27 Mar 23

Priorslee Lake only

1.0°C > 5.0°C: Mostly clear and frosty start with low-level mist over the water. An area of medium-level cloud from the north-west for a while, beginning to break as I departed. Light wind. Good visibility.

Sunrise: 06:57 BST

* = a species photographed today.

I only visited the lake this morning.

Priorslee Balancing Lake: 06:15 – 09:15

(72nd visit of the year)

New here was a shy and quietly sub-singing Blackcap. A few days later than in most recent years. Bird species #81 this year here for me.

Other bird notes:
- A Pheasant was heard calling from the Ricoh copse.
- *I saw five Reed Buntings, at least two of which were males. None was heard to sing.

Birds noted flying over here:
- 2 Canada Goose: pair inbound
- 4 Greylag Geese: two separate pairs inbound
- 38 Wood Pigeons: of these ten flew very high North
- 1 Black-headed Gull: adult
- 3 Lesser Black-backed Gulls: adults
- 2 Cormorants: singles
- 1 Jackdaw

Not much again

Warblers noted (the number of these singing in brackets):
- 1 (1) Cetti's Warbler
- 17 (15) Chiffchaffs
- 1 (1) Blackcap

Counts from the lake area:
- 2 Canada Geese
- 2 + 4 Mute Swans
- 5 (4♂) Mallard
- 8 Moorhens
- 48 Coots
- 8 Great Crested Grebes
- 2 Black-headed Gulls: adult and first year
- 1 Herring Gull: adult, briefly
- 1 Kingfisher: heard only

Noted on the street lamp poles pre-dawn:
- 1 Lead-coloured Drab moth (Orthosia populeti) still in the same place as when it was first noted on 20 March
- *1 plumed midge sp.
- *1 Garden Spider (Araneus diadematus)

In the Priorslee Avenue tunnel pre-dawn
- *1 Brindled Flat-body moth (Agonopterix arenella)

Elsewhere:

Nothing of note

An area of could spreading from the north-west took the edge off the sunrise. A touch of mist over the water.

There are still a few Siskins around – many fewer than in recent weeks. This male was one of only two Siskins I noted today.

Here he is again.

And again.

This male Reed Bunting was one of two (the other not seen well) birds in a small patch of reeds alongside the dam. This one is still not in full breeding plumage with a few brown tufts in the crown...

 ...and a few white tufts in the breast.

A frost-covered male plumed midge. This one seems to have a particularly thick set of plumes.

This small spider looks to be a Garden Spider (Araneus diadematus) which I recognise by the white cross-markings on the abdomen.

I found this Brindled Flat-body moth (Agonopterix arenella) on the wall of the Priorslee Avenue tunnel.

Plane of the day: this is a Bombardier Global 7500 executive jet about eight miles high (any Byrds fans out there?). If you have the spare $63 million you could have one too. If you don't have the readies then you could ride in one for about $10000 per hour. This one is registered to One Campus Drive Services of Parsippany, New Jersey which does not explain much!

(Ed Wilson)

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On this day can be found via the yearly links in the right-hand column.

Sightings from previous years without links are below

2014

Priorslee Lake

6 Great Crested Grebes

5+ Cormorants

31 Tufted Duck

1 Kittiwake

7 Fieldfare

6 Chiffchaffs

c.230 Jackdaws

(Ed Wilson)

The Flash

1 Cackling Goose

2 Teal

49 Tufted Ducks

3 Chiffchaffs

(Ed Wilson)

2013

Priorslee Lake

2 Little Grebes

7 Great Crested Grebes

7 Wigeon 

2 Gadwall 

1 Pochard 

34 Tufted Ducks 

c.500 Black-headed Gulls

7 Lesser Black-backed Gulls

31 Herring Gulls

1 Common Gull

1 Yellow-legged Gull

1 Great Black-backed Gull 

5 Redwings

(Ed Wilson)

The Flash 

3 Great Crested Grebes 

1 Pochard 

62 Tufted Duck 

Steppe Gull?

