8 Apr 21

Priorslee Lake, Woodhouse Lane, The Flash and Nedge Hill

4.0°C > 8.0°C: Early medium overcast gave way to short spell of drizzle from low cloud. Then cleared with moderate WSW wind after calm start. Very good visibility.

Sunrise: 06:29 BST

* = a photo today

Priorslee Lake: 05:35 - 09:10 

(58th visit of the year)

Bird notes:
- Again unsure about Great Crested Grebe numbers. Why are they so hard?
- c.20 Sand Martins arrived by 07:20. After the sky cleared these stayed high and tended to move off.
- *The aberrant 'chiff-chiff-chiff-chiff-...' Chiffchaff was back singing in its usual location
- *A pair of Grey Wagtails on the dam-face again. I confirmed the male is the ringed bird first seen late last year at The Flash.
- A single Linnet in the hedge between the football field and the academy playing fields.

Birds noted flying over / near here:
- 7 Canada Goose: single and three pairs outbound
- 1 Greylag Geese: single outbound; single with Canada x Greylag inbound and then assumed same two outbound 30 minutes later
- 1 Canada x Greylag Geese: single with Greylag inbound and then assumed same two outbound 30 minutes later.
- 1 Common Buzzard
- 2 Stock Doves: together
- 24 Wood Pigeons
- 2 Cormorants: singles
- 43 Jackdaws
- 2 Starlings

Count of hirundines etc. noted:
- c.20 Sand Martins

Count of warblers noted (the number in brackets is singing birds)
- 2 (2) Willow Warblers
- *22 (15) Chiffchaffs
- 15 (12) Blackcaps

Counts from the water:
- 2 Mute Swans: pen sitting throughout
- 4 (4♂) Mallard
- 4 (2♂) Tufted Duck
- 4 Moorhen
- 30 Coots again
- 3? Great Crested Grebes
- 3 Lesser Black-backed Gull: all adults together and briefly
- *1 Grey Heron

Nothing else of note.

A Grey Heron with breakfast - a rather substantial breakfast which, as we will see, took some dealing with. I need to apologise that these are not all as sharp as I would like. It was still rather cloudy. I would like to have taken a video but the range was too-great, I can zoom in closer with stills. A whole series as I don't expect to see a repeat performance on a fish of this size anytime soon. The fish is a Perch

Well: this fish has been landed. Now what?

"Perhaps if I put it down and pick it up a different way ..."

"Hmm. That doesn't seem any better"

"I'd better have a shake while I think about it"

"I have to swallow it head-first to avoid the spines so like this?"

 "Oops. Dropped it"

"Perhaps this way around?"

Part way in and head-first. Then ...

... with one gulp its gone. A rather thick neck as it slides down. Makes me feel quite odd.

This is the 'chiff-chiff-chiff-chiff...' singing Chiffchaff. Nothing special about its looks.

Another low-light special to show the ringed male Grey Wagtail on the dam-face.

(Ed Wilson)

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Woodhouse Lane: 08:00 - 08:25

(10th visit of the year)

Yet again just to the 'top of the hill' and back. With the wind now in the SW the noise from the M54 made it hard to hear bird song and calls.

Notes:
- Three Skylarks in song. One other heard calling.
- One Chiffchaff in song and another calling.
- Four Yellowhammers, one in song.

A fine-looking male Chaffinch.

 "Give us a song".

A stealthy approach gave me this un-cropped image. Many subtle colours on view. If I could have seen the greenish rump that would have added to the palette.

(Ed Wilson)

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The Flash: 09:15 - 10:10

(46th visit of the year)

Bird notes:
- A very quiet morning with nothing of note apart from a Stock Dove calling from near the Priorslee Academy.

Birds noted flying over / near The Flash:
- 1 Common Buzzard

Hirundines etc. noted:

None

Count of warblers noted (the number in brackets is singing birds)
- 3 (3) Willow Warblers
- 7 (7) Chiffchaffs
- 2 (2) Blackcaps

Counts from the water:
- 26 Canada Geese
- 4 Greylag Geese
- 3 + ? eggs Mute Swans
- 22 (17♂) Mallard
- 27 (15♂) Tufted Duck
- 4 Moorhens
- 25 Coots again
- 1 Great Crested Grebe

Also noted
- Buff-tailed Bumblebee (Bombus terrestris)

Not a very elegant pose but at least this Chiffchaff has black legs.

