8.0°C > 7.0°C: What a difference a day made! Low / medium-level overcast. Moderate E wind, feeling brisk. Good visibility.
Sunrise: 06:45 BST
* = a photo today
Priorslee Lake: 05:45 - 09:10
(51st visit of the year)
Birds notes:
- Yet another tight group of Black-headed Gulls overhead. 14, all adults, flew E at 07:40. Earlier a single adult flew around and had a quick drink before leaving.
- c.12 Sand Martins arrived c.08:15. Shortly afterwards I noted a single Barn Swallow with them (one of the fishermen reported that a Barn Swallow had also been present yesterday afternoon). This did not stay. Meanwhile Sand Martin numbers increased until at least 50 were present. It is possible that some birds were only passing and that more individuals were involved.
- Slightly fewer Chiffchaffs with a few calling rather than singing. Now: does that mean that females have started to arrive? Or were some disinclined to sing by the chilly conditions?
Birds noted flying over / near here:
- 1 Canada Goose: single inbound
- 3 Greylag Geese: trio outbound
- 15 Wood Pigeons only
- 14 Black-headed Gull: single group.
- 1 Common Buzzard
- 22 Jackdaws
- 3 Rooks
- 10 Meadow Pipits
Count of hirundines etc. noted:
- >50 Sand Martins
- 1 Barn Swallow
Count of warblers noted (the number in brackets is singing birds)
- 17 (14) Chiffchaffs
- 3 (3) Blackcaps
Counts from the water:
- 2 Canada Geese: pair arrived
- 1 Greylag Goose: arrived and chased away again.
- 2 Mute Swans: pen sitting throughout
- 4 (4♂) Mallard
- 4 (2♂) Tufted Duck again
- 5 Moorhens
- 25 Coots only
- 6 Great Crested Grebes still
- 1 Black-headed Gull: adult briefly
- 1 Grey Heron
My 2021 bird species list for here moved on to 81 with today's addition:
- Barn Swallow
On the lamp-poles pre-dawn:
Sunrise: 06:45 BST
* = a photo today
Priorslee Lake: 05:45 - 09:10
(51st visit of the year)
Birds notes:
- Yet another tight group of Black-headed Gulls overhead. 14, all adults, flew E at 07:40. Earlier a single adult flew around and had a quick drink before leaving.
- c.12 Sand Martins arrived c.08:15. Shortly afterwards I noted a single Barn Swallow with them (one of the fishermen reported that a Barn Swallow had also been present yesterday afternoon). This did not stay. Meanwhile Sand Martin numbers increased until at least 50 were present. It is possible that some birds were only passing and that more individuals were involved.
- Slightly fewer Chiffchaffs with a few calling rather than singing. Now: does that mean that females have started to arrive? Or were some disinclined to sing by the chilly conditions?
Birds noted flying over / near here:
- 1 Canada Goose: single inbound
- 3 Greylag Geese: trio outbound
- 15 Wood Pigeons only
- 14 Black-headed Gull: single group.
- 1 Common Buzzard
- 22 Jackdaws
- 3 Rooks
- 10 Meadow Pipits
Count of hirundines etc. noted:
- >50 Sand Martins
- 1 Barn Swallow
Count of warblers noted (the number in brackets is singing birds)
- 17 (14) Chiffchaffs
- 3 (3) Blackcaps
Counts from the water:
- 2 Canada Geese: pair arrived
- 1 Greylag Goose: arrived and chased away again.
- 2 Mute Swans: pen sitting throughout
- 4 (4♂) Mallard
- 4 (2♂) Tufted Duck again
- 5 Moorhens
- 25 Coots only
- 6 Great Crested Grebes still
- 1 Black-headed Gull: adult briefly
- 1 Grey Heron
My 2021 bird species list for here moved on to 81 with today's addition:
- Barn Swallow
On the lamp-poles pre-dawn:
Nothing- cloud = good; wind = bad. 'Bad' won.
Nothing else of note.
(Ed Wilson)
Woodhouse Lane: 07:40 - 08:05
(5th visit of the year)
Another short visit to the 'top of the hill' only to check for any migrants in the top fields. A surprise was certainly seeing one and possibly two Fieldfare that dropped in to the crops. I have not usually kept track of 'last dates' for Winter visitors. It feels like it is an unusually late date for Fieldfare. Redwings in April is not uncommon.
A few other things to note:
- Just one Skylark in song. Also one non-singing bird.
- Two singing and one calling Chiffchaffs.
- no Blackcaps.
