23 Jan 26

Priorslee Balancing Lake and The Flash

6.0°C: Scattered low cloud below medium-high overcast early; soon giving way to low overcast with light rain after 10:00. Moderate-fresh easterly wind. Good visibility.

Sunrise: 08:06 GMT

* = a species photographed today

Priorslee Balancing Lake: 06:50 – 09:00

(20th visit of the year)

A very quiet day again

Bird notes:
- there were a trio of Goosander today: two drakes.
- another day with small numbers of, especially, large gulls on the water
- the first six Black-headed Gulls arrived at 07:25. A steady arrival saw the numbers increase to c.60 before they all departed to the South with at least 28 others passing overhead. After 08:00 c.150 (more?) arrived from the West. A few more flew directly over.
- the first group of c.50 Lesser Black-backed Gulls arrived overhead at 07:20. With none already on the water they circled overhead and then moved away South. More passed over later with just two Herring Gulls and eight Lesser Black-backed Gulls noted on the water, briefly.
- the Great (White) Egret was seen flying around. With almost all the reeds adjacent to the dam cut down there were fewer places for this bird and the Grey Heron to lurk.

Where have all the Great Crested Grebes gone? Well: I read that last Tuesday c.440 were counted on the flat-calm sea off The Wirral. Looking through the Dee Estuary birding blog this seems to be an annual Winter gathering, albeit requiring a flat calm sea to see. I guess most of our birds have gone to the seaside for their annual holiday.

Bird(s) noted flying over here:
- 6 Wood Pigeons
- 43 Black-headed Gulls
- 4 Herring Gulls
- c.125 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
- 112 Jackdaws
- 137 Rooks
- c.35 Starlings together
- c.25 Goldfinches: together

Counts from the lake area:
- 4 (3♂) Mallard
- 7 (3♂) Tufted Duck only
- 3 (2♂) Goosander
- 2 Moorhens
- 12 Coots
- >200 Black-headed Gulls
- 2 Herring Gulls
- 8 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
- 4 Cormorants
- 1 Grey Heron
- 1 Great (White) Egret: flew off?

Noted on the West end street lamp poles pre-dawn:
Breezy again around the poles.

Moths:
- *1 male Early Moth Theria primaria

Springtails:
- *4 springtails of the Dicyrtomina saundersi-type

Others:
- *1 unidentified insect.

Noted later:

Springtails:
- *5 at least of the Dicyrtomina saundersi-type on one wall of the Telford Sailing Club HQ.

Not much from another dull and damp day. I did find this male Early Moth Theria primaria on one of the street lamp poles.

One of the many springtails of the Dicyrtomina saundersi-type I noted both on the street lamp poles before dawn and...

...then later on the wall of the Telford Sailing Club HQ.

I am still baffled by this tiny insect. I am not sure whether it is a springtail or not. It does not look like any in the NatureSpot photo gallery. Obsidentify suggested a millipede: if so it has lost most of its legs. Google Lens was positive it is a silverfish: it isn't. A search through the Collins Insects Guide has not given me any clues.

(Ed Wilson)

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The Flash: 09:05 – 10:25

(16th visit of the year)

Bird notes:
- two Mute Swans back.
- just two Goosander, both brownheads
- one Cormorant: an immature.
- perhaps attracted to the feeding station between Wordsworth Way and the water I noted at least eight Chaffinches and four Greenfinches in various locations along the East side. The former species had become scarce in recent years with very little song heard. We will see in a few weeks whether these bird stay.
- a group of more than 20 Goldfinches with at least five *Siskins were feeding on Alder cones along the East side.

Bird(s) noted flying over here:
- 2 Herring Gulls
- 5 Lesser Black-backed Gulls

Noted on / around the water:
- 8 Canada Geese
- 2 Mute Swans
- 33 (23♂) Mallard
- 6 (4♂) Pochard
- 39 (20♂) Tufted Duck
- 2 (0♂) Goosander
- 11 Moorhens
- 36 Coots
- 1 Great Crested Grebe
- 24 Black-headed Gulls
- 1 Cormorant
- 1 Grey Heron

Noted around the area:

Fungus:
- *Blushing Bracket fungus Daedaleopsis confragosa
- *Yellow Brain Tremella mesenterica: on a different tree to yesterday's example
- *another unidentified fungus

Some things like the wet weather!

