4 Mar 22

Priorslee Lake only

4.0°C > 5.0°C: Broken medium cloud under high overcast starting to thin. Light NW wind. Very good visibility.

Sunrise: 06:55 GMT

No photos today

An away-day on the Wirral for the wader roost on the high Spring tide meant a quick visit to the lake only.

Priorslee Lake: 05:45 – 07:55

(51st visit of the year)

Bird notes:
- The resident(?) pair of Canada Geese seemed to be exploring the W end reeds where they made a nest last year. At the moment the Mute Swans seem disinterested in them. Whether that will remain so if both families hatch young remains to be seen.
- A Grey Heron departed to the E at 07:10. What I have logged as a different bird flew high W overhead at 07:40.
- A tight group of c.40 Jackdaws flew S to the far E. Had birds taken such a line on previous mornings then I would have been unable to see them in the murk. This may partly account for some of the recent low numbers.
- The Cetti's Warbler was very vocal again near the point on the N side.
- A Chiffchaff was also very vocal in the same general area from 06:40 onwards.

Birds noted flying over here:
- 1 (1♂) Mallard
- 6 Wood Pigeons only
- 2 Collared Doves
- 14 Herring Gulls
- 23 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
- 1 Grey Heron
- 1 Common Buzzard
- c.85 Jackdaws
- 2 Ravens

Counts from the lake area:
- 4 Canada Geese: a pair throughout; a pair arrived and departed
- 2 Mute Swans
- 4 (3♂) Mallard
- 38 (22♂) Tufted Duck
- 8 Moorhens
- 36 Coots
- 2 Great Crested Grebes
- 34 Black-headed Gulls
- 1 Herring Gull: first year, briefly
- 1 Grey Heron: departed

On / around the wet street lamp poles pre-dawn:
- many springtail sps.
- 1 slug sp..

As a footnote I read that springtails are not insects (Class Insecta) but in a different sub class of exapods (six legged creatures) called Entognatha.

Later:
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

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)