4 Mar 26

Priorslee Balancing Lake and The Flash

4.0°C > 8.0°C: Clear. Hazy. Light easterly breeze after a calm start. Good visibility.

Sunrise: 06:50 GMT

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

Priorslee Balancing Lake: 05:50 – 09:05

(49th visit of the year)

Another addition to my bird year list for here:
- the first Sand Martin of the year flew through at 07:45. It equals my earliest date for this species here set in 2021.
This year's bird species count now #65.

Other bird notes:
- a trio of Greylag Geese flew off West at 06:10. Confusingly I noted a trio on the water at 06:25 – same? Then two flew off East at 06:40. So where did the third go?
- five Goosander noted: apparently four brownheads and the presumed immature drake.
- seven Great Crested Grebe seen again.
- another good count for this date: at least 150 Black-headed Gulls present for a while.
- more large gulls than recently: six Lesser Black-backed Gulls visited briefly at 06:05; the 36 large gulls (7 Herrings and 29 Lesser Black-backs) arrived together at 06:30. Several more Herring Gulls arrived later.
- the usual Great (White Egret) was seen to fly in at 06:18. There were two Grey Herons at least for some of the time this morning.
- no big counts of Jackdaws and Rooks: lost in the haze.
- just two Chiffchaffs noted, both singing.
- a Mistle Thrush was noted on the grass behind the dam: an unusual location for this species.
- single Reed Buntings were singing from both the South and North sides.

Bird(s) noted flying over here:
- 4 Canada Geese: a pair flew East and a pair flew North.
- 1 Greylag Goose: flew East
- 2 Herring Gulls
- 6 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
- 2 Stock Doves: together
- 45 Wood Pigeons
- 165 Jackdaws
- 43 Rooks
- several groups of Siskins (*also on the trees)

Counts from the lake area:
- 5 Canada Geese: of these a pair and a single arrived
- 6? Greylag Geese: see notes
- 2 Mute Swans
- 14 (9♂) Mallard
- 14 (11♂) Tufted Duck
- 5 (1?♂) Goosander
- 6 Moorhens
- 29 Coots again
- 7 Great Crested Grebes again
- >150 Black-headed Gulls
- 10 Herring Gulls
- 35 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
- 4 Cormorants again
- 2 Grey Herons
- *1 Great (White) Egret

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

Moths:
- none

Flies:
- 1 winter cranefly Trichocera regelationis
- 1 male plumed midge

Springtails:
- 1 springtail Pogonognathellus longicornis-type

Spiders, harvestmen etc.:
- *1 money spider Erigone sp.

Noted later elsewhere:

Flowers:
- *Dog's Mercury Mercurialis perennis
- *"Primrose": Primula vulgaris (garden escape)

It seems a long while since I took a photo of the moon. This is known as the Worm Moon and was full about 20 hours previously. The name is derived from the warming of the soil and the increased activity of worms.

The haze made a red glow pre-sunrise. Otherwise it was a disappointing sunrise. I understand Saharan dust is headed this way and we can expect colourful sunrises and sunsets for a few days.

A first year Herring Gull unusually joins Black-headed Gulls on the grass behind the dam. With a dark eye and a rounded head it can be confused with a Common Gull. It is too large, the bill to thick and the wing markings too extensive. There are certainly three first year and one adult Black-headed Gull. The left-most bird is a puzzle: there seems to be no dark in the wing suggesting a first year yet there is no sign of the development of the dark hood of an adult.

It is unusual to see a Great (White) Egret in a tree away from a breeding site. Like Grey Herons they nest high up in trees.

Jays are shy birds and as soon as this one saw me it was off.

A Magpie of course. Note that the white in the wing actually comprises black-edged feathers. And also note that this species "glosses" green (or violet) when the light catches the plumage at an angle. The brown area on the lower back is not often noted.

Staring me down is a female Pied Wagtail. On a male the black of the head joins with the black throat on the neck.

Whee! A male Siskin in free-fall!

That's better!

The only thing of interest on the street lamp poles pre-dawn was this money spider Erigone sp.

Dog's Mercury Mercurialis perennis is easy to overlook with its inconspicuous white flowers.

This cultivar primrose Primula vulgaris must be a garden escape even though I found it growing on the bank of the Wesley Brook well away from the estate houses.

(Ed Wilson)

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The Flash: 09:10 – 10:25

(46th visit of the year)

Also an addition to my bird year list for here:
- a Mistle Thrush was singing from the wooded hilly area to the south-east
This year's bird species count now #55.

Other bird notes:
- the drake Pochard still here.
- just one Great Crested Grebe: a full-plumed adult.
- a Stock Dove was seen in display flight over the East side
- *three Chiffchaffs: two heard singing and another seen.
- the feeding station was quiet with just a few Siskins.
- a Blackcap was giving its 'chack' call some distance from the feeders.
- *Siskins were also again in Alders both along the West side and the top end.

Bird(s) noted flying over here:
- 1 Jackdaw

Noted on / around the water:
- 19 Canada Geese
- 5 Greylag Geese: a pair flew off
- 2 Mute Swans
- 25 (19♂) Mallard
- 1 (1♂) Pochard
- 35 (21♂) Tufted Duck
- 12 Moorhens
- 29 Coots
- 1 Great Crested Grebe
- *52 Black-headed Gulls
- 1 Herring Gull: third? year
- 1 Lesser Black-backed Gull: (near?) adult, very briefly again.

Around the area:

Nothing else of note

The Ivy was in full sun but exposed to the easterly breeze. I noted one unidentified fly!

A fisherman was throwing bait in to the water and the Black-headed Gulls were after it.

All first year birds, one with a prize.

A late arrival will be lucky to get a look in.

When not after bait the gulls were plucking at the water surface – I assume there was a hatch of insects though I could not see what they were catching.

The non-singing Chiffchaff was flitting about looking for insects.

It spent most of the time hiding from me.

There were Siskins working the Alder cones here as well as at the Balancing Lake. A rare opportunity to photograph them in good light. Here a female. A messy eater.

You have to be acrobatic to get at the food.

Easier this way up?

Siskins seem to like to hang upside down. This way...

...and that.

Males are equally adept.

Presumably able to digest upside down?

 Time for another seed?

Check the coast is clear first.

(Ed Wilson)

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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)