25 Mar 21

Priorslee Lake, Woodhouse Lane and The Flash

4.0°C > 10.0°C: Variable amount of mainly medium/high cloud with some good breaks. One light shower. Light SSW increasing somewhat. Very good visibility.

Sunrise: 06:02 GMT

* = a photo today

Priorslee Lake: 05:05 - 06:30 // 07:35 - 09:37 

(43rd visit of the year)

Birds notes:
- A male Pheasant calling again from the N side wood pre-dawn.
- No consistency in the direction of the Wood Pigeon movement - anywhere in the arc from W to NE.
- The two Common Buzzards that flew over from the SE were possibly the two birds seen later on the academy playing field.
- A Cormorant arrived at 06:05. An adult left at 08:15 - same bird?
- No gulls on the water for the first time this year. Just one fly-over.
- Same caveat as yesterday about the reliability of the Chiffchaff count with birds apparently passing through: I think 11, all singing.
- Three Siskins noted in the trees; also one fly-over.

Birds noted flying over / near here:
- 5 Canada Geese: two pairs outbound; single inbound
- 2 Stock Doves: singles
- 72 Wood Pigeons
- 2 Common Buzzards
- 1 Lesser Black-backed Gull: adult
- 1 Grey Heron
- 29 Jackdaws
- 1 Rook
- 1 Siskin

Counts from the water:
- 2 Canada Geese: present throughout?
- 2 Greylag Geese: arrived
- 2 Mute Swans
- 2 (1♂) Mallard
- 8 (4♂) Tufted Duck
- 5 Moorhens
- 38 Coots
- *1 or 2 Cormorants: see notes
- 2 Little Grebes heard: from both locations
- 7 Great Crested Grebes still
- no gulls for the first time this year.
- 2 Grey Herons

My 2021 bird species list for here stays at 79

On the lamp-poles pre-dawn:
- 1 Common Plume moth (Emmelina monodactyla): same lamp post as yesterday morning (though it had gone before I left yesterday)
- *1 Dotted Border moth (Agriopis marginaria): moth species #4 here this year.
- *1 White-legged Snake Millipede (Tachypodoiulus niger)

Otherwise noted:
- 1 Peacock butterfly (Aglais io)
- *1 Psectrotanypus varius (plumed midge)

A refreshing change to see some signs of a sunrise.

Progressing ..

... as good as it got with some of the dreaded Telford low-cloud in evidence.

Makes a change to photograph a drake Tufted Duck in the sunrise-tinged water - usually it is only Coots that oblige.

A very smart Great Crested Grebe.

The adult Cormorant leaving.

Not as much singing from the Song Thrushes at the lake at the moment. I suspect some have left for Scandinavia and ours are probably starting to nest. A non-singing bird here.

Only when I looked at the photo of the Dotted Border moth (Agriopis marginaria) did I note the White-legged Snake Millipede (Tachypodoiulus niger) lurking to its right.

A plumed midge but a species I cannot recall seeing previously with a striped body and well-patterned wings. It seems to match Psectrotanypus varius on the NatureSpot web site.

(Ed Wilson)

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Woodhouse Lane: 08:15 - 09:05)

(3rd visit of the year)

A fuller visit walking up and down the road:
- A Common Kestrel seen hovering in the VERY far distance the other side of the A5. Not able to legitimately add this to my 2021 Priorslee Lake list unless it comes closer!
- Three Skylarks in song. When one took off I noted four non-singing birds chasing around over the fields.
- I thought I heard a Barn Swallow alarm call but then realised it was the Sky Lark. Very few bird books note that Skylarks can imitate other species. Bird I used to hear regularly on Bodmin Moor were adept at Curlew calls even though that species had not nested in the area for some years.
- Three Chiffchaffs and a single Blackcap in song.
- Six Meadow Pipits got up from the fields and all briefly perched in a tree before dropping back in to the crop. Surely not thinking of nesting here?
- Very few finches: single non-singing Chaffinch, Greenfinch and Goldfinch only.
- *Three singing male Yellowhammers. Also a female seen.

Otherwise noted:
- 1 Peacock butterfly (Aglais io): my first of the year (one seen later at the lake as well)
- very many Lesser Celandines (Ficaria verna) in flower all along the verge

Yellowhammers are rather shy and tend not to allow close approach, preferring to hide behind twigs.

This is not that great a shot but it is difficult to illustrate the rufous rump on this species as it is most clearly seen when the bird is flying away. It is just visible here.

Come on - give me a break. Another male hiding.

That's better.