The only vaguely acceptable photo of birds today was this one showing two Siskins, a male on the left, attacking Alder cones.

This is Blushing Bracket fungus Daedaleopsis confragosa. It was almost on the ground and I was unable to position the camera to illustrate the underside.

A better(?) example of Yellow Brain fungus Tremella mesenterica that I found on a different tree to that in yesterday's photo. Looks a bit like I imagine my brain is these days – scrambled.

Obsidentify also identifies this fungus as Yellow Brain. It looks more like a traditional bracket fungus with gills to me. At the time I thought there was a stem: the photo shows this is not connected and perhaps a separate fungus.

(Ed Wilson)

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2014
Priorslee Lake
5 Cormorants
3 Grey Herons
8 Pochard
8 Tufted Duck
1 Water Rail
1 Kingfisher
6 Redwings
391 Jackdaws
217 Rooks
(Ed Wilson)

The Flash
201 Tufted Ducks
2 Goosanders
(Ed Wilson)

Trench Lock Pool
4 Great Crested Grebes
(Ed Wilson)

Hortonwood
21 Redwings
(Dave Tromans)

2013
Priorslee Lake
Glaucous Gull
(Observer Unknown)

The Flash
Drake Scaup
(Richard Vernon)

2012
Priorslee Lake
1 Glaucous Gull
1 Caspian Gull
1 Yellow-legged Gull
(Observer Unknown)

2010
Priorslee Lake
2 Wigeon
55 Pochard
104 Tufted Duck
1 Common Gull
2 Ravens
22 Linnets
(Ed Wilson)

2009
Priorslee Lake
Iceland Gull
200 Black-headed Gulls
400 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
20 Herring Gulls
1 Yellow-legged Gull
Glaucous Gull
(Ed Wilson, Martin Adlam)

2008
Priorslee Lake
Iceland Gull
(Pete Nickless)

2007
Priorslee Lake
1 Little Grebe
3 Cormorant
5 Pochard
9 Tufted Duck
2 Kestrel
556 Wood Pigeon
27 Robin
23 Blackbird
1 Fieldfare
14 Redwing
47 Magpie
100 Jackdaw
96 Rook
16 Greenfinch
3 Reed Bunting
(Ed Wilson)

2006
Priorslee Lake
2 Little Grebes
6 Great Crested Grebes
1 Heron
2 Cormorants
9 Pochard
36 Tufted Ducks
3 Water Rails
c.420 Wood Pigeon
c.60 Starling
29 Pied Wagtails
23 Blackbirds
6 Greenfinches
17 Siskins
1 Redpoll
6 Reed Buntings
(Ed Wilson)

22 Jan 26

The Flash and Priorslee Balancing Lake

7.0°C > 9.0°C: Dull and overcast. Light rain at times. Light south-easterly wind. Good visibility.

[Sunrise: 08:07 GMT]

* = a species photographed today

Another day when it seemed prudent to wait until it was (sort of) light before venturing out.

Priorslee Balancing Lake: 10:50 – 11:45

(19th visit of the year)

Of Interest:
For reasons I am sure they know Severn Trent have employed contractors to cut all the reeds along the dam-face. The logic escapes me: unless they dig out the roots they will regrow as they did last year. Surely they are not worried about the reeds affecting the integrity of the dam? Do the reeds not grow in mud and thus help by protecting the dam-face from wave action?

Viewing only from the dam-top.

Bird notes:
- the pair of Goosander still present despite the work on the dam.
- more Coots than recently though still very low numbers historically. It may be that with the cutting of the reeds there were a few more out of hiding.
- very few gulls: none when I arrived with only a few flying in.

