3 Dec 17

Priorslee Lake and The Flash

7.0°C > 8.0°C: Much as yesterday: often low overcast with drizzle: some clearer spells. Light WNW wind. Moderate visibility, poor in heaviest drizzle

Sunrise: 08:01 GMT

A dull morning in both senses: of course the weather started to clear as soon as I left

Priorslee Lake: 06:30 – 09:35

(150th visit of the year)

Notes from today:
- unusually there were no Mallard on the lake until 08:20 when 14 (6♂) flew in from the E (and another pair flew over – to The Flash?). Strangely there were more ducks than drakes
- 2 or 3 Woodcock seen this morning. 1 flew at tree-height W along the N side at 07:15. Then 2 birds shot past me at head-height at 07:20, also going W. The first was certainly a Woodcock, the second could possibly have been a Sparrowhawk in hot pursuit ....
- a Song Thrush was singing away as I arrived and continued to sing more or less uninterrupted until I left (as least while I was in ear-shot)
- not sure how many Starlings left the roost: I heard a party call and then the sound of many wings but only a single bird broke the skyline and I could not locate the others in the gloom. A few minutes later a group of c.45 left, the entire group breaking the skyline. Another singleton overhead later
- the same Great Tit giving the same unusual Willow Tit-like dawn-song again
- then later a real Willow Tit was heard and seen
- 3 of the 5 Reed Bunting left different patches of reed along the N side: the other 2 left the W end
and
- no fewer than 14 moths on the lamps (7 on just one of the lamps): 8 Winter Moths, 4 Northern Winter Moths, 1 rather late ‘November moth-type’ and 1 Mottled Umber
- also two different species of harvestman: seemed to be Mitostoma bimaculatum and Dicranopalpus ramosus
- also a ‘winter midge’ Trichocera regelationis (plenty more, probably of the same species, dancing around the lights)
- a single surviving flower of Red Clover (Trifolium pratense) to add to my December flower list

Today’s bird totals

Birds noted flying over / near the lake:
- 2 (1♂) Mallard
- 4 Cormorants
- 1 male Sparrowhawk
- 21 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
- 7 Wood Pigeons only
- >500 Jackdaws again
- 1 Starling
- 1 Rook
- 5 Redwings (4 singles / groups)
- 1 Pied Wagtail
- 2 Siskins

Birds noted leaving roosts around the lake:
- [Magpie roost not counted]
- >45 Starlings (see notes)
- 17 Redwings
- 5 Reed Buntings

The counts from the lake area
- 2 + 3 Mute Swans (calm restored)
- 11 (6♂) Gadwall again
- 14 (6♂) Mallard
- 4 (3♂) Pochard
- 48 (23♂) Tufted Ducks
- 1 Grey Heron
- 1 Little Grebe
- 4 Great Crested Grebes as usual
- 1 Water Rail seen
- 8 Moorhens
- 175 Coots
- 63 Black-headed Gulls
- 1 Lesser Black-backed Gull again
- 1 Kingfisher again

This harvestman seems to be Mitostoma bimaculatum.

All the action was on the lamps this morning. Here is another harvestman (with a missing leg): seems to be Dicranopalpus ramosus.

This looks to me like Trichocera regelationis, one of the ‘winter gnats.’

(Ed Wilson)

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The Flash: 09:40 – 10:05

(105th visit of the year)

Notes from here
- just 1 Great Crested Grebe located: the usual pair at the SW end did not seem to be lurking in any of their hiding spots
- 2 Ravens on the island were feeding on the last remains of the cygnet that perished here back at the end of October. Must be ripe!

Birds noted flying over
- 8 Lesser Black-backed Gulls

The counts from the water
- 2 + 1 Mute Swans as usual
- 2 Canada Geese again
- 1 white feral goose
- 24 (17♂) Mallard
- 2 (2♂) Pochard
- 34 (14♂) Tufted Ducks
- 1 Great Crested Grebe
- 3 Moorhens only
- 12 Coots again
- 15 Black-headed Gulls only


(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

2013
Priorslee Lake
60 Golden Plover
6 Gadwall
3 Pochard
2 Shoveler
2 Teal
(John Isherwood)

2012
Priorslee Lake
3 Teal
3 Gadwall.
8 Pochard
19 Tufted Ducks
163 Coots
7 Redwings
c577 Jackdaws
c149 Rooks
8 Siskins
22 Goldfinches
(Ed Wilson)

2011
Priorslee Lake
Adult Caspian Gull
1 adult Yellow-legged Gull
4 Great Black-backed Gulls
(JW Reeves)

Priorslee Flash
Tundra Bean Goose
Great Black-backed Gull
8 Goosander.
(JW Reeves/Andy Latham /Tom Lowe)

2010
Priorslee Lake
2 Yellow-legged Gulls
3rd-winter Caspian Gull
(JW Reeves)

Wellington
Pair of Blackcaps in my garden
(JW Reeves)

2009
The Wrekin
Firecrest
(Pete Nickless)

2007
Priorslee Lake
8 Goosander
Woodcock
21 Greylag Geese
A drake Gadwall
6 Pochard
58 Tufted Duck
2 Buzzards
1 Kestrel
6 Meadow Pipits
14 Redwing
3 Fieldfares
31 Magpies
47 Siskins
12 Goldfinches 
11 Reed Bunting
(Ed Wilson)

The Flash
22 Goosander
27 Pochard
16 Tufted Ducks
(Ed Wilson)

2006
Priorslee Lake
1 Little Grebe
27 Pochard
69 Tufted Ducks
4 Buzzards
68 Coots
1 Woodcock
528 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
20 Robins
22 Blackbirds
3 Song Thrushes
3 Redwings
1 Willow Tit
187 Jackdaws
168 Rooks
11 Greenfinches
10 Goldfinches
2 Reed Buntings
(Ed Wilson)

2005
Priorslee Lake
2 Little Grebes
5 Cormorants
8 Pochard
32 Tufted Duck
201 Coot
Water Rail
c.2100 Black-headed Gulls
c.175 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
440 Jackdaws
225 Rooks
1 Kestrel
2 Collared Dove
1 Sky Lark
18 Pied Wagtails
5 Meadow Pipits
5 Redwings
40 Fieldfare
1 Kingfisher
11 Robins
19 Blackbirds
2 Song Thrushes
2 Goldcrest
5 Redpolls
12+ Siskins
2 Yellowhammers
7 Reed Buntings
(Ed Wilson/Martin Adlam)