1.0°C > 3.0°C: Before 08:30 mainly low cloud with intermittent light rain, sleet, snow and soft hail. Thereafter dry with a few sunnier spells. Calm start again with light NW breeze spring up. Moderate visibility.
Sunrise: 06:22 BST
* = a photo today
Despite (or perhaps because of) the inclement weather significant numbers of Willow Warblers at both the lake and The Flash.
Priorslee Lake: 05:30 - 08:30
(61st visit of the year)
Very few things flying over. Two Siskin gave an added winter-feel to the day.
Other bird notes:
- A few Sand Martins appeared after 07:30 and numbers built up to c.20. Then at c.07:45 they all suddenly departed.
- The fly-over Starlings seem to be birds nesting in the estate on feeding forays.
- Four Linnets yet again in the hedge between the football field and the academy playing fields.
Birds noted flying over / near here:
- 16 Canada Geese: six pairs and quartet outbound
- 7 Greylag Geese: pair and trio outbound; pair inbound
- no Wood Pigeons!
- 1 Lesser Black-backed Gull
- no Jackdaws
- 1 Rook
- 9 Starlings
- 2 Siskins
Count of hirundines etc. noted:
- c.20 Sand Martins
Count of warblers noted (the number in brackets is singing birds)
- 8 (6) Willow Warblers
- *22 (15) Chiffchaffs
- 16 (12) Blackcaps
Counts from the water:
- 2 Canada Geese: throughout
- 2 Mute Swans: pen sitting throughout
- 4 (3♂) Mallard
- 1 (1♂) Tufted Duck
- 7 Moorhens
- 20 Coots only
- 1 Little Grebe: heard only
- 4 Great Crested Grebes
- *3 Common Sandpipers
Also noted:
- 1 Buff-tailed bumblebee (Bombus terrestris), braving the snow!
- 1 Grey Squirrel
A Common Sandpiper in a more typical pose, clambering around on the dam-face.
Gleaning insects close to me were a small party of Long-tailed Tits.
Very friendly. Pity about the lack of light.
And getting up to contortions while doing so. There were at least two Chiffchaffs and a Willow Warbler doing the same thing. Despite its more typically lethargic approach I was unable to capture the Willow Warbler and this is another Chiffchaff.
(Ed Wilson)
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
(49th visit of the year)
Bird notes:
- The drake Tufted Duck that is probably accompanying the pair of Mallard emerged from the entry stream in the top corner, though I could not find the Mallard there.
- One apparent non-singing, non-calling Chiffchaff low in emergent vegetation along the E side of the water. It seemed unusually small but was continually dipping its tail just like a regular Chiffchaff.
- Three non-singing male Blackcaps were working the sheltered vegetation between the W side path and the water.
- Two Song Thrushes singing within yards of each other alongside the road climbing up to The Priorslee. Meanwhile two others, presumably the females, were chasing around close-by.
Birds noted flying over / near The Flash:
- 4 Feral Pigeons (one group)
- 3 Wood Pigeons
Hirundines etc. noted: (I thought I heard a House Martin just once but could see nothing)
Bird notes:
- The drake Tufted Duck that is probably accompanying the pair of Mallard emerged from the entry stream in the top corner, though I could not find the Mallard there.
- One apparent non-singing, non-calling Chiffchaff low in emergent vegetation along the E side of the water. It seemed unusually small but was continually dipping its tail just like a regular Chiffchaff.
- Three non-singing male Blackcaps were working the sheltered vegetation between the W side path and the water.
- Two Song Thrushes singing within yards of each other alongside the road climbing up to The Priorslee. Meanwhile two others, presumably the females, were chasing around close-by.