Just one bird noted flying over:
- 1 Great (White) Egret flew East: probably the bird seen earlier at The Flash.
There were a very few Wood Pigeons flying about and but one Lesser Black-backed Gull

Counts from the lake area:
- 2 (1♂) Mallard
- 11 (8♂) Tufted Duck
- 2 (1♂) Goosander
- 4 Moorhens
- 19 Coots
- 3 Black-headed Gulls
- 3 Cormorants
That was all folks.

(Ed Wilson)

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The Flash: 09:30 – 10:40

(15th visit of the year)

Bird notes:
- an unsexed Goosander was flying off as I arrived.
- only one Great Crested Grebe noted: a bird with more extensive head plumes than the one I photographed yesterday.
- six Song Thrushes seemed untroubled by the weather and were happily singing away.

Bird(s) noted flying over here:
- 2 Herring Gulls
- 5 Lesser Black-backed Gulls

Noted on / around the water:
- 8 Canada Geese
- 24 (16♂) Mallard
- *9 (7♂) Pochard
- 30 (13♂) Tufted Duck
- *6 (2?♂) Goosander
- 8 Moorhens
- 38 Coots
- 1 Great Crested Grebe
- 12 Black-headed Gulls
- 1 Grey Heron
- 1 Great (White) Egret

One of the fisherman reported that a Kingfisher had flown past him earlier. I checked all the usual places without success.

Noted around the area:

Fungus:
- *Silverleaf Fungus Chondrostereum purpureum
- *Yellow Brain Tremella mesenterica

A duck Goosander in the murk.

A different duck Goosander wing-flapping to illustrate that the white on each wing is confined to the trailing edge. On drakes it extends across the whole width of the wing.

I think this is a pair of Pochard, the back bird being a duck showing "spectacles" around her eyes. I am sure it is too late in the season for this to be a late-developing drake.

This is another pair.

Always perky: a Blue Tit. All the rest of today's bird photo were taken in the vicinity of the feeding station between Wordsworth Way and the water. Considering the very dull conditions and the position of the feeders in a sheltered area I was pleased with the results.

And another Blue Tit.

One of the party of Long-tailed Tits

Another

A Robin joins the feeding party.

A Dunnock. This species prefers to shuffle around on the ground picking up morsels dropped by the other birds.

A "noisy" photo of a female Chaffinch.

On a dead branch of a small tree I noted extensive Silverleaf Fungus Chondrostereum purpureum. Further up the branch...

...alongside more Silverleaf Fungus was a different fungus – Yellow Brain Tremella mesenterica.

(Ed Wilson)

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2014
Priorslee Lake
2 Great Crested Grebes
9 Pochard
106 Tufted Duck
1 Velvet Scoter
106 Coots
c.260 Black-headed Gulls
3 Herring Gulls
204 Redwing
c.250 Jackdaws
(Ed Wilson)

2013
Priorslee Lake
2 Great Crested Grebes
32 Wigeon
6 Gadwall
25 Pochard
105 Tufted Ducks
166 Coot
>1700 Black-headed Gulls
>1500 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
>450 Herring Gulls
13 Great Black-backed Gulls
(Ed Wilson)

2012
Priorslee Lake
1 Water Rail
2 Great Black-backed Gulls
(John Isherwood)

Priorslee Flash
1 Great Black-backed Gull
(John Isherwood)

Holmer Lake
28 Goosander
(John Isherwood)

2008
Priorslee Lake
300 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
65 Herring Gulls
(Martin Adlam)

2007
Priorslee Lake
1 Little Grebe
3 Great Crested Grebes
3 Cormorants
31 Pochard
41 Tufted Ducks
c.200 Black-headed Gulls
128 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
6 Herring Gulls
20 Robins
23 Blackbirds
19 Fieldfares
17 Redwings
3 Jays
31 Magpies
183 Jackdaws
159 Rooks
7 Greenfinches
5 Reed Buntings
(Ed Wilson)

21 Jan 26

Priorslee Balancing Lake and The Flash

4.0°C > 5.0°C: Early there were a few breaks in medium-high level cloud. Low cloud soon rolled in from the south-east with a sharp shower c.09:00 after which the cloud descended further in to misty murk with light rain and drizzle. Moderate-fresh south-easterly wind. Good visibility becoming moderate and then poor.

