8.0°C > 9.0°C: Mostly cloudy. Occasional spits and spots of rain. Moderate / fresh southerly wind, gusting strong occasionally. Very good visibility.
Sunrise: 06:32 GMT
* = a species photographed today
$ = a new species for me in this area
Priorslee Balancing Lake: 05:35 – 08:50
(59th visit of the year)
Bird notes:
- two of the four brownhead Goosanders were seen to fly in (from the West or had they circled?) at 06:35.
- very few Black-headed Gulls. Two arrived at the late time of 07:05. Another at 08:15.
- no Great (White) Egret seen.
- at least three and perhaps a fourth Grey Heron.
- *two Redwings were briefly in trees in the south-west area.
- only one Reed Buntings heard in song: along the South side.
Bird(s) noted flying over here:
- 2 Herring Gull
- 5 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
- 2 Stock Doves: together
- 19 Wood Pigeons
- 2 Collared Doves: together
- 179 Jackdaws
- 31 Rooks
Counts from the lake area:
- 6 Canada Geese: one pair flew off East
- 2 Mute Swans
- 16 (10♂) Mallard
- 23 (19♂) Tufted Duck
- 4 (0♂) Goosander
- 5 Moorhens
- 24 Coots
- 5 Great Crested Grebes
- 3 Black-headed Gulls
- no Herring Gulls
- 2 Lesser Black-backed Gulls: (near) adults
- 2 Cormorants
- *3 or 4 Grey Herons
- no Great (White) Egret
Warblers noted (the number in brackets refers to birds singing):
- 1 (1) Cetti's Warbler
- *6 (6) Chiffchaffs
Noted on the West end street lamp poles pre-dawn:
Spits of rain and strong winds around the poles at the time I visited. Everything hiding
Springtails:
- 1 globular springtail
Of note later:
- 1 globular springtail
Of note later:
Bees, wasps etc.:
- *1 Buff-tailed Bumblebee Bombus terrestris
- *1 Buff-tailed Bumblebee Bombus terrestris
Plants:
- *Stinking Hellebore Helleborus foetidus
I was wrongly positioned to get the best view of the very unexpected brief sunrise. It was raining at the lake.
...with the throat looking like a Common Whitethroat. But it was going "chiff-chaff" and the head and bill shape are all wrong for a whitethroat.
The Flash does not have exclusive rights on poor photos of Siskins. Here is a male singing its twittering notes.
As yesterday bumblebees were all flying around and likely looking for nest sites. This is also a Buff-tailed Bumblebee Bombus terrestris.
(54th visit of the year)
Bird notes:
- no Pochard found.
- two adult Great Crested Grebe confirmed. *Also a dead body in the water.
- the number of Black-headed Gulls was much reduced at the Balancing Lake: less so here though birds are heading off to breeding areas and will soon be gone until mid-June.
- *an adult Cormorant on the edge of the island was my first for a while. Another flew over.
- the feeding station was again devoid of birds.
- most of the many Siskins were in the tall trees at the top-end, swaying wildly in the wind.
Bird(s) noted flying over here:
- 1 Cormorant
Noted on / around the water:
- 16 Canada Geese
- no Greylag Geese
- 2 Mute Swans
- 33 (24♂) Mallard
- no Pochard
- 34 (22♂) Tufted Duck
- 7 Moorhens again
- 29 Coots
- 2 Great Crested Grebes (plus a dead body)
- 12 Black-headed Gulls
- 1 Herring Gull: immature, briefly
- *1 Cormorant
Warblers noted (the number in brackets refers to birds singing):
- 3 (2) Chiffchaffs
too windy?
Otherwise noted around the area:
- *Stinking Hellebore Helleborus foetidus
Grey Heron #1 leaving pursued by...
...Grey Heron #2. Meanwhile...
...Grey Heron #3 went searching for a fishing place. All these were at the East end.
An hour of so later this Grey Heron appeared from the West...
...and manoeuvred to land in the reeds alongside the Wesley Brook. So #4?
A Chiffchaff, believe it or not...
Here is one of two Redwings that briefly perched in a distant tree.
This plant was a surprise. It is Stinking Hellebore Helleborus foetidus [it did not take a genius to come up with the scientific name!]. When I checked my master log it is my first record of this species. It "flowers" between January and April.
(Ed Wilson)
The Flash: 08:55 – 10:00
(Ed Wilson)
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
The Flash: 08:55 – 10:00
(54th visit of the year)
Bird notes:
- no Pochard found.
- two adult Great Crested Grebe confirmed. *Also a dead body in the water.
- the number of Black-headed Gulls was much reduced at the Balancing Lake: less so here though birds are heading off to breeding areas and will soon be gone until mid-June.
- *an adult Cormorant on the edge of the island was my first for a while. Another flew over.
- the feeding station was again devoid of birds.
- most of the many Siskins were in the tall trees at the top-end, swaying wildly in the wind.
