31 Mar 24

Priorslee Balancing Lake and The Flash

4.0°C > 7.0°C: A clear start with a light ground frost in sheltered areas. Low cloud again after 08:30, initially patchy, more extensive after 09:00. Light but increasing easterly breeze. Very good visibility.

Sunrise: 06:46 BST

Priorslee Balancing Lake: 05:45 – 07:10 // 08:10 – 09:45

(69th visit of the year)

Bird notes:
- the pair of Gadwall were very mobile but seemed happy-enough to stay.
- at least two Siskins overhead. Others possibly heard.

Counts of birds noted flying over:
- 3 Canada Geese: two singles outbound; single inbound.
- 2 Greylag Geese: pair outbound
- 12 Wood Pigeons
- 1 Herring Gull
- 2 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
- *1 Sparrowhawk
- 1 Skylark: another fly-over and not a bird from the fields to the East
- 12 Jackdaws
- 4 Rooks
- 2 Siskins

Hirundines etc. noted:

None

Warblers noted (the figure in brackets relates to birds heard singing):
- 1 (1) Cetti's Warbler
- 1 (1) Willow Warbler
- 17 (16) Chiffchaffs
- *7 (5) Blackcaps

Counts from the lake area:
- 11 Canada Geese: one pair throughout; seven others present when I arrived; two other pairs arrived. Most departed
- 3 Greylag Geese: a trio arrived and stayed a while
- 2 Mute Swans
- 2 (1) Gadwall
- 4 (3♂) Mallard: also *2 (1♂) in the Wesley Brook beside the Priorslee Avenue tunnel and later on the lower pool
- 30 (22♂) Tufted Duck
- 7 Moorhens
- 35 Coots
- 1 Great Crested Grebe
- 1 Cormorant: arrived
- 1 Grey Heron: arrived and departed

Noted on the street lamps poles pre-dawn:
Cold with a lot of dew so very little.

Springtails:
- 1 springtail Orchesella cincta.

Noted later:

Bees etc.:
- Buff-tailed Bumblebee Bombus terrestris

Hoverflies:
- *Tapered Dronefly Eristalis pertinax
- *Common Dronefly Eristalis tenax

Beetles:
- Alder Leaf Beetle Agelastica alni

A slightly smaller waning moon today. Low towards the horizon so some distortion.

A fine start with an indication of the cloud to come lurking far to the East.

The rufous tones indicate this is a male Sparrowhawk. Here it is doing its sky-dancing display flight.

And now flying in circles with wings held down.

Note how the white under-tail coverts are fluffed out.

This feature perhaps more obvious from the side. He was a long way away by this time.

A male Blackcap sitting up straight.

I am always pleased to snap a Goldcrest. I wonder how they got that name?

There was a Blackcap on this branch but when I raised the camera it flew off only to be replaced by a Blue Tit. So I took the Blue Tit's photo anyway.

Preparing for jungle warfare?

 A Dunnock with nesting material.

A male hoverfly (the eyes meet) and the mostly pale front legs indicate this is a Tapered Dronefly Eristalis pertinax even though on this specimen the abdomen is not especially tapered, as it was on one I photographed yesterday.

A female hoverfly (the eyes do not meet) and mainly dark front legs indicates this is a Common Dronefly Eristalis tenax.

(Ed Wilson)

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In the Priorslee Avenue tunnel:

- *1 cranefly Dicranomyia chorea
- 1 cranefly Tipula sp.

I know it is not in focus. The point here is that this is the fourth cranefly Dicranomyia chorea I have noted in four days and I had never identified one previously. The 'M' mark on the folded wing seems distinctive-enough.

(Ed Wilson)

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Between the Balancing Lake and The Flash:

- Until today I had not noted any Starlings returning to the estate where they usually breed. I saw a pair mating on the roof of one of the houses backing on to the footpath by the upper pool/

(Ed Wilson)

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The Flash: 07:15 – 08:05

(71st visit of the year)

Bird notes:
- a pair of Bullfinches was seen at both the bottom and top of squirrel alley but as I had walked all around the water between the sightings I suspect it was the same pair.

Bird(s) noted flying over here:

None

Warblers noted (the figure in brackets relates to birds heard singing):
- *1 (1) Willow Warbler
- 10 (9) Chiffchaffs
- 4 (4) Blackcaps

Noted on / around the water:
- 29 Canada Geese
- 8 Greylag Geese: of these two pairs flew off
- 2 + 4 Mute Swans
- 23 (19♂) Mallard
- 1 (1♂) all-white feral duck
- 23 (13♂) Tufted Duck
- 7 Moorhens
- 32 Coots
- no Great Crested Grebe
- 1 Lesser Black-backed Gull: second year

Noted elsewhere.
- Buff-tailed Bumblebee Bombus terrestris in flight.
- *2 Common Green Lacewings Chrysoperia carnea on street lamps poles
- 1 Alder Leaf Beetle Agelastica alni on a street lamp pole

The head of this Willow Warbler is mainly hidden. The pale eye-brow (supercilium) is wider and longer than on the bird I photographed yesterday and more typical of illustrations in bird guides.

One of two Common Green Lacewings Chrysoperia carnea I found. This one still in Winter brown colouration.

This one is beginning to show some green tones.

(Ed Wilson)

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Sightings from previous years

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 Skylarks
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)