Sunrise: 08:08 GMT

* = a species photographed today

Priorslee Balancing Lake: 06:55 – 09:20

(18th visit of the year)

Of Interest
Thanks to various people's help I now have full information about the ringed Lesser Black-backed Gull that I photographed 14 January on the ice. It was ringed as a nestling by the Severn Estuary Gull Group in Gloucestershire on 23 May 2005. For the next six years it was recorded more than 50 times in and around Gloucestershire. Since then it has been recorded intermittently at several landfill sites in Leicestershire except on 25 January 2013 when it was seen here (Priorslee Lake) by an observer noted as "RC". Welcome back to a 20 year old!

Today's bird notes:
- no Canada Geese.
- the pair of Goosander remain.
- another day with small numbers of gulls on the water
- the first four Black-headed Gulls arrived at 07:45. Soon after c.40 arrived from the West and almost immediately departed to the South. Later there were c.110 on the water. I have assumed these were different birds.
- the first Lesser Black-backed Gulls flew South at 07:30 and it was 07:39 when the first of six Herring Gulls and just 26 Lesser Black-backs arrived, staying only a short while. Most of the gulls passed to the East, confusingly concurrent with the Jackdaws and Rooks and using the same flight line.
- the Great (White) Egret was seen flying off West at 09:00 (and presumably the bird seen later at The Flash). It was in the air with two Grey Herons. I could not tell whether the herons were chasing it or perhaps sparring among themselves and the egret merely retreated for safety.
- a single Chaffinch and a single Greenfinch slightly improved on yesterday's dearth of finches.

Bird(s) noted flying over here:
- 8 Wood Pigeons
- 12 Herring Gulls
- 102 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
- 219 Jackdaws
- 149 Rooks
- 1 Redwing

Counts from the lake area:
- 6 (4♂) Mallard
- 18 (10♂) Tufted Duck
- 2 (1♂) Goosander still
- 5 Moorhens
- 16 Coots
- c.150 Black-headed Gulls
- 6 Herring Gulls
- 26 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
- 3 Cormorants again
- 2 Grey Heron again
- 1 Great (White) Egret: flew off.

Noted on the West end street lamp poles pre-dawn:
Breezy again around the poles.

Moths:
- 1 Early Moth Theria primaria

Flies:
- 1 winter cranefly Trichocera sp.

Springtails:
- 7 springtails sp. of at least three species including
*probable Dicyrtomina saundersi
*Orchesella cincta

Beetles:
- 1 possible Cabbage-stem Flea Beetle Psylliodes chrysocephala

Spiders / harvestmen etc.:
- *3 spiders, some possibly laceweb spiders Amaurobius fenestralis.

I did not have much luck with some of these. The moth, the cranefly and the flea-beetle all flew away as soon as my torch beam hit them!

Later on the wet Teece Drive fence

Nothing noted

Too damp and gloomy to photograph and birds at the lake. The usual oddities from the street lamp poles. This springtail might be Dicyrtomina saundersi. Then again... Needs greater resolution to provide a confirmed identity.

Is this the same species? The markings on the abdomen of all the globular springtails are variable making identification a challenge.

I am almost certain this is the springtail Orchesella cincta. I have never noticed before that the legs as well and the antennae have pale areas.

I presume a springtail. I can't find any species similar to this in the NatureSpot photo gallery.

Two of these spiders were close together on one of the street lamp poles. Difficult to photograph as they were both close to a fold in the pole which was where the camera insisted on focussing. Obsidentify suggested the laceweb spider Amaurobius fenestralis.

The photo of the other is no better!

On the next pole along was this male spider (boxing gloves as palps). I tried both Obsidentify and Google Lens. Neither gave what I felt was an acceptable identity either before or after I edited the photo, with both changing their suggestions after editing.

