21 Mar 26

Priorslee Balancing Lake, Woodhouse Lane and The Flash

3.0°C > 10.0°C: Clear, if hazy early. At c.08:00 mist / fog rolled in only starting to lift after 10:00. Light and variable, mainly easterly breeze. Good visibility, then very poor / poor.

Sunrise: 06:15 GMT

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

Priorslee Balancing Lake: 05:50 – 06:30 // 07:40 – 08:45

(64th visit of the year)

Bird notes:
- a pair of Shoveler were new arrivals.

Bird(s) noted flying over here:
- 2 Herring Gulls
- 32 Wood Pigeons
- 11 Jackdaws
that's all

Counts from the lake area:
all counts potentially affected by poor visibility
- 10 Canada Geese: one pair throughout; one pair departed; three pairs arrived
- 1 Greylag Goose: arrived
- 2 Mute Swans
- 8 (7♂) Mallard
- *2 (1♂) Shoveler
- 11 (8♂) Tufted Duck
- 8 Moorhens
- 24 Coots
- 4 Great Crested Grebes
- 1 Lesser Black-backed Gull
- no Cormorants
- 2 Grey Herons: one departed

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

Noted on the West end street lamp poles pre-dawn:
Frosted poles did not help.

Moths:
- *1 Shoulder Stripe Earophila badiata

Flies:
- male plumed midge Chironomus plumosus

Noted later:

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

Flower:
- *Early Dog-violet Viola reichenbachiana confirmed

The early misty glow.

Sunrise through the mist.

The pair of Shoveler, the drake at the back. The females of most duck species need to be well camouflaged as they brood their eggs nesting on the ground.

A Pied Wagtail of course. But are the flanks "clean" enough to suggest the migrant Continental race/species White Wagtail?

This view confirms it is "just" a female Pied Wagtail. On White Wagtail the rump is grey and not black as here.

My fifth Shoulder Stripe moth Earophila badiata this year. I do not record this species every year. It is strange how many moth species seem to appear in cycles of good years and then absences.

Resolving yesterday's mystery species of violet. This detailed view confirms it as Early Dog-violet Viola reichenbachiana (the leaves are from a different plant that I used to support the flower while I photographed it)

(Ed Wilson)

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Woodhouse Lane area: 06:30 – 07:40

(3rd full visit of the year)

The inhabitant of the two storm pools were:
- 1 (1♂) Mallard on the upper pool
- 2 Coots: a pair on the upper pool with one apparently on a nest; none on the lower pool

Otherwise noted in the area (common garden birds omitted) (the number in brackets refers to birds singing)
- 2 Pheasants: heard
- 2 (2) Chiffchaffs
- *2 (2) Skylarks
- 3 (3) Song Thrushes
- 1 Meadow Pipit
- 4 Pied Wagtails
- 5 (1) Chaffinches
- 1 (1) Greenfinch
- 4 Goldfinches
- *4 Linnets
- *3 (1) Yellowhammers: two females; song heard briefly

Of note.

Nothing else

An early view across the fields

And mist at the bottom of the lane.

One of two singing Skylarks.

A Linnet. This species is difficult to approach. Note the grey head, dark bill and warm tones on the breast side. Males in breeding plumage are often bright red on the breast sides.

I am slightly confused by the Yellowhammers this morning. This I would judge to be a female. There are no rufous tones to the brown feathers on the back and the face pattern is a very subdued yellow.

Again.

That suggests that both these are females. Would that be likely at this date? Note their rufous rump usually only seen as the birds fly away. What is there to the right...

...or left?

(Ed Wilson)

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The Flash: 08:50 – 10:15

(62nd visit of the year)

Many smart new nest boxes have been erected in the last few days. I will keep an eye out and report on the use of those easily visible from the pathway.

Bird notes:
- the two Great Crested Grebes were playing submarine chase.
- *one male Siskin was singing from trees above the feeding station.

