14 Mar 21

Priorslee Lake and Woodhouse Lane 

4.0°C > 8.0°C: Early sunny spells gave way to increasing high cloud. Light / moderate W wind. Very good visibility.

Sunrise: 06:28 GMT

* = a photo today

Priorslee Lake: 05:35 - 08:50

(33rd visit of the year)

A quiet morning with very few birds flying over

Birds notes:
- Three singing Chiffchaffs noted.
- A lone Redwing seen leaving a roost in the W end reeds: not seen one do this previously.
- At least three Lesser Redpolls in the dead willowherb at the W end again.
- Many Siskins at the W end - in the Ricoh trees today.

Birds noted flying over / near here:
- 8 Canada Geese: pair and trio outbound; different trio inbound
- 7 Greylag Geese: two pairs and single outbound; pair inbound
- 1 Stock Dove again
- 11 Wood Pigeons
- 1 Lesser Black-backed Gulls: adult
- 1 Cormorant
- 102 Jackdaws
- 3 Rooks
- 1 Pied Wagtail
- 1 Lesser Redpoll

Counts from the water:
- 8 Canada Geese: four different pairs stopped off at various times.
- 2 Mute Swans
- 5 (4♂) Mallard
- 9 (5♂) Tufted Duck again
- 10 Moorhens
- 33 Coots
- 1 Little Grebe
- 5 Great Crested Grebes
- 16 Black-headed Gulls
- 2 Lesser Black-backed Gulls: both adults
- 1 Cormorant: arrived
- 3 Grey Herons

My 2021 bird species list for here remains 72.

Nothing else of note.

Some clear spells early before the high cloud arrived.

A few wisps of those high cloud visible, here looking NW.

There were three Grey Herons disputing who should stay to fish. Here is one.

And another, both silhouetted against the sunrise.

Another Jay 'between the twigs'. Note that the top feather of the white area in the folded wing has the same blue and black pattern as the wing edge. Very strange - its not shown like that in any of my Field Guides and I can't say I have ever noted it previously.

Well its nearly in focus - a Goldcrest showing its big (a relative term) staring eye.

(Ed Wilson)

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Woodhouse Lane: 07:10 - 07:30

(2nd visit of the year)

Another short visit here to check the top fields for any early migrants. None seen but I did note:
- 4 Meadow Pipits flying around and calling over the fields. One briefly perched in a small tree - something I have only even seen this species do on Spring migration. Did not come close-enough for me to hear them from the lake area.
- 1 Yellowhammer calling only
Those species only seen / heard from here are not included on my Priorslee Lake species count.

(Ed Wilson)

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On this day

2020

Priorslee Lake

Today's Sightings Here

2019

Priorslee Lake

Today's Sightings Here

2017

Priorslee Lake

Today's Sightings Here

2013

Priorslee Lake

1 Iceland Gull

4 Yellow-legged Gulls

1 Caspian Gull

1 Common Gull.

(Tom Lowe, J Reeves)

2012

Priorslee Lake

Chiffchaff singing

4 Siskin

1 Willow Tit

(Martin Grant)

Nedge Hill

3 Lapwing

2 Green Woodpecker

4+ Skylark singing

(Martin Grant)

2011

Priorslee Lake

3 Pochard

34 Tufted Ducks

1 Water Rail

1 Kingfisher

4 Redwing

3 Chiffchaffs singing

57 Magpies

1 Brambling

10 Reed Buntings

(Ed Wilson)

2010

Priorslee Lake

3 Little Grebes

5 Great Crested Grebes 

1 Cormorant 

7 Swans 

6 Gadwall

2 Pochard

47 Tufted Duck

77 Coots 

1 Common Gull 

253 Jackdaws

Linnet

9 Reed Buntings

Willow Tit

Siskin

( Ed Wilson)

2009

Priorslee Lake

1 Glaucous Gull

(John Isherwood)

Nedge Hill 

1 Chiffchaff

25 Linnet

4 Lapwing

(John Isherwood)

Trench Pool 

1 Water Rail

(John Isherwood)

2007

Priorslee Lake

19 Tufted Duck

4 Stock Dove

25 Wren

28 Robin

25 Blackbird

7 Song Thrush

2 Redwing

7 Chiffchaff singing

41 Magpie

142 Jackdaw

5 Reed Bunting

(Ed Wilson)

2006

Priorslee Lake

1 Little Grebe

5 Great Crested Grebes

7 Pochard

43 Tufted Ducks

2 Ruddy Ducks

86 Coots

1 Water Rail

176 Jackdaws

26 Blackbirds

41 Redwings

20 Greenfinches

7 Reed Buntings

(Ed Wilson)