(Ed Wilson)

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The Flash: 09:25 – 10:25

(13th visit of the year)

Bird notes:
- no Mute Swans again
- still strangely absent so far this year are Greylag Geese.
- the Pochard were difficult to count, most diving continually in the mist. One of my bird books says this species is a nocturnal feeder and spends the day loafing on the surface. Seems these birds have not read their manual.
- ten Goosander (four *drakes) today.
- back to a high count of Moorhens. They seem to like the wet weather.
- I confirmed there were two Great Crested Grebes today even though I never saw two at the same time. One has more developed head plumes than the *other.
- no Cormorants today.
- the Great (White) Egret was perhaps taking refuge from the Balancing Lake and sitting on the island. It is hard to hide a large white bird.
- as yesterday Chaffinch, Greenfinch, Bullfinch and Goldfinch were all seen here. A group of at least 20 of the later were here today.

Bird(s) noted flying over here:
- 2 Herring Gulls
- 1 Lesser Black-backed Gull

Noted on / around the water:
- 14 Canada Geese
- no Mute Swans
- 26 (19♂) Mallard
- 8 (8?♂) Pochard
- *39 (22♂) Tufted Duck
- 10 (*4♂) Goosander
- 17 Moorhens
- *37 Coots
- *2 Great Crested Grebes
- 28 Black-headed Gulls
- 1 Herring Gull: first-winter, briefly
- no Cormorants
- 1 Grey Heron
- 1 Great (White) Egret

Noted around the area:

Springtails:
- 1 springtail Orchesella cincta

Five drake and two duck Tufted Duck...

...five more drakes with just one duck...

...go to the top end guys where three drakes have nine girls for company (and a Coot).

A drake Goosander powering away. These are often shy birds. When I arrived several were close to the Derwent Drive wall. As soon as I tried to creep out of the car they sped away.

One of the Great Crested Grebes was alongside one of the footbridges and happy to be photographed.

"My other side"

Note the lobed feet used to powering through the water after fish.

Slightly soggy. But then so was I.

(Ed Wilson)

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2014
Priorslee Lake
2 Greater Scaup
1 Velvet Scoter
117 Coots
1 Great Black-backed Gull
4 Redwings
c.274 Jackdaws
(Ed Wilson / Mike Stokes)

2013
Priorslee Lake
1 Little Grebe
1 Greater Scaup
1 Goldeneye
26 Wigeon
4 Gadwall
1 Shoveler
22 Pochard
76 Tufted Ducks
157 Coots
1 Common Gull
144 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
74 Herring Gulls
4 Great Black-backed Gulls
(Ed Wilson)

2010
Priorslee Lake
Adult Caspian Gull
1 Yellow-legged Gull
(Andy Latham)

2009
Priorslee Lake
Juvenile Glaucous Gull
Juvenile Iceland Gull
(Observer Unknown)

2007
Priorslee Lake
2 Pochard
36 Tufted Ducks
c.195 Black-headed Gulls
48 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
34 Herring Gulls
1 Yellow-legged Gull
3 Great Black-backed Gulls
(Ed Wilson)

2006
Priorslee Lake
2 Gadwall
5 Pochard
11 Tufted Duck
132 Coot
2 Water Rail
c.1600 Black-headed Gulls
1 Great Black-backed Gull
428 Jackdaws
438 Rook
300 Wood Pigeons
14 Robin
80 Fieldfare
30 Redwing
11 Blackbird
1 Willow Tits
6 Greenfinch
65 Siskins
6 Redpolls
8 Reed Buntings
(Ed Wilson)

20 Jan 26

Priorslee Balancing Lake and The Flash

7.0°C > 8.0°C: A few breaks in the clouds and occasional sunny bits. Moderate south-easterly wind gusting fresh. Very good visibility.