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

Noted on / around the water:
all numbers affected by the mist: much of the time the island was not visible
- 11 Canada Geese
- 2 Greylag Geese
- 2 Mute Swans
- 16 (14♂) Mallard
- 10 (6♂) Tufted Duck only
- 9 Moorhens
- Coots not counted
- 2 Great Crested Grebes
- no gulls

Warblers noted (the number in brackets refers to birds singing):
- 6 (6) Chiffchaffs

Of note around the area:

Bees, wasps etc.:
- 4 Buff-tailed Bumblebees Bombus terrestris
- *2 possible small ichneumons

Flies:
- many midges of several species again

Amphibians:
- *Common Toad Bufo bufo

Spiders, harvestmen etc.:
- 1 money spider

Flowers
- *Oregon-grape Berberis aquifolium
- *Garden Grape-hyacinth agg. Muscari armeniacum
- *Primrose-cultivar Primula sp.

Probably the same Song Thrush I photographed here a few days ago. Was it too relishing the absence of noise from the academy playground?

Even in the mist you can rely on a friendly Robin to brighten things up.

Perhaps about the last we will see of Siskins until late Autumn (unless we get a cold snap). This male was twittering away above the feeding station.

One of two apparent ichneumon wasps. The long antennae suggest this family though the wasp-waist is obscured by the folded wings.

By one of the footbridges there were several Common Toads Bufo bufo in the water.

Not easy to persuade the camera to focus through the surface.

A mating pair. I had to check as I had not realised that "the female is around twice the size of the male" (thank you NatureSpot)

I am never sure how many of the plants that appear between the path and the water are merely garden escapes rather than "real" wild flowers. This is Oregon-grape Berberis aquifolium.

This is an escape: it is Garden Grape-hyacinth agg. Muscari armeniacum

These are certainly a Primrose-cultivar Primula sp. Had they been Cowslip P. veris then the flower clusters would be hanging down.

(Ed Wilson)

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2013
Priorslee Lake
1 Brambling
1 Mediterranean Gull
7 Wigeon
2 Gadwall
29 Tufted Ducks
1 Little Ringed Plover
c.750 gulls
1 Mediterranean Gull
1 Buzzard
1 Sparrowhawk
Stock Dove
6 Redwings
7+ Fieldfares
279 Jackdaws
(Ed Wilson, John Isherwood)

The Flash
2 Great Crested Grebe
7 Swans
1 Pochard
1 Greater Scaup
66 Tufted Duck
(Ed Wilson)

Nedge Hill
1 Raven
Stock Dove
3+ Lapwing
(John Isherwood)

2012
Priorslee Lake
5 Chiffchaff singing
(Martin Grant)

2011
The Flash
48 Tufted Duck
1 Green Woodpecker
1 Great Spotted Woodpecker
3 Jays
2 Reed Buntings
Nuthatch
2 Siskins
(Ed Wilson)

2010
Priorslee Lake
2 Fieldfare
1 Little Grebe
4 Great Crested Grebe
6 Gadwall
36 Tufted Duck
149 Jackdaws
(Ed Wilson)

2009
Priorslee Lake
2 Willow Tit
4 Chiffchaff
(John Isherwood)

Nedge Hill
Wheatear
1 Blackcap
5 Lapwing
(John Isherwood)

2007
Priorslee Lake
3 Great Crested Grebe
8 Cormorant
28 Tufted Duck
1 Ruddy Duck
1 Buzzard
1 Sparrowhawk
3 Stock Dove
141 Wood Pigeon
8 Pied Wagtail
27 Wren
21 Robin
21 Blackbird
48 Fieldfare
2 Redwing
8 Chiffchaff
67 Magpie
410 Jackdaw
1 Willow Tit
7 Greenfinch
2 Reed Bunting
(Ed Wilson, Martin Adlam)

2006
Priorslee Lake
Barn Owl
c.750 Black-headed Gulls
4 Little Grebes
7 Great Crested Grebes
2 Herons
7 Pochard
42 Tufted Ducks
1 Ruddy Duck
1 Water Rail.
289 Wood Pigeon
29 Pied Wagtails
25 Blackbirds
7 Redwings
16 Greenfinches
11 Siskins
1 Linnet
3 Reed Buntings
(Ed Wilson)