It's not a pump priming sound. D40 diesels have a mechanical pump driven by the timing chain on the front of the motor (there's no way an electric motor is going to provide 30,000psi of fuel rail pressure). This is why we still have a primer bulb. There's no pump to lift fuel from the tank, and if there was it'd have to be a high volume pump because when the engine's running and the main pump is hauling arse, the flow rate is extremely high.
Just as a comparison, a Holden Commodore runs its fuel rail at about 45-50psi. Our diesels run typically around 25,000psi for a heavy haul but can reach 30,000 with a full-throttle climb up a hill, turbo at 20psi, engine coolant temps climbing over 100C with ease. At idle, our rail pressures sit at around 4400-4500psi.
As for the noise, I'm stuffed. I don't have directional hearing so I could walk past my car and think the letterbox made that sound.