26 Mar 22

Priorslee Lake and The Flash

5.0°C > 12.0°C again: Clear. Calm. Good visibility.

Sunrise: 06:00 GMT

No photos with today's log. A selection will appear tomorrow.

Priorslee Lake: 05:15 – 06:30 // 07:35 – 09:45

(72nd visit of the year)

Bird notes:
- A pair of Canada Geese flew in from he E at 08:45. None was seen around the lake earlier.
- An unringed first year Mute Swan was present for over 30 minutes before taking the hint and leaving to the W.
- Of the 43 Wood Pigeons seen flying over 22 of them were flying high N, including one loose group of 17.
- A Collared Dove seems to have taken up residence on the new estate to the N of the lake.
- Perhaps the same three Great Crested Grebes: one pair displaying close to a third.
- All gulls seen here were flying straight over.
- The Cetti's Warbler was vocal again, back in the NW area.
- My first singing Blackcaps of the year here. Just two so far.

Birds noted flying over here:
- 9 Canada Geese: single and four pairs outbound
- 3 Greylag Geese: trio inbound
- 43 Wood Pigeons
- 1 Black-headed Gull again
- 3 Herring Gulls: all immatures yet again
- 1 Lesser Black-backed Gull: (near) adult
- 2 Cormorants: singles
- 1 Sparrowhawk
- 7 Jackdaws only
- 2 Rooks
- 4 Meadow Pipits: together

Hirundines etc. noted:

None

Warblers noted (figures in brackets relate to singing birds):
- 1 (1) Cetti's Warbler: back in NW area
- 14 (14) Chiffchaffs
- 2 (2) Blackcaps

Counts from the lake area:
- 2 Canada Geese: a pair arrived at 08:50
- 3 Mute Swans: a first-year bird for a while
- 5 (4♂) Mallard
- 6 (4♂) Tufted Duck: arrived together
- 7 Moorhens
- 33 Coots
- 1 Little Grebe seen: another(?) heard
- 3 Great Crested Grebes again

On / around the street lamp poles pre-dawn
- several small midges
- 1 presumed Common Green Lacewing (Chrysoperia carnea)

Noted later:
- Small Tortoiseshell butterfly (Aglais urticae)
- Buff-tailed Bumblebees (Bombus terrestris)
- many other unidentified bumblebees in flight only
- Common Wasp (Paravespula vulgaris): first of year
- Dark-edged Bee-flies (Bombilius major)
- Common Dronefly (Eristalis tenax)
- flowering Wild Cherry (Prunus avium)

The none too inspiring dawn.

The actual sunrise. Managed to find some trees as foreground.

The cob Mute Swan on the warpath and looking mean.

He really does not want this 2021 bird on his territory.

And puts it to flight.

The immature makes a perfect touchdown as it settles back for a while until....

...junior finally gets the message and leaves.

My first Common Wasp (Paravespula vulgaris) of the year. In 2021 they seemed to be in very low numbers until late in the season.

Camera wins over mark one eye-ball #1. I logged this as a Common Dronefly (Eristalis tenax) but it has pale legs so it is a Tapered Dronefly (Eristalis pertinax). Females of the species are not obviously tapered.

I have recorded this as a flowering Wild Cherry (Prunus avium) though I am not sure how 'wild' any of the trees and shrubs around the lake are.

They may be very common but they make a splash of colour on a sunny Spring morning. They are Dandelions of course, possibly Taraxacum officinale, though the taxonomy of this plant is open to much intellectual debate (though not by me!)

Another common flower – Daisy (Bellis perennis)

(Ed Wilson)

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The Flash: : 06:35 – 07:30

(67th visit of the year)

Bird notes:
- A dearth of duck Mallard today.
- Perhaps as well I photographed the Teal yesterday. I could not find them today.
- The Tufted Ducks were very mobile and a later sweep count gave me only 36 birds though not all the water can be seen from any one place.
- A strange date to find Herring Gulls here. Two adults flew in and were soon joined by a third year bird. Then two second year birds arrived separately.
- Great Spotted Woodpecker(s) seen in the copse by the medical centre; flying both up and down over the water; and heard calling along the E side.
- Two singing Blackcaps located.
- The colour-ringed male Grey Wagtail was seen at the top end.