(Ed Wilson)

Trench Lock Pool

2 Great Crested Grebes 

1 Cormorant 

26 Tufted Duck 

(Ed Wilson)

Trench Middle Pool

3 Cormorants

2 Goosander 

(Ed Wilson)

2011

Priorslee Lake

1 Dunlin

1 Raven

(John Isherwood)

Priorslee Flash

2 Shoveler

1 Willow Warbler

(John Isherwood)

Nedge Hill

4 Wheatear

(John Isherwood)

2010

Priorslee Lake

16 Fieldfares

1 Willow Warbler

4 Great Crested Grebe 

4 Herons 

4 Gadwall

29 Tufted Duck

c.215 Jackdaws

(Ed Wilson)

2007

Priorslee Lake

2 Pochard

27 Tufted Ducks

16 Meadow Pipits

36 Robins

28 Blackbirds

5 Chiffchaffs

1 Redpoll

7 Reed Buntings

(Ed Wilson)

2006

Priorslee Lake

5 Great Crested Grebes

1 Pochard

24 Tufted Ducks

2 Ruddy Duck

1 Water Rail

127 Wood Pigeon

21 Wrens

3 Fieldfare

3 Redwing

3 Chiffchaff

2 Willow Warblers

8 Sand Martins

22 Siskin

6 Linnets

4 Reed Buntings

(Ed Wilson, Martin Adlam, Martin Grant)

26 Mar 23

Priorslee Lake and The Flash

6.0°C: Overcast with occasional mainly light rain. Moderate NE wind. Good visibility.

[Sunrise: 06:59 BST]

* = a species photographed today.

It was the rain and not the clock change that made me late starting: honest! All quoted times are BST

Priorslee Balancing Lake: 08:30 – 09:30

(71st visit of the year)

Another Summer visitor arrives. I was looking through my telescope from the Castle Farm lay-by and counting the Coots at the West end. At least one Barn Swallow flew through my view. There may have been a second bird but could equally well have been the same bird passing through my view again. Reverting to binoculars for a wider view suggested the bird(s) had flown on. This equals my previous earliest date for this species in 2016. Bird species #80 this year here for me (as it was last year).

Only viewing from the Castle Farm lay-by and the dam-top area.

Counts from the lake area:
- 7 Canada Geese: of these five arrived together
- 2 + 4 Mute Swans
- *7 (5♂) Mallard
- 4 (3♂) Tufted Ducks
- 4 Moorhens
- 47 Coots
- 8 Great Crested Grebes
- *6 Herring Gulls: various ages arrived together
- 1 Lesser Black-backed Gull: first year, briefly
- 2 Cormorants

Ah! Delicious oily water from a puddle in the Castle Farm lay-by and none of that fresh stuff in the lake.

The duck Mallard does not seem any the worse for her unsavoury drink.

A sextet of Herring Gulls dropped in. This adult was the only one that came close-enough to photograph and age accurately.

Well: at least I assume accurately. There is a dark mark on the leading edge of the wing just outboard from the bend in the wing. This might suggest it is a fourth year bird though the pattern of black, white and grey on the wing tip is consistent with it being a full adult as is the bill marking visible more clearly in the previous photo.

(Ed Wilson)

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The Flash: 09:35 – 10:25

(66th visit of the year)

Bird notes:
- *The pen Mute Swan was off the nest which contained a single egg. Apparently the egg was seen yesterday as well.
- Where have all the duck Mallard gone? Even the all-white feral bird was without his female companion. No doubt all hidden away sitting on eggs.
- A fisherman reported seeing the first juvenile Coot out of the nest briefly yesterday afternoon. They would all have been keeping warm and dry under the parent this morning.
- Perhaps Coots like wet weather. I counted many more in the open today.

Birds noted flying over here:

None

Warblers noted (the number of these singing in brackets):
- 7 (7) Chiffchaffs

Noted on / around the water
- 32 Canada Geese
- 7 Greylag Geese
- 2 + 1 Mute Swans: *one egg
- *19 (17♂) Mallard
- 1 all-white duck (Peking(?) Duck)
- *40 (26♂) Tufted Duck
- 12 Moorhens
- 32 Coots
- 3 Great Crested Grebes
- 3 Cormorants

On / around the street lamp poles or of interest elsewhere:
Nothing noted

One egg in the Mute Swan's nest. Apparently laid yesterday. The clutch may comprise as many as nine eggs, laid at one or two day intervals.

Where are all the girls then? A group of drake Mallard atop one of the roofs in Derwent Drive.

