19 Dec 17

Priorslee Lake: then Trench Lock Pool and Trench Middle Pool

-1.0°C > 7.0°C: Clear start with patchy cloud from W. Calm / light S wind. Very good visibility

Sunrise: 08:18 GMT

Priorslee Lake: 06:55 – 10:00

(164th visit of the year)

Good to see that the council gritted Teece Drive all the way to the end: pity they did not do it last week when the academy was open

Strange atmospheric conditions this morning made the road noise exceptionally intrusive. Loud building operation in Stafford Park did not help

Surprised to find the lake c.90% iced-over: the night did not seem that cold. Concentrated the birds mainly in to three ‘holes’ in the ice

Notes from today:
- 2 visiting adult Mute Swans remain: they were across the iced-up water opposite the residents and their cygnets. They stayed that way
- high number of geese on the lake first thing: flew off in five groups before 08:00. I assume they are here because their home patch is frozen over?
- 13 Mallard seen flying off early: 7 flew in, possibly some of these. 10 found on the lake later
- 2 Little Grebes in the middle ice hole: but then 4 found together tight up against the N bank under overhanging trees where no ice had formed. My highest-ever count here
- c.70 Black-headed Gulls at 07:10, all mixed in with >150 Coots in the largest ice-hole. Hard to count even though most(?) hauled out on the ice before they left to the SE. 35 more arrived from the W
- 22 of the Wood Pigeons overhead came out of Wards Rough in one group
- yesterday’s Collared Dove was the first for some while: this morning it, or another, flew across the lake on the same path at more or less the same time
- do not recall Skylark overflights in December quite so frequently in previous years
- one party of Long-tailed Tits contained 20 individuals
- a Blue Tit seen in wing-fluttering display flight
- three Goldcrests seen
and
- the Mottled Umber still in exactly the same place as yesterday on a lamp

Today’s bird totals

Birds noted flying over / near the lake:
- 7 Cormorants (2 groups)
- 1 female Sparrowhawk
- 1 Buzzard
- 6 Black-headed Gulls
- 5 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
- 1 Herring Gull
- 42 Wood Pigeons
- 1 Collared Dove again
- c.110 Jackdaws
- 3 Rooks
- 1 Raven
- 2 Skylarks
- 1 Redwing
- 1 Greenfinch
- 2 Goldfinches
- 3 Siskins
- 1 Linnet

Birds noted leaving roosts around the lake:
- 1 Buzzard (see notes)
- [Magpie roost not counted]
- 2 Fieldfare
- 2 Redwings only
- 1 Reed Bunting

The counts from the lake area
- 4 + 3 Mute Swans
- 2 Greylag Geese
- 67 Canada Geese
- 11 (6♂) Gadwall remain
- 16+ (6+♂) Mallard (see notes)
- 10 (9♂) Pochard
- 77 (34♂) Tufted Ducks
- 2 Grey Herons
- 6 Little Grebes
- 7 Great Crested Grebe
- 1 Water Rail heard
- 5 Moorhens
- 206 Coots
- c.105 Black-headed Gulls
- 1 Lesser Black-backed Gull

Today’s clear start with cloud encroaching behind me from the W.

Some colour before the cloud spread right across.

Quite vivid for a while.

Geese against the dawn.

Gorgeous early light: in front of the reeds is the third open area where most of the Tufted Ducks were. It is also full of Coots.

A closer view of some this vegetation.

Last week these bulrushes were covered in snow. Now bathed in the morning sun.

Very different: a mossy area I do not often visit – and as I fought my way through brambles and fallen branches I remembered why.

Some of the Black-headed Gulls on the ice with Coots in one of the open areas in front of them.

A single Black-headed Gull on the ice.

The two biggest areas of clear water: most of what you see are Coots. However there are some Tufted Ducks in the far pool and a single Pochard towards the left.

Did someone mention frost? There must have been mist / fog at some stage in the night to coat these stems ....

... and these oak apples ....

... and these small bramble leaves.

I was wrong that there are no flowers after the snow – these daisies have survived.

Clouds are amazing. Probably like snowflakes no two are the same. These swirls look as if there are falling ice crystals.

Oh yes: birds! Here a male (red on the nape) Great Spotted Woodpecker.

A quizzical Goldfinch.

While this one is having Alder seeds for breakfast.

