9 Mar 21

Priorslee Lake, The Flash, Trench Lock Pool and Trench Middle Pool

3.0°C > 9.0°C: Some clear / sunny intervals though often cloudy. Another calm start; light WSW breeze later. Very good visibility.

Sunrise: 06:39 GMT

* = a photo today

Priorslee Lake: 05:45 - 09:25

(28th visit of the year)

Birds notes:
- The male Pheasant was calling again - sounded as if it might be in the academy grounds
- The visiting pair of adult Mute Swans left as soon as the resident cob took off from the other end of the water.
- Today 86 of the 140 Wood Pigeons overhead were in 12 small groups heading high N
- A small movement of Black-headed Gulls going W today.
- I could only find one pair and two single Great Crested Grebes. Perhaps the missing two partners were tucked in the reeds.
- *Jays were very obvious again with (the same?) birds moving E and W.
- I attempted to check the Magpie roost: 19 seemed to be all that remain. I assume many are now using their refurbished nests.
- Two Chiffchaffs noted. Only one singing.
- *Bullfinches seen in four different locations.
- A Greenfinch seen in display flight.
- *Four Lesser Redpolls feeding in willowherb seeds in the rank grass alongside the W end path.
- Rather fewer Siskins in the trees.

Birds noted flying over / near here:
- 5 Canada Geese: single and two pairs outbound
- 1 Stock Dove
- 140 Wood Pigeons
- 39 Black-headed Gulls
- 1 Herring Gull: immature
- 12 Lesser Black-backed Gulls again
- 3 Cormorants: together
- *1 Grey Heron? - see photo
- 1 Common Buzzard again
- c.110 Jackdaws
- 6 Rooks
- 1 Pied Wagtail again
- 7 Goldfinches

Counts from the water:
- *4 Mute Swans: a visiting adult pair, briefly
- 9 (7♂) Mallard again
- 10 (5♂) Tufted Duck
- 9 Moorhens
- 35 Coots once again
- 2 Little Grebe heard in both NW and NE areas
- 4 Great Crested Grebes only
- 19 Black-headed Gulls
- 1 Herring Gull: immature, briefly
- 2 Lesser Black-backed Gulls: both adults, briefly
- 1 Cormorant: arrived
- 2 Grey Herons

My 2021 bird species list for here remains 72.

Otherwise:
- A Common Quaker moth (Orthosia serasai) on a lamp-pole pre-dawn. A common species though only my second recent record (17 March 2017 was the previous). I was so excited at recording my first moth of the year here that I fouled the photo up!
- 1 Grey Squirrel

More visiting Mute Swans that did not stay.

Well this is mega-frustrating. I saw this bird high up coming across the lake still early, immediately thought 'egret' and took a few photos against what light there was. I looked again with binoculars as it flew on - Grey Heron I thought and logged it as such. But looking at the photo the plumage looks all white. The way the feet and toes are held is not very Grey Heron-like and the bill looks too slim. Yet are the legs long-enough for a Great Egret? And if so I doubt the bill would look so dark - it should be yellow. If it was a Little Egret then why did it appear so large? Do the feet look yellow? Botheration!

Out of the Ricoh copse one of the local Common Buzzards.

Not quite sure why the Jays this morning looked quite so different in photos. Here is #1.

And #2

And #3

The lighting makes this Redwing look rather strange - a very black side to the face and rather few streaks on the centre of the belly. It sounded like a Redwing but I double-checked all those rare Siberian species that turn up from time to time. None of them fitted so Redwing it is.

Another in my series "it won't win prizes but ..." category. You can just about identify this as a Chiffchaff!

Talking of not winning prizes ... spot the Lesser Redpoll lurking in the dead willowherb from last year.

Not much better but living up to its name.

For a change here is a Mrs. Bullfinch munching on buds.

A different Mrs. Bullfinch ....

 ... together with Mr. Bullfinch.

He seems surprised to see me.

The sun came out and bathed a male Reed Bunting in warm early light.

It then moved to where a twig cast a shadow across its body. Grrr.

(Ed Wilson)

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The Flash: 09:30 - 10:35

(18th visit of the year)

Bird notes:
- One pair of Tufted Duck seen mating. Might they stay and breed here? They have in the past.
- The gulls were spooked by the council contractor's 'chipper' at work on trimmed trees - I can't say I was too impressed either.
- The Jackdaws in three separate circling groups of 36, 51 and 10 birds. Unusual.
- Two Siskins seen very low down in vegetation right alongside the W side path.

