16 Mar 21

Priorslee Lake

9.0°C > 10.0°C: Early clear spells soon gave way to high cloud and then drizzle from lower cloud. Moderate NW wind. Very good visibility early; only good later.

Sunrise: 06:23 GMT

* = a photo today

Priorslee Lake: 05:35 - 09:20

(35th visit of the year)

Highlight today was what was probably a *male White Wagtail. See the photo for more details.

Birds notes:
- The pen Mute Swan spent much time on the nest and may have roosted there.
- Yesterday's third pair of Great Crested Grebes not seen.
- Of the 61 Wood Pigeons recorded flying over 39 were in three apparent migrant groups flying high N.
- The Cormorant that was briefly present was a different bird from those seen recently. It lacked the white chest and belly of the immature but showed no white thigh patches or head plumes.
- *Four Chiffchaffs , all in song.
- At least eight Siskins noted flying W. Earlier (but not later) birds were also in trees around the Teece Drive gate.

Birds noted flying over / near here:
- 3 Canada Geese: single circled and went back inbound; pair inbound
- 2 Greylag Geese: pair outbound
- 1 Stock Dove: the same?
- 61 Wood Pigeons
- 2 Herring Gulls: immatures
- 21 Lesser Black-backed Gulls: 14 adults; others not aged
- 1 Common Buzzard again
- >225 Jackdaws
- 8 Siskins

Counts from the water:
- 3 Canada Geese: the pair when I arrived stayed a long while before the Mute Swan chased them off; another came and went.
- 2 Mute Swans
- 9 (7♂) Mallard
- 15 (7♂) Tufted Duck
- *11 Moorhens
- 30 Coots
- 2+ Little Grebes heard only again
- 5 Great Crested Grebes
- >57 Black-headed Gulls
- 1 Herring Gull: adult briefly
- 2 Lesser Black-backed Gull: adult stayed a while; a first year briefly
- 1 Cormorant: arrived and departed
- 1 Grey Heron: departed

My 2021 bird species list for here is now 75 if indeed it was a White Wagtail.

On the lamp posts pre-dawn
- *1 Red-letter Flat-body micro moth (Agonopterix ocellana)
- *1 plumed midge (probably Chironomus plumosus)
- *1 White-legged Snake Millipede (Tachypodoiulus niger)

My 2021 moth species list for here moves on to 2!

A Moorhen along the face of the dam wondering where its nest site has gone - chopped down two weeks ago by Severn-Trent contractors. Not the spots of drizzle on its back.

Compare and contrast time again. An adult and a first-year Lesser Black-backed Gull - at least I think it is an adult. There really should not be any black on the upper mandible: it may be a remnant of winter plumage. Also, as so often appears to be the case, the legs do not look yellow. Could it be a third year bird?

A Long-tailed Tit with more nesting material.

One of the four Chiffchaffs I saw. This one shows almost no supercilium. Possibly an effect of the rather poor light and drizzle.

I am of the opinion that this is a White Wagtail - the Continental equivalent of our Pied Wagtail. My attention was drawn to this bird by the relative pale flanks - they are a more sullied grey on Pied Wagtails. The black crown; the clear separation between that black crown and the black bib; and grey back point to it being a male. The absolute clincher would have been to see the rump, covered by the folded wings most of the time. To my chagrin I have seen many White Wagtails abroad where Pied Wagtail does not occur and I have clearly paid them too little attention. White Wagtails are not uncommon as passage migrants at this date. I am willing to be persuaded otherwise ....

I seem to have lost the knack of photographing the moths on the lamp posts and this is not as sharp as it should be. It is a Red-letter Flat-body micro moth (Agonopterix ocellana). My only previous record is from 5th August 2019.

A plumed midge (probably Chironomus plumosus).

The last of a trio of things on the lamp posts. This is a White-legged Snake Millipede (Tachypodoiulus niger). For some reason I did not log this in 2020: I noted several in each of the previous three years.

(Ed Wilson)

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On this day
2020
Priorslee Lake
Today's Sightings Here

2019
Priorslee Lake
Today's Sightings Here

2018
Priorslee Lake
Today's Sightings Here

2017
Priorslee Lake
Today's Sightings Here

2016
Priorslee Lake
Today's Sightings Here

2013
Little Wenlock, Candles Landfill Site
1 Iceland Gull
1 Yellow-legged Gull.
(Tom Lowe)

2012
Priorslee Lake
1 Kittiwake 
2 adult Little Gulls
(J Reeves / Jim Almond / Andy Latham)

2011
Priorslee Lake
13 Pochard
18 Tufted Duck
5 Great Crested Grebe
12+ Sand Martin
3 Chiffchaff
17 Pied Wagtails
23 Linnets
11 Greenfinches
(Mike Cooper, (Martin Grant, Ed Wilson)

Priorslee Flash
 2 Great Crested Grebe
c.12 Tufted Duck
4  Teal
2 Chiffchaff  singing
1 Kingfisher
(Ed Wilson)

Trench Lock 
30 Tufted Duck 
6 Sand Martins
3 Chiffchaffs
1 Willow Warbler
( Ed Wilson)

2010
Priorslee Lake
1 Little Grebe 
7 Great Crested Grebe 
1 Heron
6 Gadwall
19 Tufted Duck
2 Reed Buntings
( Ed Wilson)

2007
Priorslee Lake
4 Great Crested Grebe
15 Tufted Duck
1 Ruddy Duck
3 Buzzard
1 Kestrel
46 Golden Plover
4 Stock Dove
281 Wood Pigeon
27 Wren
38 Robin
21 Blackbird
1 Redwing
4 Chiffchaff singing
3 Jay
35 Magpie
159 Jackdaw
3 Reed Bunting
(Ed Wilson)