(Ed Wilson)

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Trench Lock Pool: 10:15 – 10:30 // 11:15 – 11:55

(39th visit of the year)

>50% ice, rapidly disappearing

Notes from here
- no idea why my counts of the Goosanders were so different
- perhaps more Grey Herons: two seen sparring on several occasions
- large gull numbers particularly low
- a 2nd Great Crested Grebe has reappeared – assuming it ever left

Birds noted flying over here [apart from the local Wood Pigeons and Jackdaws coming and going]
None

The counts from the water
NB: ‘>’ shows numbers on first and second visits where materially different
- 1 + 6 Mute Swans
- 6 > 8 Canada Geese
- 24 (11♂) Mallards
- 1 (1♂) ‘feral’ Mallard again
- 3 (2♂) Shoveler again
- 3 (2♂) Pochard
- 50 (28♂) Tufted Ducks
- 26 (13) > 24 (17) Goosanders
- 2 > 2 Cormorants
- 2 > 2 Grey Herons
- 2 Great Crested Grebes still
- 5 Moorhens
- 128 Coots
- 85 > 95 Black-headed Gulls
- 2 > 1 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
- 1 > 2 Herring Gulls

This Pochard confused me – and still does. It looks rather brown for a female and the neck especially is very dark. Nevertheless the eye-ring, the line behind the eye, the pale area between the eye and the bill (the lores); and the narrow pale band across the bill all point to a female rather than a 1st winter drake. In my log as a female, but ....?

A fine brownhead Goosander. Dig that hair-style.

And a soggy brownhead Goosander.

And one apparently wearing a ‘crown of thorns’!

And one with a soggy drake.

A drake showing a significant pink tinge to its plumage (a Black-headed Gull looking on).

Another drake allows us to count its tail feathers: a very effective rudder for chasing after fish.

An adult winter Herring Gull comes in to land.

They do not always land as elegantly as appears.

(Ed Wilson)

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Trench Middle Pool: 10:35 – 11:10

(34th visit of the year)

>50% ice, the rest looking very murky

Notes from here
- some of the Moorhens seem to have moved off with all the ice
- another record count of Coot
- Coal Tit singing here
and
- 1 Grey Squirrel noted

Birds noted flying over here
- 1 Stock Dove
- 1 Jackdaw

The counts from the water
- 2 + 5 Mute Swans remain
- 19 Canada Geese (17 flew in)
- 29 (19♂) Mallard
- 2 (1♂) ‘feral’ Mallard
- 9 (5♂) Tufted Duck
- 5 (1♂) Goosander
- 1 Grey Heron
- 1 Great Crested Grebe
- 8 Moorhens
- 54 Coots
- 42 Black-headed Gulls
- 1 Lesser Black-backed Gull

A study in black and white – almost: a drake Goosander.

Meanwhile a brownhead Goosander goes fishing.

Another brownhead Goosander shakes some weed off its wings as another dives.

(Ed Wilson)

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

2015
Priorslee Lake
Today's sightings Here

2014
Priorslee Lake
Today's sightings Here

2013
Priorslee Lake
3 Gadwall 
7 Pochard
80 Tufted Ducks
231 Coots
268 Black-headed Gulls
8 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
11 Herring Gulls
27 Fieldfare
103 Redwings
356 Jackdaws
251 Rooks
2 Siskins
(Ed Wilson)

2012
Priorslee Lake
3 Gadwall
11 Pochard
44 Tufted Ducks
180 Coots
1 Great Black-backed Gull
2 Redwings
17 Siskins
(Ed Wilson)

2011
Priorslee Lake
1 adult Yellow-legged Gull
5 Great Black-backed Gull
10 Goosander
(John Isherwood)

Holmer Lake
14 Goosander
(John Isherwood)

2009
Priorslee Lake
Black necked Grebe
7 Great Crested Grebes 
45 Pochard
130 Tufted Duck
302 Coot
>3500 gulls
1 Great Black-backed Gull
20 Swans
1 Water Rail
15 Lapwing
15 Herring Gulls
5 Redwings
c.20 Goldfinches
7 Siskins
(Ed Wilson/ John Isherwood)

2006
Priorslee Lake
31 Pochard
33 Tufted Ducks
c.400 Black-headed Gulls
c.2800 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
31 Herring Gulls
1 Yellow-legged Gull
18 Pied Wagtails
2 Redpoll
7 Reed Buntings
(Martin Adlam)

2005
Priorslee Lake
c.400 Black-headed Gulls
150 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
9 Pochard
16 Tufted Duck
200 Coot
1 Water Rail
15 Pied Wagtails
243 Rooks
532 Jackdaw 532
Redwing with a full-blown song
31 Siskins
2 Redpoll
16 Reed Bunting
(Martin Adlam)