2 Mar 22

Priorslee Lake and The Flash

6.0°C: Rain, sometimes heavy, under low cloud and murk. Light SE wind. Moderate visibility at best.

Sunrise: 06:55 GMT

* = a photo today

It didn't feel much like it but there were more signs of Spring. A Chiffchaff was singing very intermittently along the N side of the lake. Another was singing more strongly at the top end of squirrel alley at The Flash.

Priorslee Lake: 06:05 – 09:05

(49th visit of the year)

Bird notes:
- I noted a pair of Canada Geese arrive from the W. Soon thereafter there were two pairs. I had not found the semi-resident pair despite walking all around (mainly while it was still dark). Perhaps both pairs flew in. One pair certainly departed.
- *As yesterday what seemed to be pairs of Great Crested Grebes were along the E end of N side and in the NW area. Once more I could only find three birds at any one time. One of these looked to be a first year bird. I did not note such an aged bird yesterday.
- Very few gulls of any species seen.
- The singing Chiffchaff, as highlighted, is bird species #66 for me here this year. My first record last year was on 26 February and in 2020 on 14 March.
- More Jackdaws were noted this morning but still many fewer that I frequently see. Several birds were either as singles or in odd-numbered groups – typically birds pair up in Autumn and are obviously together even when in quite large parties.
- The Skylark that was singing over the fields to the E much of last week seems to have moved on.
- At least 50 and possibly as many as 75 Redwings flushed from the football field at 08:50 when a Grey Heron flew over and landed! (The dog-walkers were all staying out of the rain). Whether this was the same Grey Heron that was at the lake earlier is unclear.

Birds noted flying over here:
- 2 Stock Doves: pair
- 6 Wood Pigeons only
- 6 Herring Gulls
- 1 Lesser Black-backed Gull only
- 1 Common Buzzard: the usual
- 13 Jackdaws

Counts from the lake area:
- 4 Canada Geese: pair throughout? another pair arrived and departed? See notes
- 2 Mute Swans
- 6 (4♂) Mallard
- 31 (18♂) Tufted Duck
- 8 Moorhens
- 37 Coots
- *3? Great Crested Grebes: see notes
- 11 Black-headed Gulls only
- 1 Herring Gulls: first year bird
- *1 or 2 Grey Herons: see notes

On / around the street lamp poles pre-dawn: rather soggy poles after yesterday's rain and now mist:
- *2 springtails sps.

Noted later:
- *2 plumed midges (Chaoborus crystalinus?) on the outside wall of the sailing club HQ.

One of my sightings of two Great Crested Grebes together. The bird nearest the camera seems to lack head plumes and is likely a first year bird.

No idea what this Grey Heron was up, to spooking all the Redwings as it landed on the football field.

Seems there is something of interest for it.

 I didn't see it capture anything.

It was only drizzling when I arrived at the lake. I was still surprised to find two springtails on the wet lamp poles. Here is one. The pattern on the abdomen and the contrasting segments on the antennae point to it possibly being Orchesella cincta.

And here is the other. A relatively unmarked rufous globular springtail, perhaps Dicyrtoma fusca.

Much later I found two plumed midges on the outside wall of the sailing club HQ. Only males have the plumes on their antennae.

And the other. Neither shows a dark band at the end of each abdominal segment which rules out the very common Chironomus plumosus. Reference to "Chinery M: Collins Guide to Insects"...........

................ suggests it might be Chaoborus crystalinus. I cannot find any photos of this on the web though there is this YouTube video of the larval stages.

(Ed Wilson)

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The Flash: 09:10 – 09:50

(47th visit of the year)

Bird notes:
- The cob Mute Swan was making determined efforts to persuade the two cygnets to leave. They took to flying strongly but remained within the confines of the water, splashing down at the other end.
- *Suddenly Mallard have taken to sitting on the roofs of houses. They was also much flying around: this included the all-white feral bird which if it ever had its wings clipped certainly is now full-winged.
- The pair of Teal still by the island.
- Just two drake Pochard found.
- The Herring Gull, being a first year bird, was different to the one seen here yesterday.
- The singing Chiffchaff as highlighted is bird species #51 for me here this year. My first record last year was on 17 March and in 2020 on 14 March (same day as at the lake).
- Still at least 20 Siskins on trees along the E side.

Birds noted flying over here:

None

On /around the water:
- 19 Canada Geese
- 3 + 2 (1 brood) Mute Swans
- *28 (18♂) Mallard
- 1 all-white duck (Aylesbury Duck)
- 2 (1♂) Teal
- 2 (2♂) Pochard only
- 72 (34♂) Tufted Duck
- 14 Moorhens
- 23 Coots
- 1 Great Crested Grebe again
- 7 Black-headed Gulls only
- 1 Herring Gull: first year; departed

On /around the street lamp poles or of note elsewhere:

Nothing

Why do the Mallard sit on roofs at this time of year? Two drakes here. A few seconds earlier a Pied Wagtail ran between them.

(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

2014

The Wrekin

c.35 Crossbills near the summit.

(Frank Hinde)

2012

Priorslee Lake

Grey Wagtail

10 Song Thrushes

c.20 Redwings

2 Siskins

4 Great Crested Grebes

3 Pochard

12 Tufted Duck 

(Ed Wilson)

Priorslee Flash

4 Great Crested Grebes

11 Pochard

69 Tufted Duck 

(Ed Wilson)

2009

Priorslee Lake

9 Great Crested Grebes

12 Tufted Duck

6 Goosander

1 Glaucous Gull

1 Iceland Gull.

17 Fieldfare

4 Redwings

1 Kingfisher

 >350 Jackdaws

(Ed Wilson, Jim Almond)