2 Mar 20

Priorslee Lake and The Flash

Priorslee Lake:  05:50 – 09:05
The Flash:  09:10 – 10:10

0.0°C > 6.0°C:  Some cloud to E clearing away. Calm start even with mist over water. Light W breeze later. Very good visibility.

Sunrise: 06:53 GMT

Priorslee Lake:  05:50 – 09:05

(47th visit of the year)

Notes:
- Just two cygnets remain, often with the adults though not exclusively. Rings of these 7JSN and 7JSP.
- Just one Tufted Duck – a duck. Others probably left during weekend disturbance.
- Little Grebe heard at both end of the water. Same?
- With the SW grass frosted neither the Moorhens nor the Coots were feeding there early. Probably accounts for the lower numbers, though some Coots are now nest-building in the reeds.
- Woodcock seen again – at 06:10.
- A group of 24 Wood Pigeons seen flying high NE. Otherwise the fly-overs were local movements.
- The single large group of c.150 Jackdaws passed very low to the W of the water and was largely hidden behind trees from my usual vantage spot. Just a single bird noted later.

Birds noted flying over / near here:
- 25 Greylag Geese (24 outbound in 4 groups; 1 inbound)
- 36 Canada Geese (outbound in 6 groups)
- 2 Cormorants
- 13 Black-headed Gulls
- 24 Lesser Black-backed Gulls: all adult
- 1 Herring Gull: adult
- 2 Stock Doves
- 62 Wood Pigeons
- 2 Collared Dove
- c.150 Jackdaws
- 1 Rook
- 1 Pied Wagtail
- 1 Starling

Birds logged leaving roosts around the lake:
- 42 Magpies
- 1 Redwing

Counts from the lake area:
- 2 + 2 Mute Swans
- 2 Canada Geese: arrived
- 6 (5♂) Mallard
- 1 (0♂) Tufted Duck
- 1 Cormorant
- 2 Grey Herons
- Little Grebe(s) heard
- 2 (3?) Great Crested Grebes
- 6 Moorhens
- 37 Coots
- 54 Black-headed Gulls
- 1 Lesser Black-backed Gull: adult

Also noted:
- 3 Grey Squirrels, one eating Larch cones

Another different Song Thrush caught in song. LOUD.

This Song Thrush lurking in deep cover. Amazing what you never notice until you examine a photo. The forehead is suffused with rufous and there are black tips to the primary coverts creating a black band on the folded wing. Checking the field guides this latter feature is present on all European thrushes, including Blackbirds, and also on North American thrushes even though they are in a different genus.

Today’s Long-tailed Tit photo. Not at all sure what it has in its bill.

Not a typical view of a male Reed Bunting. This at least 25 feet up in a Willow tree singing away. Usually they sing nearer to eye-level. Note the long claws.

Must be nearing Mothering Sunday if the Daffodils are bursting in to flower.

With well-separated and sparse umbels each flower with five petals, one larger than the others this is Cow Parsley (Anthriscus sylvestris). Apart from a few over-wintering Common Hogweed (Heracleum sphondylium) this the first umbellifer to flower in this area. It confirms my sighting of 26th February, my earliest recorded date by some margin.

(Ed Wilson)

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The Flash:  09:10 – 10:10

(46th visit of the year)

Best today were two Lesser Redpolls in the Alder trees at the top end. New for me here this year. Most times it is only calling birds flying over that I log.

Bird notes:
- One or more Greylag Geese heard over while I was blocked by trees in squirrel alley. Not seen on the lake later but may have jumped inside island or flown over.
- No idea where all the Mallard were today. Some inside the island could be seen but even so a very low count.
- Conversely more Tufted Duck. Some probably moved here from the lake.
- Just as I was leaving I noted a duck Goosander standing inside the island.
- The two Sparrowhawks were playing chase. They looked the same size and rather small, so likely males disputing territory.
- After five blank days a Song Thrush in song. Another heard scolding.

Birds noted flying over / near The Flash:
- 1? Greylag Goose
- 2 Sparrowhawks
- 1 Common Buzzard
- 3 Lesser Black-backed Gulls again
- 2 Wood Pigeons
- 3 Jackdaw

Counts from the water:
- 3 Mute Swans
- 6 Canada Geese
- 16 (10♂) Mallard only
- 6 (6♂) Pochard only
- 48 (27♂) Tufted Duck
- 1 (0♂) Goosander
- 1 Cormorants
- 2 (3?) Great Crested Grebes
- 6 Moorhen
- 17 Coots
- 43 Black-headed Gulls
- [no Kingfishers]

Also:
- despite prolonged warm sunshine on the Ivy bank by the academy I could find just a single Muscid fly.

Additional bird species for my 2020 bird list at this site:
#51     Lesser Redpoll

Flanked by duck and drake Mallard this duck Goosander was standing inside the island. The only Goosander I noted today. Orange feet and white chin show well.

Two Sparrowhawks dashing over. There is a marked size difference between the sexes in birds of prey, males usually being smaller (often referred to as ‘sexual dimorphism’, though this also refers to e.g. plumage difference as seen in Blackbirds for instance). These birds look the same size and rather small so I think they are two males disputing territory.

These two Lesser Redpolls stayed all of thirty seconds and this was all I managed. The red ‘poll’ (crown) is just visible on the lower bird. The warm brown tone, streaking on the flanks and strong V-shaped end to the tail all point to this species.

This Wren nearly jumped in to the camera! When he realised I was there he was off.

A submission for an ‘identify that bird’ competition. The short tail, slightly barred, and the barring on the flanks identify it as a Wren having a good preen. The same Wren as the last shot so it was obviously not too concerned about me.

The Muscid fly sp. on the Ivy bank this morning – the only insect I noted sunning itself. And no: it does not have a tail – that is a hind leg.

(Ed Wilson)

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On this day..........
2019
Priorslee Lake
Today's Sightings Here

 2017
Priorslee Lake
Today's Sightings Here

 2015
Priorslee Lake
Today's Sightings Here

 2014
The Wrekin
c.35 Crossbills near the summit.
(Frank Hinde)

 2012
Priorslee Lake
Grey Wagtail
10 Song Thrushes
c.20 Redwings
2 Siskins
4 Great Crested Grebes
3 Pochard
12 Tufted Duck 
(Ed Wilson)

 Priorslee Flash
4 Great Crested Grebes
11 Pochard
69 Tufted Duck 
(Ed Wilson)

 2009
Priorslee Lake
9 Great Crested Grebes
12 Tufted Duck
6 Goosander
1 Glaucous Gull
1 Iceland Gull.
17 Fieldfare
4 Redwings
1 Kingfisher
 >350 Jackdaws
(Ed Wilson, Jim Almond)