I was just too late to capture the moment. This pair of Tufted Duck had just been mating and do look rather pleased with themselves. I wonder whether that means they will nest here again this year?

Despite the rain and low cloud here is a plane of the day. It is a Best Off Sky Ranger 912(2). Best Off is a Toulouse, France company that designed this aircraft to be built from kits by or for amateur pilots. Several enhancements were needed to get UK certification for the design. The 912 refers to the fitment of the Austrian-designed Rotax 912 engine, more-or-less the standard fitted to light sport aircraft with over 50000 manufactured. This 2003-built aircraft has owners in St. Georges and Gnosall. It seems to fly out of mid-Wales airport at Welshpool and here was on a flight to Darley Moor near Ashbourne in Derbyshire.

(Ed Wilson)

Note:

On 22 & 23 Mar - Ed Wilson visited the Wirral:

Part one of his trip was Hoylake Here.

Part two of his trip Here.

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On this day can be found via the yearly links in the right-hand column.

Sightings from previous years without links are below

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 Sky Larks

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) 

25 Mar 23

Priorslee Lake and The Flash

8.0°C > 11.0°C: Early broken cloud dispersed somewhat for a while. One very light shower. Fresh WSW wind. Very good visibility.

Sunrise: 06:02 GMT

* = a species photographed today.

Priorslee Balancing Lake: 05:10 – 08:50

(70th visit of the year)

New here was a singing Willow Warbler. As usual for my first of year here it was along the North side. It is my earliest record here by four days (29 March 2017 was my previous earliest). Bird species #79 this year here for me.

Other bird notes:
- A Pheasant was heard calling across Castle Farm Way.
- The six Black-headed Gulls arrived together from the West at 05:45; flew a half-circle low over the water and immediately left again.
- A Greenfinch was seen doing its bat-like display flight for the first time this year.

Birds noted flying over here:
- 1 Canada Goose: inbound
- 5 Greylag Geese: inbound together
- 1 Stock Dove
- 26 Wood Pigeons: of these nine flew very high North
- 1 Herring Gull: immature
- 2 Lesser Black-backed Gulls: adults
- 3 Jackdaws

Not much again

Warblers noted (the number of these singing in brackets):
- 1 (1) Cetti's Warbler
- *1 (1) Willow Warbler
- *14 (14) Chiffchaffs

Counts from the lake area:

Very windy on the dam-top with birds presumably sheltering
- 2 Canada Geese
- 2 + 4 Mute Swans
- 4 (4♂) Mallard
- 3 (2♂) Tufted Ducks again
- 8 Moorhens
- 38 Coots
- 4 Great Crested Grebes
- 6 Black-headed Gulls: see notes
- 3 Cormorants: arrived separately

Noted on the street lamp poles pre-dawn:
- 1 Lead-coloured Drab moth (Orthosia populeti) in the same place as when it was first noted on 20 March
- *a few springtails
- *2 White-legged Snake Millipedes (Tachypodoiulus niger)
- *3 species of spider

In the Priorslee Avenue tunnel pre-dawn
- *1 female midge sp.
- 1 White-legged Snake Millipede (Tachypodoiulus niger)

Of note elsewhere:
- first flowers here of:
- Cow Parsley (Anthriscus sylvestris)
- *Lesser Celandine (Ficaria verna)

After the early broken cloud moved away it was largely sunny for a while.

This was the best photo I got of the Willow Warbler buried in a tangle of twigs and branches. About the only thing to say is: note how long the primary wing feathers are. This trans-Saharan migrant has longer wings than Chiffchaff which is a short-distance migrant. Willow Warbler is unique in moulting its flight feathers twice a year so that each migration takes place using new feathers.

Here he is singing away with a branch obscuring what should be a much more defined and broader eye-stripe than a Chiffchaff.

And here is a Chiffchaff showing an indistinct eye-stripe.

Singing away. Now the books tell you this species has black legs. They usually do. This one doesn't.

 Still singing.

Trying to hide. There will soon be leaves to make hiding even easier.

At last: fully in the open.

And back to the top of the tree. These are all the same bird and note how the strength of the eye-stripe varies with the angle.

What I believe to be a female midge sp. lurking on the wall of the Priorslee Avenue tunnel.

One of the two White-legged Snake Millipedes (Tachypodoiulus niger) seen on street lamp poles.