Birds noted flying over / near The Flash:
- 2 Common Buzzards
- 97 Jackdaws
- 1 Greenfinch

Counts from the water:
- 41 Canada Geese
- 3 Mute Swans
- 27 (19♂) Mallard
- 71 (40♂) Tufted Duck
- 11 Moorhens
- 28 Coots
- 1 Great Crested Grebe again
- 2 Black-headed Gulls only
- 1 Herring Gull: the usual second year briefly

My 2021 bird species list for here remains at 52.

Also noted:
- My first bumblebee of the year. It did not settle for a photo to confirm its identity but likely an Early Bumblebee (Bombus pratorum).

A most serendipitous moment. A Goldcrest momentarily stationary (and singing) and the camera switched and pointing in the right direction. I won't let it happen again.

(Ed Wilson)

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Trench Lock Pool: 10:45 – 11:00 // 11:40 - 12:00

(3rd visit of the year)

After a Facebook post of a 32lb. Carp being caught yesterday it was wall-to-wall fishermen this morning.

Bird notes:
- At least two Redwings (with six or more Blackbirds) feeding on Ivy berries opposite the Blue Pig. A species I have not recorded here since October 2017.

Birds noted flying over / near here:
[The local Wood Pigeons and Jackdaws not included]
- 2 Greylag Geese (en route to Middle Pool)
- 1 Sparrowhawk
- 3 Collared Doves
- 5 Starlings

Counts from the water:
- 9 Canada Geese
- 2 Mute Swan
- 3 (2♂) Mallard
- 3 (2♂) Tufted Duck
- 2 Moorhens
- 8 Coots
- 1 Great Crested Grebe
- 2 Black-headed Gulls

My 2021 bird species list for here moves on to 30 with new today:
- Greylag Goose
- Sparrowhawk
- Collared Dove
- Coal Tit
- Starling
- Redwing

Also noted
- *Plumed midges (Chironomus plumosus)

This smart male Chaffinch was not singing today - he (or a different one in the same tree) was last week.

Courtesy of one of the fishermen being a 'white van man' here is a well displayed male plumed midge (Chironomus plumosus) - a male because he has plumed antenna to detect the females pheromones.

(Ed Wilson)

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Trench Middle Pool: 11:05 – 11:35

(3rd visit of the year)

Bird notes:
- Fewer geese recorded. Some were still arriving. Others were tucked up inside the island.
- Struggled to find rather few Mallard - perhaps away on nests locally?

Birds noted flying over / near here:
- 1 Common Buzzard
- 1 Jackdaw

Counts from the water:
- 48 Canada Geese
- *28 Greylag Geese
- 1 all-white feral goose
- 2 Mute Swans
- 11 (9♂) Mallard only
- 14 (13♂) Tufted Duck
- 7 Moorhens again
- 26 Coots
- 1 Great Crested Grebe only
- 28 Black-headed Gulls: most departed
- 1 Cormorant

My 2021 bird species list for here moves on to 32 with new today:
- Jackdaw
- Carrion Crow

With one typically calling seven Greylag Geese inbound.

Flaps out and undercarriage down for these three.

Flaring to touch down. Note how the alula - the small feather in the middle of the leading edge of each wing - is spread to help the airflow and provide more 'lift' - this is analogous to the leading edge slats that are extended on aircraft as they prepare to land.


(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
Priorslee Lake
Today's Sightings Here

2012
Priorslee Lake
1 Iceland Gull
1 Grey Wagtail
(Martin Grant)

2011
Priorslee Lake
13 Pochard
37 Tufted Ducks
1 Chiffchaff. First of the year
(Ed Wilson)

2010
Priorslee Lake
3 Snipe
1 Teal
11 Pied Wagtails
13 Reed Buntings
(Ed Wilson)

2009
Priorslee Lake
1 Glaucous Gull
17 Redwings
1 Linnet
(Ed Wilson, Martin Grant)

2007
Priorslee Lake
6 Cormorant
22 Tufted Duck
1 Ruddy Duck
420 Wood Pigeon
33 Wren
25 Robin
22 Blackbird
17 Fieldfare
22 Redwing
1 Chiffchaff. First of the year
4 Goldcrest
59 Magpie
218 Jackdaw
6 Reed Bunting
(Ed Wilson)

Priorslee Flash
4 Great Crested Grebe
3 Pochard
38 Tufted Duck
11 Goosander
1 Stock Dove
(Ed Wilson)

2006
Priorslee Lake
6 Great Crested Grebes
6 Pochard
33 Tufted Ducks
2 Ruddy Ducks
115 Coots
226 Wood Pigeon
178 Jackdaws
21 Blackbirds
c.25 Fieldfares
12 Redwings
1 Willow Tit
9 Greenfinches
6 Redpolls
7 Reed Buntings
(Ed Wilson)