22 Mar 22

Priorslee Lake and The Flash

4.0°C > 10.0°C: Again mainly clear skies with haze; a bank of medium level cloud encroaching from the E and SE. Calm start with light E breeze later. Moderate visibility.

Sunrise: 06:09 GMT

* = a photo today

Priorslee Lake: 05:15 – 06:20 // 07:35 – 09:25

(68th visit of the year)

Bird notes:
- The pair of Canada Geese was only seen after 07:45 and may have flown in while I was at The Flash.
- 15 of the overflying Wood Pigeons were in four small groups flying high N. It is remarkable that at the end of October / beginning of November I log many thousand in groups of up to 500 heading S but there is no comparable return passage in Spring.
- Just two Great Crested Grebes noted. Perhaps their partners were hiding in the reeds.
- A group of eight Herring Gulls flew S at 06:05. Three more singles flew S with another stopping off for a while. Most were immatures.
- Very few Jackdaws noted passing. Just perhaps the dark clouds to the E meant there was insufficient contrast for me to see these.
- Just a single Sand Martin hawking over the SW trees after 08:45. None over the water
- The Cetti's Warbler burst in to song at the W end at 05:25. I did not hear it after 06:00
- Two male Siskins were in trees by the Teece Drive gate: the only Siskins seen or heard today.

Birds noted flying over here:
- 12 Canada Geese: 10 outbound as two singles; two pairs and a quartet; pair inbound
- 2 Greylag Geese: pair outbound
- 2 (1♂) Mallard
- 2 Feral Pigeons: together
- 41 Wood Pigeons: see notes
- 11 Herring Gulls: see notes
- 10 Jackdaws only

Hirundines etc. noted:
- 1 Sand Martin

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

Counts from the lake area:
- 2 Canada Geese: throughout? see notes
- 2 Mute Swans
- 2 (1♂) Mallard
- 2 (1♂) Tufted Duck
- 8 Moorhens
- 35 Coots
- Little Grebe(s) heard only again
- 2 Great Crested Grebes
- 1 Herring Gull: immature
- 1 Grey Heron: departed 05:50

On / around the street lamp poles pre-dawn
- several gnats
- 1 springtail sp.
- 1 large ground beetle, perhaps Platynus assimilis

Notes later:
- many midges dancing over my head: where are all the martins and swallows when you need them!

Less moon = more craters visible as the cross-lighting increases.

From this angle you see not only the bright rump of a Jay, so obvious in flight, but also the chestnut patch in each wing. This is not easily seen from any other angle.

This species is always alert. It has seen me and away it flew. Note the slight hook on the upper mandible.

Always wise to do a risk assessment and read the information as these Magpies demonstrate. Not sure why only one has been washed in OMO (one for the older generation).

Perhaps a swansong – the number of Siskins is diminishing rapidly as they head off to their breeding grounds. This was one of two males I saw today.

It is not often I see large beetles here and this one on a lamp pole pre-dawn was a surprise. Despite its location it is certainly one of the ground beetles though it is hard to say which. Most seem to have brown antennae and / or legs whereas this specimen clearly has these black. Platynus assimilis seems to fit but there are many to choose from.

Sticky bud anyone? A Horse Chestnut (Aesculus hippocastanum) leaf bursting out.

(Ed Wilson)

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The Flash: 06:25 – 07:30

(64th visit of the year)

Bird notes:
- A presumed family group of geese with mixed Canada and Greylag provenance were the first I have seen this year.
- One of the Greylag Geese seemed to be making overtures to one of a pair of Canada Geese. The other Canada Goose did not seem too impressed. We don't need any more hybrids!
- There are now four eggs in the Mute Swans' nest.
- After yesterday's higher number of Coots it was back to a more normal number.
- A third Great Crested Grebe seen.

Birds noted flying over here:
- 2 Feral Pigeons: not the local birds
- 1 Herring Gull: immature

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

On /around the water:
- 36 Canada Geese: a pair and a quartet of these departed
- 3 Canada x Greylag Geese: two departed with two Canada Geese
- 4 Greylag Geese
- 3 + 2 (1 brood) Mute Swans
- 24 (21♂) Mallard
- 1 (1♂) all-white duck (Aylesbury Duck)
- 2 (1♂) Teal still
- 69 (42♂) Tufted Duck
- 16 Moorhens
- 25 Coots
- 3 Great Crested Grebes

Noted on / around the street lamp poles
- 1 Plumed midge (Chironomus plumosus)

Elsewhere:

Nothing of note

I have not seen any Canada x Greylag Geese since they spent a while here last July while they were going through their wing moult. Here are two...

 ...and here is the third. Remarkably similar in markings.

This was not an intentional shot – I just recorded what I thought was a quartet of Canada Geese leaving. However two of them are Canada x Greylag Geese. One bird has the head pattern hidden. The very clean edge to the black neck and the lack of pale in the forewing means it must also be a Canada Goose.

Here is a Greylag Goose trying to get friendly with a Canada Goose. Note he appears to have his gander up – I suppose that is where the expression comes from.

Four egg omelette anyone? The Mute Swans would not be amused!

"My perch" for the Nuthatch.

Then it went and hid behind twigs.

(Ed Wilson)

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Between the lake and The Flash:

- 1 (1♂) Mallard in the lower pool
- 1 Moorhen in each pool
- 1 Starling only on a house roof

(Ed Wilson)

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In the Priorslee Avenue tunnel:

Nothing of note

(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

2011

Priorslee Lake

5 Great Crested Grebes

4 Cormorants

24 Tufted Duck

9 Meadow Pipits

4 Redwings

4 Chiffchaffs singing

2 Brimstone butterflies

(Ed Wilson, Martin Grant)

The Flash 

43 Tufted Ducks 

1 Sky Lark

2 Chiffchaffs singing

(Ed Wilson)

Nedge Hill

8 Lapwings

3 Redwings

1 Chiffchaff singing

(Ed Wilson)

Trench 

2 Little Grebes 

30 Tufted Duck

(Ed Wilson)

2010

Priorslee Lake

1 Little Grebe 

2 Gadwall

23 Tufted Duck

4 Sand Martins

1 Willow Warbler

2 Chiffchaffs singing

8 Linnets 

(Ed Wilson)

Nedge Hill

7 Wheatear

1 Green Woodpecker

1 Sky Lark

1 Chiffchaff

(Ed Wilson)

The Flash

2 Great Crested Grebe

43 Tufted Duck

2 Sparrowhawks

(Ed Wilson)

2007

Priorslee Lake

4 Cormorant

33 Tufted Duck

1 Ruddy Duck

1 Kittiwake

31 Wren

24 Robin

23 Blackbird

1 Redwing

4 Chiffchaff  singing

34 Magpie

176 Jackdaw

7 Greenfinch

5 Reed Bunting

(Ed Wilson)

The Flash

10 Great Crested Grebe

2 Pochard

23 Tufted Duck

1 Chiffchaff singing

1 Willow Tit

1 Reed Bunting

(Ed Wilson)

2006

Priorslee Lake

2 Little Grebes

6 Great Crested Grebes

49 Tufted Ducks

2 Ruddy Ducks

1 Water Rail

2 Lapwings

c.950 Black-headed Gulls

509 Wood Pigeon

6 Stock Doves

613 Wood Pigeons

1 Great Spotted Woodpecker

13 Pied Wagtails

24 Wrens

19 Robins

22 Blackbirds

5 Redwings

1 Chiffchaff

2 Willow Tits

17 Magpies

17 Greenfinches

4 Siskins

7 Reed Buntings

(Ed Wilson)