2 Dec 17

Priorslee Lake and The Flash

4.5°C > 5.5°C: Often low overcast with drizzle: some clearer spells. Light W wind. Moderate visibility, poor in heaviest drizzle

Sunrise: 08:00 GMT

Best bird today was a drake Goldeneye at the lake: my second Goldeneye of the year here. I first noted this at c.08:00. It was very mobile and always seemed to elude my attempts to get closer for more than a record shot. It finally left high to the W at 09:25. To my surprise it was sitting on the water at The Flash when I arrived, though it did not stay long. As far as I can recall this is my first-ever Goldeneye at The Flash: and became my 71st species at the site in 2017

Almost as good a sighting was my first confirmed Woodcock at the lake this year. Unusually it flew OUT of the NE wooded area at 07:20 and away along the N side of the lake. It became my 103rd species at the lake this year

Priorslee Lake: 06:30 – 09:45

(149th visit of the year)

Other notes from today:
- the Egyptian Goose seemed to have gone
- a pair of Eurasian Wigeon flew off at 07:45
- no idea where the 6 Teal came from: I had not seen them when I did my full count from the dam-top and then some five minutes later at 09:15 I saw them lift off the water, circle round a few times and leave to the N
- 3 Shoveler were first noted circling high overhead at 08:50. They gained even more height and left to the S
- the drake Goosander, unusually, flew over SE at 08:35
- a party of 26 Cormorants flew S to the E at 08:05 and were then seen descending over Bayliss Pools behind the M-way service area. 4 birds then flew E overhead at 08:35. 5 flew S at 08:50. A party of 20 flew from the E at 09:00 with one bird peeling off and heading NW while the others looped around and headed back NE. How many different individuals?
- higher number of Black-headed Gulls for a while (up to 85): much of the time fewer than 20 on the water
- a Green Woodpecker heard calling to the N
- did not go near the Magpie roost. Later I noted just 2 birds. And I only saw one Crow this morning
- a Great Tit giving an unusual dawn-song this morning: for several minutes until I located the bird I thought it could be a singing Willow Tit
- a party of 7 Bullfinches seen at the W end – 4 males
and
- nothing noted on the lamps
- a winter moth type was seen in flight

Today’s bird totals

Birds noted flying over / near the lake:
- 3 (2♂) Shoveler
- 1 (1♂) Goosander
- >26 Cormorants (see notes)
- 1 Buzzard
- 1 Woodcock
- 7 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
- 11 Wood Pigeons only
- >500 Jackdaws
- 7 Redwings (4 singles / groups)
- 3 Pied Wagtails
- 3 Siskins

Birds noted leaving roosts around the lake:
- [Magpie roost not counted]
- no Starlings
- 14 Redwings again
- 4 Reed Buntings

The counts from the lake area
- 2 + 3 Mute Swans (calm restored)
- 35 Canada Geese (flew off in 3 groups)
- 2 (1♂) Eurasian Wigeon
- 11 (6♂) Gadwall
- 6 (?♂) Teal
- 15 (9♂) Mallard
- 6 (4♂) Pochard
- 44 (25♂) Tufted Ducks
- 1 (1♂) Goldeneye
- 1 Grey Heron once again
- 2 Little Grebes again
- 4 Great Crested Grebes
- 2 Water Rails heard
- 7 Moorhens
- 173 Coots
- 83 Black-headed Gulls
- 1 Lesser Black-backed Gull briefly
- 1 Kingfisher

The underwing pattern confirms these small ducks as (Common) Teal. Otherwise we cannot separate ducks from drakes on this view.

The three Shoveler over: the photo reveals what my eyes could not discern – two birds have white necks and are therefore drakes. The bill shape is well shown.

My first attempt at the drake Goldeneye. The white face patch is diagnostic. The white flanks are more extensive than on any Tufted Duck and are somehow a much brighter white.

The distinctive head shape with a more triangular bill than other ducks is seen here (a winter plumage Great Crested Grebe gets its photo taken too).

Here preening we see the way the black of the head (actually it is dark green in good light) is sharply delineated from the white on the neck. We also see the way the black scapular lines hang down over the white flanks.

A much enlarged and very distant flight shot showing the extensive white only on the inner part of the upperwing.

Then when I got to The Flash there he was. And we can see the different shade of white between this bird and the drake Tufted Ducks behind.

And here, the best shot of them all.

A rather better shot of a group of Cormorants than I managed yesterday: 19 here. I well recall in the late 1980's parties of up to 50 birds would drop in to the lake, perform unison dives to ‘herd’ the fish to one edge and after a gorging session they would all leave. Flocks this size have been unusual for some years.

(Ed Wilson)

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The Flash: 09:50 – 10:25

(104th visit of the year)

Notes from here
- a drake Pochard back here: there was one fewer at the lake this morning so perhaps it had come here
- back to 3 Great Crested Grebes: all singles
- 3 Fieldfares over: on checking my logs this turned out to be my first sighting of this species here in 2017 and thus became my 72nd species of the year
some plants noted still in flower
- Common Hogweed (Heracleum sphondylium)
- Blackberry (Rubus fruticosus agg.)
- Common (or Black; or Lesser) Knapweed (Centaurea nigra)
NB: Ian Grant reported 4 Shoveler present earlier – perhaps some of these were the birds I saw over the lake

Birds noted flying over
- 3 Fieldfares

The counts from the water
- 2 + 1 Mute Swans as usual
- 2 Canada Geese
- 1 white feral goose as usual
- 29 (20♂) Mallard
- 1 (1♂) Pochard
- 38 (17♂) Tufted Ducks
- 1 (1♂) Goldeneye
- 3 Great Crested Grebes
- 7 Moorhens yet again
- 12 Coots
- 27 Black-headed Gulls again

(Ed Wilson)

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

2016
Local Area
Today's Sightings Here

2015
Priorslee Lake
Today's sightings Here

2014
Priorslee Lake
Today's sightings Here

2012
Priorslee Lake
3 Gadwall.
8 Pochard.
51 Tufted Ducks
156 Coots.
1st-winter Great Black-backed Gull on the water. 
35 Redwings
c.407 Jackdaws
82 Rooks.
4 Siskins
1 Redpoll
(Ed Wilson)

2011
Priorslee Lake
3 Yellow-legged Gull
2 Great Black-backed Gulls
Caspian Gull
(John Isherwood / Another Observer)

2009
The Wrekin
Firecrest
(Pete Nickless)

2006
Priorslee Lake
21 Pochard
50 Tufted Ducks
1 eclipse drake Ruddy Duck
73 Coots
>750 Black-headed Gulls
1904 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
1 Yellow-legged Gull
29 Robins
25 Blackbirds
1 Fieldfare
6 Song Thrushes
31 Redwings
1 Willow Tit
258 Jackdaws
248 Rooks
4 Reed Buntings
(Ed Wilson)

2005
Priorslee Lake
1 Cormorant
3200 Black-headed Gulls
700 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
1st-winter Great Black-backed Gull
7 Pochard
36 Tufted Duck
208 Coot
246 Jackdaws
83 Rooks
(Ed Wilson)