Spider #1. Note also the two different springtails in the view.

Spider #2. This could be the same species – its general shape and pattern are similar, though not the colour.

Spider #3. This is one of the stretch spiders Tetragnatha sp. It seems to be eating breakfast. I cannot make out what it has caught.

A not very good photo of a Lesser Celandine (Ficaria verna) with the flower half in the shade and half in the sun. It is rather a ragged flower anyway. I'll try again when more flowers emerge.

(Ed Wilson)

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The Flash: 08:55 – 10:15

(65th visit of the year)

My first Blackcap of the year was heard singing and then seen behind the small play area on the East side. The same first date for this species here as logged in 2021 and one day later than in 2022 (This ignores reported over-wintering birds using garden feeders). Bird species #63 here this year.

Other bird notes:
- The pen Mute Swan was asleep on the nest against the wall of Derwent Drive throughout with the cob sitting alongside her.
- Neither the Shoveler nor the Common Teal was noted.
- Some of the Tufted Duck had climbed on to the island. Ducks are easy to overlook when they do this and may be under-recorded.
- A rather unlikely total of 11 singing Chiffchaffs. They were everywhere and moving about so ....?

Birds noted flying over here:
- 3 Jackdaws
- 2 Ravens

Warblers noted (the number of these singing in brackets):
- *13 (11) Chiffchaffs
- *1 (1) Blackcap

Noted on / around the water
- 22 Canada Geese
- 4 Greylag Geese
- 2 + 1 Mute Swans
- 23 (16♂) Mallard
- 1 all-white duck (Peking(?) Duck)
- *43 (26♂) Tufted Duck
- 9 Moorhens
- 24 Coots
- 4 Great Crested Grebes
- 2 Cormorants

On / around the street lamp poles
Nothing noted

Of interest elsewhere:
- an unidentified bumblebee sp. was noted around the Ivy bank.

"Water off a duck's back". Most people have responded to the bird flu notices and the request not to feed the birds. As a result most of the Tufted Ducks no longer come close. This drake was an exception.

Chiffchaffs everywhere today. Here is one amongst the Alder cones.

Another. Many individuals, like this one, show very obvious white half-moons above and below the eye. This one looks to have black legs though they could be very dark brown.

A third bird with less distinct markings around the eye.

Not my best but at least you can see it has a black cap. A male Blackcap: a female would not have been singing. It refused to come out of the tangle and became bored with me making squeaking noises to attract it. It went away in to even deeper cover.

(Ed Wilson)

Note:

On 22 & 23 Mar - Ed Wilson visited the Wirral:

Part one of his trip was Hoylake Here.

Part two of his trip Here.

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On this day can be found via the yearly links in the right-hand column.

Sightings from previous years without links are below

2014

Priorslee Lake

1 Little Grebe

7 Cormorants

2 Gadwall

18 Tufted Duck

1 Kittiwake

1 Sand Martin

7 Chiffchaffs

158 Jackdaws

(Ed Wilson)

The Flash

1 Kittiwake

(John Isherwood)

Trench Lock Pool

2 Little Grebes

4 Great Crested Grebes

15 Tufted Ducks

2 Chiffchaffs

(Ed Wilson)

Trench Middle Pool

2 Tufted Duck

2 Chiffchaffs

1 Willow Warbler

(Ed Wilson)

2013

Priorslee Lake

2 Little Grebes 

3 Great Crested Grebe 

7 Wigeon 

2 Gadwall 

34 Tufted Ducks 

c.450 Black-headed Gulls

c.350 Lesser Black-backed Gulls

c.50 Herring Gulls

1 Great Black-backed Gull.

(Ed Wilson)

The Flash

3 Great Crested Grebes 

7 Swans 

2 Pochard 

73 Tufted Duck 

(Ed Wilson)

2011

Nedge Hill

2 Wheatear

(John Isherwood)

2010

Priorslee Lake

1 Little Grebe 

4 Great Crested Grebe 

4 Gadwall

27 Tufted Duck

c.210 Jackdaws

(Ed Wilson)

The Flash

3 Great Crested Grebe 

36 Tufted Duck

2 Siskins

1 Reed Bunting

(Ed Wilson)

