26 Feb 19

Priorslee Lake, The Flash, Trench Lock Pool and Trench Middle Pool

Priorslee Lake:  05:50 – 09:15
The Flash:  09:20 – 10:10
Trench Lock Pool:  10:25 – 10:40 // 11:20 – 11:45
Trench Middle Pool:  10:45 – 11:15

2.0°C > 14.0°C:  Fine and clear after frosty start. Calm / light E wind. Moderate / good visibility in haze

Sunrise: 07:04 GMT


Priorslee Lake:  05:50 – 09:15

(53rd visit of the year)

Bird notes from today
- Sparrowhawk seen in display flight again before settling briefly on tree along N side
- 10 Black-headed Gulls arrived at 06:20, circling around until 06:45 when they left to the E without having settled. Presumably the same 10 flew in from the E later to join just 3 on the water
- some of the Wood Pigeons were flying very high. Almost all singly and not in any specific direction as if they might be migrants
- the big wintering groups of Long-tailed Tits seem to have started to break up into smaller breeding groups. I usually see 2 or 3 groups: yesterday and today 5 groups

Bird totals

Birds noted flying over or flying near the lake
- 5 Canada Geese (3 outbound; 2 inbound)
- 6 (5♂?) Goosanders
- 1 Cormorant
- 26 Black-headed Gulls
- 3 Lesser Black-backed Gulls again
- 1 Feral Pigeon
- 2 Stock Doves
- 165 Wood Pigeons
- c.650 Jackdaws
- 34 Rooks
- 13 Starlings

Birds recorded leaving roosts around the lake
- [Magpies not counted]
- 5 Reed Buntings

The counts from the lake area:
- 7 (5♂) Mallard
- 4 (4♂) Pochard again
- 4 (2♂) Tufted Duck
- 1 Cormorant
- 2 Grey Herons
- 2 Great Crested Grebes
- 11 Moorhens
- 32 Coots
- 13 Black-headed Gulls

Other things
- 2 Dotted Borders moth on a lamp post early
- 1 Nursery Web spider on a lamp post early
- 1 unidentified spider on a lamp post early
then
- 2 different Nursery Web spiders on a lamp post later
- unidentified fungus

The start of another splendid winter’s(?) day if somewhat hazy again.

The light was not helpful to show this Cormorant to best effect. The breeding season white head-plumes and thigh patch can be seen: we can also just about see the orange bare-skin around the gape, also acquired by adults.

One of many Long-tailed Tits this morning – all in smaller groups than I have been seeing since last Autumn.

Another one.

A Dunnock singing.

One of two Dotted Border moths today. This specimen was at rest with wings partly open showing that the ‘dotted border’ extends across the underwing as well. Not at all sure what is lurking on its right. The flash makes it hard to discern even how many legs it has.

“come in number 9”. This Dotted Border was quite happy to remain in full sunlight.

This spider on a frosted lamp pole shows some eye-shine, reflection of the camera flash. Shaped somewhat like a Nursery-web Spider though quite differently marked.

These two Nursery-web Spiders came out to sunbathe later.

I can get nowhere identifying this row of small fungus. I am sure these were not frosted and really looked like this: they were well-buried in the under storey.

(Ed Wilson)

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The Flash:  09:20 – 10:10

(48th visit of the year)

Bird species added to my 2019 log from here
55      Chiffchaff
singing from squirrel alley. My earliest-ever here

Notes from here:
- I assume the Canada Goose build-up is of birds hoping to nest on the island. The cob Mute Swan thinks otherwise
- one pair of Mallard on roof in Derwent Drive; another pair in a front garden here
- single drake Shoveler still here
- the lone Black-headed Gull was also on a roof in Derwent Drive
and
- 3 Grey Squirrels
- 1 wasp sp.: I thought rather too small to be a queen, but certainly diving in the Ivy so perhaps looking for a nest site

Birds noted flying over / near The Flash
- 2 Jackdaws

The counts from the water
- 2 + 1 Mute Swans
- 1 Greylag x Canada Goose
- 38 Canada Geese
- 16 (11♂) Mallard
- 1 (1♂) Shoveler still
- 35 (21♂) Tufted Ducks
- 1 Cormorant
- 2 Great Crested Grebes
- 6 Moorhens
- 27 Coots
- 1 Black-headed Gull

The cob Mute Swan was unhappy with the geese in general. With 39 to choose from he spent most of the time chasing (to the edge of my picture) this Greylag x Canada Goose – a long-term visitor here and paired with a regular Canada Goose at the moment. Note the orange bill on the goose – exactly like a Greylag. There is also some pale in the wing and a rather washed-out chin-strap.

