18 May 19

Priorslee Lake [with Woodhouse Lane] and The Flash

Priorslee Lake:  04:25 – 06:40 // 07:25 – 08:55
[Woodhouse Lane:  05:35 – 06:15]
The Flash:  06:45 – 07:20

10.0°C:  Cloudy at low level with drizzle in the air at times. Light and variable wind. Moderate visibility

Sunrise: 05:08 BST

Priorslee Lake:  04:25 – 06:40 // 07:25 – 08:55

(130th visit of the year)

Bird notes from today
- a Greylag x Canada(?) Goose flew over with three Greylag Geese. This seemed to be a very different individual from the usual hybrids and resembled a Greylag Goose with an all-white head
- no sign of yesterday’s Mallard ducklings
- the Tufted Duck did their ‘appearing’ trick yet again this morning. None before 07:45 and then two pairs ‘appeared’ at separate times without any being seen in flight
- some adult and juveniles Coots probably still hiding in the reeds
- one of the Lesser Black-backed Gulls took a drink while still flying and passed on. The lower-mandible, at least, touched the water and therefore just about qualifies as being ‘here’ rather than ‘flying over’!
- 14 House Martins high over the football field 06:30. Much later just 4 over the water
- Starlings have been regular on the football field for several weeks: none today. I believe that the young have now fledged and all the local birds have departed to more distant feeding areas
- a (Common) Whitethroat was singing from the hedge between the academy and the football field this morning – a new location for this year
- I undertook a separate circuit of the water to count the singing Reed Warblers. Nine birds singing (and another seen). A good count for here

Bird totals

Birds noted flying over or flying near the lake
- 3 Greylag Geese (outbound)
- 1 Canada x Canada? Goose (outbound)
- 8 Canada Geese (outbound)
- 2 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
- 1 Feral Pigeon
- [no Wood Pigeons]
- 32 Jackdaws
- 11 Rooks

Hirundines etc. noted
- 8 Swifts
- 4 Barn Swallows
- 18 House Martins

Warblers noted (singing birds)
- 8 (8) Chiffchaffs
- 1 (1) Willow Warbler
- 19 (19) Blackcaps
- 4 (3) Garden Warblers
- 3 (3) (Common) Whitethroats
- 1 (1) Sedge Warbler
- 10 (9) Reed Warblers

The counts from the lake area:
- 2 Mute Swans
- 6 (6♂) Mallard
- 4 (2♂) Tufted Duck
- 1 Grey Heron
- [Little Grebe(s) not seen or heard]
- 4 + 3? (1 brood) Great Crested Grebes again
- 5 Moorhens
- 17 + 13 (4 broods) Coots
- 1 Lesser Black-backed Gull

On the lamp poles pre-dawn
Nothing

Seen later
- 1 pipistrelle-type bat
- 1 noctule-type bat
- Yellow Flag (Iris pseudacorus) flowers new for the year here
- Ox-eye daisy (Leucanthemum vulgare) also newly noted in flower this year
- 1 Grey Squirrel

Until the family parties are roaming around looking for food Reed Warblers are hard to see, staying deep in the reeds. They can be persuaded to come and look at squeaking noises but they stay inside the reeds. All you have to do then is persuade the camera to focus on the bird and not the reeds. Not at all bad.

We can at least see the rather long pale bill of this species, otherwise the only obvious feature is a sloping forehead which does not show well in this foreshortened view. The rather white throat and white in front of the eye is not always obvious.

They were not here yesterday .... a group of Yellow Flags (Iris pseudacorus).

And another in close-up.

My first Ox-eye daisy (Leucanthemum vulgare) (plus unidentified bug).

(Ed Wilson)

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Notes from Woodhouse Lane (05:35 – 06:15)

(16th visit of the year)

Notes from here
- a ‘standard’ visit without highlight

Totals of ‘interesting’ species (singing birds)
- 2 (2) Pheasants
- 1 Common Buzzard
- 3 (3) Sky Larks
- 1 (1) Goldcrest
- 2 (2) Chiffchaffs
- 3 (3) Blackcaps
- 4 (3) (Common) Whitethroats
- 3 (3) Song Thrushes again
- 5 (5) Chaffinches
- 4 Goldfinches
- 1 Linnet
- 4 (3) Yellowhammers

(Ed Wilson)

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

The Flash:  06:45 – 07:20

(123rd visit of the year)

Notes from here:
- the Mute Swan cygnets were being brooded by both parents: local dog-walkers reported ‘still six’
- only one broods of Mallard ducklings located: the brood of three ducklings with both parents
- a pair of Tufted Duck seen to fly in
- juvenile Coots not located
- yet another Common Sandpiper here. Spring passage of this species overall has been thin but protracted this year, but with an exceptional number here
- a Garden Warbler singing at the ‘top end’. Close to where one was recorded on 9th May. Unlikely to be the same bird, just a suitable location for this species. As far as I can tell the first time I have logged two birds in any one year here

Birds noted flying over / near The Flash
None

Hirundines etc. noted
- 6 Swifts

Warblers noted (singing birds)
- 3 (3) Chiffchaffs
- 1 (1) Willow Warbler
- 2 (2) Blackcaps
- 1 (1) Garden Warbler

The counts from the water:
- 3 + ? Mute Swans
- 1 Greylag Goose
- 28 Canada Geese
- 21 (16♂) + 3 (1 brood) Mallard
- 5 (3♂) Tufted Ducks
- 2 Great Crested Grebes
- 3 Moorhens
- 24 + ? (1 brood) Coots

A ‘record shot’ of today’s Common Sandpiper here. My 9th of the year here (with another well-described by one of the fishermen). Quite unprecedented.

(Ed Wilson)

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Between the lake and The Flash

At or around the lower pool (singing birds)
- 1 Moorhen
- 1 (1) Goldcrest
- 1 (1) Chiffchaff
- 1 (1) Blackcap

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

(Ed Wilson)

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

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

2015
Priorslee Lake
Today's Sightings Here

2013
Priorslee Lake
Spotted Flycatcher
Wheatear
(Ed Wilson)

2007
Priorslee Lake
Whimbrel
2 drake Ruddy Ducks
(Ed Wilson)

2006
Priorslee Lake
2 Ruddy Ducks
(Ed Wilson)