Sunrise: 08:09 GMT

* = a species photographed today

Priorslee Balancing Lake: 07:05 – 09:20

(17th visit of the year)

Bird notes:
- six Canada Geese remain.
- *a trio of adult Mute Swans flew in from the East c.07:45 settling on the water as a pair and a single. At c.08:15 another adult flew in from the West. All four were then sometimes together, sometimes raising wings in threat and sometimes looking "friendly" before all four flew off West together c.09:05.
- at c.07:35 there were 14 Tufted Duck (11 drakes) and 5 drake Pochard in the middle of the water. Some of these Tufted Duck (there were others elsewhere) and all the Pochard departed, perhaps to The Flash?
- the pair of Goosander still here. Also an unsexed bird flew East c.07:45.
- another small gull arrival. The early arrival of Black-headed Gulls began at 07:45 with just five birds, slowly increasing to 24. By 08:30 there were 75.
. the large gulls started arriving at 07:35 with 10 Herring Gulls and 46 Lesser Black-backs noted. A higher number of Lesser Black-backs flew South to the East early. Almost no gulls flew over later.
- the first sizeable passage of Jackdaws and Rooks for some while. Probably at least in part because for the good visibility.
- at least one Redwing was calling pre-dawn from the hedge between the lake and the M54. Seems a noisy place to roost.
- the only "finches" noted here today were Siskins. These were possibly only flying over.

Bird(s) noted flying over here:
- 1 Greylag Goose: flew East
- 1 (?♂) Goosander
- 17 Wood Pigeons
- 4 Herring Gulls
- 94 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
- 348 – er, let's say c.350 Jackdaws
- 166 Rooks

Counts from the lake area:
- 6 Canada Geese
- *4 Mute Swans: arrived and departed – see notes
- 16 (9♂) Mallard
- 5 (5♂) Pochard: departed
- 26 (18♂) Tufted Duck: some of these departed
- 2 (1♂) Goosander
- 3 Moorhens
- 18 Coots
- c.75 Black-headed Gulls
- 10 Herring Gulls
- 46 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
- *3 Cormorants
- 2 Grey Heron
- *1 Great (White) Egret: chased away by one of the herons.

Noted on the West end street lamp poles pre-dawn:
Breezy around the poles.

Flies:
- *1 midge, perhaps a Cerotelion species

Springtails:
- *1 springtail sp., probably Dicyrtomina saundersi

Spiders / harvestmen etc.:
- *1 money spider, perhaps Erigone sp.

Later on the wet Teece Drive fence:

Nothing noted

A sunny interlude gave the North side an autumnal look.

One of the pair of Mute Swans that flew in from the East. This is a cob (male).

This is probably his intended.

Here the fourth Mute Swan flies in. Also a cob I suspect.

All four together with cobs book-ending the group.

The pairs getting friendly, the bird on the left with tail raised.

And away they go, more or less synchronised.

Not easy to identify at this angle...

...is an immature Cormorant with the early morning sun on it.

The Great (White) Egret was chased away by one of the Grey Herons. The low morning sun gives it pale yellow tone.

And from this angle the bone structure of the wings is revealed.

Two Mistle Thrushes, almost certainly a pair, in trees above the Wesley Brook bridge. I assume the two birds that were on the south-west grass earlier.

Obsidentify suggested a cranefly for this insect. I think not: there seem to be no craneflies with spurs on their legs and the curved antennae are unusual to say the least. Going back to the "old school" Collins Guide to the Insects of Britain and Western Europe it looks to be a midge, quite possibly one of the Cerotelion species. While Collins suggests a 6 – 10 (months) flight period the iNaturalist web site shows records from all Winter months.

This springtail is probably Dicyrtomina saundersi.

I have logged this spider as possibly one of the money spider Erigone group though this one looks larger and longer bodied than individuals I have seen previously.

(Ed Wilson)

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The Flash: 09:25 – 10:40

(13th visit of the year)

New Bird Species
Three additions to my 2026 bird species list for here:
- a pair of Ravens tumbled over and calling while flying West.
- a Jay was heard calling at the top end.
- *a Common Buzzard flew over
This brings this year's bird species count to 46.

