwood, Martin Grant)

Nedge Hill
1 Lesser Whitethroat
26 Wheatear
1 Greenland Wheatear
1 Fieldfare
1 Raven
(John Isherwood)

2011
Priorslee Lake
1 Wood Sandpiper
1 Common Sandpiper
1 Sedge Warbler
1 Lesser Whitethroat
1 Swift
(John Isherwood)

Nedge Hill
2 Wheatear
1 Lesser Whitethroat
(John Isherwood)

2008
Priorslee Lake
3 Sedge Warblers
6 Reed Warblers
2 Lesser Whitethroats
2 Whitethroats
1 Garden Warbler
9 Blackcaps
9 Chiffchaffs
1 Willow Warbler
1 Little Grebe
2 Common Sandpipers 
c.10 Sand Martins
c.45 Swallows
1 House Martin
(Ed Wilson)

The Flash 
4 Sand Martins
12 Swallows 
2 Blackcaps
4 Chiffchaffs
4 Willow Warblers
(Ed Wilson)

The lane to the E of Priorslee
6 Whitethroats
1 Blackcap
3 Chiffchaffs 
1 Willow Warbler 
2 Linnets 
3 Yellowhammers
(Ed Wilson)

2007
Priorslee Lake
9 Great Crested Grebes
5 Tufted Ducks
2 Ruddy Ducks
1 Kestrel
2 Stock Doves
2 Swallows
House Martins
2 Grey Wagtails
Chiffchaff
Willow Warbler
1 Jay
(Ed Wilson)

Nedge Hill
2 Swallows
House Martin
Ring Ouzel
Fieldfare
Common Whitethroat
Blackcaps
Chiffchaff
Willow Warblers
(Ed Wilson)

Priorslee Flash
1 Swallow
6 Willow Warbler
Reed Bunting
(Ed Wilson)

2006
Priorslee Lake
5 Great Crested Grebes
1 Heron
3 Greylag Geese
2 Ruddy Ducks
3 Common Sandpipers
1 Stock Dove
7 Swallows
3 Grey Wagtails
26 Wrens
17 Robins
30 Blackbirds
9 Song Thrushes
1 Sedge Warbler
3 Reed Warblers
8 Blackcaps
4 Chiffchaffs
2 Willow Warblers
5 Greenfinches
5 Reed Buntings
(Ed Wilson)