10.0°C > 11.0°C: Clear skies to the East soon replaced by overcast conditions with occasional very light drizzle. Moderate southerly wind gusting fresh at times. Very good visibility.
Sunrise: 07:04 GMT
* = a species photographed today
$ = a new species for me in this area
Priorslee Balancing Lake: 06:15 – 09:10
(43rd visit of the year)
New Bird Species:
A new bird species for the year here this morning: after my first Chiffchaff singing at The Flash yesterday there was one singing near the Wesley Brook bridge this morning. Bird species #61 at the lake this year for me. My earliest song here remains 23 February from just last year. This is the fourth year in the last 12 I have recorded song in February.
Other bird notes:
- possibly more Mallard than I have reported. Birds were flying in and out all the time.
- significant decrease in number of Tufted Duck since yesterday.
- a trio of brownhead Goosander flew in from the South c.07:50. None had been seen prior to that time. Later a first year drake and another brownhead were noted.
- only five Great Crested Grebe noted. However one pair was spending time inside the reeds so the "missing" bird may have been doing the same.
- a few Black-headed Gulls drifted in after 06:55 and then at c.07:30 a mass arrival with over 200 birds present (some of the originals had already departed but may well have returned).
- a first-year Herring Gull and three separate (near) adult Lesser Black-backed Gulls visited. Very few noted overhead.
- a Grey Heron seen. Yesterday I was sent a screen-grab from a camera on the heronry at Ellesmere showing one bird tending a trio of eggs in its nest. This probably explains why there have been very few sightings recently at The Flash: birds are congregating at the breeding sites.
- no very large groups of Jackdaws noted. Several groups of c.40 were skimming the fields to the East and may have been part of larger groups with part being unseen below the hedge-line from my position.
- two Redwings seen in trees: this species may have already started to make its way back to its northern breeding areas.
- a Reed Bunting was singing along the South side.
It is beginning to sound like Spring. Both Wren and Dunnock sing year-round but this morning they were singing away, joining Blackbirds, Song Thrushes and Robins in a pre-dawn chorus.
Bird(s) noted flying over here:
- 4 Canada Geese: a pair flew South; another pair flew East
- 3 Greylag Geese: a trio flew South.
- 21 Wood Pigeons
- no Herring Gulls
- 13 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
- 195 Jackdaws
- 183 Rooks
Counts from the lake area:
- 2 Canada Geese: the resident pair.
- 15 (9♂) Mallard
- 7 (5♂) Tufted Duck only
- 5 (1♂) Goosander
- 6 Moorhens
- 29 Coots
- 5 Great Crested Grebes
- *>200 Black-headed Gulls
- 1 Herring Gull: first year
- 3 Lesser Black-backed Gulls: all (near) adults
- 4 Cormorants
- 1 Grey Herons
- 1 Great (White) Egret
Noted on the West end street lamp poles pre-dawn:
Flies:
- *1 unidentified fly
- *1 unidentified fly
Beetles:
- *1 flea-beetle, possibly a Cabbage-stem Flea Beetle Psylliodes chrysocephala
- *1 flea-beetle, possibly a Cabbage-stem Flea Beetle Psylliodes chrysocephala
Springtails:
- *1 very small springtail
- *1 very small springtail
Arthropods:
- *1 White-legged Snake Millipede Tachypodoiulus niger
- *1 White-legged Snake Millipede Tachypodoiulus niger
Moths:
None
Noted later:
Noted later:
Flowers:
- *Hairy Bittercress Cardamine hirsuta
- *the first Blackthorn flowers Prunus spinosa appearing
One of three rafts of Black-headed Gulls. A significant proportion now sporting the dark hoods of breeding plumage.
A flea-beetle, possibly a Cabbage-stem Flea Beetle Psylliodes chrysocephala. I am not really sure to ID this group. This ID is based on nearby food plants. Perhaps Ragwort Flea Beetle Longitarsus jacobaeae is just as likely?
My first White-legged Snake Millipede Tachypodoiulus niger of the year in the company of a small and unidentified springtail. Millipedes don't have 1000 legs. What they do have is two pairs of legs to each body segment whereas centipedes have only one pair of legs on each of their, generally fewer, body segments.
I am using the date as the primary characteristic to separate what I believe to be Hairy Bittercress Cardamine hirsuta from the very similar Wavy Bittercress C. flexuosa. I guess with climate change historic flowering periods need to be treated with caution.
(Ed Wilson)
The Flash: 09:15 – 10:20
(40th visit of the year)
Bird notes:
- a drake Pochard again. Does it come and go or merely hide?
- still only one Great Crested Grebe noted.
- a local Common Buzzard flew over pursued by Carrion Crows. Initially I thought it was carrying prey but it looked more like a deflated blue balloon when it was, distantly, contrasted against the trees.
- the feeding station was dominated by Siskins with often as many as 12 at a time. Many more Siskins were evident from calls in the surrounding trees. Just one Blue Tit and two Great Tits managed to get a look in.
Bird(s) noted flying over here:
- 1 Herring Gull: adult
- 1 Lesser Black-backed Gull: adult
- 6 Jackdaws
Noted on / around the water:
- 23 Canada Geese: of these at least 11 departed, mainly as pairs
- 1 Greylag Goose
- 1 Mute Swan
- 31 (21♂) Mallard
- 1 (1♂) Pochard
- 29 (16♂) Tufted Duck
- 13 Moorhens
- 36 Coots
- 1 Great Crested Grebe only
- 29 Black-headed Gulls
- 1 Herring Gull: first-year
Noted around the area:
- *Hairy Bittercress Cardamine hirsuta
- *the first Blackthorn flowers Prunus spinosa appearing
The view very much pre-dawn. Clear to the East.
Colouring up for a while.