2007

Priorslee Lake

3 Cormorant

2 Shoveler

27 Tufted Duck

1 Green Woodpecker

29 Wren

22 Robin

21 Blackbird

5 Fieldfare

9 Redwing

6 Chiffchaff

36 Magpie

99 Jackdaw

8 Greenfinch

7 Reed Bunting

(Ed Wilson)

The Flash

4 Great Crested Grebe

1 Mallard x Pintail

2 Pochard

17 Tufted Duck

3 Chiffchaff

1 Reed Bunting

(Ed Wilson)

2006

Priorslee Lake

1 Barn Ow

1 Little Grebe

6 Great Crested Grebes

1 Shoveler

26 Tufted Ducks

2 Water Rail

532 Wood Pigeon

2 Great Spotted Woodpeckers

2 Sky Larks

15 Pied Wagtails

26 Wrens

34 Blackbirds

6 Redwings

1 Willow Warbler

1 Chiffchaff

17 Magpies

4 Jays

1 Brambling

13 Greenfinches

4 Siskins

1 Linnets

5 Reed Buntings

(Ed Wilson)

The Flash

6 Great Crested Grebe

2 Pochard

22 Tufted Duck

2 Chiffchaff 

1 Reed Bunting

(Ed Wilson)

24 Mar 23

Priorslee Lake and The Flash

7.0°C > 11.0°C: Scattered cloud with sunny spells to start. Heavy shower c.06:45 and thereafter more cloud and light showers. Moderate SSW wind, gusting fresh at times. Very good visibility except in showers.

Sunrise: 06:04 GMT

* = a species photographed today.

Back in harness after two days away watching the spectacle of birds being moved around by the high Spring tides on the Dee Estuary

Priorslee Balancing Lake: 05:20 – 09:05

(69th visit of the year)

A very quiet morning indeed.

Bird notes:
- A pair of Canada Geese throughout. A group of four flew in. Later there were five birds in addition to the pair and these were arranged as, and then flew off as, a pair and a trio. Whether all these five were new, replacing the original four arrivals or whether a single opportunistic bird have arrived I am unsure.
- A Stock Dove was seen displaying over the north-side trees. Another then flew out of the trees and they flew off West together.
- A Long-tailed Tit was seen carrying food.

Birds noted flying over here:
- 24 Wood Pigeons
- 4 Cormorants: two duos
- 5 Jackdaws
Not much today

Warblers noted (the number of these singing in brackets):
- 1 (1) Cetti's Warbler
- *16 (12) Chiffchaffs

Counts from the lake area:
- 7 Canada Geese: at least – see notes
- 2 + 4 Mute Swans
- 5 (4♂) Mallard
- 3 (2♂) Tufted Ducks
- 10 Moorhens
- 53 Coots
- 6 Great Crested Grebes

Noted on the street lamp poles pre-dawn:
- *1 Common Green Lacewing (Chrysoperia carnea)
A flat torch battery did not help!

Of note elsewhere:
- *dead Wood Mouse (Apodemus sylvaticus)

A couple of photos of an unremarkable sunrise.

The long view as the sun actually appeared above the horizon.

A Long-tailed Tit calling – its bill is open. For some reason it looks rather sleepy.

One of the Chiffchaffs. This one seen lurking within Blackthorn (Prunus spinosa) and difficult to access.

Whereas most of them stayed high in the trees like this one and were equally difficult to photograph.

A Wren with the wind ruffling its feathers.

He even allowed me to get closer. He is sitting on a Blackthorn branch, all the flowers have now finished.

Despite the colour I suspect this is a Common Green Lacewing (Chrysoperia carnea). This species changes colour to brown in order to over-winter. It has probably yet to change back.

Mammals are not a specialty of mine (what are?): I think this is a dead Wood Mouse (Apodemus sylvaticus). The (relatively) large ears and silvery grey underside point to this species. There did not seem to be any obvious cause of death.

(Ed Wilson)

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The Flash: 09:10 – 10:10

(64th visit of the year)

My first Willow Warbler of the year was heard and then seen where I almost always see the first arrival here: in the tall hedge between the small play area on the East side and the open area where people exercise their dogs. Quite why this species likes this location is hard to say as this species is only ever passing through. This is my earliest date for this species here beating my other March records in 2017 and 2020 both by six days. Bird species #62 here this year.

