3 May 19

Priorslee Lake and The Flash

Priorslee Lake:  04:50 – 05:50 // 06:45 – 08:50
The Flash:  05:55 – 06:40

8.0°C > 9.0°C:  Overcast with occasional light rain. Light SW wind. Good visibility

Sunrise: 05:34 BST

May Day Holiday weekend is the traditional date for ‘Dawn Chorus’ events to be held. Evidence from the last few days shows a marked decline in both the amount and volume of song. All species are still singing, but many start later and sing more intermittently

Priorslee Lake:  04:50 – 05:50 // 06:45 – 08:50

(118th visit of the year)

Bird notes from today
- two ‘visiting’ first-year Mute Swans when I got back from The Flash at 06:50. Did not linger ...
- a drake Tufted Duck ‘appeared’ on the water at 08:15. Not seen before or after and not seen to fly in or out either
- two more Common Sandpipers
- one of the House Martins was making a call that I associate with begging juveniles fresh out of the nest. Perhaps a female soliciting to be fed?
- Common Whitethroat continues to frustrate. This year I have seen birds in all four locations that have sometimes been used for nesting in previous years. I have not confirmed more that two birds singing on any one day this year
- three Sedge Warblers singing again. Yesterday’s S-side bird presumed that now singing from the SW area of brambles
- all the Reed Warblers singing from reeds. Three in NW area and three along the N side

Bird totals

Birds noted flying over or flying near the lake
- 1 Greylag Goose (outbound)
- 1 Canada Goose (outbound)
- 1 Lesser Black-backed Gull
- 1 Stock Dove
- 8 Wood Pigeons
- 1 Collared Dove
- 1 Jackdaw
- 3 Rooks again

Hirundines etc. noted
- 4 Swifts
- >20 Sand Martins
- >4 Barn Swallows
- >4 House Martins

Warblers noted (singing birds)
- 7 (5) Chiffchaffs
- 2 (2) Willow Warblers again
- 17 (16) Blackcaps
- 2 (2) Garden Warblers
- 2 (2) (Common) Whitethroats
- 3 (3) Sedge Warblers again
- 6 (6) Reed Warblers again

The counts from the lake area:
- 4 Mute Swans
- 2 Canada Geese (departed)
- 8 (8♂) Mallard
- 1 (1♂) Tufted Duck briefly
- 2 Grey Herons
- 1 Little Grebe
- 3 Great Crested Grebes
- 1 Moorhen only
- 15 Coots only
- 2 Common Sandpipers

On the lamp poles pre-dawn
- 1 ‘looper’ caterpillar

Nothing seen later on a rather cheerless morning.

The camera shows something I did not notice as these ‘visiting’ Mute Swans departed: they have brown in the wings and are therefore first-year birds.

(Ed Wilson)

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The Flash:  05:55 – 06:40

(111th visit of the year)

Notes from here:
- the single brood of Mallard contained ducklings of very different sizes: odd
- Great Crested Grebes displaying – where do they go?
- forgot to look for any juvenile Coots!
- another Common Sandpiper record – my sixth this year (with another reported by a fisherman). I have previously only recorded one bird in any one year here: and none in some years

Birds noted flying over / near The Flash
- 1 Lesser Black-backed Gull again
- 3 Feral Pigeons
- 2 Wood Pigeons again
- 1 Jackdaw again

Hirundines noted
None

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

The counts from the water:
- 2 + 1 Mute Swans again
- 38 Canada Geese (7 flew off)
- 28 (16♂) + 8 (1 brood) Mallard
- 4 (2♂) Tufted Ducks
- 2 Great Crested Grebes
- 2 Moorhens
- 26 + ? broods Coots
- 1 Common Sandpiper

Here are the eight Mallard ducklings with a duck Mallard. Note that not all the ducklings are the same size.

This is shown more clearly with this photo of just five of the ducklings. As far as I know ducks in general and Mallard specifically do not form ‘crèches’ as do geese. Indeed the web says “ducks do not tolerate stray ducklings close to their own brood, and females kill small strange young they encounter” – so it must be true! I cannot recall seeing broods with ducklings of different sizes, though I suppose the odd ‘runt’ is possible. Looking at this photo there seem to be three different sizes at least. Most odd.

(Ed Wilson)

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Between the lake and The Flash

Quiet again

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

At or around the upper pool (singing birds)
- 1 (1) Goldcrest
- 1 Bullfinch

(Ed Wilson)

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

2018
Priorslee Lake
Today's Sightings Here

2016
Priorslee Lake
Today's Sightings Here

2015
Priorslee Lake
Today's Sightings Here

2013
Nedge Hill
7 Wheatear
2 Fieldfare
(John Isherwood)

Wrekin
2 Wood Warbler
2 Tree Pipit
Pied Flycatchers
Common Redstarts
(Jim Almond)

2012
Nedge Hill
4 Wheatear
Hobby
(Martin Grant / Arthur Harper)

2010
Nedge Hill
20 Wheatear
(John Isherwood)

2006
Priorslee Lake
2 Common Sandpipers
2 Ruddy Ducks