Increasing cloud spoilt the morning.
Very little on the street lamp poles. This was the only fly noted and remains unidentified.
Alongside Teece Drive some of the larger Blackthorn shrubs Prunus spinosa are coming in to flower.
(Ed Wilson)
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
The Flash: 09:15 – 10:20
(40th visit of the year)
Bird notes:
- a drake Pochard again. Does it come and go or merely hide?
- still only one Great Crested Grebe noted.
- a local Common Buzzard flew over pursued by Carrion Crows. Initially I thought it was carrying prey but it looked more like a deflated blue balloon when it was, distantly, contrasted against the trees.
- the feeding station was dominated by Siskins with often as many as 12 at a time. Many more Siskins were evident from calls in the surrounding trees. Just one Blue Tit and two Great Tits managed to get a look in.
Bird(s) noted flying over here:
- 1 Herring Gull: adult
- 1 Lesser Black-backed Gull: adult
- 6 Jackdaws
Noted on / around the water:
- 23 Canada Geese: of these at least 11 departed, mainly as pairs
- 1 Greylag Goose
- 1 Mute Swan
- 31 (21♂) Mallard
- 1 (1♂) Pochard
- 29 (16♂) Tufted Duck
- 13 Moorhens
- 36 Coots
- 1 Great Crested Grebe only
- 29 Black-headed Gulls
- 1 Herring Gull: first-year
Noted around the area:
Flies:
- *1 female plumed midge.
It had clouded over by the time I visited The Flash and there were no new species to photo. I did find this female midge on one of the street lamp poles.
(Ed Wilson)
2014
Priorslee Lake
4 Great Crested Grebes
3 Cormorants
1 Grey Heron
8 Pochard
4 Tufted Duck
164 Black-headed Gulls
78 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
9 Herring Gulls
1 Yellow-legged Gull
16 Fieldfare
18 Redwings
c.800 Jackdaws
>250 Rooks
20 Siskins
(Ed Wilson, Gary Crowder)
The Flash
1 Little Grebe
185 Tufted Ducks
(Ed Wilson)
Little Wenlock, Candles Landfill Site
2 Iceland Gulls
3 Caspian Gull
(Observer Unknown)
2013
Priorslee Lake
6 Great Crested Grebes
33 Wigeon
1 Common Teal
4 Gadwall
33 Tufted Ducks
89 Coots
c.650 Black-headed Gulls
c.410 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
41 Herring Gulls
1 Great Black-backed Gull
(Ed Wilson / John Isherwood)
The Flash
1 Little Grebe
9 Pochard
89 Tufted Duck
1 Greater Scaup
(Ed Wilson, John Isherwood)
2010
Priorslee Lake
6 Great Crested Grebes
18 Swans
4 Gadwall
35 Pochard
44 Tufted Duck
96 Coots
c.650 Black-headed Gulls
c.220 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
12 Herring Gulls
1 other 'strange gull'!
(Ed Wilson)
2009
Priorslee Lake
Iceland Gull
2 Curlew
(Ed Wilson)
2007
Priorslee Lake
1 Water Rail
2 Skylarks
(Ed Wilson)
2006
Priorslee Lake
1 Little Grebe
6 Great Crested Grebes
1 Heron
1 Cormorant
2 Gadwall
6 Pochard
45 Tufted Ducks
96 Coots
c.1000 Black-headed Gulls
274 Wood Pigeon
135 Jackdaws
111 Rooks
78 Starlings
45 Pied Wagtails
20 Robins
17 Blackbirds
10 Song Thrushes
4 Redwings
2 Willow Tits
20 Greenfinches
6 Siskins
5 Reed Buntings
(Ed Wilson)
- *1 female plumed midge.
(Ed Wilson)
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
2014
Priorslee Lake
4 Great Crested Grebes
3 Cormorants
1 Grey Heron
8 Pochard
4 Tufted Duck
164 Black-headed Gulls
78 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
9 Herring Gulls
1 Yellow-legged Gull
16 Fieldfare
18 Redwings
c.800 Jackdaws
>250 Rooks
20 Siskins
(Ed Wilson, Gary Crowder)
The Flash
1 Little Grebe
185 Tufted Ducks
(Ed Wilson)
Little Wenlock, Candles Landfill Site
2 Iceland Gulls
3 Caspian Gull
(Observer Unknown)
2013
Priorslee Lake
6 Great Crested Grebes
33 Wigeon
1 Common Teal
4 Gadwall
33 Tufted Ducks
89 Coots
c.650 Black-headed Gulls
c.410 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
41 Herring Gulls
1 Great Black-backed Gull
(Ed Wilson / John Isherwood)
The Flash
1 Little Grebe
9 Pochard
89 Tufted Duck
1 Greater Scaup
(Ed Wilson, John Isherwood)
2010
Priorslee Lake
6 Great Crested Grebes
18 Swans
4 Gadwall
35 Pochard
44 Tufted Duck
96 Coots
c.650 Black-headed Gulls
c.220 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
12 Herring Gulls
1 other 'strange gull'!
(Ed Wilson)
2009
Priorslee Lake
Iceland Gull
2 Curlew
(Ed Wilson)
2007
Priorslee Lake
1 Water Rail
2 Skylarks
(Ed Wilson)
2006
Priorslee Lake
1 Little Grebe
6 Great Crested Grebes
1 Heron
1 Cormorant
2 Gadwall
6 Pochard
45 Tufted Ducks
96 Coots
c.1000 Black-headed Gulls
274 Wood Pigeon
135 Jackdaws
111 Rooks
78 Starlings
45 Pied Wagtails
20 Robins
17 Blackbirds
10 Song Thrushes
4 Redwings
2 Willow Tits
20 Greenfinches
6 Siskins
5 Reed Buntings
(Ed Wilson)
