Thursday, 30th

Another day around the lake; The Flash; in between along the path; and in the copse to the SE of the lake and then the Woodhouse Lane area

Highlights from the day
- Hobby shot through the lake and away E at 07:15
- 2 Red-legged Partridge along Woodhouse Lane - may even be my first-ever here!
- Lesser Whitethroat in very intermittent and partial song in NW area of the lake

Lowlight from the day
- very low numbers of warblers at The Flash: perhaps I got there too early?

Other items of interest at the Lake
- adult Cormorant at the lake for a while
- up to 5 Lapwings seen: most unusual these days
---- 1 seen displaying over the cleared Celestica site
---- 2 seen displaying over the fields some way to the NE a few minutes later: same?
---- 1 or more displaying over fields very distantly to the ENE were certainly diffferent
- onset of rain produced c.25 hirundines of all 3 species over the lake
- Great Spotted Woodpecker seen at the lake
- 6 Reed Warblers for certain singing at the lake
- Whitethroats: 1 at W end of the lake again - rather abberrant song but ID checked visually; 2 along Woodhouse Lane
- Blackcaps singing: 7 at the lake and 1 in the copse to the SE of the lake
- Chiffchaffs singing: 3 at the lake and 1 in the copse to the SE of the lake; 2 along Woodhouse Lane
- Linnet: 2 on the dam at the lake; 2 along Woodhouse Lane

(Ed Wilson)

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Wednesday, 29th

Did the Priorslee area this morning - the lake; The Flash and the Woodhouse Lane area. Very foggy most of the time, so very flew fly-overs

In Summary from the Lake
- 2 pairs of Swans at the lake with none apparently on the nest
- Common Sandpiper
- no gulls seen
- only 1 Sand Martin and 2 Swallows seen
- 5, probably 6, singing Reed Warblers
- Common Whitethroat at the W end of the lake where the Lesser Whitethroat usually is: 1 in the copse to the E of Castle Farm Way; and 1 in Woodhouse Lane
- Blackcaps in song: 3 at the lake and 1 in the copse to the E of Castle Farm Way
- Chiffchaffs in song: 4 at the lake and 2 in the copse to the E of Castle Farm Way
- Jackdaws carrying food to a nest along Woodhouse Lane - they nested there last year for the first time
- 3 Reed Buntings in song at the lake
- 3 Linnets at least disputing the very well-trimmed (lower than usual) hedge along Woodhouse Lane
- 1 Yellowhammer only heard in Woodhouse Lane area

(Ed Wilson)

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Saturday, 25th

Wheatear - 1 female on dam wall - very tame,I almost trod on it.
No Common Sandpipers - very poor spring so far for this species.

(John Isherwood)

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Saturday, 18th

- 17 Tufted Duck
- 1 Common Sandpiper
- small numbers of all 3 hirundines
- 2 Reed Warblers again
- no 'new' warblers

In the lanes to the E / SE failed to find the Whitethroat reported by John Isherwood. Best
- 2 smart pairs of Linnets

(Ed Wilson)

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Friday, 17th

- 2 circuits of the lake; walk to and around The Flash and back; short visit to the lanes and across the fields to the SE of the lake; and Trench Lock again

Best birds were
- 2 Reed Warblers sub-singing in the N side reeds at 06:15 (though could not hear them at 08:45)

Narrative with selected numbers

- late drake Pochard at 05:45 but not thereafter
- Tufted Duck changed around: 17 (11)
- no waders
- 1 Black-headed Gull heard over the lake
- up to 6 Swallows
- 2 Reed Warblers
- 4 Blackcaps 4
- Chiffchaffs: 5 at the lake; 2 in the lanes to the SE
- 1 Willow Warbler
- 1 silent Jay
- Linnets: none seen or heard

(Ed Wilson)

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Thursday, 16th

- 2 circuits of the lake this morning; with a walk to and around The Flash and back; short visit to the lanes and fields to the SE of the lake; then Nedge Hill; and finally Trench Lock