Bird notes:
- no Mute Swans again
- *nine (eight? drake) Pochard. Some of these as seen earlier at the lake?
- nine Goosander (five drakes) today.
- after several days with high counts of Moorhens I was struggling to find many today.
- I could not find the Little Grebe.
- *three Cormorants today, one an adult in breeding condition.
- there may have been a dearth of finches at the lake but *Chaffinch, *Greenfinch, Bullfinch and *Goldfinch were all seen here.

Bird(s) noted flying over here:
- 1 Lesser Black-backed Gull
- *1 Common Buzzard
- 1 Jackdaw
- 2 Ravens

Noted on / around the water:
- 11 Canada Geese
- no Mute Swans
- 27 (20♂) Mallard
- *9 (8?♂) Pochard
- *28 (12♂) Tufted Duck
- 9 (5♂) Goosander
- 7 Moorhens
- 36 Coots
- 1 Great Crested Grebe
- 36 Black-headed Gulls
- *3 Cormorants: two departed separately
- 2 Grey Herons

Noted around the area:

Springtails:
- 1 springtail Orchesella cincta

A drake Pochard at rest but keeping careful watch.

Possibly a duck Pochard. A few weeks ago there seemed, most unusually, to be more ducks than drakes present. There aren't now and I suspect that most of the putative ducks were late-moulting drakes, likely first year birds. I still worry that the rear end of this bird is too black to be a duck.

"My what a big tuft you have!". Drake Tufted Duck of course.

Birds on the island challenge the camera. Two Cormorants. The bird on the right has well-developed whine head-plumes with a small part of the white thigh patch visible. The bird on the left has just a few wisps or its head plumes and a smidgeon of the white thigh patch visible. Both will likely breed this year.

Species #46 here this year – a fly-over Common Buzzard.

A Song Thrush with its mouth closed. More intent on feeding than singing.

A male Chaffinch. If you were to paint this species you would need a wide palette.

Mrs. Chaffinch is more subdued! Note her bill is dark.

I don't usually take photos of birds at feeders. This was the only opportunity I had to photograph a smart male Greenfinch. The tail-on bird is a female Greenfinch. She is much paler green with streaking down her back....

...and her front. Usually described as "flammulated".

Another Mrs. Chaffinch included because top left is a female Greenfinch in flight showing that she is in fact significantly green.

A Goldfinch tucks in to an Alder cone for the seeds.

(Ed Wilson)

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2014
Priorslee Lake
2 Greater Scaup
1 Velvet Scoter
117 Coots
1 Great Black-backed Gull
4 Redwings
c.274 Jackdaws
(Ed Wilson / Mike Stokes)

2013
Priorslee Lake
1 Little Grebe
1 Greater Scaup
1 Goldeneye
26 Wigeon
4 Gadwall
1 Shoveler
22 Pochard
76 Tufted Ducks
157 Coots
1 Common Gull
144 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
74 Herring Gulls
4 Great Black-backed Gulls
(Ed Wilson)

2010
Priorslee Lake
Adult Caspian Gull
1 Yellow-legged Gull
(Andy Latham)

2009
Priorslee Lake
Juvenile Glaucous Gull
Juvenile Iceland Gull
(Observer Unknown)

2007
Priorslee Lake
2 Pochard
36 Tufted Ducks
c.195 Black-headed Gulls
48 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
34 Herring Gulls
1 Yellow-legged Gull
3 Great Black-backed Gulls
(Ed Wilson)

2006
Priorslee Lake
2 Gadwall
5 Pochard
11 Tufted Duck
132 Coot
2 Water Rail
c.1600 Black-headed Gulls
1 Great Black-backed Gull
428 Jackdaws
438 Rook
300 Wood Pigeons
14 Robin
80 Fieldfare
30 Redwing
11 Blackbird
1 Willow Tits
6 Greenfinch
65 Siskins
6 Redpolls
8 Reed Buntings
(Ed Wilson)