9 Dec 17

Priorslee Lake and The Flash

-1.5°C > +1.5°C: Early light snow showers; otherwise good clear breaks. Lying snow. Calm / light W breeze. Very good visibility

Sunrise: 08:09 GMT

Had hoped the weather might have induced some movement: apart from more gulls overhead than usual it was uneventful

Priorslee Lake: 07:00 – 10:20

(156th visit of the year)

Just icing in sheltered NW areas

Notes from today:
- 4 additional adult Mute Swan had arrived by 07:55. Two were seen off at 08:00. Another left c.08:10. The remaining bird still present until 10:00 at least
- 20 Canada Geese on the water by 07:05: may have roosted. Mute Swans not interested. Flew off 07:50. Different party of 15 flew over before these left
- the drake Goosander flew W at 10:00
- one of the Great Crested Grebes from the ‘NW reeds’ not seen this morning: I may just have heard it call
- 100 Black-headed Gulls (along with 5 Lesser Black-backed Gulls) ‘appeared’ on the water at 07:30: they had not come in low from the W end as usual. As in recent days most of these left, today to the SE. Some returned but never more than c.40
- a Green Woodpecker heard calling and then seen in flight along the N side
- main party of Jackdaws spread out and I estimated c.520. Unlike recent weeks this main party was followed by several sizeable (and a few small) groups totalling 195 birds (6 groups)
- I thought I heard the wings of Starlings leaving the roost at 07:40 but saw nothing. 21 birds came out of the reeds some five minutes later
and
- 1 Northern Winter Moth still on the same lamps as yesterday but pre-dawn only
- lots of mammal tracks in the snow: the snow too powdery to provide identifiable prints
- a Red Valerian (Valeriana officinalis) plant found in flower on the dam

Today’s bird totals

Birds noted flying over / near the lake:
- 15 Canada Geese (1 group, outbound)
- 1 (1♂) Goosander
- 2 Buzzards
- 53 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
- 1 Stock Dove
- 5 Wood Pigeons only
- >625 Jackdaws
- 2 Rooks
- 1 Starling
- 2 Fieldfares
- 1 Redwing only
- 5 Pied Wagtails
- 2 Greenfinches
- 1 Siskin

Birds noted leaving roosts around the lake:
- 22 Magpies
- 21+ Starlings
- 9 Redwings
- 1 Reed Bunting

The counts from the lake area
- 6 + 3 Mute Swans (see notes)
- 20 Canada Geese (flew off)
- 11 (6♂) Gadwall once more
- 16 (12♂) Mallard
- 9 (7♂) Pochard
- 53 (31♂) Tufted Ducks
- 2 Cormorants again
- 2 Little Grebes
- 3 Great Crested Grebes
- 1 Water Rail heard
- 7 Moorhens
- 179 Coots
- c.100 Black-headed Gulls
- 6 Lesser Black-backed Gulls

At last: the moon is visible after all the grey days in the last week.

A chilly sunrise. In the distance a small snow shower is evident.

Sunrise after the snow shower had passed.

Another snow shower passes through: hard to know where the snow ends and the Mute Swans begin.

One of the uninvited Mute Swans leaves. Apparently unringed.

The resident pair on the warpath while the cygnets look on. I am assuming that it is the cob leading: the books say it has the larger ‘knob’ on the fore-crown but even here where we can compare it is not obvious to me.

The cause of their ire: this bird – a sub-adult (note the duller bill) – just would not leave. It does appear to have a BTO metal ring on its right leg.

A first-winter Black-headed Gull in a chilly scene.

A different first-winter Black-headed Gull trails a leg. It may be broken – a not infrequent occurrence. They seem to be able to cope reasonably well with one operational leg.

A Pied Wagtail also looking chilly in the snow. None of my books illustrate winter-plumaged birds so the white throat – as we see here – is a bit of a surprise. Males have uniformly black backs; females are grey with black blotches, as here. However the extent of the black at the side of the throat and on the lower chest suggests this is a male – perhaps a first year bird?

Even chillier!

A surprise find: Red Valerian (Valeriana officinalis) in flower. When I did my check on 01 December all these plants looked frosted and dead.

More snow scenes today. A small amount more snow last afternoon and evening with an overnight frost had made sure the snow stuck to the branches. This is looking at the NW corner from the boat-launching area.

And looking toward the north side.

Bushes in the south-west corner laden with snow.

This Bulrush (or Reedmace) (Typha latifolia) shows where the wind blew from, coating one side of the seed-head.

