17 Mar 22

Priorslee Lake and The Flash

3.0°C > 8.0°C: A frosty start. Wall to wall clear until after 09:00 when a few puffy clouds developed. Light SE breeze. Very good visibility.

Sunrise: 06:21 GMT

* = a photo today

Priorslee Lake: 05:30 – 06:25 // 07:25 – 09:30

(64th visit of the year)

*Firstly another big thank you to Tom Lowe for pointing out the gull from Sunday 13th that I identified as a third-winter Herring Gull was actually a second year Common Gull. I have reproduced the photo below with appropriate explanatory text.

Bird notes:
- Six Black-headed Gulls came in low from the E at 05:55 and stayed at least 15 minutes on the SW grass. They had gone by 07:30. Two, I presume different birds, arrived at 08:40.
- Several small mixed groups of Herring and Lesser Black-backed Gulls flew S c.06:10. One group of four gulls was, bizarrely, being led by a Jackdaw.
- A Cormorant seemed to have roosted here again. It was too dark when it left at 05:40 for me to see whether it was the same immature bird I recorded last week.
- A full-winged Grey Heron was seen over the field to the E at 05:45, probably leaving the small pool in the copse there. Then at 07:50 the bird with feathers missing from its right wing flew E over the area.
- The Cetti's Warbler's was again very noisy, back along the N side. He seems to be getting increasingly voluble, perhaps desperately looking for a partner?
- Just a single Redwing flew out of the S side trees before dawn.

Birds noted flying over here:
- 16 Canada Geese: six singles / small groups outbound
- 2 Stock Doves: singles
- 5 Wood Pigeons
- 3 Collared Doves: pair and single
- 4 Herring Gulls
- 8 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
- 2 Cormorants: together
- 2 Grey Herons: see notes
- 112 Jackdaws
- 3 Rooks

Hirundines etc. noted:
None

Warblers noted. (figures in brackets relate to singing birds)
- 1 (1) Cetti's Warbler again
- *12 (12) Chiffchaffs

Counts from the lake area:
- 2 Canada Geese: pair throughout
- 1 Greylag Goose: arrived and seen off c.05:45
- 2 Mute Swans
- *5 (5♂) Mallard
- 5 (3♂) Tufted Duck
- 4 Moorhens
- 30 Coots
- 2 Little Grebes
- *4 Great Crested Grebes again
- 8 Black-headed Gull: see notes
- 1 Cormorant: flew off 05:40

On / around the frozen street lamp poles pre-dawn
Nothing

Noted later:
- dozens of cluster-type flies on several of the lamp poles
- 1 Grey Squirrel

Let's start with the correction. This is not a third year Herring Gull as I reported on Sunday 13th but a second year Common Gull. I am annoyed with myself for getting it wrong because at the time I noted a slight dark 'collared' effect – a feature of winter plumage Common Gulls. I also thought the white trailing edge to the secondaries looked rather too broad for a Herring Gull. Had I bothered to scrutinise the bill all would have been obvious – much too fine for a Herring Gull. I had feared that I had missed Common Gull on its always thin Spring passage through the area. Thanks again to Tom Lowe.

Clear skies do not make for wonderful sunrises.

No leaves on the trees as yet. These are some of the few still extant alongside Castle Farm Way.

There were five drake Mallard on the lake this morning. There were no ducks for this one to impress.

Remember Dagwood? Husband of Blondie in a cartoon strip in her name. It ran from the 1930s to the 1970s. He gave his name to the Dagwood Sandwich – a tall multi-layered affair that I have only seen in the US. Dagwood's haircut resembled that of this Great Crested Grebe. I think the grebe is looking rather sad here.

But seems to have perked up a bit.

Makes a change to get Alder cones in the foreground and not twigs. Another Chiffchaff with a slight 'pollen horn' at the base of the upper mandible. There was not as much dew around this morning to stick the pollen to its feathers. Note how fine the bill is. On a Willow Warbler it would be thicker.

I think it is peering at me.

I knew the twigs would win out. A different Chiffchaff.

(Ed Wilson)

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The Flash: 06:30 – 07:20

(61st visit of the year)

Bird notes:
- Mallard flying everywhere, sitting on and flying on and off roofs. Mainly multiple drakes chasing very few ducks.
- More Tufted Duck today so perhaps they are not moving out.
- A Mistle Thrush was heard singing from the Coop area. Later it, or another, was singing from beyond the top end.

Birds noted flying over here:
- 2 Jackdaws

Warblers noted. (figures in brackets relate to singing birds)
- 7 (7) Chiffchaffs again

On /around the water:
- 40 Canada Geese: a pair of these flew off
- no Greylag Geese
- 3 + 2 (1 brood) Mute Swans
- *25 (20♂) Mallard
- 1 (1♂) all-white duck (Aylesbury Duck)
- 2 (1♂) Teal remain
- 84 (49♂) Tufted Duck
- 12 Moorhens
- 25 Coots
- 1 Great Crested Grebe again
- 2 Black-headed Gulls

On / around the street lamp poles:
Nothing

Noted elsewhere
- 1 Grey Squirrel

Lots of flying about by the Mallard, Here three drakes chase one duck.

More join in!

(Ed Wilson)

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Between the lake and The Flash:

- 1 (1) Mallard at the lower pool
- 2 Moorhens in the lower pool once more.
- *2 Starlings only: in trees
- 1 Chiffchaff around the lower pool again

One of only two Starlings that I noted here today. For a change I was able to get the light behind me. A male with the blue base to its bill.

Here 'singing' with a variety of clicks, pops and squeaks. As it does so it raises its wings very slightly in a vague flapping motion.

(Ed Wilson)

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Priorslee Avenue tunnel:

Nothing noted

(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

2012
Priorslee Lake
3 Bramblings
2 Chiffchaffs singing
(Martin Grant)

Priorslee Flash
2 Shoveler
(John Isherwood)

Nedge Hill
1 Stonechat
3 Wheatear
(John Isherwood)

2011
Priorslee Lake
1 Wigeon
14 Pochard
25 Tufted Duck 
1 Lapwing
2 Sand Martins
26 Greenfinches
23 Linnets
(Ed Wilson)

The Flash 
2 Cormorants
24 Tufted Duck
1 Kestrel
1 Tree Sparrow
2 Reed Buntings
1 Chiffchaff  singing
Siskins
(Ed Wilson)

2010
Priorslee Lake
2 Little Grebe 
5 Great Crested Grebe 
12 Swan
6 Gadwall
20 Tufted Duck
(Ed Wilson)

2009
Priorslee Lake
Mute Swan nest building
16 Tufted
(Mike Cooper)

The Flash
c.25 Tufted Duck
Chiffchaff singing
(Mike Cooper)

2007
Priorslee Lake
2 Great Crested Grebe
3 Cormorant
12 Tufted Duck
1 Ruddy Duck
2 Kestrel
2 Stock Dove
1 Green Woodpecker
31 Wren
36 Robin
6 Redwing
5 Chiffchaff 
2 Willow Tit
44 Magpie
9 Greenfinch
8 Reed Bunting
(Ed Wilson)

The Flash
6 Great Crested Grebe
2 Pochard
33 Tufted Duck
1 Great Spotted Woodpecker
2 Chiffchaff singing
1 Redpoll
1 Reed Bunting
(Ed Wilson)