21 Mar 23

Priorslee Lake and The Flash

9.0°C > 12.0°C: A mix of low overcast and light drizzle with some sunny spells. The clouds tended to lift and break for a while after 09:00. Moderate southerly breeze. Very good visibility except in drizzle.

Sunrise: 06:11 GMT

* = a species photographed today.

Priorslee Balancing Lake: 05:30 – 09:05

(68th visit of the year)

Bird notes:
- The cob Mute Swan managed to put one of last year's cygnets to flight, but only for it to circle to return at the other end of the lake. The cob seemed to give up at this point.
- Seven Black-headed Gulls circled high overhead at 06:35 moving away North; three birds flew high West together at 07:45. None was aged.
- A bumper number of 18 Chiffchaffs noted with 16 of them in song. Some of these must move on: there is not enough space for 16 territories. I suspected 10 males held territory last year.
- 21 Redwings flew out of trees near the sailing club HQ.
- At least 40 Siskins were in trees near the Teece Drive gate.

Birds noted flying over here:
- 15 Canada Geese: singles, pairs and a trio in different directions
- 1 Greylag Goose: outbound on its own
- 5 Feral Pigeons: a trio and a duo; not all the same individuals as yesterday
- 33 Wood Pigeons: 16 of these flew very high North together
- 10 Black-headed Gulls: see notes

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

Counts from the lake area:
- 5 Canada Geese: a pair and a trio throughout
- 2 + 4 Mute Swans
- 10 (7♂) Mallard
- 4 (3♂) Tufted Ducks
- 11 Moorhens
- 44 Coots only
- 5 Great Crested Grebes
- 2 Herring Gulls: adults, together, briefly
- 2 Cormorants: immatures; arrived separately

Noted on the street lamp poles pre-dawn:

Moths:
- 1 Lead-coloured Drab (Orthosia populeti): same place as yesterday
Nothing else noted

In the sailing club shelter pre-dawn:
Nothing

Noted in the Priorslee Avenue tunnel
- *1 owl midge Psychodidae sp., apparently dead
- *at least five midges of at least two species

Elsewhere:
Nothing of note

This sums up the morning's weather. A lot of low cloud giving some drizzle with a few blue bits.

Here one of the sunny intervals illuminates the same area of contrasting tones that I photographed yesterday.

 From a slightly different angle.

In the hedge alongside Teece Drive were a pair of House Sparrows. Here is the male. This species is usually confined to the gardens of the estate though in Spring and Summer they do explore the area. Last year they made it as far as the dam. I did not detect any nesting attempts.

When I saw this in the Priorslee Avenue tunnel I wasn't sure what I was looking at. The photo only marginally helps. From the wing I think this is an owl midge Psychodidae sp. that is wrapped up in a web.

The spiders seem to have been busy in the tunnel. This midge also looks none too happy.

(Ed Wilson)

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The Flash: 09:10 – 10:10

(63rd visit of the year)

About time too. I finally added Common Buzzard to my 2023 bird list for here with one seen circling overhead. Bird species #61 here this year.

Other bird notes:
- The pair of Shoveler remains. I could not find any Common Teal.
- All the gulls gone from here as well as the Balancing Lake.
- While they were nest-building Long-tailed Tits were everywhere. I have hardly seen any over the last week. I assume they are getting on with laying eggs and feeding up.

Birds noted flying over here:
- *1 Common Buzzard

Warblers noted (the number of these singing in brackets):
- 9 (8) Chiffchaffs

Noted on / around the water
- 22 Canada Geese
- 3 Greylag Geese: a pair and another paired with a Canada Goose
- 2 + 1 Mute Swans
- 2 (1♂) Shoveler
- 25 (19♂) Mallard
- 1 all-white duck (Peking(?) Duck)
- 50 (28♂) Tufted Duck
- 7 Moorhens only
- 28 Coots
- 3 Great Crested Grebes
- no gulls
- *2 Cormorants: departed together

Noted on / around the street lamp poles:
- *4 unidentified species of fly sunbathing together

Noted later:
- *possible Terrapin: if so probably a Yellow-bellied Slider

Cormorants have an almost pre-historic look about them.

One of the two Cormorants present is seen leaving.

And the other.

 Surprisingly my first Common Buzzard of the year here.

So we had better have another look at it.

On a sunny lamp pole were a large number of flies. Four of them here, all quite obviously different species. The upper one looks like a Muscid fly. The others?

Through my binoculars I could not make out what this was on the island. I am only a little the wiser looking at the enlarged photo. My best thought is that it is one of the Terrapins (probably Yellow-bellied Slider) that have been here for many years. But would they be active yet? I don't recall this pattern on its shell either.

Aircraft of the day. This is an AgustaWestland AW159 Wildcat AH.1. The Wildcat is an updated version of the Westland Lynx and shares the same general profile. This was using the call-sign NTHWK59 (Nighthawk 59) which is used by 659 Squadron of the Army Air Corps, based at Royal Navy Air Station at Yeovilton. It stopped off at RAF Shawbury en route to wherever. All three air arms in one photo!

Five minutes later another of the same, NTHWK60, trundled past in the distance. It did not apparently stop off at RAF Shawbury.

(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
1 Brambling
1 Mediterranean Gull
7 Wigeon 
2 Gadwall 
29 Tufted Ducks
1 Little Ringed Plover
c.750 gulls
1 Mediterranean Gull
1 Buzzard
1 Sparrowhawk
Stock Dove
6 Redwings
7+  Fieldfares
279 Jackdaws
(Ed Wilson, John Isherwood)

The Flash
2 Great Crested Grebe 
7 Swans 
1 Pochard 
1 Greater Scaup 
66 Tufted Duck 
(Ed Wilson)

Nedge Hill
1 Raven
Stock Dove
3+ Lapwing
(John Isherwood)

2012
Priorslee Lake
5 Chiffchaff singing
(Martin Grant)

2011
The Flash 
48 Tufted Duck 
1 Green Woodpecker
1 Great Spotted Woodpecker
3 Jays
2 Reed Buntings
Nuthatch
2 Siskins
(Ed Wilson)

2010
Priorslee Lake
2 Fieldfare
1 Little Grebe 
4 Great Crested Grebe 
6 Gadwall
36 Tufted Duck
149 Jackdaws
(Ed Wilson)

2009
Priorslee Lake
2 Willow Tit
4 Chiffchaff
(John Isherwood)

Nedge Hill
Wheatear
1 Blackcap
5 Lapwing
(John Isherwood)

2007
Priorslee Lake
3 Great Crested Grebe
8 Cormorant
28 Tufted Duck
1 Ruddy Duck
1 Buzzard
1 Sparrowhawk
3 Stock Dove
141 Wood Pigeon
8 Pied Wagtail
27 Wren
21 Robin
21 Blackbird
48 Fieldfare
2 Redwing
8 Chiffchaff
67 Magpie
410 Jackdaw
1 Willow Tit
7 Greenfinch
2 Reed Bunting
(Ed Wilson, Martin Adlam)

2006
Priorslee Lake
Barn Owl
c.750 Black-headed Gulls
4 Little Grebes
7 Great Crested Grebes
2 Herons
7 Pochard
42 Tufted Ducks
1 Ruddy Duck
1 Water Rail.
289 Wood Pigeon
29 Pied Wagtails
25 Blackbirds
7 Redwings
16 Greenfinches
11 Siskins
1 Linnet
3 Reed Buntings
(Ed Wilson)