24 Mar 25

Priorslee Balancing Lake and The Flash

3.0°C > 6.0°C: Low overcast which threatened to break but only started to do so after 09:30. Light and variable wind. Moderate visibility in haze.

Sunrise: 06:03 GMT

* = a species photographed today.

Priorslee Balancing Lake: 05:30 – 06:15 // 07:25 – 09:55

(71st visit of the year)

Bird notes:
- two resident Mute Swans were making significant efforts to persuade the other adult to leave: it didn't.
- the duck Pochard noted again
- three pairs of Tufted Duck early; one pair apparently departed.
- I give up with the Great Crested Grebes. I found 11 on one sweep of the water. Thereafter I could never find more than eight and usually only seven!
- two Redwings were in trees near the Teece Drive gate.
- a Mistle Thrush was singing from remnant trees between the Holy Trinity Academy and the recent houses. The first I have noted in this area. The pair recently seen and heard alongside Teece Drive were not noted this morning.
- several days last week Reed Buntings were singing from three territories. Yesterday I noted five birds with just one calling. Today two birds seen, one a male on the ground: neither was singing. Paired and breeding already?

Bird(s) noted flying over here:
- 11 Canada Geese: two pairs and a trio outbound; a pair inbound
- 1 Stock Dove
- 31 Wood Pigeons
- 8 Herring Gulls
- 3 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
- 4 Jackdaws

Counts from the lake area:
- 8 Canada Geese
- 4 Mute Swans: plus one long dead
- 3 (2♂) Mallard
- *1 (0♂) Pochard
- 6 (3♂) Tufted Duck: see notes
- 13 Moorhens
- 48 Coots
- *11 Great Crested Grebes: see notes
- 1 Cormorant: arrived

Warblers recorded (figure in brackets is birds noted singing):
- 1 (1) Cetti's Warbler
- 13 (13) Chiffchaffs
- *1 (1) Blackcap

On the West end street lamp poles
Pre-dawn:

Moths:
*1 Early Reveller Diurnea fagella (was March Tubic)
*1 Shoulder Stripe Earophila badiata

Surprisingly nothing else noted.

Noted later:

Bees, wasps etc.:
*1 Buff-tailed Bumblebee Bombus terrestris

Flies:
various unidentified flies.

Still here? The presumed duck Pochard. Does she really leave some days or just hide away?

A "fluffed up" Great Crested Grebe. The vertical orange area on the neck is a puzzle until...

...until it turns its head showing how it has raised the neck feathers. There was no other bird nearby to display to.

I am sure I will do better – there is always a branch in the way partially obscuring the only male Blackcap of the morning. Strangely this bird was singing very intermittently.

What did I say about a branch in the way? At least the blue pattern on the Jay's wing is clear.

A male Grey Wagtail. I read that some older females also show a dark throat but I think we can rule that out here because...

 ...it was with this bird which is surely a female. The merest hint of black in the throat.

Here she is again. The outer tail feathers of this species are white though normally are folded underneath the other tail feathers at rest. Not here!

A huntin' we will go.

A new moth for the year – #4. It is what is now known as an Early Reveller Diurnea fagella. It used to be called a March Tubic with the same scientific name. This individual is a male – the females only have vestigial wings. And it is of the dark form – the less common form.

The other moth this morning was my fourth Shoulder Stripe Earophila badiata.

Compare and contrast. The previous photo was a flash photo pre-dawn. This is the same moth in full sunlight.

A Buff-tailed Bumblebee Bombus terrestris rooting about in the grass, probably a queen looking for a nest site.

Some of the Blackthorn bushes are in full bloom – this one more of a tree than a bush.

(Ed Wilson)

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

The Flash: 06:20 – 07:20

(69th visit of the year)

Bird notes
Three additions to the bird species noted here in 2025. I had been expecting either a Willow Warbler or a Blackcap: neither of those. In the order I recorded them
- a Green Woodpecker was calling loudly from the hilly area between squirrel alley and the estate. My previous record from here was on 04 March 2020.
- a lone Rook flew over. This species is surprisingly uncommon here even though Jackdaws are frequent overhead.
- a duck Eurasian Wigeon was briefly on the water.
My bird species count for here in 2025 moves on to #60.

Other bird notes:
- the 35 Wood Pigeons logged as fly-overs were in three groups flying high, somewhat unexpectedly, South.
- two Great Crested Grebes together by the island. Do they hide or do they really come and go?
- now ten singing Chiffchaffs.

Bird(s) noted flying over here:
- 35 Wood Pigeons
- 2 Jackdaws
- 1 Rook

Noted on / around the water:
- 41 Canada Geese: many of these flew off
- 7 Greylag Geese
- 2 Mute Swans
- *1 (0♂) Eurasian Wigeon
- 15 (12♂) Mallard
- 15 (11♂) Tufted Duck
- 9 Moorhens
- 24 Coots
- *2 Great Crested Grebes

Of note:
Nothing else

The duck Eurasian Wigeon paddles by the island watched by one of the Great Crested Grebes. Identify the species by the rounded head and the sex by the pale bill and dark area around the eye. The drake is a lot more colourful with a yellow crown and black bill.

(Ed Wilson)

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Between the Balancing Lake and The Flash:

Of interest

- 1 (1♂) Mallard on the lower pool
- 4 Moorhen: one pair on each pool.

(Ed Wilson)

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

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 Skylark
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)