6 May 19

Priorslee Lake and The Flash

Priorslee Lake:  04:55 – 05:55 // 06:45 – 08:15
The Flash:  06:00 – 06:40

5.0°C > 7.0°C:  Mostly cloudy with a few sunny spells. Light showers nearby. Moderate W / WNW wind. Very good visibility

Sunrise: 05:28 BST

A rather abbreviated visit on a cheerless morning

Priorslee Lake:  04:55 – 05:55 // 06:45 – 08:15

(119th visit of the year)

Bird notes from today
- I assume the Coots were mainly tucked up in the reeds out of the chilly wind
- two Common Sandpipers again. Most unlikely to be the birds I saw during my last visit on Friday – these passage birds almost always move on due to disturbance during the day. That would be especially true at weekends
- one of the (many) singing Blackcaps was singing a wider repertoire than usual and could do both Blackbird and Song Thrush impressions
- only one Whitethroat found: one of the Garden Warblers was incorporating some Whitethroat phrases to add some confusion
- lots of noise from the two Sedge Warblers making it difficult to determine how many Reed Warblers were singing

Bird totals

Birds noted flying over or flying near the lake
- 3 Greylag Geese (outbound)
- 6 Canada Geese (outbound)
- 2 Sparrowhawks (male and female)
- 1 Lesser Black-backed Gull
- 1 Herring Gull
- 1 Stock Dove again
- 12 Wood Pigeons
- 5 Collared Doves
- 1 Jackdaw again

Hirundines etc. noted
- 3 Swifts
- >15 Sand Martins
- >10 Barn Swallows
- 1 House Martin

Warblers noted (singing birds)
- 7 (6) Chiffchaffs
- 2 (2) Willow Warblers as usual
- 26 (20) Blackcaps
- 4 (3) Garden Warblers
- 1 (1) (Common) Whitethroat
- 2 (2) Sedge Warblers
- 6 (6) Reed Warblers

The counts from the lake area:
- 2 Mute Swans
- 3 Greylag Geese (departed)
- 12 (11♂) Mallard
- 3 Great Crested Grebes again
- 2 Moorhens
- 10 Coots only
- 2 Common Sandpipers again

Nothing on the lamp poles pre-dawn

Also nothing seen later: another grey and cheerless morning

(Ed Wilson)

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The Flash:  06:00 – 06:40

(112th visit of the year)

Notes from here:
- last year’s cygnet not noted
- the Greylag Goose flew in
- the Canada Geese are still mainly in pairs. Much less calling and squabbling now. At least two birds sitting on nests inside the island
- three broods of Mallard contained 8, 1 and 5 ducklings. Each brood contained ducklings of consistent size in contrast to the single brood I noted last Friday
- one of the duck Tufted Ducks was continually calling for many minutes
- still no sign of Swifts or House Martins over the estate or St George’s to the N
also seen
- what was likely an Oak Tree Gall made by an Oak Apple Gall Wasp (Biorhiza pallida)

Birds noted flying over / near The Flash
- 1 Sparrowhawk
- 3 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
- 2 Feral Pigeons
- 5 Wood Pigeons

Hirundines noted
None

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

The counts from the water:
- 2 Mute Swans again
- 1 Greylag Goose
- 22 Canada Geese
- 26 (14♂) + 14 (3 broods) Mallard
- 7 (4♂) Tufted Ducks
- 2 Great Crested Grebes again
- 3 Moorhens
- 21 + 2 (1) brood Coots

A Carrion Crow and a Magpie had a set-to in The Priorslee car park and feathers flew. The feathers left behind looked dark until I picked this one up and got the angle of the light right – the iridescent feather of a Magpie. So the crow won!

Probably not the same crow but this one attempting to see off a Sparrowhawk.

Not quite sure who is chasing who.

This gall on an Oak tree is almost certainly an Oak Apple Gall caused by the very rarely seen (as an insect) Oak Apple Gall Wasp (Biorhiza pallida).

(Ed Wilson)

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Between the lake and The Flash

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

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

This Blackcap was also singing a wider repertoire than usual: it could also do a very good Song Thrush impression
- 1 Bullfinch

(Ed Wilson)

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

2016
Priorslee Lake
Today's Sightings Here

2015
Priorslee Lake
Today's Sightings Here

2014
Priorslee Lake
Today's Sightings Here

2012
Priorslee Lake
1 Common Sandpiper
(John Isherwood)

Nedge Hill
10 Wheatear
(John Isherwood)

2008
Nedge Hill
5 Wheatear
Yellow Wagtail
(Ed Wilson)

2006
Priorslee Lake
Hobby
1 Common Sandpiper 
1 Cuckoo
2 Ruddy Ducks
(Ed Wilson / Martin Adlam)

Nedge Hill
1 Ring Ouzel
4 Wheatear
(Arthur Harper)