27 Feb 19

Priorslee Lake and The Flash

Priorslee Lake:  05:50 – 09:25
The Flash:  09:30 – 10:15

2.0°C > 9.0°C:  Fine and clear after frosty start. Calm / light E wind. Moderate / good visibility in haze

Sunrise: 07:02 GMT

Priorslee Lake:  05:50 – 09:25

(54th visit of the year)

Bird species added to my 2019 log from here
64      Great White Egret
65      Stonechat
Not sure which of these sightings I regard as the ‘best’ for today
- Great White Egret is always a good record even if this was a high-level fly-over at 07:15. I have seen this species from here on at least 4 occasions with four birds together, briefly, at the lake on 6th November 2018
- a female Stonechat was briefly on the bushes alongside the W end footpath at 08:55. It flew off towards the lake and I was unable to relocate it. As I recall this is only my second-ever sighting of this species here. It must be well over 10 years ago that there was an individual for several Autumn days in scrub at the W end of the lake
The Stonechat gets my vote. Some reward after a rather ‘thin’ few weeks

Other bird notes from today
- as has happened several times recently a pair of Canada Geese flew in. Later another pair arrived and there was disharmony
- a third Great Crested Grebe today with a pair along the N side
- pair of Sparrowhawks displaying before settling in a tree in NW area: hassled off by Magpies
- Woodcock seen yet again
- a lone Lesser Black-backed Gull arrived after 09:00 and landed on the buoy used by a bird that arrived early with the Black-headed Gulls. Same bird? Or is there something about the colour of that buoy?
- 16 of the Wood Pigeons flying high N in singles and very loose groups
- Jackdaws even harder to count today as half the groups passed to the W of the lake and half to the E. As I have remarked I am not Janus and the birds to the W are against still-dark skies
- Chiffchaff seen as well as heard today
- 4 Mistle Thrushes having a set-to around their usual nest area

Bird totals

Birds noted flying over or flying near the lake
- 11 Canada Geese (all outbound)
- 1 Great White Egret
- 27 Black-headed Gulls
- 5 Lesser Black-backed Gull
- 1 Stock Dove
- 170 Wood Pigeons
- c.710 Jackdaws
- 10 Rooks
- 1 Starling
- 1 Pied Wagtail
- 1 Siskin

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

The counts from the lake area:
- 4 Canada Geese
- 6 (4♂) Mallard
- 4 (4♂) Pochard once again
- 6 (3♂) Tufted Duck
- 1 Grey Heron
- 3 Great Crested Grebes
- 9 Moorhens
- 29 Coots
- 14 Black-headed Gulls
- 1 Lesser Black-backed Gull

Other things
- 1 Dotted Border moth on a lamp post early
then
- 1 Nursery Web Spider on a lamp post later
- another spider appeared on the lamps later: I think a Mouse Spider (Scotophaeus blackwalli)
- 11 small and unidentified flies on the same lamp post

The weather was exactly the same today as yesterday and I could have shown the same sunrise. Instead I chose a different angle.

One of the Canada Geese involved in this morning’s argument.

By the time I engaged brain and camera the Great White Egret was some way away – indeed it was well past before I saw it. On full enlargement we see the white wings and the long legs, sufficient for a positive ID.

Well pre-dawn these two Great Crested Grebes bid each other good morning.

The main point of this shot is to highlight the size difference between male (on the left) and female Sparrowhawks. As it most birds of prey the female is the larger bird. Note too the males rufous breast (can’t do much about the twig across his face).

This Grey Wagtail forsook the gloom of the Wesley Brook – for the gloom of the shady edge of the dam! Some black marks appearing on the chest.

Better seen here.

This sprite was very flighty this morning so I was well-pleased with this Chiffchaff shot. Hopefully will do better when the residents get here and pose while singing.

Here are two of the Mistle Thrushes having a bit of a set-to. Note the very white underwing, often visible at long range on flying birds.

