7.0°C > 11.0°C: Scattered cloud with sunny spells to start. Heavy shower c.06:45 and thereafter more cloud and light showers. Moderate SSW wind, gusting fresh at times. Very good visibility except in showers.
Sunrise: 06:04 GMT
* = a species photographed today.
Back in harness after two days away watching the spectacle of birds being moved around by the high Spring tides on the Dee Estuary
Priorslee Balancing Lake: 05:20 – 09:05
(69th visit of the year)
A very quiet morning indeed.
Bird notes:
- A pair of Canada Geese throughout. A group of four flew in. Later there were five birds in addition to the pair and these were arranged as, and then flew off as, a pair and a trio. Whether all these five were new, replacing the original four arrivals or whether a single opportunistic bird have arrived I am unsure.
- A Stock Dove was seen displaying over the north-side trees. Another then flew out of the trees and they flew off West together.
- A Long-tailed Tit was seen carrying food.
Birds noted flying over here:
- 24 Wood Pigeons
- 4 Cormorants: two duos
- 5 Jackdaws
Not much today
Warblers noted (the number of these singing in brackets):
- 1 (1) Cetti's Warbler
- *16 (12) Chiffchaffs
Counts from the lake area:
- 7 Canada Geese: at least – see notes
- 2 + 4 Mute Swans
- 5 (4♂) Mallard
- 3 (2♂) Tufted Ducks
- 10 Moorhens
- 53 Coots
- 6 Great Crested Grebes
Noted on the street lamp poles pre-dawn:
- *1 Common Green Lacewing (Chrysoperia carnea)
A flat torch battery did not help!
Of note elsewhere:
- *dead Wood Mouse (Apodemus sylvaticus)
A couple of photos of an unremarkable sunrise.
The long view as the sun actually appeared above the horizon.
A Long-tailed Tit calling – its bill is open. For some reason it looks rather sleepy.
Whereas most of them stayed high in the trees like this one and were equally difficult to photograph.
A Wren with the wind ruffling its feathers.
Mammals are not a specialty of mine (what are?): I think this is a dead Wood Mouse (Apodemus sylvaticus). The (relatively) large ears and silvery grey underside point to this species. There did not seem to be any obvious cause of death.
The Flash: 09:10 – 10:10
Two of the Cormorants seen. All the birds I have seen recently have been immatures. I assume all the adults have gone to their breeding sites around large lakes.
(Ed Wilson)
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The Flash: 09:10 – 10:10
(64th visit of the year)
My first Willow Warbler of the year was heard and then seen where I almost always see the first arrival here: in the tall hedge between the small play area on the East side and the open area where people exercise their dogs. Quite why this species likes this location is hard to say as this species is only ever passing through. This is my earliest date for this species here beating my other March records in 2017 and 2020 both by six days. Bird species #62 here this year.
Other bird notes:
- The Pheasant was heard calling again from somewhere along the East side: it was too far away to pinpoint from where I was at the time, walking along Derwent Drive. I did not hear it again.
- I could not find the pair of Shoveler. However there was a pair Common Teal up against the island.
- A Lesser Black-backed Gull flew over: the only gull I saw all morning.
- A Great Spotted Woodpecker was calling from trees at the top end.
Birds noted flying over here:
- 1 Lesser Black-backed Gull
- 1 Common Buzzard
Warblers noted (the number of these singing in brackets):
- 1 (1) Willow Warbler
- *9 (8) Chiffchaffs again
Noted on / around the water
- 19 Canada Geese
- 2 Greylag Geese
- 2 + 1 Mute Swans
- 21 (15♂) Mallard
- 1 all-white duck (Peking(?) Duck)
- *2 (1♂) Common Teal
- 37 (21♂) Tufted Duck
- 12 Moorhens
- 25 Coots
- 3 Great Crested Grebes again
- *3 Cormorants
On / around the street lamp poles or of interest elsewhere
Nothing noted
My first Willow Warbler of the year was heard and then seen where I almost always see the first arrival here: in the tall hedge between the small play area on the East side and the open area where people exercise their dogs. Quite why this species likes this location is hard to say as this species is only ever passing through. This is my earliest date for this species here beating my other March records in 2017 and 2020 both by six days. Bird species #62 here this year.
