24 Mar 21

Priorslee Lake and The Flash

8.0°C > 9.0°C: The Met. Office got the timing of the short spell of rain right for once - 06:15. But it was hardly the forecast 'light rain' when I was at The Flash. Light SW breeze fell away as the clearance arrived after 08:30. Very good visibility except during the rain.

Sunrise: 06:04 GMT

* = a photo today

Priorslee Lake: 05:10 - 06:35// 07:20 - 09:30

(42nd visit of the year)

It is reported that the expanding Holy Trinity Academy have requested to take back what I call the 'football field' as a running track as well as for cricket and football. Sadly not all the dog-walkers are punctilious about clearing up after their pet and the academy have requested that a fence be erected around their part of the field (leaving all the recently planted trees).

Highlight today was two Curlews. I first noted one apparently arriving at 05:45 and initially assumed it was an immature Herring Gull - it was still quite dark!. It became quickly obvious that it was not looking to land on the water or the buoys. As it became silhouetted against the 'sun rise' I could see the curved bill and the quite different wing shape. Soon after it started calling intermittently when I noted a second bird, probably a female as it had an obviously longer bill. Both flew around very low for less than five minutes and departed to the W. I see this species most years, usually a single bird flying over. I cannot recall seeing two birds at the same time; neither can I recall birds almost landing - there is of course no muddy edges to attract waders.

Other birds notes:
- A male Pheasant was calling from the small remnant wooded area between the academy playing field and the newest part of the housing estate to be cleared.
- A pair of Shoveler flew off at 06:00.
- Seven Great Crested Grebes again. Only one pair is faithful to its home 'range'.
- Four Sand Martins arrived at 08:35. Later just two birds present - two of these or different birds?
- *Probably nine Chiffchaffs with eight singing. They did seem to be passing through, moving N and W so possibly more birds.
- A single Skylark flew directly E overhead and seemed not to be associated with the several pairs in the fields to the E.
- Just one Siskin noted in the trees.

Birds noted flying over / near here:
- 2 Canada Geese: one pairs outbound
- 4 Greylag Geese: two pairs inbound
- 1 Stock Dove
- 64 Wood Pigeons
- 7 Black-headed Gulls
- 4 Lesser Black-backed Gulls: all adults
- 3 Cormorants: single and duo.
- 1 Sparrowhawk: male carrying prey
- 25 Jackdaws
- 4 Rooks
- 1 Skylark
- 4 (6?) Sand Martins
- 27 Starlings: two groups
- 1 Redwing
- 1 Pied Wagtail again

Counts from the water:
- 2 Canada Geese: pair arrived
- 2 Mute Swans
- 2 (1♂) Shoveler: departed
- 4 (4♂) Mallard: only drakes seen again
- 6 (4♂) Tufted Duck: again one drake flew in and later departed
- 4 Moorhens only
- 33 Coots
- 1 Cormorant: adult arrived and departed.
- 1 Little Grebe heard only again
- 7 Great Crested Grebes again
- 2 Curlews as highlighted
- 2 Black-headed Gulls only
- 3 Lesser Black-backed Gulls: all adults, all briefly
- 1 Grey Heron again

My 2021 bird species list for here moves on to 79 with the addition of:
- Curlew

On the lamp-poles pre-dawn:
- 1 Common Plume moth (Emmelina monodactyla): on a different lamp post to either of yesterday's specimens

Otherwise noted:
- 1 Early Bumblebee (Bombus pratorum)

Spring is the best time to photograph Wrens as they often sit for a while to sing from a favourite perch.

Did I say sing? This Chiffchaff is indeed singing away. Note the pink lower mandible, the rather weak supercilium and the dark legs (but paler feet).

A different rather greyer-looking Chiffchaff and in the photo not singing. Greyer birds are sometimes ascribed to the Siberian population which is now considered a different species. This bird was heard to sing just like a regular (Common) Chiffchaff. The plumage tone is variable and different lighting can affect perception. Unless I heard a Siberian Chiffchaff sing its distinctively different song I would be hesitant to ID one as such.

