5.0°C > 7.0°C: Good sunny intervals; a few puffy clouds. Light, but keen, north-westerly wind. Very good visibility.
[Sunrise: 05:59 GMT]
* = a species photographed today
$ = a new species for me in this area
Other things to do today: a quick canter around The Flash and a brief look at the Balancing Lake from the dam-top only.
Priorslee Balancing Lake: 10:15 – 10:40
(69th visit of the year)
Counts from the lake area:
- 4 Canada Geese
- 2 Mute Swans
- 3 (2♂) Mallard
- 17 (12♂) Tufted Duck
- 4 Moorhens
- 27 Coots
- 4 Great Crested Grebes again
- no gulls
- 1 Cormorant again
- no Grey Herons
- 1 Great (White) Egret
(Ed Wilson)
The Flash: 09:20 – 10:05
(68th visit of the year)
Bird notes:
- a pair of Canada Geese seen mating
Bird(s) noted flying over here:
- 4 Canada Geese
- 2 Mute Swans
- 3 (2♂) Mallard
- 17 (12♂) Tufted Duck
- 4 Moorhens
- 27 Coots
- 4 Great Crested Grebes again
- no gulls
- 1 Cormorant again
- no Grey Herons
- 1 Great (White) Egret
(Ed Wilson)
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
The Flash: 09:20 – 10:05
(68th visit of the year)
Bird notes:
- a pair of Canada Geese seen mating
Bird(s) noted flying over here:
None
Noted on / around the water:
- 24 Canada Geese
- 4 Greylag Geese again
- 2 Mute Swans
- *18 (15♂) Mallard
- 21 (13♂) Tufted Duck
- 4 Moorhens
- 25 Coots
- 1 Great Crested Grebe
- *1 Black-headed Gull: first year
Warblers noted (the number in brackets refers to birds singing):
- 5 (5) Chiffchaffs again
- no Blackcaps
Of note around the area:
Noted on / around the water:
- 24 Canada Geese
- 4 Greylag Geese again
- 2 Mute Swans
- *18 (15♂) Mallard
- 21 (13♂) Tufted Duck
- 4 Moorhens
- 25 Coots
- 1 Great Crested Grebe
- *1 Black-headed Gull: first year
Warblers noted (the number in brackets refers to birds singing):
- 5 (5) Chiffchaffs again
- no Blackcaps
Of note around the area:
Flies:
- more male and *female plumed midges Chironomus plumosus
A bunch of hopeful drake Mallard. One of the few duck Mallard I noted this morning had just walked in to the wooded area on the left with these (and others) drakes in hot pursuit. I note that number three does not have a pristine brown chest. I would not expect birds to begin losing their breeding plumage until May. Perhaps he is a first-year drake and never acquired full breeding plumage?
It will look much like this until it starts its next moult in June though we are unlikely to be able to confirm this: most birds, including these immatures, will be on breeding grounds until late June / July.
(Ed Wilson)
2014
Priorslee Lake
3 Great Crested Grebes
13 Cormorants
4 Greylag Geese
22 Tufted Duck
5 Sand Martins
6 Redwings
8 Chiffchaffs
>500 Jackdaws
(Ed Wilson)
The Flash
50 Tufted Ducks
4 Chiffchaffs
4 Siskins
(Ed Wilson)
2013
Priorslee Lake
1 Little Grebe
6 Great Crested Grebes
1 Cormorant
7 Wigeon
2 Gadwall
1 Pochard
42 Tufted Ducks
1 Great Black-backed Gull
Mediterranean Gull.
Ring-billed x Lesser Black-backed Gull.
