24 Apr 20

Priorslee Lake with Woodhouse Lane

6.0°C > 10.0°C:  Clear again. Very little thin high cloud. Flat calm early with mist over lake. Light and variable breeze later. Moderate / good visibility.

Sunrise: 05:50 BST

Priorslee Lake:  early

(63rd visit of the year)

A very quiet morning – too calm and sunny but not complaining.

Bird notes:
- The Tufted Duck did the opposite today: present when I arrived and then disappeared.
- One or more Black-headed Gulls heard when I was in a wooded area and unable to see.
- I really cannot believe the total Blackcaps logged. They are everywhere, but ....!
- The Common Whitethroat seems to have found a mate. Two seen together and no song heard or display flight noted.
- A few more Reed Warblers have arrived. Always a late migrant the full complement likely to be ten days away yet.
- At least 21 Starlings feeding on the school playing fields. Birds commuting to and from the estate all the while.

Birds noted flying over / near here:
- Canada Geese heard only
- Black-headed Gull(s) heard only
- 9 Wood Pigeons
- 10 Jackdaws
- 7 Rooks

Count of hirundines etc logged:
- 1 Barn Swallow

Count of warblers logged (singing birds in brackets):
- 14 (13) Chiffchaffs
- 29 (25) Blackcaps
- 3 (3) Garden Warblers again
- 2 (0) Common Whitethroats
- 4 (4) Reed Warblers

Counts from the lake area:
- 2 Mute Swans
- 2 (1♂) Gadwall still
- 12 (10♂) Mallard
- 5 (3♂) Tufted Duck: departed
- [no Grey Herons]
- 1 Little Grebe
- 9 Great Crested Grebes
- 6 Moorhens
- 27 Coots
- 1 Common Sandpiper

One new flower species here:
- Ground-ivy (Glechoma hederacea)

I did make it earlier and the sunrise was a better colour.

The long view was good too.

Some 30 minutes later and still a hint of colour.

Usually the head and bill profile of Rooks makes them easy to identify. At this time of year when they are taking food to nests it is not quite so easy.

Mistle Thrushes are also known as Storm Cocks from their habit of sitting at the tops of trees and aerials and singing lustily even in the strongest wind. This perch is certainly high up ....

 ... and needs some careful balancing ...

... but once stable let the singing commence. A relatively small head, denser spotting and pale edges to the wing coverts help separate visually. The songs are quite different. It unusually allowed me a closer approach.

We need another perky Blue Tit.

I am always pleased to be able to photograph Garden Warblers as they can be real skulkers. Remember this species can be identified by its lack of features. Buff below, pale grey-brown on the back, a hint of rufous on the head and a greyer nape.

No streaking, no wing-bars, just plain. Good song though, like and ‘throaty’ Blackcap without any scratchy notes.

A rather strange Reed Bunting. The black on the face means it is a male but black should extend all over the head and end in a white collar. Older females tend to be darker but are never black. The unusual tone to this bird is due to the early yellow light.

This flower is usually called Ground-ivy (Glechoma hederacea) and generally thought of as invasive weed. Other names include Gill-over-the-ground, Creeping Charlie, Alehoof, Tunhoof, Catsfoot, Field Balm, and Run-away-Robin. The leaves show that it is related to Lamium – the dead-nettles. In many countries the leaves are used in salads. We Europeans introduced this invader all over the world, as is our wont. A flower I have probably failed to identify in previous years as it is new for my lake list

Monday I found the first Red Campion flower (Silene dioica). Now they are abundant.

(Ed Wilson)

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Woodhouse Lane

(First visit of the year)

Notes from here
- Compared with the plethora around the lake there was a dearth of Blackcaps here even allowing for the different habitat.
- Several birds noted diving in to the rape fields. Seemed long-tailed and perhaps Reed Buntings. For another day.

Notable species counts (singing birds in brackets):
- 3 (3) Pheasants
- 1 (1) Goldcrest
- 3 (3) Sky Larks
- 3 Long-tailed Tit parties
- 2 (2) Chiffchaffs
- 1 (1) Blackcap only
- 3 (3) Common Whitethroats
- 3 (1) Song Thrush
- 4 (3) Chaffinches
- 6 (2) Goldfinches
- 1 (1) Linnet
- 5 (1) Yellowhammer

Additional flower species noted:
- Greater Stitchwort (Stellaria holostea)
- White Dead-Nettle (Lamium album)
- Arum Lily (Arum maculatum)

I extended my permitted daily exercise to walk part of Woodhouse Lane, thankfully little changed from last year. A socially distanced local told me that while outline planning permission for 1700 houses in the area has been given it may be 10 years before it is completed. Looking down ...

... and looking back up.

Well it has a white throat and a grey head so it must be a male Common Whitethroat. Unusual to find one more than 30 feet up. This species is a ‘scrub warbler’ and usually in hedges.

