19 Mar 23

Priorslee Lake and The Flash

5.0°C > 7.0°C: Not the fine day as forecast! Light rain from low cloud on arrival. It cleared to broken skies with some sunny intervals. Then after 07:30 low cloud with mainly light rain and drizzle returned. Light West wind. Good visibility except in drizzle.

Sunrise: 06:16 GMT

* = a species photographed today.

Priorslee Balancing Lake: 05:30 – 09:00

(66th visit of the year)

An amazing five species added to my 2023 bird list from here and only one of them a true summer migrant. In order of seeing them:
- while walking along the dam top a Skylark appeared singing overhead from one of the few remaining fields to the East.
- immediately afterwards a break in the Sunday traffic along Castle Farm Way allowed me to hear a Yellowhammer singing from the now truncated Woodhouse Lane area.
- *a few minutes later I heard a Linnet calling and located it high in trees near the Castle Farm Way access gate.
- back at the West end a lone Meadow Pipit flew over at 08:10.
- finally at 08:30 two Sand Martins flew through: the real summer migrants.
This year's species total rises to 78.

Other bird notes:
- A Pheasant called from deep inside the Ricoh grounds.
- I noted a pair of Gadwall at each end of the lake but suspect that it was a pair that had flown down the other end.
- I suspect I overlooked the duck Pochard yesterday. It was diving all the while and staying down for long periods: easy to overlook.
- A party of 55 Wood Pigeons flew high North at 06:25. 12 birds were noted on the same flight-line in small groups within a few minutes – probably birds trying to catch up?
- A big reduction in Black-headed Gulls numbers both here, and later, at The Flash. Just 11 birds came in from the West c.06:45 with only three of these settling and the others flying around before they all departed back to the West. At c.08:20 14 birds flew from the north-east circled once high up and carried on. Probably there will only be a few birds from now until the end of June and the finish of the breeding season.
- The Cetti's Warbler sang frequently from the north-west area first thing and then went for an explore along the North side.
- I noted five non-singing Song Thrushes as well as, typically, 13 in song.
- At least 20 Siskins were in trees near the Teece Drive gate by 06:45. I noted three more groups of 15-20 birds fly from the East to join them, all feeding very high in the Poplar trees alongside Teece Drive.

Birds noted flying over here:
- 7 Canada Geese: a trio and two pairs one of which was accompanied by...
- 1 Greylag Goose: this odd couple flew off
- 105 Wood Pigeons: see notes
- 14 Black-headed Gulls: see notes
- 1 Lesser Black-backed Gull
- 9 Jackdaws
- 1 Meadow Pipit
- 1 Pied Wagtail

Warblers noted (the number of these singing in brackets):
- 1 (1) Cetti's Warbler
- 10 (10) Chiffchaffs

Counts from the lake area:
- 7 Canada Geese: two pairs flew off; one pair arrived; and a single paired with...
- 1 Greylag Goose: ...arrived and almost immediately flew off.
- 2 + 4 Mute Swans
- *2 (1♂) Gadwall: possibly a second pair
- 8 (6♂) Mallard
- 1 (0♂) Pochard
- 2 (1♂) Tufted Duck only
- 11 Moorhens
- 62 Coots
- 7 Great Crested Grebes
- 11 Black-headed Gulls: see notes
- *1 Cormorant: arrived

Noted on the street lamp poles pre-dawn:
- *3 Shoulder Stripe moths (Earophila badiata)
- *at least one springtail sp.

In the sailing club shelter pre-dawn:
Nothing. I was about five minutes later than yesterday and all the spiders had already retreated to their day-time lairs.

Noted in the Priorslee Avenue tunnel
- 2 owl midges Psychodidae sp.

Noted elsewhere:
- *flowers of Common Mouse-ear (Cerastium fontanum) [also known as Mouse-eared Chickweed]. [my app. gives C. glomeratum as the scientific name]

The early shower moves away to the south-east and a temporary sunny spell arrives.

A drake Gadwall. This might be the drake of the second pair: or perhaps this pair flew down from the other end.