- Five Meadow Pipits. As yesterday I could not really tell whether they were flying off N or just changing fields. However I logged 10 flying N over the lake so perhaps there was a small movement today.
- A group of four Linnets over. A bit like the Meadow Pipits - just moving around or on migration?
- Two Yellowhammers. Neither was heard to sing. Both were males.
(Ed Wilson)
The Flash: 09:15 - 10:15
Nothing else of note.
(Ed Wilson)
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
(5th visit of the year)
Another short visit to the 'top of the hill' only to check for any migrants in the top fields. A surprise was certainly seeing one and possibly two Fieldfare that dropped in to the crops. I have not usually kept track of 'last dates' for Winter visitors. It feels like it is an unusually late date for Fieldfare. Redwings in April is not uncommon.
A few other things to note:
- Just one Skylark in song. Also one non-singing bird.
- Two singing and one calling Chiffchaffs.
- no Blackcaps.
- Five Meadow Pipits. As yesterday I could not really tell whether they were flying off N or just changing fields. However I logged 10 flying N over the lake so perhaps there was a small movement today.
- A group of four Linnets over. A bit like the Meadow Pipits - just moving around or on migration?
- Two Yellowhammers. Neither was heard to sing. Both were males.
(Ed Wilson)
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
(39th visit of the year)
I received a report of a Little Egret present here on about 22 March 2021 - date to be confirmed when my informant locates the photo on her phone!
Bird notes:
- *I managed to catch the nesting Mute Swans on change-over to confirm the presence of eight eggs.
- *A group of five or six drake Tufted Ducks were very restive and flying about making an accurate count almost impossible.
- A Great Crested Grebe a new arrival.
- The Sand Martins were a welcome addition to the year list here. I almost only ever see these here in very early Spring while many are passing through the local area. They are much less frequent here than at the lake. Once the breeding season starts it is only the local Barn Swallows and House Martins that visit here.
- Two singing Willow Warblers.
Birds noted flying over / near The Flash:
- 2 Feral Pigeons: singles again
- 1 Common Buzzard
- 2 Jackdaws
Count of hirundines etc. noted:
- 3 Sand Martins
Count of warblers noted (the number in brackets is singing birds)
- 2 (2) Willow Warblers
- 6 (6) Chiffchaffs again
- 3 (3) Blackcaps
Counts from the water:
- 19 Canada Geese
- 2 Greylag Geese
- *3 + 8 eggs Mute Swans
- 34 (24♂) Mallard
- *35 (26♂) Tufted Duck
- 7 Moorhens
- 24 Coots
- 1 Great Crested Grebe
My 2021 bird species list for here moved on to 60 with today's addition:
- Sand Martin
Nothing else of note.
(Ed Wilson)
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
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
2015
Priorslee Lake
Today's Sightings Here
2014
Priorslee Lake
1 Sand Martin
4 Great Crested Grebes
9 Tufted Duck
2 Blackcaps
6 Chiffchaffs
127 Jackdaws
(Ed Wilson)
The Flash
1 Sand Martin
2 Teal
45 Tufted Ducks
1 Blackcap
4 Chiffchaffs
(Ed Wilson)
Woodhouse Lane
1 Chiffchaff
2 Linnets
4 Yellowhammer
(Ed Wilson)
2013
Priorslee Lake
1 Kittiwake
5 Gadwall
7 Wigeon
Kestrel
Sparrowhawk
Willow Tit
(John Isherwood, Jim Almond, Arthur Harper)
Horsehay Pool
2 Mandarin Ducks
(Jim Almond)
2009
Priorslee Lake
3 Great Crested Grebe
8 Tufted Duck
3 Chiffchaff
(Ed Wilson)
Trench
2 Great Crested Grebe
2 Cormorant
32 Tufted Duck
2 Chiffchaff
(Ed Wilson)
Priorslee Flash
33 Tufted Duck
2 Chiffchaff
1 Willow Warbler
2007
The Flash
1 Shoveler
(John Isherwood)
2006
Priorslee Lake
7 Great Crested Grebes
9 Tufted Ducks
1 Ruddy Duck
184 Wood Pigeons
2 Stock Doves
1 House Martin
5 Sand Martins
1 Curlew
1 Great Spotted Woodpecker
1 Skylark
2 Meadow Pipits
25 Wrens
20 Robins
27 Blackbirds
1 Redwing
2 Willow Warblers
3 Chiffchaffs
1 Willow Tit
10 Greenfinches
2 Siskins
5 Reed Buntings
(Ed Wilson)