20 Mar 21

Priorslee Lake and The Flash

7.0°C > 8.0°C: Yet another day with much low cloud, low enough for some intermittent light drizzle. Calm start with light W wind later. Good visibility.

Sunrise: 06:13 GMT

* = a photo today

Priorslee Lake: 05:20 - 06:35 // 07:25 - 08:45

(39th visit of the year)

A very quiet morning

Other birds notes:
- I could only find a single pair of Great Crested Grebes and these tended to wander away from each other.
- My highest count of Black-headed Gulls at the lake was just 14, as noted. Most early birds flew straight over. Only 13 noted on the academy playing field.
- A single group of 14 Jackdaws seen on roost dispersal.
- Two Redwings flushed from a traditional roost site. One seen later in trees.
- The same two singing Chiffchaffs.
- Very few Siskins. Two overhead and one seen in trees.

Birds noted flying over / near here:
- 6 Canada Geese: three pairs outbound
- 2 Greylag Geese: pair inbound
- 4 (3♂) Mallard
- 2 Stock Doves: singles
- 12 Wood Pigeons
- 31 Black-headed Gulls
- 1 Herring Gull: second year
- 9 Lesser Black-backed Gulls: seven adults; one second year; one first year
- 14 Jackdaws
- 1 Pied Wagtail
- 2 Siskins

Counts from the water:
- 5 Canada Geese: two pairs and a single arrived and departed at various times
- 2 Mute Swans
- 7 (5♂) Mallard
- 11 (6♂) Tufted Duck
- 6 Moorhens
- 28 Coots only
- 2 Little Grebes heard again
- 2 Great Crested Grebes only
- 14 Black-headed Gulls
- 4 Lesser Black-backed Gulls: three first years; one second year; all briefly

On the lamp-poles pre-dawn
- *1 lacewing sp. probably Common Green Lacewing (Chrysoperia carnea)
- *2 different spider sp., one of these likely a Nursery Web Spider (Pisaura mirabilis)

Despite its colouration I feel this is most likely a Common Green Lacewing (Chrysoperia carnea). This species is the only lacewing that over-winters and it loses its green pigment during winter. The various 'brown lacewings' generally have shading and not just venation in the wings.

Identification of this spider is not helped by the shadow cast by the light I was using. It is also not helped by the shortage of legs which is affecting the way the spider is sitting. My vote would be the very common Nursery Web Spider (Pisaura mirabilis)

(Ed Wilson)

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The Flash: 06:40 - 07:20

(27th visit of the year)

Bird notes:
- Now three eggs noted in the Mute Swans' nest
- Especially hard to count the Mallard today with birds flying around, and perching on roofs and fences etc.
- The departing Cormorant was a different bird to the one that flew over later.
- As far as I could determine just one very mobile singing Chiffchaff.
- Two Song Thrushes together at the top end. Presumably paired and the male without any need to sing.

Birds noted flying over / near The Flash:
- 1 Cormorant
- 1 Jackdaw
- 1 Siskin

Counts from the water:
- 37 Canada Geese
- *3 + 3 eggs Mute Swans
- 34 (23♂) Mallard
- 80 (46♂) Tufted Duck
- 8 Moorhens again
- 25 Coots
- 1 Great Crested Grebe again
- 1 Black-headed Gull: arrived
- 1 Herring Gull: the usual second year, arrived yet again
- 1 Cormorant: departed as I arrived

Also noted:
- 1 Grey Squirrel

Between Priorslee Lake and The Flash

- A pair of Moorhens at the lower pool.
- Long-tailed Tits around both pools.

Three eggs in the Mute Swans' nest today and with them having been moved one of them no longer looks smaller.

(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

2015

Local Area

Today's Sightings Here

2013

Priorslee Lake

4 Great Crested Grebes 

7 Wigeon 

2 Gadwall 

27 Tufted Ducks 

6 Redwings

138 Jackdaws

1 Chiffchaff

1 Redpoll

7+ Siskins

2 Reed Buntings

(Ed Wilson)

The Flash

2 Great Crested Grebe 

7 Mute Swans

1 Pochard 

56 Tufted Duck

(Ed Wilson)

Long Lane, Wellington

133 Lapwing

17 Golden Plover

1 Redshank

3 Dunlin

2 Oystercatcher

3 Teal

c.600 Black-headed Gulls

5 Lesser Black-backed Gulls

1 Herring Gull. 

(Martin Grant)

2011

Priorslee Lake

17 Tufted Duck 

11 Golden Plover

17 Meadow Pipits

5 Chiffchaffs (4 in song)

Raven

(Ed Wilson)

Nedge Hill

40 Golden Plover

11 Lapwing

1 Red-legged Partridge

2 Green Woodpeckers

8 Meadow Pipits

1 Redpoll

(Ed Wilson)

The Flash 

32 Tufted Duck 

1 Curlew

2 Brambling

1 Reed Bunting

(Ed Wilson)

2010

Priorslee Lake

1 Little Grebe 

5 Great Crested Grebe 

6 Gadwall 

39 Tufted Duck

146 Jackdaws on roost dispersal 

c.35 Greenfinches

c.15 Goldfinches

c.10 Linnets

(Ed Wilson)

The Flash

3 Great Crested Grebe 

36 Tufted Duck

(Ed Wilson)

2009

Priorslee Lake

1 Yellow-legged Gull

435 Lesser Black-backed Gull

(Peter Wilson)

2007

Priorslee lake

3 Great Crested Grebe

12 Cormorant

24 Tufted Duck

1 Ruddy Duck

1 Merlin

1 Buzzard

2 Kestrel

1 Great Black-backed Gull

188 Wood Pigeon

1 Green Woodpecker

26 Wren

5 Chiffchaff 

1 Willow Tit

55 Magpie

14 Greenfinch

5 Reed Bunting

(Ed Wilson, Martin Adlam)

The Flash

9 Great Crested Grebe

2 Pochard

26 Tufted Duck

1 Chiffchaff singing

(Ed Wilson)

2006

Priorslee Lake

c.250 Black-headed Gulls

146 Lesser-black Backs

15 Herring Gull

2 Yellow-leg Gulls

2 Common Gulls

36 Tufted Duck

6 Great Crested Grebe

1 Cormorant

2 Water Rail

3 Siskins

2 Redpoll

3 Linnet

3 Reed Bunting

(Martin R Adlam)