Birds noted flying over here:
- 5 Wood Pigeons: high N
- 1 Jackdaw

Warblers noted (figures in brackets relate to singing birds):
- 6 (6) Chiffchaffs yet again
- 2 (2) Blackcaps

On /around the water:
- 46 Canada Geese: of these a pair flew off and a pair arrived
- 4 Greylag Geese: of these a pair arrived
- 3 + 2 (1 brood) Mute Swans: the number of eggs could not be determined again
- 24 (22♂) Mallard
- 1 (1♂) all-white duck (Aylesbury Duck)
- no Teal
- 45 (29♂) Tufted Duck: see notes
- 16 Moorhens
- 30 Coots again
- 2 Great Crested Grebes again
- 5 Herring Gulls: see notes

Noted on / around the street lamp poles:

- 1 Early Thorn moth (Selenia dentaria). On a pole at the other end of the water to that seen yesterday
- several plumed midges with plain wings, likely Chironomus plumosus.
- 1 owl-midge sp.

Elsewhere:

Nothing of note

Camera wins over mark one eye-ball #2. I thought these were two adult Herring Gulls and indeed from the markings one their bills they appear to be just that. In the photo the back bird shows faded brown immature feathers in the folded wing and is probably a fourth year bird.

This one is a third year Herring Gull.

 This looks to be a second year bird. Note the pale tip on this rather fuzzy photo.

While this a first year bird. Not sure why all these five Herring Gulls decided to drop in. An unusual date for this species here.

A shouting Nuthatch. They can make a loud ringing call that sounds not unlike some parts of a Song Thrush's repertoire.

This photo looks fuzzy because owl-midges are fuzzy! Tiny too.

(Ed Wilson)

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Between the lake and The Flash:

- no Mallard or Moorhens seen or heard.
- 1 (1) Chiffchaff beside the lower pool
- 1 Starling

(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

Priorslee Lake

3 Great Crested Grebes

13 Cormorants

4 Greylag Geese

22 Tufted Duck

5 Sand Martins

6 Redwings

8 Chiffchaffs

>500 Jackdaws

(Ed Wilson)

The Flash

50 Tufted Ducks

4 Chiffchaffs

4 Siskins

(Ed Wilson)

2013

Priorslee Lake

1 Little Grebe

6 Great Crested Grebes

1 Cormorant

7 Wigeon 

2 Gadwall 

1 Pochard 

42 Tufted Ducks 

1 Great Black-backed Gull

Mediterranean Gull.

Ring-billed x Lesser Black-backed Gull.

>1500 Black-headed Gulls

2 Redwings

65 Magpies

25 Siskins

2 Reed Buntings

(Ed Wilson)

The Flash

2 Great Crested Grebes 

6 Swans

2 Pochard 

85 Tufted Duck 

(Ed Wilson)

2010

Priorslee Lake

3 Buzzards

1 Little Grebe 

5 Great Crested Grebe

4 Gadwall

36 Tufted Duck

c.160 Jackdaws

(Ed Wilson)

The Flash

4 Great Crested Grebe 

3 Greylag Geese 

32 Tufted Duck

Trench

1 Cormorant

43 Tufted Ducks

(Ed Wilson)

2007

Priorslee Lake

Little Ringed Plover

1 Cormorant

1 Mallard x Pintail

18 Tufted Duck

1 Ruddy Duck

1 Little Ringed Plover

1 Kittiwake

33 Wren

29 Robin

24 Blackbird

3 Chiffchaff

39 Magpie

3 Greenfinch

6 Reed Bunting

(Ed Wilson)

The Flash

8 Great Crested Grebe

2 Pochard

27 Tufted Duck

1 Snipe

3 Chiffchaff

2 Reed Bunting

(Ed Wilson)

2006

Priorslee Lake

1 Barn Owl

1 Little Grebe

5 Great Crested Grebes

1 Shoveler

30 Tufted Ducks

2 Water Rails

321 Wood Pigeons

2 Sky Larks

5 Meadow Pipits

33 Wrens

21 Robins

21 Blackbirds

1 Fieldfare

3 Redwings

1 Chiffchaff

1 Willow Tit

18 Greenfinches

8 Siskins

1 Linnet

6 Reed Buntings

1 Yellowhammer.

(Ed Wilson)