A Goldfinch gets down to business in the Alder cones. The pointed bill ideal for extracting the small seeds.

(Ed Wilson)

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The Flash: 06:40 - 07:15

(31st visit of the year)

Rather wet while I was here so all 'best effort'

Bird notes:
- Certainly fewer Tufted Ducks than recently even after making allowances for the wet weather. One drake Tufted Duck seen on the roof of a house - I cannot recall seeing this species do this before.
- The Coots were especially argumentative today making it easier to count them - so not too much should be read in to the larger number.
- Just one Black-headed Gull on the water - a first-year with almost complete black-head. At one point a noisy group of c.40 birds appeared circling overhead before leaving the N without troubling the water.
- Three Chiffchaffs, all in song.

Birds noted flying over / near The Flash:
- c.40 Black-headed Gulls
- 1 Jackdaw

Counts from the water:
- 22 Canada Geese
- 2 Greylag Geese: departed
- 3 + ? eggs Mute Swans
- *29 (22♂) Mallard
- *48 (27♂) Tufted Duck
- 7 Moorhens
- 29 Coots
- 1 Black-headed Gull
- 1 Herring Gull: the second year bird once again

My 2021 bird species list for here stays at 56

The duck Mallard seems surprised to see a drake Tufted Duck coming between her and her mate on the roof-top.

Meanwhile he looks hopeful! Perhaps the same drake Tufted Duck that I photographed with a pair of Mallard on the grass a few days ago. He seems to have an identity crisis. That said if ducks (and geese) cannot find one of their own species they are not that fussy - anything will do. Still it is unusual for a diving duck (the Tufty) and a dabbling duck (the Mallard) to get together. These photos are ideal for creative caption writing.

(Ed Wilson)

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Between Priorslee Lake and The Flash

- Two Moorhens on the grass beside the upper pool.
- Song Thrush singing by the lower pool again.

(Ed Wilson)

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On this day

2019

Priorslee Lake

Today's Sightings Here

2018

Priorslee Lake

Today's Sightings Here

2016

Priorslee Lake

Today's Sightings Here

2014

Priorslee Lake

7 Chiffchaffs

1 Little Grebe

4 Great Crested Grebes

5 Cormorants

1 Grey Heron

19 Tufted Duck

3 Buzzard

30 Fieldfares

5 Redwings

7 Chiffchaffs

>700 Jackdaws

1 Raven

1 Marsh Tit

(Ed Wilson, Martin Grant)

The Flash

2 Great Crested Grebes

2 Common Teal

50 Tufted Ducks

(Ed Wilson)

2013

Priorslee Lake

1 Little Grebe 

3 Great Crested Grebe 

7 Wigeon 

2 Gadwall 

37 Tufted Ducks 

c.180 Lesser Black-backed Gulls

c.50 Herring Gulls

2 Chiffchaffs

(Ed Wilson)

2010

Priorslee Lake

Oystercatcher 

11 Pied Wagtail

2 Redwings

Willow Warbler

4 Chiffchaffs singing

12 Linnets

1 Siskin

4 Great Crested Grebe 

2 Gadwall

28 Tufted Duck

c.225 Jackdaws

(Ed Wilson)

Nedge Hill

3 Wheatears

(Ian Grant)

The Flash

4 Great Crested Grebes

46 Tufted Duck

2 Chiffchaffs

(Ed Wilson)

2007

Priorslee Lake

4 Great Crested Grebe

25 Tufted Duck

1 Ruddy Duck

1 Sky Lark

1 Sand Martin

28 Wren

20 Robin

33 Blackbird

1 Redwing

3 Chiffchaff

32 Magpie

117 Jackdaw

4 Greenfinch

6 Reed Bunting

(Ed Wilson)

Priorslee Village

Raven

Blackcap

(Martin Adlam)

Nedge Hill

3 Sky Lark

1 Chiffchaff

3 Greenfinch

6 Yellowhammer

(Ed Wilson)

The Flash

6 Great Crested Grebe

2 Pochard

22 Tufted Duck

2 Chiffchaff 

1 Reed Bunting

(Ed Wilson)