16 Jan 18

Priorslee Lake and The Flash

2.5°C > 3.0°C: Well broken cloud with passing light sleet showers. Fresh W wind. Very good visibility.

Sunrise: 08:14 GMT

Priorslee Lake: 06:55 – 09:30

(1st visit of the year)

A very quiet start on my first visit this year as indicated by Wren being the 31st species logged – normally I would expect it to be the 3rd or 4th after Robin and Blackbird and/or Dunnock and/or Song Thrush. Very little seen overhead

Other notes from today:
- 5 additional adult Mute Swans. The resident adult pair stayed well away and the 3 cygnets were in yet another part of the lake. Three went for a short flight but returned
- 27 of the 33 Canada Geese left in three groups; the others stayed alongside the three cygnets
- still 11 Gadwall with males increased since last year
- Coot numbers ‘best-effort’ with the wind whipping across the dam making the single complete count from here ‘challenging’
- at least 250 Black-headed Gulls came in high from the W. Most (all?) settled briefly on the water and then left to the SE. Very few remained / returned
- more large gulls overhead than recently. This included a party of 52 in which there was a lone Herring Gull. All but one of these gulls seemed to be full adults
- very few finches – no Greenfinches or Chaffinches noted: a party of 16 Siskins in alders
and
- a red-eyed fly, possibly a Long-horned Black Legionnaire (Beris geniculata), the only insect on the lamps

Bird species logged in order of sighting (34)
Robin; Blackbird; Coot; Canada Goose; Tufted Duck; Mute Swan; Mallard; Magpie; Dunnock; Jackdaw; Gadwall; Moorhen; Carrion Crow; Black-headed Gull; Great Crested Grebe; Stock Dove; Reed Bunting; Great Tit; Wood Pigeon; Lesser Black-backed Gull; Bullfinch; Goldfinch; Herring Gull; Cormorant; Pochard; Grey Heron; Long-tailed Tit; Blue Tit; Siskin; Jay; Wren; Grey Wagtail; Great Spotted Woodpecker; Collared Dove

Today’s bird totals

Birds noted flying over / near the lake:
- 2 (1♂) Mallard
- 67 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
- 1 Herring Gull
- 1 Stock Dove
- 29 Wood Pigeons
- 1 Collared Dove
- c.235 Jackdaws

Birds noted leaving roosts around the lake:
- 37 Magpies
- 1 Reed Bunting

The counts from the lake area
- 7 + 3 Mute Swans (see highlights)
- 33 Canada Geese
- 11 (7♂) Gadwall
- 11 (6♂) Mallard
- 5 (3♂) Pochard
- 70 (40♂) Tufted Ducks
- 2 Grey Herons
- 1 Cormorant
- 3 Great Crested Grebes
- 7 Moorhens
- c.170 Coots
- >250 Black-headed Gulls

An uninspiring start to the day – at least the sleet showers held off for a while.

In the gloom of the Wesley Brook by the foot-bridge a Grey Wagtail, typically bobbing its tail too hard to ‘freeze’ the movement. The strength of the yellow on the breast suggests an older bird and likely a male even though there is no sign of the black throat acquired in the breeding season.

Another view showing the yellow on the rump and undertail.

This bird shows more extensive white edges to the primaries than depicted in many illustrations.

We start the year with a fly that I can only provisionally identify. Blown up – it was some 10 feet up a lamp-post – this seems to fit Long-horned Black Legionnaire (Beris geniculata).
(Ed Wilson)

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The Flash: 09:35 – 10:15
(1st visit of the year)

Notes from here
- the Goosander was a bit of a surprise: it was hauled-out at the back of the island and not immediately obvious

Bird species logged in order of sighting (31)
Magpie; Wood Pigeon; Mallard; Black-headed Gull; Tufted Duck; [Feral Goose]; Great Crested Grebe; Carrion Crow; Robin; Greenfinch; Coot; Dunnock; Canada Goose; Moorhen; Mute Swan; Goldfinch; Greylag Goose; Herring Gull; Pochard; Grey Heron; Coal Tit; Blue Tit; Wren; Jackdaw; Great Tit; Blackbird; House Sparrow; Chaffinch; Goosander; Feral Pigeon; Lesser Black-backed Gull; Bullfinch

Birds noted flying over
- 1 Lesser Black-backed Gull
- 2 Feral Pigeons
- 1 Jackdaw

The counts from the water
- 2 Mute Swans
- 1 Greylag Goose
- 5 Canada Geese
- 1 white feral goose
- 24 (17♂) Mallard
- 7 (7♂) Pochard
- 43 (29♂) Tufted Ducks
- 1 (0♂) Goosander
- 1 Grey Heron
- 2 Great Crested Grebes
- 11 Moorhens
- 13 Coots only
- 64 Black-headed Gulls
- 1 Herring Gull

(Ed Wilson)

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

2017
Priorslee Lake
Today's Sightings Here

2016
Priorslee Lake
Today's Sightings Here

2014
Priorslee Lake
4 Great Black-backed Gulls
(Gary Crowder/Ed Wilson)

2013
Priorslee Lake
Drake Scaup
1 adult Yellow legged Gull
6 Great Black-backed Gulls
1 Goldeneye
(Ed Wilson/ Jim Almond / John Isherwood)

2010
Priorslee Lake
Bittern

2006
Priorslee Lake
2 Great Black-backed Gull
1 Yellow-legged Gull
(Ed Wilson)