>1500 Black-headed Gulls
2 Redwings
65 Magpies
25 Siskins
2 Reed Buntings
(Ed Wilson)
The Flash
2 Great Crested Grebes
6 Swans
2 Pochard
85 Tufted Duck
(Ed Wilson)
2010
Priorslee Lake
3 Buzzards
1 Little Grebe
5 Great Crested Grebe
4 Gadwall
36 Tufted Duck
c.160 Jackdaws
(Ed Wilson)
The Flash
4 Great Crested Grebe
3 Greylag Geese
32 Tufted Duck
Trench
1 Cormorant
43 Tufted Ducks
(Ed Wilson)
2007
Priorslee Lake
Little Ringed Plover
1 Cormorant
1 Mallard x Pintail
18 Tufted Duck
1 Ruddy Duck
1 Little Ringed Plover
1 Kittiwake
33 Wren
29 Robin
24 Blackbird
3 Chiffchaff
39 Magpie
3 Greenfinch
6 Reed Bunting
(Ed Wilson)
The Flash
8 Great Crested Grebe
2 Pochard
27 Tufted Duck
1 Snipe
3 Chiffchaff
2 Reed Bunting
(Ed Wilson)
2006
Priorslee Lake
1 Barn Owl
1 Little Grebe
5 Great Crested Grebes
1 Shoveler
30 Tufted Ducks
2 Water Rails
321 Wood Pigeons
2 Skylarks
5 Meadow Pipits
33 Wrens
21 Robins
21 Blackbirds
1 Fieldfare
3 Redwings
1 Chiffchaff
1 Willow Tit
18 Greenfinches
8 Siskins
1 Linnet
6 Reed Buntings
1 Yellowhammer.
(Ed Wilson)
- more male and *female plumed midges Chironomus plumosus
The only gull from my abbreviated visit this morning was this first-year Black-headed Gull.
A different perspective on a female plumed midge Chironomus plumosus.
(Ed Wilson)
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
2014
Priorslee Lake
3 Great Crested Grebes
13 Cormorants
4 Greylag Geese
22 Tufted Duck
5 Sand Martins
6 Redwings
8 Chiffchaffs
>500 Jackdaws
(Ed Wilson)
The Flash
50 Tufted Ducks
4 Chiffchaffs
4 Siskins
(Ed Wilson)
2013
Priorslee Lake
1 Little Grebe
6 Great Crested Grebes
1 Cormorant
7 Wigeon
2 Gadwall
1 Pochard
42 Tufted Ducks
1 Great Black-backed Gull
Mediterranean Gull.
Ring-billed x Lesser Black-backed Gull.
>1500 Black-headed Gulls
2 Redwings
65 Magpies
25 Siskins
2 Reed Buntings
(Ed Wilson)
The Flash
2 Great Crested Grebes
6 Swans
2 Pochard
85 Tufted Duck
(Ed Wilson)
2010
Priorslee Lake
3 Buzzards
1 Little Grebe
5 Great Crested Grebe
4 Gadwall
36 Tufted Duck
c.160 Jackdaws
(Ed Wilson)
The Flash
4 Great Crested Grebe
3 Greylag Geese
32 Tufted Duck
Trench
1 Cormorant
43 Tufted Ducks
(Ed Wilson)
2007
Priorslee Lake
Little Ringed Plover
1 Cormorant
1 Mallard x Pintail
18 Tufted Duck
1 Ruddy Duck
1 Little Ringed Plover
1 Kittiwake
33 Wren
29 Robin
24 Blackbird
3 Chiffchaff
39 Magpie
3 Greenfinch
6 Reed Bunting
(Ed Wilson)
The Flash
8 Great Crested Grebe
2 Pochard
27 Tufted Duck
1 Snipe
3 Chiffchaff
2 Reed Bunting
(Ed Wilson)
2006
Priorslee Lake
1 Barn Owl
1 Little Grebe
5 Great Crested Grebes
1 Shoveler
30 Tufted Ducks
2 Water Rails
321 Wood Pigeons
2 Skylarks
5 Meadow Pipits
33 Wrens
21 Robins
21 Blackbirds
1 Fieldfare
3 Redwings
1 Chiffchaff
1 Willow Tit
18 Greenfinches
8 Siskins
1 Linnet
6 Reed Buntings
1 Yellowhammer.
(Ed Wilson)