Birds noted flying over / near The Flash:
- 4 Feral Pigeons (one group)
- 3 Wood Pigeons
Hirundines etc. noted: (I thought I heard a House Martin just once but could see nothing)
None
Count of warblers noted (the number in brackets is singing birds)
- 9 (8) Willow Warblers
- 7 (5) Chiffchaffs
- *6 (2) Blackcaps
Counts from the water:
- 17 Canada Geese
- 6 Greylag Geese: one pair of these departed
- 3 + ? eggs Mute Swans
- 29 (24♂) Mallard
- 32 (18♂) Tufted Duck
- 7 Moorhens
- 24 Coots
- 2 Great Crested Grebes
Also noted
- 3 Grey Squirrels
Count of warblers noted (the number in brackets is singing birds)
- 9 (8) Willow Warblers
- 7 (5) Chiffchaffs
- *6 (2) Blackcaps
Counts from the water:
- 17 Canada Geese
- 6 Greylag Geese: one pair of these departed
- 3 + ? eggs Mute Swans
- 29 (24♂) Mallard
- 32 (18♂) Tufted Duck
- 7 Moorhens
- 24 Coots
- 2 Great Crested Grebes
Also noted
- 3 Grey Squirrels
I guess it is the tip of a branch behind the Jay's head and it is not a Horned Jay?
The offending branch is clearly visible here.
One of three male Blackcaps that were between the path at the W side and the water.
And one of the others.
Not sharp but an interesting pose by a rather upset Wren.
Calming down - a bit.
(Ed Wilson)
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
On this day
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
Local Area
Today's Sightings Here
2014
Priorslee Lake
3 Great Crested Grebes
1 Cormorant
3 Grey Herons
2 Greylag Geese
4 Tufted Duck
1 Common Sandpiper
>6 Sand Martins
1 Grasshopper Warbler
7 Blackcaps
7 Chiffchaffs
2 Willow Warblers
(Ed Wilson)
The Flash
4 Greylag Goose
1 Cackling-type Goose
24 Tufted Ducks
3 Sand Martins
3 Blackcap
3 Chiffchaffs
4 Willow Warbler
(Ed Wilson)
Trench Lock Pool
4 Great Crested Grebes
1 Greylag Geese
22 Tufted Ducks
3 Blackcaps
2 Chiffchaffs
(Ed Wilson)
Trench Middle Pool
12 Greylag Geese
4 Tufted Duck
2 Blackcap
3 Chiffchaffs
2 Willow Warblers
(Ed Wilson)
2013
Priorslee Lake
12 Swallow, House Martin & Sand Martin.
2 Little Ringed Plover
2 Common Sandpiper
2 Willow Warbler
(Arthur Harper, Ian Grant and John Isherwood)
The Flash
Cackling Canada Goose
4 Sand Martins
2 Shoveler
(John Isherwood, Martin Grant)
Trench Middle Pool
House Martin
4 Sand Martin
2 Chiffchaffs
(Martin Grant)
Trench Lock Pool
12 Sand Martins
(Martin Grant)
2008
Priorslee Lake
4 Gadwall
80+ Hirundines
1 House Martin
(John Isherwood)
Nedge Hill
10 Wheatear
(John Isherwood)
2007
Priorslee Lake
4 Tufted Duck
1 Ruddy Duck
1 Buzzard
2 Blackcap
3 Chiffchaff
3 Linnet
2 Reed Bunting
(Martin Adlam)
Priorslee Village
Willow Warbler
Chiffchaff
(Martin Adlam)
Nedge Hill
1 Mallard
1 Buzzard
2 Red-legged Partridge
1 Great Spotted Woodpecker
8 Skylark
3 Meadow Pipit
1 Fieldfare
1 Blackcap
2 Willow Warbler
2 Chiffchaff
4 Linnet
(Martin Adlam)
2006
Priorslee Lake
5 Great Crested Grebes
1 Heron
4 Tufted Ducks
2 Ruddy Ducks
2 Stock Doves
90 Wood Pigeons
2 Kestrels
1 Sky Lark
1 Meadow Pipit
4 Grey Wagtails
6 Pied Wagtails
2 House Martin
24 Wrens
15 Robins
24 Blackbirds
1 Wheatear
4 Blackcaps
5 Chiffchaffs
2 Willow Warblers
13 Greenfinches
3 Siskins
2 Linnets
7 Reed Buntings
(Ed Wilson)