Priorslee Balancing Lake and The Flash
0.0°C > 6.0°C: Fine and clear with just thin high cloud and early mist over the water. Almost calm. Mostly very good visibility.
0.0°C > 6.0°C: Fine and clear with just thin high cloud and early mist over the water. Almost calm. Mostly very good visibility.
Sunrise: 06:56 GMT
* = a species photographed today
Priorslee Balancing Lake: 05:50 – 09:05
(50th visit of the year)
Bird notes:
- again fewer Moorhens. This is normal when their breakfast of the south-west grass is frosted.
- now eight Great Crested Grebes at least: they are hard to keep track of. Three pairs.
- all change with the gulls again. It was the first of c.130 Lesser Black-backs that were first to arrive at 06:12. A few Herring Gulls with them. Just 46 Black-headed Gulls counted with the first not until 06:55.
- yesterday's calling Reed Bunting along the North side was singing this morning. None was heard at the West end again.
Bird(s) noted flying over here:
- 16 Wood Pigeons
- 1 Black-headed Gull
- 2 Herring Gulls
- 18 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
- 85 Jackdaws
- 12 Rooks
Counts from the lake area:
- 10 Canada Geese: of these two arrived
- 2 Mute Swans
- 4 (2♂) Gadwall
- 7 (5♂) Mallard
- 18 (11♂) Tufted Duck
- 4 Moorhen
- 67 Coots
- 8 Great Crested Grebes
- 46 Black-headed Gulls
- 16 Herring Gulls
- c.130 Lesser Black-backed Gull
- 2 Cormorants: arrived separately
- 1 Kingfisher: heard
Seen later:
Nothing
Of note:
Of note:
Nothing else
The frost on the street lamp poles again meant there were no insects or spiders.
The frost on the street lamp poles again meant there were no insects or spiders.
Early mist gave a warm glow pre-sunrise.
A white frost to start.
A Stock Dove. Slightly smaller than a Wood Pigeon with a smaller head. Also no dark tail band.
Instead of the Wood Pigeon's white neck patch the Stock Dove has an iridescent patch.
It also lacks white in the bend of the wing, instead having a row of black spots across the folded wing.
This Great Spotted Woodpecker was seen drumming quietly. With no red on the nape it is a female so Mr. Google was correct a week or so ago when I asked whether the females drum.
A few out of focus foreground branches spoil the view.
It must be Long-tailed Tit nest building time.
Yesterday at The Flash now here birds are collecting lichen.
A male Bullfinch munching on a bud. Leaves in the way this time.
Bending down to look for the next bud...
...and reaching for it.
Siskins were feeding very high up in the trees here. Two males at extreme range.
(Ed Wilson)
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
The Flash: 09:10 – 10:35
(48th visit of the year)
It seemed very quiet with most of the birds at the top end. There were no fishermen – unusual for a Saturday. Perhaps the angling club had closed the water due to suspected avian flu?
Bird notes:
- *the two adult Mute Swans were noted on the island perhaps looking for / at the nest site. Later they were together with tails raised as if they might be about to mate. They didn't – and I should hope not as their two off-spring from last year were close-by.
- *now three Great Crested Grebes: a pair and a single.
- *a Common Buzzard was again sitting in a tree on the island.
- *Siskins were using the bird feeder in Westcroft Way.
Bird(s) noted flying over here:
- 1 Lesser Black-backed Gull
- 1 Jackdaw
Noted on / around the water:
- 25 Canada Geese
- *4 Mute Swans
- *27 (18♂) Mallard
- 4 (3♂) Pochard
- *51 (29♂) Tufted Duck
- *12 Moorhens
- 31 Coots
- *3 Great Crested Grebes
- 25 Black-headed Gulls
- 2 Herring Gulls: adults
- *2 Cormorants
Of note:
Nothing apart from:
- *racemes of Cherry Laurel Prunus laurocerasus
The two adult Mute Swans have their tail raised which often means they are getting amorous. In front of one of last year's cygnets too.
Perhaps it is a "depth of focus" issue with this drake Mallard's left wing. I took it at one thousandth of a second so I expected it to be sharp.
I find Wood Pigeons difficult to photograph. They fly so fast that by the time I have got the camera ready they have gone. A rare exception.
- *racemes of Cherry Laurel Prunus laurocerasus
I do like Tufted Ducks: a Mrs. Tufty.
And a smart Mr. Tufty.
A reflective Moorhen.
"Like ships that pass in the night".
One Great Crested Grebe. Perhaps the bird I photographed on 26 February though I did not see it yesterday.
And what might, or might not be a pair.
The island is still a long way away. A Common Buzzard keeping watch.
A male House Sparrow collecting nesting material.
In prosper perspective. The markings on this species are underappreciated.
A male Siskin at a feeder. I have not seen any on the Alders here this Spring.
(Ed Wilson)
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
2014
Shirlett High Park
16 Crossbills
(Yvonne C)
2013
Priorslee Lake
1 Yellow-legged Gull
(JW Reeves)
Horsehay Pool
1 Yellow-legged Gull
(JW Reeves)
2012
Priorslee Lake
4 Great Crested Grebes
2 Pochard
17 Tufted Duck
(Ed Wilson)
Trench Lock
3 Pochard
50 Tufted Duck
(Ed Wilson)
2009
Priorslee Lake
2 Gadwall
1 Water Rail
4 Linnets
(Ed Wilson)
2006
Priorslee Lake
10 Great Crested Grebes
4 Heron
3 Cormorants
5 Pochard
26 Tufted Ducks
107 Coots
2 Water Rails
606 Wood Pigeon
334 Jackdaws
156 Rooks
25 Starlings
11 Pied Wagtails
21 Fieldfare
1 Redwing
1 Willow Tit
26 Starlings
10 Greenfinches
69 Siskins
3 Redpolls
9 Reed Buntings
(Ed Wilson)