2.0°C > 8.0°C: Clear skies until wispy clouds developed after 09:00. Early frost and mist over the lake. Light S breeze. Good visibility.
Sunrise: 06:28 GMT
* = a photo today
Priorslee Lake: 05:30 – 06:35 // 07:40 – 09:45
(61st visit of the year)
Bird notes:
- Little Grebe(s) heard calling at the W end. One only seen.
- Just two Great Crested Grebes located. These moved around the whole lake area. A fisherman reported seeing them displaying.
- A lone Black-headed Gull flew through at 06:20. Just two seen on the water. No birds seen on the football field. Several groups, one of 22 birds, seen flying high S.
- I was surprised to see at least 15 Magpies leaving the roost site. Most birds seem to have dispersed to sleep in their nesting areas.
- The Cetti's Warbler's still here.
- Ten singing and one calling Chiffchaff.
- A Skylark heard from over the fields to the E.
- At least eight Redwings flew from a roost along the S side. None was seen later.
Birds noted flying over here:
- 14 Canada Geese: three pairs, a trio and a quintet all outbound
- 2 Greylag Geese: pair outbound
- 12 Wood Pigeons
- 32 Black-headed Gulls
- 13 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
- 36 Jackdaws
- 1 Starling
Counts from the lake area:
- 2 Canada Geese: pair throughout
- 2 Mute Swans
- 5 (4♂) Mallard
- 11 (8♂) Tufted Duck
- 9 Moorhens
- 30 Coots
- 1+ Little Grebe
- 2 Great Crested Grebes
- *2 Black-headed Gulls
- 1 Grey Heron
On / around the street lamp poles pre-dawn:
- *1 Dotted Border moth (Agriopis marginaria)
- *1 plumed midge sp.
Noted later:
- *100s of small flies on lamp poles, likely Pollenia cluster flies.
- *10s of larger flies with them
- *1 Salticus scenicus jumping spider eating one of the small flies
The wing pattern suggests this is an adult Black-headed Gull. This individual must just be late acquiring a full dark hood.
Sitting up straight is this male Greenfinch. Numbers remain low though perhaps higher than for a few years.
This Dotted Border moth (Agriopis marginaria) surprised me by still being present in full sun at 09:00. Enabled me to discard the flash photo I took at 06:00.
The warm sun encouraged dozens and dozens of these small flies to gather on just two of the street lamp poles at the W end of the area.
These flies do not look larger in this photo but they were in real life. Probably a different species of cluster fly. There were many fewer of these.
This is what happens to a plumed midge if it stays on a lamp pole on a dewy and frosty night.
A closer view of five. These are almost certainly cluster flies in the genus Pollenia
A very attractively-marked spider, though I doubt the fly appreciates that. A Salticus scenicus jumping spider. Nigel has provided a fascinating epistle I feel worth including. "Their eyesight is probably the most acute of any invertebrate. The forward pointing eyes have swivelling retinas (a bit like those old Citroen cars with swivelling headlamps) and it is thought that, to get the precise picture they need to land on rather than near their prey with such small eyes, the picture is built up line by line rather like downloading a picture on the old dial up internet. They create a little pad of silk on the substrate before they jump and extrude silk as they fly through the air as a safety line in case of mishap. Complex business this jumping on flies !"
Today's aircraft. A Diamond Aircraft DA 40-TDI Diamond Star built at Weiner Neustadt in Austria. It is registered to a company at Fordingbridge, Hampshire but seemingly operates on pilot training duties out of what I know as Kidlington but is now grandly named London Oxford Airport.
(Ed Wilson)
The Flash: 06:40 – 07:35
- A similar array of gnats and small flies on the wall. None specifically identified.
- *A possible digger wasp sp.
The 'wasp waist' on this insect separates it out from all the possible small brassy-looking flies. It may be one of the digger wasps which explains the short antennae (difficult to see).
(Ed Wilson)
(Ed Wilson)
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The Flash: 06:40 – 07:35
(58th visit of the year)
Highlight here today was a singing Reed Bunting along the E side. It was in the same general area where I suspected breeding in 2020. It shut up as soon as I approached (on the path). In 2021 I heard one here on 18 March but it did not stay. Bird species #53 for me here this year.
Bird notes:
- Plenty of drake Mallard: 24; many fewer ducks: 7
- The pair of Teal located again.
- Over the last few weeks Coots have been venturing on the grassy area near the children's play area. There were four this morning. Moorhens join them some mornings. I have not noted this behaviour in previous years, probably because my timing has coincided with its use as a dog-exercise area.
- A Great Spotted Woodpecker was heard calling at the top end. I could not see it.
- Seven Chiffchaffs noted, all singing.
Birds noted flying over here:
- 3 Black-headed Gulls
- 1 Lesser Black-backed Gull again
- 4 Jackdaws
On /around the water:
- 44 Canada Geese: of these several pairs flew off
- 6 Greylag Geese: of these one pair arrived to a noisy greeting(?)
