29 Apr 19

Priorslee Lake and The Flash

Priorslee Lake:  04:50 – 05:55 // 06:40 – 08:10
The Flash:  06:00 – 06:35

6.0°C > 10.0°C:  Areas of cloud though often clear. Light E wind. Very good visibility

Sunrise: 05:42 BST

Priorslee Lake:  04:50 – 05:55 // 06:40 – 08:10

(114th visit of the year)

Species added to my 2019 bird log from here
88      Swift
about an average date for the first of this always late migrant. After scanning and scanning all around and failing to find any two flew low over my head at 08:00

Other bird notes from today
- another Oystercatcher sighting when one flew low W calling at 08:00. Suggests birds are at least attempting to nest nearby: where I wonder?
- two singing Willow Warblers now
- could not locate the third singing Garden Warbler or the fourth singing Reed Warbler today
- just possible there is a fourth singing Common Whitethroat. Could be that one bird has a large territory at present
- Sedge Warbler singing very sporadically – I thought for a long while it must have gone
- at least 16 Starlings commuting between the football field and nests in the Priorslee estate with food
- Blackbird seen giving chase to a Wood Pigeon and successfully seeing it off. Why would it be a threat?
- Song Thrush also seen carrying food

Bird totals

Birds noted flying over or flying near the lake
- 2 Greylag Geese (inbound)
- 2 Canada Geese (outbound)
- 1 Cormorant
- 1 Sparrowhawk
- 1 Oystercatcher
- 5 Black-headed Gulls
- 1 Stock Dove
- 14 Wood Pigeons
- 12 Jackdaws
- 2 Rooks

Hirundines etc. noted
- 2 Swifts
- 1 Sand Martin
- 1 House Martin

Warblers noted (singing birds)
- 7 (7) Chiffchaffs again
- 2 (2) Willow Warblers
- 27 (22) Blackcaps
- 2 (2) Garden Warblers
- 3 (3) (Common) Whitethroats
- 1 (1) Sedge Warbler again
- 3 (3) Reed Warblers again

The counts from the lake area:
- 2 Mute Swans
- 5 Greylag Geese (2 pairs and single came and went at different times)
- 6 (6♂) Mallard again
- 2 (1♂) Tufted Ducks again
- 2 Grey Herons
- 1 Little Grebe heard only
- 3 Great Crested Grebes again
- 2 Moorhens once again
- 16 Coots

On the lamp poles pre-dawn
- 2 spider sp. again, both apparently different species from those seen yesterday
- 1 lacewing sp. probably Common Green Lacewing (Chrysoperia carnea)
- 1 unidentified caterpillar

(Ed Wilson)

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The Flash:  06:00 – 06:35

(107th visit of the year)

Notes from here:
- two broods of Mallard ducklings – six and seven: hard to count as they were hard up against the opposite shore. Also ducklings in one of the broods have learnt to dive for food and pop up and down rather like the moles in the “Whac-A-Mole” arcade game (mispent youth)
- a single pair of Tufted Duck only seen
- no Great Crested Grebes located
and
- 1 dead wasp sp. in a spider’s web in squirrel alley

Birds noted flying over / near The Flash
- 2 Wood Pigeons

Hirundines noted
None

Warblers noted (singing birds)
- 2 (2) Chiffchaffs again
- 1 (1) Willow Warbler
- 8 (7) Blackcaps

The counts from the water:
- 2 + 1 Mute Swans as ever
- 27 Canada Geese
- 20 (14♂) + 13 (2 broods) Mallard
- 2 (1♂) Tufted Ducks
- [no Great Crested Grebes]
- 1 Moorhen only
- 28 Coots

(Ed Wilson)

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Between the lake and The Flash

At or around the lower pool (singing birds)
- 1 (1) Chiffchaff
- 1 (1) Blackcap
- 1 (1) Coal Tit

At or around the upper pool (singing birds)
- 1 Moorhen heard
- 1 (1) Blackcap

(Ed Wilson)

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

2016
Priorslee Lake
Today's Sightings Here

2014
Nedge Hill
2 Lesser Whitethroat
10 Wheatear
(John Isherwood)

2013
Priorslee Lake
2 Great Crested Grebes 
1 Common Sandpiper 
4 Reed Warblers 
2 Common Whitethroat 
18 Blackcaps 
7 Chiffchaffs 
5 Willow Warblers 
(Ed Wilson)

The Flash
3 Greylag Goose 
1 Richardson's / Cackling-type Canada Goose 
1 Pochard 
11 Tufted Duck 
4 Blackcaps 
3 Chiffchaffs 
5 Willow Warblers
(Ed Wilson)

Nedge Hill
2 Red-legged Partridges 
Swallows
7 Wheatear
2 Common Whitethroats 
3 Blackcaps 
1 Chiffchaffs 
4 Bullfinches 
(Ed Wilson)

2011
Priorslee Lake 
3 Common Sandpipers
(Ed Wilson, John Isherwood) 

Nedge Hill
2 Wheatear
(John Isherwood)

2010
The Wrekin
1 Wood Warbler
4 Common Redstart
1 Pied Flycatcher
(Paul Rutter)

2009
Priorslee Lake
Common Sandpiper
1 Sand Martin
2 Swallows
6 Reed Warblers
Common Whitethroat
3 Blackcap
4 Chiffchaff
3 Reed Buntings
3 Linnets
1 Yellowhammer
(Ed Wilson)

2007
Priorslee Lake
4 Great Crested Grebe
6 Tufted Duck
2 Ruddy Duck
3 Swifts
2 Sand Martins
4 Swallows
4 Cormorants
1 Kestrel
1 Sparrowhawk
3 Common Sandpipers
2 Grey Wagtail
6 Blackcap
1 Garden Warbler
2 Sedge Warbler
2 Reed Warblers
5 Chiffchaff
3 Greenfinch
2 Reed Bunting
(Ed Wilson, Martin Adlam)

Nedge Hill
1 Ring Ouzel
Common Whitethroat
2 Swallows
(Martin Adlam)

Priorslee Flash
2 Greylag Geese
1 Grey Wagtail here
2 Chiffchaffs
1 Reed Bunting
(Ed Wilson)

2006
Priorslee Lake
3 Great Crested Grebes
2 Ruddy Ducks
1 Common Buzzard
1 Kestrel
1 Swallows
1 Grey Wagtail
4 Sedge Warbler
2 Reed Warblers
4 Blackcaps
2 Garden Warbler
5 Chiffchaffs
3 Willow Warblers
2 Lesser Whitethroat
4 Greenfinches
2 Reed Buntings
(Martin Adlam)