10 Mar 26

Priorslee Balancing Lake and The Flash

5.0°C > 8.0°C: *Excellent sunrise. Early patchy high cloud. Later some lower cloud. Some sun!. Moderate southerly breeze. Very good visibility.

Sunrise: 06:36 GMT

* = a species photographed today
$ = a new species for me in this area

Priorslee Balancing Lake: 05:45 – 08:55

(54th visit of the year)

Bird notes:
- today five brownhead Goosanders.
- the Great (White) Egret back on schedule, arriving 06:11.
- one Sand Martin seen again from time to time.
- two very large parties of Jackdaws passing to the East. One of at least 200 birds was partially obscured by trees as it hedge-hopped its way South. Another very scattered and more distant groups of at least 150 birds followed later. A few other smaller groups. By contrast not many Rooks, perhaps because many birds are likely to be nesting in their rookeries by this date.

Bird(s) noted flying over here:
- 11 Canada Geese: all flew West
- 1 Greylag Goose: flew West
- 5 Herring Gulls
- 16 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
- 1 Grey Heron
- 1 Stock Dove again
- 76 Wood Pigeons
- >425 Jackdaws
- 35 Rooks
- 1 Redwing

Counts from the lake area:
- 6 Canada Geese: two of these arrived with a Greylag Goose
- 2 Greylag Geese
- 2 Mute Swans
- 16 (11♂) Mallard
- 21 (16♂) Tufted Duck
- *5 (0♂) Goosander
- 6 Moorhens
- 23 Coots only
- 6 Great Crested Grebes
- 14 Black-headed Gulls
- 3 Herring Gulls: immatures
- 1 Lesser Black-backed Gull
- 1 Cormorant again
- *1 Grey Heron
- 1 Great (White) Egret

Warblers noted (the number in brackets refers to birds singing):
- *1 (1) Cetti's Warbler
- 8 (8) Chiffchaffs

Noted on the West end street lamp poles pre-dawn:

Flies:
- *$ 1 probable Large Dark Olive Mayfly Baetis rhodani
- *2 craneflies

Springtails:
- *1 Tomocerus vulgaris.

Later:

Nothing of note

A very worthwhile sunrise. Starting.

Colouring well.

Even further across the sky as the horizon becomes lighter.

Stunning!

Brownhead Goosanders remain and are typically wary. This was as close as I could get.

I think this Grey Heron must have been fishing. It looks to have a soggy neck.

A very strange effect on its neck plumes.

Record shot! Actually a reasonable photo of a Cetti's Warbler - an arch skulker. Note the dark brown overall tone with a pale grey throat area and a long tail, often held erect.

A real surprise on a street lamp pole pre-dawn: a mayfly. Research on NatureSpot indicates this is likely a Large Dark Olive Mayfly Baetis rhodani, a species active throughout the year but especially common(!) in Spring. From the look of the turbinate eyes this is a male.

A 'real' cranefly so perhaps the end of 'winter craneflies'. Could it be the end of 'Winter'?. I cannot positively identify the species. "They" keep increasing the number of species there are in the UK.

I noted just this one springtail: I think Tomocerus vulgaris.

(Ed Wilson)

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The Flash: 09:00 – 10:20

(52nd visit of the year)

Bird notes:
- a drake (Common) Teal again.
- only one drake Pochard seen.
- most of the time the two Great Crested Grebes were at opposite ends of the water. They briefly came together and displayed and then separated again.
- the feeding station had up to 10 *Siskins with three, all female, *Chaffinches on the spillage.

Bird(s) noted flying over here:
- 5 Jackdaws

Noted on / around the water:
- 29 Canada Geese
- no Greylag Geese
- 2 Mute Swans
- *24 (17♂) Mallard
- 1 (1♂) (Common) Teal
- 1 (1♂) Pochard
- 33 (20♂) Tufted Duck again
- 8 Moorhens
- 31 Coots
- 2 Great Crested Grebes
- 24 Black-headed Gulls
- 1 Herring Gull: immature
- 1 Lesser Black-backed Gull: (near) adult very briefly

Warblers noted (the number in brackets refers to birds singing):
- 5 (4) Chiffchaffs
- no Blackcaps

Otherwise noted around the area:

Flies:
- *1 Phaonia signata [tuguriorum]
- numerous other flies, unidentified.
None of these were on the Ivy bank where it was perhaps too windy.

Spiders, harvestmen etc.:
- 1 money spider

Plants:
- *Lesser Celandine Ficaria verna (formerly Ranunculus ficaria)

I noted this strange Mallard last year and it has not changed much with its annual moult. Is it a drake or a duck? It has green on its head and a curled tail feather suggesting it is a drake as does some of the vermiculated feathering. The flank patterning is that of a duck Mallard and the bill is more duck than the drake's bright yellow-green. Most odd.

A Long-tailed Tit about to disappear in to the nest. The entrance is just about visible.

And coming out again. The green ball behind is the moss-covered nest.

A female Chaffinch looking for spillage.

Siskins awaiting the feeder again: a female.

A male

Another female.

And a very smart male, almost Canary-coloured.

A very cooperative Goldfinch with a grubby bill.

The white rump area is usually only seen in flight.

Yes you!

I think this fly is Phaonia signata. It is that genus because there is a slight bulge along the leading edge of the wings. Obsidentify was 100% sure it was P. tuguriorum but according to NatureSpot that species is now recognised as the Mediterranean equivalent of P. signata, a species commonly found in Spring resting on fences etc.

An unidentified fly - perhaps. The long antennae might suggest it is an ichneumon. I cannot see whether it has a "wasp-waist".

In daylight for a change. One of the small plumed midges – a male.

My first Lesser Celandine flower Ficaria verna of the year. Perhaps it is Spring.

(Ed Wilson)

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2014
Priorslee Lake
3 Great Crested Grebe
11 Tufted Duck
3 Cormorant
7 Great Black-backed Gulls
465 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
48 Herring Gulls
37 Black-headed Gulls
1 Chiffchaff
(John Isherwood, Martin Grant)

2013
Priorslee Lake
35 Tufted Duck
27 Wigeon
(Tony Beckett)

The Flash
36 Tufted Duck
6 Mute Swan
9 Pochard
(Tony Beckett)

2011
Priorslee Lake
7 Pochard
18 Tufted Ducks
1 Chiffchaff
(Ed Wilson)

2010
Priorslee Lake
1 Little Grebe
1 Water Rail
(Ed Wilson)

2007
Priorslee Lake
10 Cormorants
3 Grey Heron
24 Tufted Duck
1 Ruddy Duck
497 Wood Pigeon
32 Wren
30 Robin
21 Blackbird
7 Redwing
31 Magpie
198 Jackdaw
5 Greenfinch
5 Reed Bunting
(Ed Wilson)

2006
Priorslee Lake
1 Little Grebe
6 Great Crested Grebes
4 Cormorants
2 Pochard
35 Tufted Ducks
2 Ruddy Ducks
109 Coots
1 Water Rail heard
2 Lapwings
295 Wood Pigeons
245 Jackdaws
12 Greenfinches
6 Reed Buntings.
(Ed Wilson)