Bird(s) noted flying over here:
- 1 Cormorant
Noted on / around the water:
- 16 Canada Geese
- no Greylag Geese
- 2 Mute Swans
- 33 (24♂) Mallard
- no Pochard
- 34 (22♂) Tufted Duck
- 7 Moorhens again
- 29 Coots
- 2 Great Crested Grebes (plus a dead body)
- 12 Black-headed Gulls
- 1 Herring Gull: immature, briefly
- *1 Cormorant
Warblers noted (the number in brackets refers to birds singing):
- 3 (2) Chiffchaffs
too windy?
Otherwise noted around the area:
Flies:
- *many small plumed midges
- *many small plumed midges
Springtails:
- 3 springtail Orchesella cincta
Always sad. A dead Great Crested Grebe. Likely the unwell bird I photographed here on 03 March. Searching the internet then bird flu seems unlikely. There are no records for this species since 2022.
Cormorants have not been common here since the turn of the year. Here is a breeding condition adult with extensive white head and neck plumes. The white thigh-patch is mostly hidden by the wing.
Sheltered from the wind there were plenty of flies etc. to annoy. The only likely culprits I noted at rest were five of these male small plumed midges.
(Ed Wilson)
2013
Priorslee Lake
1 Iceland Gull
3 Common Gulls
2 Yellow-legged Gulls
1 Great Black-backed Gull
2 Gadwall
3 Shoveler
29 Wigeon
1 Cormorant
1 Little Grebe
1 Willow Tit
(J Reeves, John Isherwood)
The Flash
1 Greater Scaup
4 Pochard
(John Isherwood)
2011
Priorslee Lake
Mallard x Pintail
7 Pochard
31 Tufted Duck
1 Chiffchaff singing
(Ed Wilson)
Trench Lock
Chiffchaff
2 Siskins
1 Redpoll
(Ed Wilson)
2010
Priorslee Lake
2 Shoveler
10 Swans
4 Gadwall
4 Pochard
(Ed Wilson)
The Flash
Mallard x Pintail
(Ed Wilson)
2007
Priorslee Lake
3 Cormorant
13 Tufted Duck
1 Ruddy Duck.
5 Stock Dove
10 Pied Wagtail
27 Wren
38 Robin
20 Blackbird
43 Fieldfare
7 Redwing
5 Chiffchaff (3 singing)
42 Magpie
6 Greenfinch
3 Reed Bunting
(Ed Wilson, Martin Grant)
The Flash
8 Great Crested Grebe
2 Pochard
34 Tufted Duck
1 Buzzard
1 Chiffchaff singing
1 Reed Bunting
(Ed Wilson)
2006
Priorslee Lake
Peregrine
2 Little Grebes
6 Great Crested Grebes
2 Cormorants
7 Pochard
46 Tufted Ducks
2 Ruddy Ducks
275 Wood Pigeons
28 Pied Wagtails
20 Wrens
17 Blackbirds
3 Fieldfares
7 Redwings
11 Greenfinches
(Ed Wilson)
- 3 springtail Orchesella cincta
(Ed Wilson)
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
2013
Priorslee Lake
1 Iceland Gull
3 Common Gulls
2 Yellow-legged Gulls
1 Great Black-backed Gull
2 Gadwall
3 Shoveler
29 Wigeon
1 Cormorant
1 Little Grebe
1 Willow Tit
(J Reeves, John Isherwood)
The Flash
1 Greater Scaup
4 Pochard
(John Isherwood)
2011
Priorslee Lake
Mallard x Pintail
7 Pochard
31 Tufted Duck
1 Chiffchaff singing
(Ed Wilson)
Trench Lock
Chiffchaff
2 Siskins
1 Redpoll
(Ed Wilson)
2010
Priorslee Lake
2 Shoveler
10 Swans
4 Gadwall
4 Pochard
(Ed Wilson)
The Flash
Mallard x Pintail
(Ed Wilson)
2007
Priorslee Lake
3 Cormorant
13 Tufted Duck
1 Ruddy Duck.
5 Stock Dove
10 Pied Wagtail
27 Wren
38 Robin
20 Blackbird
43 Fieldfare
7 Redwing
5 Chiffchaff (3 singing)
42 Magpie
6 Greenfinch
3 Reed Bunting
(Ed Wilson, Martin Grant)
The Flash
8 Great Crested Grebe
2 Pochard
34 Tufted Duck
1 Buzzard
1 Chiffchaff singing
1 Reed Bunting
(Ed Wilson)
2006
Priorslee Lake
Peregrine
2 Little Grebes
6 Great Crested Grebes
2 Cormorants
7 Pochard
46 Tufted Ducks
2 Ruddy Ducks
275 Wood Pigeons
28 Pied Wagtails
20 Wrens
17 Blackbirds
3 Fieldfares
7 Redwings
11 Greenfinches
(Ed Wilson)