Other bird notes:
- The Pheasant was heard calling again from somewhere along the East side: it was too far away to pinpoint from where I was at the time, walking along Derwent Drive. I did not hear it again.
- I could not find the pair of Shoveler. However there was a pair Common Teal up against the island.
- A Lesser Black-backed Gull flew over: the only gull I saw all morning.
- A Great Spotted Woodpecker was calling from trees at the top end.
Birds noted flying over here:
- 1 Lesser Black-backed Gull
- 1 Common Buzzard
Warblers noted (the number of these singing in brackets):
- 1 (1) Willow Warbler
- *9 (8) Chiffchaffs again
Noted on / around the water
- 19 Canada Geese
- 2 Greylag Geese
- 2 + 1 Mute Swans
- 21 (15♂) Mallard
- 1 all-white duck (Peking(?) Duck)
- *2 (1♂) Common Teal
- 37 (21♂) Tufted Duck
- 12 Moorhens
- 25 Coots
- 3 Great Crested Grebes again
- *3 Cormorants
On / around the street lamp poles or of interest elsewhere
Nothing noted
A rubbish photo of the pair of Common Teal close to the island.
I know Long-tailed Tits line their nest with feathers. This feathers looks rather large!
An interesting pair of photos that reveal the pattern of the tail feathers.
It appears that the outer two tail-feathers have white on the outer webs and dark on the inner webs.
A Chiffchaff that confused me. It was a non-singing bird and alongside the intermittently singing Willow Warbler. The main separation here is the relatively weak-looking eyebrow and the thin bill.
Another Chiffchaff. The photo revealed that it has been ringed
A female Bullfinch reaching for a bud.
And another.
(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
7 Chiffchaffs
1 Little Grebe
4 Great Crested Grebes
5 Cormorants
1 Grey Heron
19 Tufted Duck
3 Buzzard
30 Fieldfares
5 Redwings
7 Chiffchaffs
>700 Jackdaws
1 Raven
1 Marsh Tit
(Ed Wilson, Martin Grant)
The Flash
2 Great Crested Grebes
2 Common Teal
50 Tufted Ducks
(Ed Wilson)
2013
Priorslee Lake
1 Little Grebe
3 Great Crested Grebe
7 Wigeon
2 Gadwall
37 Tufted Ducks
c.180 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
c.50 Herring Gulls
2 Chiffchaffs
(Ed Wilson)
2010
Priorslee Lake
Oystercatcher
11 Pied Wagtail
2 Redwings
Willow Warbler
4 Chiffchaffs singing
12 Linnets
1 Siskin
4 Great Crested Grebe
2 Gadwall
28 Tufted Duck
c.225 Jackdaws
(Ed Wilson)
Nedge Hill
3 Wheatears
(Ian Grant)
The Flash
4 Great Crested Grebes
46 Tufted Duck
2 Chiffchaffs
(Ed Wilson)
2007
Priorslee Lake
4 Great Crested Grebe
25 Tufted Duck
1 Ruddy Duck
1 Sky Lark
1 Sand Martin
28 Wren
20 Robin
33 Blackbird
1 Redwing
3 Chiffchaff
32 Magpie
117 Jackdaw
4 Greenfinch
6 Reed Bunting
(Ed Wilson)
Priorslee Village
Raven
Blackcap
(Martin Adlam)
Nedge Hill
3 Skylark
1 Chiffchaff
3 Greenfinch
6 Yellowhammer
(Ed Wilson)
The Flash
6 Great Crested Grebe
2 Pochard
22 Tufted Duck
2 Chiffchaff
1 Reed Bunting
(Ed Wilson)