(Ed Wilson)

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The Flash: 06:35 - 07:30

(32nd visit of the year)

Bird notes:
- If I recognised the Mute Swans correctly the 2018 female was seen flying around strongly - it is a long while since I last saw her fly.
- A Great Crested Grebe reappeared
- *What seemed to be a dead gull on the island. A Carrion Crow seen living up to its name. Could it be the second year Herring Gull present for the last few weeks? That has seemed alert-enough and flying well.
- Four Chiffchaffs, all in song.
- My first Blackcap of the year here was singing at the top of squirrel alley
- Unable to relocate the Reed Bunting seen here on 18th and heard only on 19th.

Birds noted flying over / near The Flash:
- 11 Wood Pigeons
- 1 Cormorant
- 1 Sparrowhawk
- 2 Jackdaws

Counts from the water:
- 43 Canada Geese
- *7 Greylag Geese
- 3 + ? eggs Mute Swans
- 31 (24♂) Mallard
- 50 (30♂) Tufted Duck
- 7 Moorhens again
- 22 Coots
- 1 Great Crested Grebe
- 2 Black-headed Gulls arrived and almost immediately departed
- *1 Herring Gull: perhaps - see notes

My 2021 bird species list for here moves on to 57 with the addition of:
- Blackcap

Also noted:
- 1 Grey Squirrel

Nothing special. I just thought this Greylag Goose looked smart with white fringed to the feathers.

Even with the magic camera on full zoom I cannot make out what the Carrion Crow is after and whether it is the body of the second year Herring Gull has been here for several weeks.

A big wire for the tiny feet of a Blue Tit to cling to.

Did I mention yesterday that Wrens are easier to photograph in Spring when they are singing ....

In profile note the gentle curve of the upper mandible.

Something you don't see too often - Robins as close as this. Still since they breed they must get close some time.

I am never sure whether this sky-pointing pose is threatening behaviour or submission between partners. It is the red on the breast that triggers aggression and there has to be a way of pairs agreeing not to fight.

 

(Ed Wilson)

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Between Priorslee Lake and The Flash

- Moorhens heard at the lower pool.
- Long-tailed Tits again beside both pools. I assume there are nests at / close to both pools.

(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

2014

Priorslee Lake

1 Little Grebe

7 Cormorants

2 Gadwall

18 Tufted Duck

1 Kittiwake

1 Sand Martin

7 Chiffchaffs

158 Jackdaws

(Ed Wilson)

The Flash

1 Kittiwake

(John Isherwood)

Trench Lock Pool

2 Little Grebes

4 Great Crested Grebes

15 Tufted Ducks

2 Chiffchaffs

(Ed Wilson)

Trench Middle Pool

2 Tufted Duck

2 Chiffchaffs

1 Willow Warbler

(Ed Wilson)

2013

Priorslee Lake

2 Little Grebes 

3 Great Crested Grebe 

7 Wigeon 

2 Gadwall 

34 Tufted Ducks 

c.450 Black-headed Gulls

c.350 Lesser Black-backed Gulls

c.50 Herring Gulls

1 Great Black-backed Gull.

(Ed Wilson)

The Flash

3 Great Crested Grebes 

7 Swans 

2 Pochard 

73 Tufted Duck 

(Ed Wilson)

2011

Nedge Hill

2 Wheatear

(John Isherwood)

2010

Priorslee Lake

1 Little Grebe 

4 Great Crested Grebe 

4 Gadwall

27 Tufted Duck

c.210 Jackdaws

(Ed Wilson)

The Flash

3 Great Crested Grebe 

36 Tufted Duck

2 Siskins

1 Reed Bunting

(Ed Wilson)

2007

Priorslee Lake

3 Cormorant

2 Shoveler

27 Tufted Duck

1 Green Woodpecker

29 Wren

22 Robin

21 Blackbird

5 Fieldfare

9 Redwing

6 Chiffchaff

36 Magpie

99 Jackdaw

8 Greenfinch

7 Reed Bunting

(Ed Wilson)

The Flash

4 Great Crested Grebe

1 Mallard x Pintail

2 Pochard

17 Tufted Duck

3 Chiffchaff

1 Reed Bunting

(Ed Wilson)

2006

Priorslee Lake

1 Barn Ow

1 Little Grebe

6 Great Crested Grebes

1 Shoveler

26 Tufted Ducks

2 Water Rail

532 Wood Pigeon

2 Great Spotted Woodpeckers

2 Sky Larks

15 Pied Wagtails

26 Wrens

34 Blackbirds

6 Redwings

1 Willow Warbler

1 Chiffchaff

17 Magpies

4 Jays

1 Brambling

13 Greenfinches

4 Siskins

1 Linnets

5 Reed Buntings

(Ed Wilson)

The Flash

6 Great Crested Grebe

2 Pochard

22 Tufted Duck

2 Chiffchaff 

1 Reed Bunting

(Ed Wilson)