And here he is having another go.

The only Black-headed Gull today was this bird on the ridge tiles of one of the houses in Derwent Drive.

(Ed Wilson)

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Trench Lock Pool:  10:25 – 10:40 // 11:20 – 11:45

(12th visit of the year)

Today’s notes from here
- five Mute Swans when I arrived: a pair was quickly dispatched with the remaining ‘extra’ bird not being chased. However it had gone by the time I returned from Middle Pool with two unringed birds remaining
- two Black-headed Gulls arrived while I was at Middle Pool: the only gulls
also
- what was probably a Buff-tailed Bumblebee: seen too briefly to positively ID

Birds noted flying over / near here [other than local Wood Pigeons and Jackdaws]
None

The counts from the water
- 5 > 3 > 2 Mute Swans
- 13 Canada Geese
- 2 (1♂) Mallard
- 1 (1♂) feral Mallard
- 1 (1♂) Pochard
- 19 (11♂) Tufted Ducks
- 1 Little Grebe
- 1 Great Crested Grebe as ever
- 3 Moorhens again
- 26 Coots
- 0 > 2 Black-headed Gulls only

(Ed Wilson)

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Trench Middle Pool:  10:45 – 11:15

(12th visit of the year)

Bird species added to my 2019 log from here
38      Jay
39      Bullfinch

Notes from here
- rather few Black-headed Gulls here as well as elsewhere this morning
- 1 Grey Wagtail again

Birds noted flying over / near here
- 1 Common Buzzard

The counts from the water
- 5 Greylag Geese
- 49 Canada Geese
- 20 (15♂) Mallard
- 2 (1♂) Tufted Ducks
- 1 Cormorant again
- 2 Great Crested Grebes again
- 9 Moorhens again
- 30 Coots
- 25 Black-headed Gulls

(Ed Wilson)

Note:
1. A few photos from Venus Pool - 24 Feb - Click Here
2. A few photos from Belvide - 23 Feb. Click Here

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

2017
Priorslee Lake
Today's Sightings Here

2016
Priorslee Lake
Today's Sightings Here

2015
Priorslee Lake
Today's Sightings Here

2014
Priorslee Lake
4 Great Crested Grebes 
3 Cormorants 
1 Grey Heron 
8 Pochard 
4 Tufted Duck 
164 Black-headed Gulls
78 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
9 Herring Gulls
1 Yellow-legged Gull
16 Fieldfare
18 Redwings
c.800 Jackdaws
 >250 Rooks
20 Siskins
(Ed Wilson, Gary Crowder)

The Flash
1 Little Grebe 
185 Tufted Ducks
(Ed Wilson)

Little Wenlock, Candles Landfill Site
2 Iceland Gulls
3 Caspian Gull
(Observer Unknown)

2013
Priorslee Lake
6 Great Crested Grebes 
33 Wigeon 
1 Common Teal 
4 Gadwall 
33 Tufted Ducks 
89 Coots 
c.650 Black-headed Gulls
c.410 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
41 Herring Gulls
1 Great Black-backed Gull
(Ed Wilson / John Isherwood)

The Flash
1 Little Grebe
9 Pochard 
89 Tufted Duck 
1 Greater Scaup
(Ed Wilson, John Isherwood)

2010
Priorslee Lake
6 Great Crested Grebes 
18 Swans 
4 Gadwall
35 Pochard
44 Tufted Duck
96 Coots 
c.650 Black-headed Gulls 
c.220 Lesser Black-backed Gulls 
12 Herring Gulls 
1 other 'strange gull'!
(Ed Wilson)

2009
Priorslee Lake
Iceland Gull
2 Curlew
(Ed Wilson)

2007
Priorslee Lake
1 Water Rail
2 Sky Larks
(Ed Wilson)

2006
Priorslee Lake
1 Little Grebe
6 Great Crested Grebes
1 Heron
1 Cormorant
2 Gadwall
6 Pochard
45 Tufted Ducks
96 Coots
c.1000 Black-headed Gulls
274 Wood Pigeon
135 Jackdaws
111 Rooks
78 Starlings
45 Pied Wagtails
20 Robins
17 Blackbirds
10 Song Thrushes
4 Redwings
2 Willow Tits
20 Greenfinches
6 Siskins
5 Reed Buntings
(Ed Wilson)