4 Jan 21

Priorslee Lake and The Flash

0.0°C > 1.0°C: Mainly cloudy with a few light snow flurries giving a dusting. Light N wind. Very good visibility except in snow.

Sunrise: 08:21 GMT

* = a photo today

Priorslee Lake: 06:44 – 09:37

(4th visit of the year)

- very little ice remains

Bird notes:
- c.75 Black-headed Gulls were present by 07:05. More continued to arrive until c.07:45 when at least 750 were present.
- Large gulls once again in short supply with two adult Great Black-backed Gulls the highlight.
- A small number of Jackdaws were heard passing at 07:15 when the combination of a snow flurry and the low light precluded me seeing them. Just 72 counted after 07:40.
- At least 15 Redwings were either on the academy playing field or adjacent trees. Two Mistle Thrushes were with them.
- A group of six Bullfinches flew out of the Ricoh hedge together.

Birds noted flying over / near here:
- 15 Wood Pigeons
- 1 Herring Gull
- 12 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
- 6 Cormorants: single, duo and trio
- >72 Jackdaws
- 3 Redwings

Birds were seen / heard leaving roosts around the lake:
None apart from uncounted Magpies

Counts from the lake area:
- 2 Canada Geese: departed
- 2 + 5 Mute Swans
- 8 (5♂) Mallard
- 8 (7♂) Pochard
- 49 (29♂) Tufted Duck
- 9 Moorhens
- Coots not counted
- 4 Little Grebes
- 3 Great Crested Grebes again
- >750 Black-headed Gulls
- 2 Great Black-backed Gulls
- 3 Herring Gulls: two adults; one immature
- 8 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
- 1 Cormorant: arrived
- 1 Grey Heron

On / around the street lights etc. pre-sunrise:
Nothing

Noted later:
- 1 Grey Squirrel

My 2021 bird species list for here:
With today's additions in the order I recorded them, now stands at 47
Treecreeper
Great Black-backed Gull

Surprisingly I am so far this year missing Rook and Long-tailed Tit. Two species I normally log almost every day.

(Ed Wilson)

Note: Ed Wilson's Priorslee 2020 Newsletter can be found HERE.

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The Flash: 09:40 – 10:41

(4th visit of the year)

- c.40% ice

Bird notes:
- Two Great Spotted Woodpeckers were together (so presumably a pair though too distant to confirm) in tree-tops near the medical centre.
- Four Redwings popped up on trees at the top end. More surprising was that a Fieldfare joined them.
- Later at the top of squirrel alley at least 15 more Redwings flushed out of tree-tops.

Birds noted flying over / near The Flash:
- 1 Lesser Black-backed Gull
- 6 Feral Pigeons

Counts from the water:
- 11 Canada Geese
- 3 + 5 (1 brood) Mute Swans
- 37 (21♂) Mallard
- 5 (4♂) Pochards
- 56 (17♂) Tufted Duck
- 8 Moorhens
- 31 Coots
- 77 Black-headed Gulls

On the lamp poles or around the Ivy
Nothing

Noted elsewhere:
- 1 Grey Squirrel

My 2021 bird species list for here:
With today's additions in the order I recorded them, now stands at 37
Fieldfare
Great Spotted Woodpecker
Chaffinch

A Fieldfare. I do not see these sitting anywhere too often so this somewhat distant bird was a welcome target for the camera. Note the grey head and (just visible) grey rump. The back is brown. Note the belly is well-spotted on a plain background. That means this is a first-winter bird: on an adult the spots would be on a rusty-yellow tinged breast. The black-tip to the yellow bill also indicates a first-winter bird. This species is larger than either Redwing or Song Thrush being a tad smaller than a Mistle Thrush. More usually seen hopping along in open fields.

It's smaller 'winter thrush' cousin, a Redwing. An annoying criss-cross of twigs in the way but hey-ho!. It is the flank and underwing that are red and not the upper wing. The creamy eye-stripe is probably an easier identification at long range.

(Ed Wilson)

Note: Ed Wilson's Priorslee 2020 Newsletter can be found HERE.

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On this day
2020
Priorslee Lake
Today's Sightings Here

2019
Priorslee Lake
Today's Sightings Here

2017
Local area
Today's Sightings Here

2014
Priorslee Lake
Two 1st winter female Scaup
(Tom Lowe)

Horsehay Pool
Kittiwake
(Jim Almond)

Little Wenlock, Candles Landfill Site
3 Yellow-legged Gulls
(Tom Lowe)

2013
Priorslee Flash
Drake Scaup
(J Reeves)

Trench Middle Pool
22 Goosander
(Dave Tromans)

2012
Priorslee Lake
96 Greylags Geese
20 Pochard
15 Tufted Ducks
86 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
54 Herring Gulls
1 Yellow-legged Gull
27 Great Black-backed Gulls
Peregrine
204 Redwings
4 Fieldfare
(Ed Wilson/John Isherwood)

Trench Pool
2 Little Grebes
215 Canada Geese
3 Pochard
76 Tufted Ducks
131 Coots
219 Black-headed Gulls
4 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
3 Herring Gulls
1 Great Black-backed Gull
(Ed Wilson)

Holmer Lake
46 Goosander
(John Isherwood)

2010
Priorslee Lake
Black-necked Grebe
5 Great Crested Grebes
44 Mute Swans
2 Gadwall
47 Pochard
117 Tufted Duck
2 adult Common Gulls
1 Great Black-backed Gull
c.3400 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
 c.250 Herring Gulls
c.2500 Black-headed Gulls
Caspian Gull
2 Yellow-legged Gull
3 Water Rail
324 Coots 
17 Goldfinches
13 Siskins
1 Redpoll
(Ed Wilson/Jason)

2009
Priorslee Lake
1 Little Grebe
12 Great Crested Grebes
10 Mute Swans
1 drake Shoveler
11 Pochard
44 Tufted Ducks
Iceland Gull
3 Yellow-legged Gulls
122 Coots
34 Siskins
(Ed Wilson/Paul King)

2008
Priorslee Lake
1 Wigeon
5 Gadwall
26 Pochard
106 Tufted Ducks
4 Water Rails
100 Herring Gull 
Yellow-legged Gull
(Ed Wilson)

2007
Priorslee Lake
3 Great Crested Grebes
 >7 Pochard
31 Tufted Ducks
9 Goosanders
>2000 Black-headed Gulls
 >481 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
 >33 Herring Gulls
1 Great Black-backed Gull
28 Robins
14 Blackbirds
5 Fieldfares
67 Redwings
222 Jackdaws
3 Reed Buntings;
(Ed Wilson)

2006
Priorslee Lake
1 Wigeon
1 Goldeneye
22 Pochard
43 Tufted Duck
c.3000 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
c.2000 Black-headed Gulls
2 Great Black-backed Gulls
131 Herring Gull
5 Yellow-legged Gulls
66 Siskins
14 Robins
15 Blackbirds
1 Willow Tit
4 Reed Buntings
(Ed Wilson)