28 Nov 19

Priorslee Lake, The Flash, Trench Lock Pool and Trench Middle Pool [not in that order]

Priorslee Lake:  12:40 – 13:10
The Flash:  11:55 – 12:35
Trench Lock Pool:  10:55 – 11:25
Trench Middle Pool:  10:25 –10:50 // 11:30 – 11:45

8.0°C:  Low cloud with occasional drizzle. Light N wind. Moderate visibility.

[Sunrise: 07:54 GMT]

Ahead of the promised afternoon rain and evening clearance a start at Trench which was just below the low clouds.

I hope that promised clearance and colder weather with a N wind will bring some change in the scene.

Priorslee Lake:  12:40 – 13:10

(272nd visit of the year)

Bird notes:
- Just two cygnets with the Mute Swan adults. Another cygnet was, as usual, keeping well-apart.
- Pochard and some of the additional Tufted Ducks from The Flash?
- Higher proportion of Herring Gulls today, mostly first-winter birds. I am sure that a few of these ought to have been Yellow-legged Gulls: I would need closer views of flying birds to separate at this age.

Bird totals:

Birds noted flying over or flying near the lake:
None

Counts from the lake area:
- 2 + 3 Mute Swans (see notes)
- 2 (1♂) Gadwall
- 3 (2♂) Mallard
- 6 (6♂) Pochard
- 57 (30♂) Tufted Ducks
- 2 Cormorants: one departed
- 1 Little Grebe again
- 7 Great Crested Grebes
- 7 Moorhens
- 137 Coots
- >170 Black-headed Gulls
- >160 Lesser Black-backed Gulls: mostly adults; few arriving
- >40 Herring Gulls: three adults; one 2nd winter; rest first-winters

In squirrel alley I found this group of fungus.

Here in close up. It looks like one of the Stereum species of ‘crust’, just possibly the very common Hairy Curtain Crust (Stereum hirsutum). It looks rather too yellow for that species and I am not sure about the ‘jelly-looking’ growths between the crusts. Are they still undeveloped fruiting bodies? Or a separate jelly-fungus?

(Ed Wilson)

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The Flash:  11:55 – 12:35

(258th visit of the year)

Bird notes from here:
- Some of the Pochard and Tufted Duck appear to have decamped to the main lake.
- I suspected three Great Crested Grebes yesterday but could never find all three at the same time. Certainly three today.
- The Sparrowhawk was flying around again, terrorising the tits in the trees.

Birds noted flying over / near The Flash.
None

Counts from the water:
- 3 Mute Swans
- 48 Canada Goose: 26 of these flew off in three groups
- 34 (18♂) Mallard
- 10 (8♂) Pochard
- 14 (5♂) Tufted Duck
- 2 (0♂) Goosander
- 1 Grey Heron: departed
- 3 Great Crested Grebes
- 5 Moorhen
- 13 Coots
- 64 Black-headed Gulls
- 2 Lesser Black-backed Gulls: both adults

Other things:
- on a lamp pole
        - 1 Dicranopalpus ramosus harvestman
- elsewhere
        - new cluster of fungus, perhaps Hairy Curtain Crust (Stereum hirsutum)

(Ed Wilson)

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Trench Lock Pool:  10:55 – 11:25

(49th visit of the year)

This site continues to disappoint

Notes from here:
- One of the 101 Canada Geese had the white chin-strap extending to meet on the nape. It also had a small white patch on the forehead. Otherwise it looked like a regular Canada Goose.
- Further increase in Great Crested Grebe numbers: now eleven.
- Once again I ask: where are all the Coots? A few years ago there would be >100 here in late Autumn.

Birds noted flying over / near here [other than local Wood Pigeons and Jackdaws].
- 41 Starlings

Counts from the water:
- 1 Mute Swan
- 101 Canada Geese (see notes)
- 8 (6♂) Mallard again
- 2 (2♂) Goosanders
- 1 Little Grebe
- 11 Great Crested Grebes
- 1 Moorhen
- 4 Coots only
- 5 Black-headed Gulls
- 2 Lesser Black-backed Gull: both adults; both departed
- 1 Herring Gull: second-winter; departed

Here is the rather strange Canada Goose. The white on the chin-strap extends right on to the nape where there are additional pale marks down the neck ...

.. and head-on we see the white on the forehead. On the photo the white is more extensive than I noted at the time, with light blotching all over the crown. Otherwise it looks like a regular Canada Goose.

The only good thing about dull late Autumn days is that there is very ‘flat’ light. Too little of it to freeze the action on this drake Goosander but it shows the delicate pink suffusion acquired by drakes in breeding condition.

(Ed Wilson)

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Trench Middle Pool:  10:25 –10:50 // 11:30 – 11:45

(49th visit of the year)

The footpath along the N side embankment closed again and work continues. Recently a van ran down the steps at the W end of the N side and had to be retrieved from the water. Apparently unoccupied. Whether it was a workman’s van that ran away or a deliberate act is unclear.

Notes from here:
- The second Mute Swan would not come close-enough for me to read any ring
- 1 Grey Wagtail flew off as I arrived

Birds noted flying over / near here:
None

Counts from the water:
- 2 Mute Swans: one Blue 7JLE
- 22 Canada Geese
- 1 all-white feral Goose-type
- 15 (12♂) Mallard
- 11 (6♂) Tufted Duck
- 6 (3♂) Goosander
- 1 Grey Heron
- 2 Great Crested Grebes
- 13 Moorhens
- 35 Coots
- 31 Black-headed Gulls
- 1 Lesser Black-backed Gull: 1 adult
- 2 Herring Gulls: 1 adult; 1 first winter
- 1 possible first-winter Yellow-legged Gull

Two large gulls. The adult on the left is a Herring Gull, albeit with rather unusual dark area around the eye. The first-winter on the right is a bit more of a puzzle. At the time I thought Herring Gull. Examining the photo in more detail the combination of all-black bill, extensive white fringes to the feathers on the back; rather dark base of the hind neck and mostly uniform tertials (only two show slight white notches) are more characteristic of Yellow-legged Gull. I would have liked to see the bird fly before making a definitive call.

You try better on a dull Autumn day with an active Long-tailed Tit! I was quite pleased with what the camera (and Photoshop) manage to extract.

(Ed Wilson)

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

2018
Priorslee Lake
Today's Sightings Here

2017
Priorslee Lake
Today's Sightings Here

2016
Priorslee Lake
Today's Sightings Here

2012
Priorslee Lake
3 Gadwall
7 Pochard
24 Tufted Ducks
1 Goldeneye
c.373 Wood Pigeons
2 Woodcock
17 Redwings
29 Fieldfares
c.490 Jackdaws
56 Rooks
9 Reed Buntings
(Ed Wilson)

The Flash
2 Pochard
48 Tufted Duck
10+ Goosander
(Ed Wilson)

2009
The Wrekin
Firecrest
(Martin & Ian Grant)

2006
Priorslee Lake
1 Little Grebe
26 Pochard
47 Tufted Ducks
1 drake Ruddy Duck
1 Water Rail
64 Coots
895 Black-headed Gulls
48 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
35 Fieldfares
24 Redwings
191 Jackdaws
123 Rooks
53 Starlings
16 Greenfinch
13 Goldfinches
7 Reed Buntings
(Ed Wilson)

2005
Priorslee Lake
2 Little Grebes
A duck Wigeon
Cormorant
c.75 Lapwing
2 Fieldfares
1 duck Pochard
34 Tufted Duck logged.
200 Coot
(Ed Wilson)