24 Dec 17

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******** HAPPY HOLIDAYS TO ALL OUR READERS *********

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Priorslee Lake and The Flash

8.5°C > 10.5°C: Broken cloud to start; a few light showers and more cloud later. Moderate, occasionally fresh, SW wind. Mainly very good visibility

Sunrise: 08:21 GMT

Priorslee Lake: 06:55 – 09:55

(169th visit of the year)

Notes from today:
- two visiting adult Mute Swans were soon woken from their slumber and shown the door
- 2 drake Goosanders flew low W at 08:08 – could they have come off the water? 2 more / the same drakes flew low W and headed SW 08:15
- Little Grebes only seen early on: presumed went and hid in the reeds
- a Green Woodpecker seen again: in the trees in the NE area today
- perhaps I missed the main party of Jackdaws this morning – though it seems rather unlikely because they are usually very noisy
- a single Starling seen coming out of the NW reeds
and, all on the lamps
- 4 Winter Moths
- 2 Mottled Umber moths in the same places
- a different spider sp., perhaps a Daddy Long-legs Spider (Pholcus phalangioides)

Today’s bird totals

Birds noted flying over / near the lake:
- 1 Greylag Goose
- 5 Canada Geese (2 groups)
- 2 (1♂) Mallard
- 2 or 4 (all ♂) Goosanders (see notes)
- 2 Buzzards
- 14 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
- 3 Herring Gulls
- 1 Stock Dove
- 21 Wood Pigeons
- 53 Jackdaws
- 2 Rooks
- 1 Raven
- 4 Fieldfare (2 groups)
- 6 Redwings (2 groups)
- 2 Goldfinches
- 6 Siskins
- 1 Lesser Redpoll

Birds noted leaving roosts around the lake:
- [Magpie roost not counted]
- 1 Starling (see notes)
- 5 Redwings
- 1 Reed Bunting

The counts from the lake area
- 4 + 3 Mute Swans
- 39 Canada Geese
- 9 (5♂) Gadwall
- 17 (11♂) Mallard
- 6 (5♂) Pochard
- 47 (23♂) Tufted Ducks
- 1 Grey Heron again
- 2 Little Grebes
- 5 Great Crested Grebe again
- 6 Moorhens
- 194 Coots
- >130 Black-headed Gulls
- 2 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
- 1 Kingfisher

The forecast, like yesterday, was for a grey day. It did not turn out as sunny as yesterday even if it did start with some winter colour.

The long view.

Ever belligerent, two pairs of Coots in a stand-off. With close on 200 birds around the lake it can get noisy.

A most difficult subject between twigs and against the light. We can just about make out the red in the moustache area telling us this is a male Green Woodpecker. Attempts to further enhance the photo resulted it is all ‘falling apart’.

A slightly better view though the moustache area is in shade making the red hard to discern. First time I have been able to photograph this bird – it normally bounds across and disappears.

This is the different spider I noted this morning. It seems to be carrying something in its mouth. There is a species known as Daddy Long-legs Spider (Pholcus phalangioides) the female of which carries its eggs this way as well as prey. That species has a long cylindrical body that this seems to lack, though the angle makes it difficult to be certain.

(Ed Wilson)

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The Flash: 10:00 – 10:35

(115th visit of the year)

Notes from here
- the 2 Canada Geese that seem to be omni-present were seen in flight today – chasing after the Xmas pudding, or whatever they were being fed? Was previously unsure these birds could fly. I have still never seen the all-white feral goose fly
- now 5 drake Pochard
- the Starlings over head were no doubt responding to the Sparrowhawk
and
- 2 Mottled Umber moths on the lamps – 4th day for these two in the same position
- a harvestman perhaps Oligolophus tridens, on a lamp

Birds noted flying over
- 1 (1♂) Sparrowhawk
- 5 Jackdaws
- 22 Starlings
- 1 Siskin again

The counts from the water
- 2 Mute Swans: resident adults
- 2 Greylag Geese – flew off
- 2 Canada Geese again
- 1 white feral goose as usual
- 29 (20♂) Mallard
- 5 (5♂) Pochard
- 26 (15♂) Tufted Ducks
- 1 Grey Heron – flew off
- 2 Great Crested Grebes again
- 5 Moorhens
- 11 Coots
- 63 Black-headed Gulls

This looks to be the same species of harvestman that I photographed at the lake on Friday. If so it might be Oligolophus tridens.

(Ed Wilson)

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

2016
Priorslee Lake
Today's sightings Here

2015
Priorslee Lake
Today's sightings Here

2014
Priorslee Lake
Today's sightings Here

2013
Priorslee Lake
5 Gadwall 
7 Pochard 
34 Tufted Ducks 
204 Coots counted 
123 Black-headed Gulls
16 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
22 Herring Gulls
3 Great Black-backed Gulls
(Ed Wilson)

The Flash
2 Grey Herons
126 Canada Geese
110 Tufted Ducks 
(Ed Wilson)

Trench Lock Pool
3 Great Crested Grebes 
2 Shoveler 
71 Tufted Duck 
1 Goosander 
125 Coots
>40 Redwings
(Ed Wilson)

Trench Middle Pool
1 Tufted Duck 
19 Goosander 
(Ed Wilson)

2012
Priorslee Lake
2 Gadwall
13 Pochard
35 Tufted Ducks
178 Coots
Peregrine
14 Redwings
(Ed Wilson)

The Flash
1 Pochard
38 Tufted Duck
5 Goosanders
(Ed Wilson)

Little Wenlock, Candles Landfill Site
4 Yellow-legged Gulls
(Dawn Balmer & Pete Wilson)

2009
Priorslee Lake
Black-necked Grebe
4 Great Crested Grebes 
10 Swans
28 Pochard 
77 Tufted Ducks
3 Yellow-legged Gulls
1000 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
60 Herring Gulls
1 Water Rail heard 
299 Coots counted 
4 Redwings 
2 Willow Tits again 
c.5 Goldfinches
c.10 Siskins
(Ed Wilson/Dawn Balmer/ Peter Wilson)

2006
Priorslee lake
2 Great Crested Grebe
1 Little Grebe
41 Pochard
38 Tufted Ducks
8 Redwing
2 Fieldfare
1 Redpoll
4 Reed Buntings
(Martin Adlam)