A male Yellowhammer. This one not disposed to sing. Perhaps not quite ready to breed as yet – as a seed-eater nesting tends to be later. You have to wait for the flowers to die to have enough seed to feed a brood of hungry youngsters!

With with five deeply split petals this is Greater Stitchwort (Stellaria holostea). For some reason I can never find this common wildflower around the lake. The smaller white flowers at the bottom of the picture are Hedge Garlic or Jack-by-the-Hedge (Alliaria petiolata).

Very hairy and partly covered in dew are these White Dead-Nettles (Lamium album).

Better than my attempts around the lake where I could only find Yellow Archangel (Lamium galeobdolon) in shade. Here is full sun. As the genus implies closely related to the dead-nettles.

I am racking my brain as to whether I have ever seen the flower-spike (spadix) of Arum Lily (Arum maculatum) – as here. I see the cluster of bright red and poisonous berries every year. Alternative names for this plant are Lords-and-ladies and Cuckoo-pint.

(Ed Wilson)

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If you are on your daily exercise and keeping a safe distance from others, we would love to see any photos or sightings from Priorslee Lake and The Flash, by contacting us at priorsleelake@hotmail.com

We look forward to hearing from you.😊

(Martin Adlam and Ed Wilson)

Note:
Here are a few Garden Sightings from Ed Wilson Here on our Readers Corner from the past few days

And

A few of Martin Adlam's Sightings from the Isle of Portland Here.

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

2019
Priorslee Lake
Today's Sightings Here

2018
Priorslee Lake
Today's Sightings Here

2017
Priorslee Lake
Today's Sightings Here

2016
Local Area
Today's Sightings Here

2014
Nedge Hill
2 Redstart
7 Wheatear
Whitethroat
Willow Warbler
(Ian Grant)

2013
Priorslee Lake
4 Great Crested Grebes
5 Greylag Geese
5 Common Sandpipers
2 Reed Warblers
6 Blackcaps
9 Chiffchaffs
2 Willow Warblers
(Ed Wilson)

The Flash
1 Richardson's / Cackling-type Canada Goose
20 Tufted Duck
2 Chiffchaffs
5 Willow Warblers
(Ed Wilson)

Long Lane, Wellington
1 Little Ringed Plover
3 Ringed Plover
2 Dunlin
Lesser Whitethroat
(JW Reeves)

2012
Priorslee Lake
8 Great Crested Grebes
11 Greylag
1 Tufted Duck
1 Grasshopper Warbler
1 Sedge Warbler
14 Blackcaps
4 Willow Warblers
11 Chiffchaffs
(Ed Wilson)

Priorslee Flash
4 Great Crested Grebes
5 Greylag Geese
17 Tufted Duck
5 Blackcaps
3 Willow Warblers
4 Chiffchaffs
1 Reed Bunting
(Ed Wilson)

Nedge Hill
1 Wheatear
1 Common Whitethroat
2 Lapwings
1 Green Woodpecker
6 Skylarks
4 Blackcaps
1 Willow Warbler
3 Chiffchaffs
9 Linnets
(Ed Wilson)

2010
Priorslee Lake
4 Common Sandpiper
(John Isherwood)

Nedge Hill
8 Wheatear
28 Fieldfare
2 Whitethroat
(John Isherwood)

2008
Priorslee Lake
Reed Warblers
3 Common Sandpipers
1 Sedge Warbler
1 Common Whitethroat
(Ed Wilson)

The Flash
2 Common Sandpipers
1 Tufted Duck
Blackcap
Chiffchaff
Willow Warbler
(Ed Wilson)

Trench
8 Tufted Duck
8 Swallows
3 House Martin
(Ed Wilson)

Nedge Hill
2 Wheatear
1 Common Whitethroat
2 Linnet
(Ed Wilson)

2007
Priorslee Flash
4 Great Crested Grebe
1 Ruddy Duck
4 Common Sandpiper
3 Swift
32 House Martin
3 Swallow
3 Reed Warbler
2 Sedge Warbler
1 Garden Warbler
6 Blackcap
1 Lesser Whitethroat
5 Chiffchaff
4 Reed Bunting
(Martin Adlam)

2006
Priorslee Lake
5 Great Crested Grebes
14 Tufted Ducks
2 Ruddy Ducks
7 Sand Martins
14 Swallows
1 House Martin
3 Stock Doves
3 Grey Wagtails
30 Wrens
2 Sedge Warblers
1 Reed Warbler
1 Common Whitethroat
9 Blackcaps
7 Chiffchaffs
2 Willow Warblers
1 Willow Tit
8 Greenfinches
1 Linnet
1 Redpoll
5 Reed Buntings.(Ed Wilson)

Lanes to the East of Priorslee lake
6 Stock Doves
2 Sky Larks
2 Whitethroats
3 Blackcaps
3 Chiffchaffs
4 Linnets
1 Reed Bunting
7 Yellowhammers
(Ed Wilson)