This looks to be the same first year Cormorant that I have photographed before.

This Linnet was at the top of a tall tree. Not too easy to identify from this photo: it was calling which helped. The typical finch forked-tail, the streaking on the upper part of the breast and the grey bill separate this species from other small finches.

A female Reed Bunting climbing an angled tree-trunk.

Here she is looking at me. She lacks the black-head of the male but shares the white moustachial stripe.

"My right side".

Trying to hide behind a branch.

Shoulder Stripe moth (Earophila badiata) number one.

Number two.

And number three. I last recorded this species here on 17 March 2019 though I had seen them in the two previous years. A tiny springtail is evident.

The flowers of Common Mouse-ear (Cerastium fontanum).

(Ed Wilson)

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The Flash: 09:05 – 10:20

(61st visit of the year)

Bird notes:
- *The pair of Shoveler still present.
- A Stock Dove flew out of the East side wooded area and away to the North.
- As noted at the Balancing Lake, most of the Black-headed Gulls have moved on.

Birds noted flying over here:
- 5 Canada Geese
- 3 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
- 1 Pied Wagtail

Warblers noted (the number of these singing in brackets):
- 7 (6) Chiffchaffs

Noted on / around the water
- 36 Canada Geese
- 2 + 1 Mute Swans
- *2 (1♂) Shoveler
- *23 (18♂) Mallard
- 1 all-white duck (Peking(?) Duck)
- 32 (19♂) Tufted Duck
- 1 (0♂) Goosander
- 12 Moorhens again
- 26 Coots again
- 3 Great Crested Grebes again
- 5 Black-headed Gulls only
- 1 Herring Gull: a second year bird: arrived
- 4 Cormorants again

On / around the street lamp poles.
Nothing noted

Of note elsewhere:
- *first flowers of Cow Parsley (Anthriscus sylvestris).

The pair of Shoveler still here. Here in comparison with a pair of Mallard. Note the different tone of the duck in comparison with the duck Mallard behind it.

The two pairs again.

I am including this Goldcrest as it clearly shows the gold crest. I could not persuade the camera to focus past the branch.

Very smart and somewhat underrated: a male House Sparrow.

A female Bullfinch eating buds. Note the white under tail which wraps around the rump and is particularly obvious when any of this species flies away.

At a rather strange angle the white rump is visible, albeit with one wing across it.

A more normal angle as she attacks another bud.

And now for another bud.

Her neck is more supple than mine!

I noted the first flowers of Cow Parsley (Anthriscus sylvestris) this morning. Surprisingly this is four weeks later than my record of the first flowers last year.

(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

3 Great Crested Grebes 

7 Wigeon 

2 Gadwall 

18 Tufted Ducks 

127 Jackdaws

158 Black-headed Gulls

22 Herring Gulls

1 Great Black-backed Gull

1 Chiffchaff singing

6 Redwings

1 Siskin

(Ed Wilson)

The Flash

2 Great Crested Grebe 

7 Swans 

2 Pochard 

1 Greater Scaup 

81 Tufted Duck 

(Ed Wilson)

Trench Lock Pool

1 Chiffchaff  singing

1 Little Grebe 

4 Great Crested Grebes 

1 Cormorant 

25 Tufted Duck 

(Ed Wilson)

Trench Middle Pool

1 Great Crested Grebe 

3 Cormorant 

6 Tufted Duck 

2 Goosander 

5 Siskins

(Ed Wilson)

2008

Priorslee Lake

2 Sand Martins

(Martin Adlam)

2007

Priorslee Lake

2 Great Crested Grebe

2 Cormorant

22 Tufted Duck

1 Ruddy Duck

1 Green Woodpecker

8 Meadow Pipit

25 Wren

20 Blackbird

5 Redwing

5 Chiffchaff

34 Magpie

8 Greenfinch

8 Reed Bunting

(Ed Wilson)

The Flash

8 Great Crested Grebe

2 Pochard

32 Tufted Duck

1 Chiffchaff singing

(Ed Wilson)