A very distinctive spider. It looks to me like a Mouse Spider (Scotophaeus blackwalli).

The council-planted Daffodils on the verge outside the Castle Farm Way gate are just open.

(Ed Wilson)

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The Flash:  09:30 – 10:15

(49th visit of the year)

Notes from here:
- last year’s cygnet not seen. Has been lurking deep inside the island sometimes recently so may have been overlooked. Having got rid of the hybrid goose the cob was at peace with the Canadas present
- two drake Mallard on different roofs
- two Great Spotted Woodpeckers drumming in squirrel alley: one of them the female I saw on Monday drumming on the same branch: could not locate the other to check its sex but likely the other of a pair
and
- 2 Grey Squirrels

Birds noted flying over / near The Flash
- 2 Black-headed Gulls

The counts from the water
- 2 Mute Swans
- 17 Canada Geese
- 23 (15♂) Mallard
- 1 (1♂) Shoveler remains
- 38 (20♂) Tufted Ducks
- 2 Great Crested Grebes remain
- 4 Moorhens
- 32 Coots

“My roof”.

“This roof is mime”. Why they do this is a mystery. Perhaps their mates are nesting in the gardens here and they are standing guard. Perhaps they like the view!

Nuthatches acquire more obvious rufous flanks in the breeding season.

Goldcrests are for ever on the move a very hard to photograph. Here is one trying to battle its way through the long needles of this pine tree.

Separation of Goldcrest and Firecrest is not, in practice too hard. The staring eye as shown by this Goldcrest is usually very obvious in contrast to the dark line through the eye of Firecrest. You would also be unlikely to find Firecrest high up in a tree and they are usually close to water.

Here we see the yellow crown stripe. When excited the feathers are raised to reveal red bases which can cause momentary confusion with Firecrest.

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

2013
Priorslee Lake
6 Great Crested Grebes
1 Greater Scaup
26 Wigeon
4 Gadwall 
33 Tufted Ducks 
84 Coots 
c.800 Black-headed Gulls
c.450 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
c.60 Herring Gulls
1 Great Black-backed Gull 
(Ed Wilson)

Horsehay Pool
1 Glaucous Gull
(J W Reeves )

2012
Priorslee Lake
4 Great Crested Grebes
1 Shelduck
4 Pochard
30 Tufted Duck
35 Robins
24 Wrens
15 Dunnocks 
(Ed Wilson)

Priorslee Flash
3 Great Crested Grebes
9 Pochard
53 Tufted Duck 
(Ed Wilson)

2010
Priorslee Lake
1 Little Grebe 
6 Great Crested Grebes
1 Heron 
4 Gadwall
35 Pochard
51 Tufted Ducks
1 Water Rail
103 Coots 
c.700 Black-headed Gulls
c.225 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
27 Herring Gulls
Common Gull
Great Black-backed Gull
2 Willow Tit
124 Jackdaws
86 Rooks
1 Linnet
14 Siskins
2 Reed Bunting
(Ed Wilson)

2009
Priorslee Lake
1 Glaucous Gull
1 Iceland Gull
(Ed Wilson)

2007
Priorslee Lake
4 Pochard 
19 Tufted Duck
1 Ruddy Duck
600 Black-headed Gulls
100 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
1 Herring Gull
1 Great Black-backed Gull
36 Wren
28 Robin
7 Redwing
20 Magpie
134 Jackdaw 
8 Greenfinch
4 Reed Bunting
(Ed Wilson, Martin Adlam)

2006
Priorslee Lake
6 Great Crested Grebes
1 Heron
2 Cormorant
2 Gadwall
7 Pochard
42 Tufted Ducks
110 Coots
150 Starlings
23 Pied Wagtails
21 Wrens
15 Robins
17 Blackbirds
2 Redwings
1 Willow Tit
16 Greenfinches
38 Siskins
1 Redpoll
4 Reed Buntings
(Ed Wilson)