28 Jan 18

Priorslee Lake and The Flash

9.0°C > 11.5°C: Very mild. Cloudy start, breaks developing after 08:30. Light WSW wind, increasing moderate, even fresh at times. Good visibility becoming very good.

Sunrise: 07:59 GMT

Priorslee Lake: 06:45 – 09:40

(10th visit of the year)

Notes from today:
- the cygnets went for a fly with an orange ringed adult Mute Swan – the cygnets have been with the visitors more often than with their parents recently. Once the cygnets safely landed the adult flew off W. This seemed to encourage the resident adult to chase the remaining visitors. They managed to put them all to flight at various times without any actually leaving. The residents gave up
- 1 Greylag Goose found lurking in with one of the many groups of Canada Geese
- the 260-odd Black-headed Gulls all arrived from the W: today most left back to the W. Later a group of c.160 came from the W: I rather assume this was the same birds returning. A small percentage now have mostly black ‘heads’ – hoods actually
- first Blackbird song of the year for me here (been singing near my Newport home for 2 weeks now)
- Song Thrushes heard in song from 10 different locations – I would judge at least 8 different birds. Also 3 seen in flight, perhaps other birds?
- at least 8 Greenfinches in W end hedge was a good number these days
and
- two ‘winter gnats’ (probably Trichocera regelationis) was all I could find on the lamps
- splendidly-coloured fungus found growing on one of the wooden fence posts: possibly Velvet Shank (Flammulina velutipes)

Today’s bird totals

Birds noted flying over / near the lake:
- 24 Greylag Geese (2 groups outbound)
- 5 Canada Geese (2 groups outbound)
- 1 Cormorant
- 1 (1♂) Sparrowhawk
- 27 Wood Pigeons
- >300 Jackdaws
- 9 Rooks

Birds noted leaving roosts around the lake:
- [Magpies not counted]
- 4 Redwings
- 1 Reed Bunting

The counts from the lake area
- 6 + 3 Mute Swans
- 1 Greylag Goose
- 50, exactly, Canada Geese
- 14 (9♂) Gadwall
- 7 (4♂) Mallard
- 2 (2♂) Pochard
- 55 (24♂) Tufted Ducks
- 1 Cormorant again
- 1 Little Grebe
- 3 Great Crested Grebes
- 7 Moorhens
- 136 Coots
- >260 Black-headed Gulls

After days of calm the resident Mute Swans decided to try and persuade the visitors to leave. Here the resident cob with the blue Darvic ring chases an unringed bird. They were not successful and after 10 minutes calm was restored and birds retreated to different parts of the water.

Managed this female Bullfinch through gaps in many small branches.

This is likely the very common ‘winter gnat’ Trichocera regelationis.

Peering down the fence post on to the fungus. Rather a vivid colour!

Here from the underside we see gills which means it is not a ‘bracket fungus’. I am inclined to think they are Velvet Shank (Flammulina velutipes), albeit much redder than any illustrations I can find.

(Ed Wilson)

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The Flash: 09:45 – 10:20

(6th visit of the year)

The plethora of runners and joggers seemed to have little effect on the birds

A Jay flying across the N was a new species for me here this year: the site total is now 37

Notes from here
- rather fewer Tufted Ducks this morning: yesterday they were very vocal and seemed restless: surely not leaving already

Birds noted flying over
- 6 Wood Pigeons
- 2 Jackdaws

The counts from the water
- 2 Mute Swans
- 4 Canada Geese
- 1 white feral goose again
- 35 (24♂) Mallard
- 9 (8♂) Pochard
- 43 (27♂) Tufted Ducks
- 7 (1♂) Goosanders
- 2 Cormorants
- 1 Grey Heron
- 2 Great Crested Grebes
- 5 Moorhens again
- 14 Coots
- 63 Black-headed Gulls

The hooked tip on the bill Goosanders is well illustrated here on this drake. The cutting edges of the bill are serrated for gripping fish and eels – one name for this family of ducks is ‘saw bills’. Despite the rather gloomy conditions the head is still glossing both green and blue. Note too the nostrils on top of the bill.

Not too sure what this Grey Heron was doing here. It was too far away from the edge of the island to make a stab at a fish.

It though so too and prepared to move off. This bird is coming in to breeding condition – Herons start building nests any time now. We see the bill turning orange and the ‘aigrettes’ hanging down the breast. Only a small crest so far.

(Ed Wilson)

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On this day..........

2015
Local Area
Today's Sightings Here

2014
Priorslee Lake
12 Pochard
63 Tufted Duck
3 Greater Scaup
Velvet Scoter
3 Great Black-backed Gulls
16 Redwings over
555 Jackdaws
345 Rooks
(Ed Wilson, Gary Crowder)

The Flash
120 Tufted Ducks
(Ed Wilson)

Trench Lock Pool
3 Pochard
34 Tufted Duck
(Ed Wilson)

Trench Middle Pool
2 Goosanders
(Ed Wilson)

2013
Priorslee Lake
31 Wigeon 
10 Gadwall 
11 Pochard 
44 Tufted Ducks 
1 Greater Scaup 
177 Coots again 
38 Herring Gulls
1 Yellow-legged Gull
9 Redwings
52 Magpies
3 Reed Buntings
(Ed Wilson)

The Flash
2 Shoveler 
4 Pochard 
57 Tufted Duck 
1 Goosander 
(Ed Wilson)

2012
Priorslee Lake
5 Great Crested Grebes
21 Pochard
38 Tufted Duck
150 Wood Pigeons
57 Redwings 
(Ed Wilson)

Priorslee Flash
36 Tufted Ducks
(Ed Wilson)

Trench Lock Pool 
7 Pochard
33 Tufted Ducks
(Ed Wilson)