Other bird notes:
- The Pheasant was heard calling again from somewhere along the East side: it was too far away to pinpoint from where I was at the time, walking along Derwent Drive. I did not hear it again.
- I could not find the pair of Shoveler. However there was a pair Common Teal up against the island.
- A Lesser Black-backed Gull flew over: the only gull I saw all morning.
- A Great Spotted Woodpecker was calling from trees at the top end.

Birds noted flying over here:
- 1 Lesser Black-backed Gull
- 1 Common Buzzard

Warblers noted (the number of these singing in brackets):
- 1 (1) Willow Warbler
- *9 (8) Chiffchaffs again

Noted on / around the water
- 19 Canada Geese
- 2 Greylag Geese
- 2 + 1 Mute Swans
- 21 (15♂) Mallard
- 1 all-white duck (Peking(?) Duck)
- *2 (1♂) Common Teal
- 37 (21♂) Tufted Duck
- 12 Moorhens
- 25 Coots
- 3 Great Crested Grebes again
- *3 Cormorants

On / around the street lamp poles or of interest elsewhere
Nothing noted

A rubbish photo of the pair of Common Teal close to the island.

Two of the Cormorants seen. All the birds I have seen recently have been immatures. I assume all the adults have gone to their breeding sites around large lakes.

 I know Long-tailed Tits line their nest with feathers. This feathers looks rather large!

An interesting pair of photos that reveal the pattern of the tail feathers.

It appears that the outer two tail-feathers have white on the outer webs and dark on the inner webs.

A Chiffchaff that confused me. It was a non-singing bird and alongside the intermittently singing Willow Warbler. The main separation here is the relatively weak-looking eyebrow and the thin bill.

Another Chiffchaff. The photo revealed that it has been ringed

The best photo I have showing the ring. I doubt there is enough information visible to be able to provide any more information.

A female Bullfinch reaching for a bud.

And another.

Plane of the day. This is a Cirrus Design Cirrus SR22T. The registration commences 2- which indicates it is registered in the Bailiwick of Guernsey. The Guernsey registration authority does not provide any information for privately owner aircraft. It seems it was on its way from Carlisle, where it is likely based, to Gloucestershire Airport which has a large maintenance facility for Cirrus aircraft.

(Ed Wilson)

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On this day can be found via the yearly links in the right-hand column.

Sightings from previous years without links are below

2014

Priorslee Lake

7 Chiffchaffs

1 Little Grebe

4 Great Crested Grebes

5 Cormorants

1 Grey Heron

19 Tufted Duck

3 Buzzard

30 Fieldfares

5 Redwings

7 Chiffchaffs

>700 Jackdaws

1 Raven

1 Marsh Tit

(Ed Wilson, Martin Grant)

The Flash

2 Great Crested Grebes

2 Common Teal

50 Tufted Ducks

(Ed Wilson)

2013

Priorslee Lake

1 Little Grebe 

3 Great Crested Grebe 

7 Wigeon 

2 Gadwall 

37 Tufted Ducks 

c.180 Lesser Black-backed Gulls

c.50 Herring Gulls

2 Chiffchaffs

(Ed Wilson)

2010

Priorslee Lake

Oystercatcher 

11 Pied Wagtail

2 Redwings

Willow Warbler

4 Chiffchaffs singing

12 Linnets

1 Siskin

4 Great Crested Grebe 

2 Gadwall

28 Tufted Duck

c.225 Jackdaws

(Ed Wilson)

Nedge Hill

3 Wheatears

(Ian Grant)

The Flash

4 Great Crested Grebes

46 Tufted Duck

2 Chiffchaffs

(Ed Wilson)

2007

Priorslee Lake

4 Great Crested Grebe

25 Tufted Duck

1 Ruddy Duck

1 Sky Lark

1 Sand Martin

28 Wren

20 Robin

33 Blackbird

1 Redwing

3 Chiffchaff

32 Magpie

117 Jackdaw

4 Greenfinch

6 Reed Bunting

(Ed Wilson)

Priorslee Village

Raven

Blackcap

(Martin Adlam)

Nedge Hill

3 Skylark

1 Chiffchaff

3 Greenfinch

6 Yellowhammer

(Ed Wilson)

The Flash

6 Great Crested Grebe

2 Pochard

22 Tufted Duck

2 Chiffchaff 

1 Reed Bunting

(Ed Wilson)