31 Jan 18

Priorslee Lake and The Flash

3.0°C > 4.5C: Overnight showers clearing away: still cloudy until c.09:15.. Fresh / strong W wind, easing somewhat Very good visibility

Sunrise: 07:54 GMT

Priorslee Lake: 06:50 – 09:35

(13th visit of the year)

Notes from today:
- another chapter in the Mute Swan saga. Four visitors when I arrived: one pair chased off and left to the E c.08:10. The other pair left alone
- a raft of 37 Tufted Ducks along the S side was something I had not noted previously. Totals suggest that some of these birds were new in – but not that many
- very few Black-headed Gulls this morning – no more than 50
- another Skylark over today after my first of the year yesterday (note: the Belvide blog from yesterday notes they had their first Skylark of the year)
- a single Starling seen leaving the reeds
- >30 Siskins in a tree near the Teece Drive gate: today they had found an Alder they could feed in
and
- nothing noted on the lamps once more
- an early Cowslip (Primula veris) found in flower

Today’s bird totals

Birds noted flying over / near the lake:
- 2 Canada Geese (outbound)
- 2 Cormorants
- 1 Common Buzzard
- 3 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
- 10 Wood Pigeons
- c.325 Jackdaws
- 1 Skylark again
- 3 Pied Wagtails

Birds noted leaving roosts around the lake:
[Magpies not counted]
- 1 Starling

The counts from the lake area
- 6 + 3 Mute Swans
- 23 Canada Geese
- 11 (6♂) Gadwall
- 9 (6♂) Mallard
- 1 (1♂) Pochard
- 67 (40♂) Tufted Ducks
- 3 Cormorants
- 3 Great Crested Grebes again
- 7 Moorhens
- 119 Coots
- c.50 Black-headed Gulls again

One of the Cormorants today was a splendid breeding plumaged bird with big white thigh patch, extensive head-plumes and a crest.
The size of the crest is perhaps best seen in this view. It was a wary bird and would not allow a close approach.

First sign of Spring? An early Cowslip (Primula veris).

(Ed Wilson)

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The Flash: 09:40 – 10:25

(7th visit of the year)

New species for me here this year were Buzzard, Kingfisher, Long-tailed Tit and Siskin: my site total for the year now stands at 41 bird species

Notes from here
- good number of Greylag Geese arrived
- Tufted Duck numbers increased here as well
- Kingfisher heard but try as I might I could not find it
- another unusually high number of Jackdaws over head
- the two Siskins were in Alders at the N end of the water with Goldfinches. I only found them because they dropped down from time to time to drink from a puddle on the path – Siskins need to drink regularly after eating the dry Alder cone seeds, something that Goldfinches do not seem to require

Birds noted flying over
- 3 Cormorants
- 1 (1♂) Sparrowhawk
- 2 Buzzards
- 8 Feral Pigeons
- 1 Wood Pigeons
- 27 Jackdaws

The counts from the water
- 2 Mute Swans
- 21 Greylag Geese
- 7 Canada Geese
- 1 white feral goose again
- 33 (22♂) Mallard
- 10 (9♂) Pochard
- 67 (34♂) Tufted Ducks
- 6 (2♂) Goosanders
- 1 Cormorant
- 1 Grey Heron again
- 3 Great Crested Grebes
- 9 Moorhens
- 15 Coots
- 38 Black-headed Gulls
- Kingfisher heard only

A couple of adult Black-headed Gulls: the rear bird is showing more black on the head as it comes in to breeding plumage. Note too the bill is darker blood-red at the base.
Another couple in slightly different states of plumage.

For comparison a first-winter bird. It will probably develop a full black hood but will retain some of the brown wing feathers.
At rather long range this shows a Carrion Crow sparring with a male Sparrowhawk – a female Sparrowhawk would be much closer to the crow in size. They spent some while together and almost seemed to be enjoying sparring.

(Ed Wilson)

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On this day..........
2012
Priorslee Lake
6 Great Crested Grebes
22 Greylag Geese
19 Pochard
42 Tufted Duck
c.390 Black-headed Gulls
c.350 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
32 Herring Gulls
1 Common Gull
3 Yellow-legged Gulls
3 Great Black-backed Gulls
69 Redwings
25 Greenfinches
4 Linnets
(Ed Wilson / John Isherwood)

 Priorslee Flash
Tundra Bean Goose
8 Greylag Geese
37 Tufted Ducks
c.1000 Black-headed Gulls
246 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
35 Herring Gulls.
(Ed Wilson, John Isherwood)

 Trench Pool
8 Pochard
50 Tufted Ducks
79 Coots
(Ed Wilson)

 Holmer Lake
50 Goosander
(John Isherwood)