- 3 + 2 (1 brood) Mute Swans
- 31 (24♂) Mallard
- 1 (1♂) all-white duck (Aylesbury Duck)
- 2 (1♂) Teal
- 74 (48♂) Tufted Duck
- 14 Moorhens
- 26 Coots
- 1 Great Crested Grebe again
- 6 Black-headed Gulls again
On /around the street lamp poles or elsewhere around here:
Highlight here today was a singing Reed Bunting along the E side. It was in the same general area where I suspected breeding in 2020. It shut up as soon as I approached (on the path). In 2021 I heard one here on 18 March but it did not stay. Bird species #53 for me here this year.
Bird notes:
- Plenty of drake Mallard: 24; many fewer ducks: 7
- The pair of Teal located again.
- Over the last few weeks Coots have been venturing on the grassy area near the children's play area. There were four this morning. Moorhens join them some mornings. I have not noted this behaviour in previous years, probably because my timing has coincided with its use as a dog-exercise area.
- A Great Spotted Woodpecker was heard calling at the top end. I could not see it.
- Seven Chiffchaffs noted, all singing.
Birds noted flying over here:
- 3 Black-headed Gulls
- 1 Lesser Black-backed Gull again
- 4 Jackdaws
On /around the water:
- 44 Canada Geese: of these several pairs flew off
- 6 Greylag Geese: of these one pair arrived to a noisy greeting(?)
- 3 + 2 (1 brood) Mute Swans
- 31 (24♂) Mallard
- 1 (1♂) all-white duck (Aylesbury Duck)
- 2 (1♂) Teal
- 74 (48♂) Tufted Duck
- 14 Moorhens
- 26 Coots
- 1 Great Crested Grebe again
- 6 Black-headed Gulls again
On /around the street lamp poles or elsewhere around here:
Nothing noted
The 2019 Mute Swan with a 2021 cygnet. They look as if they might be pairing up.
If so it will make the resident cob even more annoyed!
A Nuthatch atop a tree. Rather fuzzy I am afraid. The conditions were making the camera lens mist up and I was having difficulty keeping it clear.
(Ed Wilson)
Between the lake and The Flash:
- 3 (2♂) Mallard in the lower pool.
- 2 Moorhens in the lower pool.
- 11 Starlings in trees and flying around the houses
(Ed Wilson)
Priorslee Avenue tunnel:
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Between the lake and The Flash:
- 3 (2♂) Mallard in the lower pool.
- 2 Moorhens in the lower pool.
- 11 Starlings in trees and flying around the houses
(Ed Wilson)
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Priorslee Avenue tunnel:
Noted in the tunnel:
- A similar array of gnats and small flies on the wall. None specifically identified.
- *A possible digger wasp sp.
(Ed Wilson)
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On this day can be found via the yearly links in the right-hand column.
Sightings from previous years without links are below
2013
Priorslee Lake
1 Iceland Gull
4 Yellow-legged Gulls
1 Caspian Gull
1 Common Gull.
(Tom Lowe, J Reeves)
2012
Priorslee Lake
Chiffchaff singing
4 Siskin
1 Willow Tit
(Martin Grant)
Nedge Hill
3 Lapwing
2 Green Woodpecker
4+ Skylark singing
(Martin Grant)
2011
Priorslee Lake
3 Pochard
34 Tufted Ducks
1 Water Rail
1 Kingfisher
4 Redwing
3 Chiffchaffs singing
57 Magpies
1 Brambling
10 Reed Buntings
(Ed Wilson)
2010
Priorslee Lake
3 Little Grebes
5 Great Crested Grebes
1 Cormorant
7 Swans
6 Gadwall
2 Pochard
47 Tufted Duck
77 Coots
1 Common Gull
253 Jackdaws
Linnet
9 Reed Buntings
Willow Tit
Siskin
( Ed Wilson)
2009
Priorslee Lake
1 Glaucous Gull
(John Isherwood)
Nedge Hill
1 Chiffchaff
25 Linnet
4 Lapwing
(John Isherwood)
Trench Pool
1 Water Rail
(John Isherwood)
2007
Priorslee Lake
19 Tufted Duck
4 Stock Dove
25 Wren
28 Robin
25 Blackbird
7 Song Thrush
2 Redwing
7 Chiffchaff singing
41 Magpie
142 Jackdaw
5 Reed Bunting
(Ed Wilson)
2006
Priorslee Lake
1 Little Grebe
5 Great Crested Grebes
7 Pochard
43 Tufted Ducks
2 Ruddy Ducks
86 Coots
1 Water Rail
176 Jackdaws
26 Blackbirds
41 Redwings
20 Greenfinches
7 Reed Buntings
(Ed Wilson)
4 Reed Buntings
(Ed Wilson, Martin Adlam)