14 Dec 14

Priorslee Lake: 6:59am - 9:53am
Map

3.0°C > 5.5°C  Mainly cloudy with the Telford ‘hat’ making it very dull at times. Moderate SW wind. Very good visibility.

No notable records again this morning and rather quiet.

(146th visit of the year)

Counts over the lake
- 1 Cormorant
- c.95 geese sp.
- >30 Black-headed Gulls
- c.310 large gulls
- 3 Pied Wagtails
- 5 Fieldfare
- >800 Jackdaws
- 8 Rooks
- 1 Siskin

Not in suitable position to count any birds leaving roosts around the lake

The counts from the water
1 Little Grebe
4 Great Crested Grebes
2 Swans
6 (3) Gadwall
10 (5) Mallard
5 (5) Pochard
56 (35) Tufted Duck
13 Moorhens
168 Coots
57 Black-headed Gulls
88 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
27 Herring Gulls

Other notes
At least 85 very distant geese – too dark and too far to ID and no calls heard. Flying N / NE to far NW and had not come from The Flash.
10 smaller-looking geese flew E at about the same time.
As I was leaving many of the Tufted Duck were flying off – the yacht club had just launched its powered rescue boat.
Two waves of arrival of larger gulls: the first of 29 birds contained 22 immature and 2 adult Herring Gulls; the second of 86 contained just 3 adult Herring Gulls. Otherwise they were all Lesser Black-backs. None stayed more that 10 minutes.
19 Redwings logged: all of these were seen in trees around the lake long after the normal roost dispersal.
The Cetti's Warbler still present but as hard to see as ever.
Very noisy Nuthatch along Teece Drive.
Siskins have been in very short supply this winter: the single heard overhead today was my first this month.
and
Another Mottled Umber moth on the lamps.

A different and pristine Mottled Umber moth.

Despite the general gloom there were occasional hints of brightness – at dawn mainly.

Now why would one tree along Teece Drive be sporting this label? It is about the largest. Could it be a preservation ID?

(Ed Wilson)

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Priorslee Flash: 9:57am - 10:55am
Map

(120th visit of the year)

Today’s counts overhead here:
- 22 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
- 1 Herring Gull
- 37 Redwings
- 5 Starlings

The counts from the water
1 Little Grebe
3 Great Crested Grebes
1 Grey Heron
2 Swans
6 Canada Geese
1 all-white feral goose
39 (29) Mallard
1 all-white feral duck
1 (0) Pochard
28 (14) Tufted Ducks
31 (2) Goosander
9 Moorhens
16 Coots
134 Black-headed Gulls
2 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
2 Herring Gulls

Notes
Goosander numbers ‘best estimate’: birds were coming (and going?) and repositioning as well as continually diving as they moved all around the lake.
Kingfisher again.
and
Yet another fungus showing: very late in the year for these.

These are the latest fungus to appear at The Flash: again much later in the year than usual. Still to be ID'd.

Meanwhile the Shaggy Ink-cap has more or less collapsed spilling its ink on the stem.

My excuse for another Goosander photo is that the more even, if somewhat poor, light is better at showing the plumage detail on this rather contrasting species.

A Great Crested Grebe in similar light is still somewhat ‘blown’: slight duskiness on the ear coverts suggest this is probably a 1st winter bird.

The poor light conditions could not completely dull this Kingfisher perched under overhanging branches. Note the brick-red chest just about visible here: when perched and facing toward an observer this makes this colourful bird quite difficult to see.

Here the brick-red chest is more apparent.

(Ed Wilson)

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On this day in 2005, 2006, 2009 and 2010

Priorslee Lake:

2010

Curlew
(Ed Wilson)

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2009
Black-necked
(Ed Wilson)

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2006
Adult Yellow-legged Gull 
1 imm Great Black-backed Gull
(Kevin Pryce)

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2005
3 Ruddy Ducks ? an eclipse drake and a 1st winter drake with a duck.
(Ed Wilson)