A forest of snowy bulrushes.

The south-east corner: during the week there would be queuing traffic behind the fence.

From the dam-top looking at the same south-east corner.

A rare sight indeed – looking north along the dam with Castle Farm Way devoid of traffic.

Take a good look: these fields across Castle Farm Way have planning permission for 1100 houses so you may not see this scene again.

The eastern part of the north side.

Inside the same area.

With warmth from the sun much of the snow was falling off the branches – caught these in time.

Looking back east along the north side with more bulrushes evident.

Not a day for the Goldfinches and Siskins to try and feed on these Alder cones.

Stunning.

The weight of the snow had bent many of the branches and as we see here it could be difficult to walk the path without crouching.

A forest of dead Common Hogweed (Heracleum sphondylium) plants, their see-heads weighed-down with snow.

Really weighed-down.

(Ed Wilson)

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The Flash: 10:25 – 11:45

(109th visit of the year)

Just a hint of ice in sheltered NW area

Notes from here
- must have overlooked the Mute Swan cygnet yesterday: present today, still not having anything to do with its parents
- the 12 Goosander were remarkably tolerant of children screaming with delight at the snow, snowballing and pulling sledges. They stayed ‘just that far away’ as usual. Strange that again in this season there are so many drakes: historically brownheads have dominated by a large margin
- the Great Crested Grebes would not stay still and on the surface. Certainly 3 birds: a 4th I think
- as at the lake every one of the large gulls overhead was a Lesser Black-backed Gull – no Herring Gulls
- 1 Skylark fly over was unexpected at this date

Birds noted flying over
- 18 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
- 1 Wood Pigeon
- 1 Skylark

The counts from the water
- 2 + 1 Mute Swans
- 6 Greylag Geese
- 2 Canada Geese again
- 1 white feral goose as usual
- 30 (18♂) Mallard
- 1 (0♂) Pochard
- 35 (17♂) Tufted Ducks
- 12 (9♂) Goosanders
- 3 or 4 Great Crested Grebes
- 4 Moorhens
- 11 Coots
- 76 Black-headed Gulls
- 1 Lesser Black-backed Gull again

A ‘tufty-type’ with a white face. Could it be a duck Scaup? The white on the face is probably not extensive enough, but the head-shape looks rounded so ...?

Nope: it has a ‘tuft’ so it is just a duck Tufted Duck after all.

Three of the drake Goosanders in various preening poses. Their rather odd head-shape is accentuated here.

As we see here as well.

Two boys and two girls.

A drake flapping. Even when drakes are in ‘brownhead’-type eclipse or immature plumage they show white across the entire width of the wing. Ducks have pale grey forewings. Here we also see a pink flush to the belly. This will get brighter and more extensive as it enters breeding condition.

From a different angle.

And the underwing.

A fine flotilla of eight drakes (and a Black-headed Gull, showing that white is not always white, the Goosanders looking very faintly pink by comparison).

By the time I got to The Flash much of the snow had fallen off the trees and bushes: this view was an exception.

(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

2012
Priorslee Lake
1 Little Grebe
1 Little Egret
3 Gadwall
3 Pochard
34 Tufted Ducks
169 Coots
c.233 Wood Pigeons
6 Redwings
1 Fieldfare
c.800 Jackdaws
137 Rooks
16 Siskins
2 Linnets
1 Redpoll
(Ed Wilson)

Trench Lock Pool
39 Tufted Duck
1 Goldeneye
162 Coots counted again
(Ed Wilson)

2009
Priorslee Lake
1 Little Grebe 
4 Great Crested Grebes
38 Swans
34 Pochard
45 Tufted Ducks
2 Water Rails
c.1800 Black-headed Gulls
210 Lesser Black-backs
8 Herring Gulls
1 Great Black-backed Gull 
14 Redwings
1 Siskin flew over
(Ed Wilson)

2006
Priorslee Lake
1 Little Grebe
12 Pochard
56 Tufted Ducks
1 drake Ruddy Ducks
2 Goosanders
3 Lapwings
1 Snipe
>1700 Black-headed Gulls
865 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
22 Robins
22 Blackbirds
6 Redwings
243 Jackdaws
133 Rooks
1 Brambling
4 Reed Buntings
(Ed Wilson)

2005
Priorslee Lake
2500 Black-headed Gulls
250 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
2 Little Grebes
11 Pochard
34 Tufted Duck
237 Coot
2 Redpolls
24 Siskins
2 Redwings
3 Reed Buntings
(Ed Wilson)