4 Apr 22

Priorslee Lake and The Flash

10.0°C > 11.0°C: Low overcast with occasional very light drizzle. Moderate WNW wind. Good visibility.

[Sunrise: 06:37 BST]

* = a photo today

Priorslee Lake: 10:25 – 11:20

(79th visit of the year)

A disappointing visit. Normally at this time of year and on cloudy and damp days hirundines (swallows and martins) gather over the water to feed on hatching insects – hence my later visit. None was seen. Sightings of these birds have been few so far this year. I hope this is because last week's fine weather meant they did not need to stop off but could feed on the wing and pass over too high to be seen.

Other bird notes:
- The lone Great Crested Grebe was patrolling much of the water.

Birds noted flying over here:
- 1 Herring Gull: immature
- 12 Lesser Black-backed Gulls: all (near) adults flying NW

Hirundines etc. noted:

None

Warblers

Not counted as no walk around made.

Counts from the lake area:
- 2 Canada Geese: throughout
- 2 Mute Swans
- 3 (2♂) Mallard
- no Tufted Duck
- 4 Moorhens
- 25 Coots
- 1 Great Crested Grebe only
- 1 Grey Heron

(Ed Wilson)

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The Flash: 09:20 – 10:20

(76th visit of the year)

*Definite highlight was another sighting of Bramblings. Birds were high in trees at the top end of what I call squirrel alley. They were very mobile and, unlike yesterday, were not calling. As I stopped to try and photograph them they seemed to spook and all flew off and flew away W. There were at least 25 birds leaving.

This species has been noted in good numbers at other nearby locations with the Belvide blog reporting at least 40 at their feeders, some 12 miles away as the Brambling flies.

Other bird notes:
- The cob Mute Swan seems to have regained some of his strength and was chasing one of the 2021 birds – and I only noted one of these today. Conversely the cob, the pen and the 2019 bird seemed to be getting along fine.
- A drake Shoveler was by the island and then flew to the middle of the water. I could not find a duck lurking anywhere.
- One of my regular informants told me she had, yesterday, seen a duck Mallard with 'as many as 15 ducklings' whizzing about and impossible to count.
- I could not locate the Teal today.
- Several of the duck Tufted Ducks were climbing out on to the island. Are they going to nest here again this year?
- A singing Chaffinch was unusual. I normally see one or two birds, both male and female, though these are usually just calling birds.

Bird noted flying over here:
- 1 Cormorant

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

On /around the water:
- 21 Canada Geese
- 6 Greylag Geese again
- 4 Mute Swans: see notes
- *1 (1♂) Shoveler
- 25 (21♂) Mallard
- 1 all-white duck (Aylesbury Duck)
- no Teal
- 54 (34♂) Tufted Duck
- 8 Moorhens
- 25 Coots
- 2 Great Crested Grebes
- 1 Black-headed Gull: first year
- 3 Herring Gulls: all first years again
- *2 Lesser Black-backed Gulls: first years?

On / around the street lamp poles:
- 1 Owl Midge Psychodidae sp.
- *2 female plumed midges, probably Chironomus plumosus
- *1 Yellow Dung Fly (Scathophaga stercoraria)

Caught just as it crashed in the water to wet its feathers before preening is a first year Lesser Black-backed Gull with dark back and wings.

I presume the drake Shoveler either has its bill partly open or its head slightly turned. Its bill looks even larger and more oddly-shaped than usual. It of course sat in the middle of the water, equidistant from either side testing the camera on a dull morning.

A Nuthatch giving its loud trilling call.

And here quietened down. They are very noisy at this time of year.

A female Brambling with grey side to the head and restricted orange on the shoulders limited to feather tips.

What is probably a first winter male with more orange on the shoulder. The grey side to the head is a bit puzzling: I would have expected it to be much blacker by now.

A female plumed midge with simple antennae, probably Chironomus plumosus

Well it was a long way up the lamp pole. A Yellow Dung Fly (Scathophaga stercoraria), a particularly hairy species of fly.

(Ed Wilson)

Note:

Here are a few photos from Venus Pool on 2 Apr 22 taken by 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

4 Great Crested Grebes

3 Cormorants

1 Grey Heron

3 Greylag Geese

5 Common Teal

4 Wigeon

31 Tufted Duck

1 Kittiwake

c.12 Sand Martins

2 Swallow

3 Blackcaps

6 Chiffchaffs

2 Willow Warblers

(Ed Wilson)

The Flash

2 Great Crested Grebes

1 Shoveler

43 Tufted Ducks

2 Blackcap

4 Chiffchaffs

(Ed Wilson)

Trench Lock Pool

4 Great Crested Grebes

23 Tufted Ducks

1 Chiffchaffs

(Ed Wilson)

Nedge Hill

Red-legged Partridge

4 Sky Larks

6 Meadow Pipits

1 Blackcap

3 Chiffchaffs

1 Willow Warbler

1 Linnet

2 Yellowhammer

(Ed Wilson)

2013

Priorslee Lake

2 Little Grebes 

5 Great Crested Grebe 

2 Gadwall 

13 Tufted Ducks 

(Ed Wilson)

The Flash

Cackling Goose

(JW Reeves)

Leegomery

Woodcock

(JW Reeves)

Long Lane, Wellington

1 Redshank

(JW Reeves)

2012

Priorslee Lake

2 Swallows

20 Sand Martins

2 Meadow Pipits

(Martin Grant)

2009

Priorslee Lake

4 Shoveler

2 Sand Martin

(John Isherwood)

The Flash

2 Shoveler

1 Snipe

1 Willow Warbler

Nedge Hill

1 Wheatear

1 Blackcap

(John Isherwood)

2008

Nedge Hill

Whinchat

(Paul King)

2007

Priorslee Lake

1 Teal

(John Isherwood)

2006

Priorslee Lake

6 Great Crested Grebes

2 Herons

6 Tufted Ducks

2 Ruddy Ducks

318 Jackdaws

105 Wood Pigeons

1 Sky Lark

5 Meadow Pipits

22 Wrens

24 Robins

25 Blackbirds

58 Fieldfares

3 Willow Warblers

6 Chiffchaffs

2 Willow Tits

15 Greenfinches

1 Siskin

2 Redpolls

4 Reed Buntings

(Ed Wilson)