31 Mar 23

Priorslee Lake and The Flash

9.0°C > 13.0°C: Low cloud and soaking drizzle slowly brightened and dried. Later more spits and spots. Light north-east breeze. Moderate visibility at best in drizzle; good later.

[Sunrise: 06:47 BST]

* = a species photographed today.

Priorslee Balancing Lake: 10:45 – 12:00

(76th visit of the year)

A rain delayed start and a short visit viewing from the dam-top area only.

Bird notes:
- A drake Gadwall was noted moving around much of the water. I did not see any sign of a duck; nor did he seem interested in any particular location where she might have been hiding.
- A Skylark was noted singing very high overhead and moving away to the South. It did not seem to be associated with the remaining fields to the East of Castle Farm Way.

Birds noted flying over here:
- a few Wood Pigeons only

Warblers species heard from the dam-top area only: no counts made
- Willow Warbler
- Chiffchaff
- Blackcap

Hirundines etc., noted
- 2 Sand Martins: flew through c.11:30

Counts from the lake area:
- 2 Canada Geese
- 2 + 4 Mute Swans
- *1 (1♂) Gadwall
- 4 (4♂) Mallard
- 6 Moorhens
- 42 Coots
- 6 Great Crested Grebes
- 1 Cormorant: departed

Of note.

Nothing

The key features of drake Gadwall are visible here despite the extreme range. Note the all black bill and dark rear end with the white of the speculum just showing in the folded wing.

I found this on the rail of the 'boxing ring' on the dam. It is shaped rather like a froghopper though it is not clear where the elytra (wings) are joined. There almost looks to be an eye at the right end. Are those legs I can see underneath?

A side-elevation shot suggests it is not a froghopper and probably not an insect at all, though what it is I would not like to say. I tried to pick it up and invert it but it slipped between my fingers and was lost among the stones on the ground. I will never know.

Plane of the day. This SOCATA TB.20 Trinidad appeared between the clouds. Its registered owner lives in Berkshire. Flight trackers indicate it was en route from Blackbushe Airport in Hampshire, its likely base, to Carlisle Airport. This French designed aircraft was built in 1990. It is relatively unusual for private aircraft in having a retractable undercarriage. Their cruising speed is often not thought to justify the added complexity. There are expensive consequences if the pilot forgets to lower the wheels before landing! Commercial aircraft have co-pilots who read out check-lists and verify compliance to ensure the undercarriage is deployed. A belt-and-braces audible alarm sounds if the procedure is not followed and the ground is close.

(Ed Wilson)

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The Flash: 09:25 – 10:35

(70th visit of the year)

Bird notes:
- A number of the Tufted Duck seem to have departed since yesterday. They were rather restless yesterday with small parties flying around much of the time I was present.
- The duck Goosander was a surprising find on this date.

Birds noted flying over here:
- 1 Jackdaw

Warblers noted (the number singing in brackets):
- *2 (2) Willow Warblers
- 11 (11) Chiffchaffs
- 1 (1) Blackcap still

Hirundines etc., noted

None

Noted on / around the water
- 20 Canada Geese
- 5 Greylag Geese again
- 2 + 1 Mute Swans: *four eggs visible
- 25 (21♂) Mallard
- 1 all-white duck (Peking(?) Duck)
- 23 (16♂) Tufted Duck
- *1 (0♂) Goosander
- 8 Moorhens
- 26 Coots
- 3 Great Crested Grebes
- 2 Cormorants

Noted on / around the street lamp poles:
- *1 plumed midge sp.

Elsewhere:

Nothing of interest

The Mute Swans have four eggs.

The duck Goosander present this morning. The pale line between the base of the bill and the eye suggests this is probably a first year bird that will probably not breed this year.

A Willow Warbler that has managed to hide all the features that separate it from a Chiffchaff! Perhaps you could judge the supercilium too long. Perhaps the legs are too pale? Perhaps the left wing shows the primary feathers are too long. Perhaps. But it was singing so I know it is a Willow Warbler.

A non-singing Song Thrush. I disturbed this from its search for food on the ground so it could be of either sex. There are no plumage differences that would allow the sex to be determined.

A midge that I am more used to seeing on street lamp poles at the lake pre-dawn. The banded abdomen means it is a good candidate for Chironomus plumosus, though the antennae do not look especially "plumosus". There are similar species that require a microscope and the appropriate identification key to resolve.

(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)