(Ed Wilson)

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Nedge Hill: 10:20 - 11:05

(2nd visit of year)

Another wander around the lanes that overlook the fields in this area.

A few things of note though no migrants:
- Two Lapwings in one of the fields with the horses.
- A calling Green Woodpecker was my first of the year.
- Two passing Barn Swallows.
and
- At least six Rabbits noted. They used to be common at the lake but I have not seem any for many years.
- Greater Stitchwort (Stellaria holostea) in flower.
- What will certainly be regular Bluebell (Hyacinthoides non-scripta) just breaking in to flower.

Of the warblers
- 7 (5) Chiffchaffs
- 3 (3) Blackcaps
Surprisingly no Willow Warblers. They used to pass through in some number.

No Meadow Pipits, Linnets or Yellowhammers seen or heard. Just two distant Skylarks.

I surmise this is a female Chiffchaff because it was only calling intermittently and very close to a singing bird that I would I am sure have chased any rival away. There is no plumage difference between the sexes. Any size difference is too small to be meaningful. Another bird whose legs are more brown than black.

Greater Stitchwort (Stellaria holostea) and unidentified small fly (and my fingers as I tried to stop it blowing around in the wind).

(Ed Wilson)

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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

2014

Priorslee Lake

4 Great Crested Grebes

3 Cormorants

2 Grey Herons

2 Greylag Geese

11 Tufted Duck

4 Blackcaps

4 Chiffchaffs

284 Jackdaws

(Ed Wilson)

The Flash

2 Great Crested Grebes

30 Tufted Ducks

2 Blackcap

2 Chiffchaffs

1 Willow Warbler

(Ed Wilson)

The Wrekin

Buzzard

Stock Dove

Willow Warbler

Siskin

Redpoll

Common Redstart

Pied Flycatcher

Crossbill

(Ed Wilson)

2013

Priorslee Lake

5 Chiffchaffs

2 Little Grebes 

5 Great Crested Grebes 

1 Heron 

7 Tufted Ducks 

1 Great Black-backed Gull 

28 Redwings

(Ed Wilson)

The Flash

2 Great Crested Grebes 

1 Canada x ? hybrid goose 

1 Pochard 

59 Tufted Duck 

(Ed Wilson)

Trench Lock Pool

6 Great Crested Grebes 

14 Tufted Duck 

(Ed Wilson)

Trench Middle Pool

Oystercatcher

2 Great Crested Grebe 

2 Cormorant 

7 Tufted Ducks 

(Ed Wilson)

2012

Nedge Hill

7 Lapwings

2 Skylarks

5 Chiffchaffs

2 Blackcap

1 Willow Warbler

1 Wheatear

2 Jays

(Martin and Ian Grant)

2011

Nedge Hill

5 Wheatear

4 Common Redstart

Ring Ouzel

(John Isherwood)

The Wrekin

2 Tree Pipits

1 Pied Flycatcher

(Ed Wilson)

2010

Nedge Hill

Male Common Redstart

Little Owl

(Pete Nickless)

2007

Priorslee Lake

1 Pintail x Mallard

4 Tufted Duck

2 Meadow Pipit

5 Blackcap

7 Chiffchaff

3 Reed Bunting

(Martin Adlam)

Nedge Hill

Ring Ouzel

8 Fieldfare

(Martin Grant)

2006

Priorslee Lake

6 Great Crested Grebes

1 Heron

3 Cormorants

6 Tufted Ducks

2 Ruddy Ducks 

5 Stock Doves

105 Wood Pigeons

4 Great Spotted Woodpeckers

9 Sand Martin.

14 Swallow

4 Meadow Pipits

20 Wrens

21 Robins

23 Blackbirds

1 Blackcap

8 Chiffchaffs

4 Willow Warblers

16 Magpies

1 Jay

15 Greenfinches

2 Siskins

6 Reed Buntings

(Ed Wilson, Martin Adlam)