Weather rather dismal with chill E wind: did not expect much song in the conditions but hoped for a few grounded migrants. Was right about the former! Nothing of interest at Nedge

The trees overhanging the W end footpath at the lake have been trimmed back and the grass cut. No sign of any activity in the old Celestica site but the clearance has been done very clinically and there is not a blade of grass to be seen over the area - nothing to attract even Pied Wagtails let alone passing Wheatears

Overall narrative with selected numbers -

- Great Crested Grebes 2 singles on the lake perhaps with their partners already on nests
- Swans on nest
- Tufted Duck still around: 9 (6) at the lake
- Buzzard in the trees in SW part of the lake the only raptor noted
- no waders
- most gulls gone: 1 Black-head and 2 separate Lesser Black-backs over the lake
- a few hirundines: up to 25 Sand Martins and: up to 6 Swallows
- Skylarks in expected numbers: 2 or 3 to the SE of the lake

The expected warblers with nothing new - the hedges to the SE of the lake have been rather severely trimmed and it will be interesting to see whether the Whitethroats stay - when they arrive
- Blackcaps: 2 at the lake; 2 between the lake and The Flash
- Chiffchaffs: 3 at the lake but these no longer in continual song - one not singing at all. Have they set territory and begun nesting already? 1 between the lake and The Flash; 2 in the lanes to the SE;
- Willow Warblers: these seemed to be rather mobile as if they might still be passing through and some of the locations seemed unusual. 2 or 3 at the lake (where they did not breed last year)
- Willow Tits calling by the Wesley Brook bridge at the lake near last year's nest-site (though the tree has collapsed since then)
- Jays: 2 at least noisy birds in NW part of the lake and along the Wesley Brook towards The Flash
- Linnets: up to 4 in the lanes to the SE of the lake
- Siskin: a late single flew over the lanes to the SE of the lake
- Yellowhammers: just 1 calling in the lanes to the SE of the lake

Otherwise
- a medium-sized bat over the lake at 05:40 was unexpected on a cloudy windy morning

(Ed Wilson)

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Saturday, 4th

Priorslee Lake
- Shoveler - 4(2M,2F)
- Sand Martin - 2

East of Priorslee Lake
- Red legged Partridge- 2
- Also Linnet, Yellowhammer, Stock Dove & Skylark

(John Isherwood)

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Thursday, 2nd

This morning it was Priorslee Lake; the lanes to the E; then The Flash; and finally Nedge Hill

Highlights
- in the lanes to the E of the lake a single late Fieldfare

Water birds at the lake
- Great Crested Grebe: 3
- Swan: 4
- Canada Geese: 8
- Mallard: 7 (5) (drakes)
- Tufted Duck: 17 (10) (drakes)
- Moorhen: 6
- Coot: 34

Otherwise here
- Willow Tit: 2
- Chiffchaffs: 4
- Bullfinch: 4
- Reed Bunting: 1
no hirundines again

The lanes to the E of the lake were very quiet and while I got all the 'specialities' I had to struggle
- a single burst of Skylark song
- a single Linnet flew over calling
- 2 Yellowhammers: one calling and distant song also here
- 3 Chiffchaffs

(Ed Wilson)

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Wednesday, 1st

At the Lake this morning

- Swan battles continue
- good numbers of Tufted Duck remain
- Sparrowhawks very active at the lake: looks like they may breed here again
- VERY few gulls - just 3 Black-heads at the lake
- Chiffchaffs the only other migrants (though a House Martin over Newport later)
- Pipestrelle bat shows how mild it was overnight
- moth, plumed midge and ichneumon all on the light at the W end of the lake

- Great Crested Grebe - 3
- Canada Geese - 11
- Mute Swan - 4
- Mallard - 9 (7) = drakes)
- Tufted Duck - 8 (4) (= drakes)
- Moorhen - 7
- Coot - 25
- Black-headed Gulls - 3
- Chiffchaff - 3

(Ed Wilson)