20 Mar 22

Priorslee Lake and The Flash

2.0°C > 6.0°C: Wall to wall clear. Light E wind. Good visibility – a bit hazy.

Sunrise: 06:13 GMT

* = a photo today

Priorslee Lake: 05:25 – 06:45 // 07:40 – 09:10

(66th visit of the year)

A distant calling Pheasant at 05:45 was new for my 2022 list from here (species #72). He won't be able to strut his stuff on the academy playing fields this year.

Other bird notes:
- A pair of Canada Geese was on the SW grass early and again not noted later.
- No Black-headed Gulls at all (and none at The Flash either).
- A full-winged Grey Heron flew high from the S and away to the E at 08:20. At 08:40 two birds were sparring low over the lake.
- The lack of traffic aided by the road works lights meant I could hear two distant Sky Larks to the E of Castle Farm Way.
- Just a single Siskin noted: heard flying over.

Birds noted flying over here:
- 6 Canada Geese: two pairs outbound; pair inbound
- 9 Greylag Geese: two pairs outbound; pair and trio inbound
- 16 Wood Pigeons
- 2 Collared Doves: pair
- 1 Herring Gull
- 2 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
- *1 Grey Heron
- 1 Common Buzzard
- 56 Jackdaws
- 2 Rooks
- 1 Siskin

Hirundines etc. noted:

None

Warblers noted. (figures in brackets relate to singing birds)
- no Cetti's Warbler heard
- *12 (12) Chiffchaffs

Counts from the lake area:
- 2 Canada Geese: departed
- 2 Mute Swans
- 5 (4♂) Mallard
- 8 (5♂) Tufted Duck
- 8 Moorhens again
- 31 Coots
- *1 Little Grebe seen; another heard?
- 4 Great Crested Grebes again
- 2 Grey Herons

On / around the frosted street lamp poles pre-dawn

Nothing

Later:

Nothing noted

Just past full moon with the craters on the right side slightly cross-lit. A bit hazy this morning making the top a bit wobbly.

The rather murky sky pre-sunrise.

Lurking in the dead reeds and sedges I could see this summer plumage Little Grebe. And rather soggy plumage at that. This shows a feature that I have never seen before and is not mentioned in texts in my bird books though it is just about visible in some photos – the very tip of the bill is pale.

Grey Herons always look surprised with that staring eye.

This is the scruffy Chiffchaff from yesterday. Looks as if it is plumage damage as I am sure it would have had a preen to sort its feathers out by now.

A different bird caught in mid 'chiff' - or was that mid 'chaff'?

From now on is the best time of year to photo Wrens as they become territorial. This one was on the dam

(Ed Wilson)

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The Flash: 06:50 – 07:35

(63rd visit of the year)

Starling was a new species for my 2022 site list for here (species #54). One was briefly calling from a TV aerial in Wordsworth Drive.

Other bird notes:
- *The pen Mute Swan now has three eggs.
- Mallard reappeared in some number.
- Also many more Tufted Ducks.
- A Great Spotted Woodpecker was drumming alongside squirrel alley: the first I have heard in the alley for some years.

Birds noted flying over here:
- 2 Stock Doves: pair
- 10 Wood Pigeons: together
- 4 Jackdaws: singles

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

On /around the water:
- 26 Canada Geese: a pair of these flew off
- 6 Greylag Geese: a trio of these flew off
- *3 + 2 (1 brood) Mute Swans
- 27 (22♂) Mallard
- 1 (1♂) all-white duck (Aylesbury Duck)
- 2 (1♂) Teal
- 85 (52♂) Tufted Duck
- 14 Moorhens
- 26 Coots
- 1 Great Crested Grebe again

On / around the street lamp poles
- *1 Plumed midge (Chironomus plumosus)

Elsewhere:

Nothing noted

Count them - "one, two, three". May be as many as ten eventually.

This does not happen very often – well never really. Goldcrests are usually hyper-active and never still. This one just stopped in front of me giving me time to change the mode on my camera and fire away. It was, of course, only visible between twigs. The camera did a remarkably good job of focussing on the right thing.

And another!

One of the seven singing Chiffchaffs here. Another bird with orange legs – bird books tell you they are 'dark' or 'black'. Not always.

This is my first 'big' (relative term) plumed midge this year that I believe to be Chironomus plumosus.

(Ed Wilson)

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Between the lake and The Flash:

- 1 (1♂) Mallard in the lower pool
- 1 Moorhen in the upper pool
- 1 Moorhen in the lower pool
- 1 Chiffchaff around the lower pool again

(Ed Wilson)

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Priorslee Avenue tunnel:

Nothing of note:

The only thing I could find in the tunnel was this. I suspect a dead springtail – or at least one none too well.

(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

4 Great Crested Grebes 

7 Wigeon 

2 Gadwall 

27 Tufted Ducks 

6 Redwings

138 Jackdaws

1 Chiffchaff

1 Redpoll

7+ Siskins

2 Reed Buntings

(Ed Wilson)

The Flash

2 Great Crested Grebe 

7 Mute Swans

1 Pochard 

56 Tufted Duck

(Ed Wilson)

Long Lane, Wellington

133 Lapwing

17 Golden Plover

1 Redshank

3 Dunlin

2 Oystercatcher

3 Teal

c.600 Black-headed Gulls

5 Lesser Black-backed Gulls

1 Herring Gull. 

(Martin Grant)

2011

Priorslee Lake

17 Tufted Duck 

11 Golden Plover

17 Meadow Pipits

5 Chiffchaffs (4 in song)

Raven

(Ed Wilson)

Nedge Hill

40 Golden Plover

11 Lapwing

1 Red-legged Partridge

2 Green Woodpeckers

8 Meadow Pipits

1 Redpoll

(Ed Wilson)

The Flash 

32 Tufted Duck 

1 Curlew

2 Brambling

1 Reed Bunting

(Ed Wilson)

2010

Priorslee Lake

1 Little Grebe 

5 Great Crested Grebe 

6 Gadwall 

39 Tufted Duck

146 Jackdaws on roost dispersal 

c.35 Greenfinches

c.15 Goldfinches

c.10 Linnets

(Ed Wilson)

The Flash

3 Great Crested Grebe 

36 Tufted Duck

(Ed Wilson)

2009

Priorslee Lake

1 Yellow-legged Gull

435 Lesser Black-backed Gull

(Peter Wilson)

2007

Priorslee lake

3 Great Crested Grebe

12 Cormorant

24 Tufted Duck

1 Ruddy Duck

1 Merlin

1 Buzzard

2 Kestrel

1 Great Black-backed Gull

188 Wood Pigeon

1 Green Woodpecker

26 Wren

5 Chiffchaff 

1 Willow Tit

55 Magpie

14 Greenfinch

5 Reed Bunting

(Ed Wilson, Martin Adlam)

The Flash

9 Great Crested Grebe

2 Pochard

26 Tufted Duck

1 Chiffchaff singing

(Ed Wilson)

2006

Priorslee Lake

c.250 Black-headed Gulls

146 Lesser-black Backs

15 Herring Gull

2 Yellow-leg Gulls

2 Common Gulls

36 Tufted Duck

6 Great Crested Grebe

1 Cormorant

2 Water Rail

3 Siskins

2 Redpoll

3 Linnet

3 Reed Bunting

(Martin R Adlam)