1 Feb 18

Priorslee Lake and The Flash

3.0°C > 4.0C: Clear start with some sharp sleet showers soon developing. Fresh WNW wind. Very good visibility

Sunrise: 07:53 GMT

Priorslee Lake: 06:45 – 09:25

(14th visit of the year)

A new species for me here this year was an over-flying Linnet: my site total for the year now stands at 57 bird species

Other notes from today:
- latest chapter in the Mute Swan saga. Just two adult visitors when I arrived: these were with the three cygnets. At 08:20 all five went for a fly with the cygnets pitching back in next to their parents and the visitors apparently leaving to the E. When I checked again after the next shower there was a lone adult visitor – another bird or a returning bird?
- Coot count possibly incomplete – watering eyes in the strong wind on the dam
- a lone visiting Lesser Black-backed Gull: unusual these days
- probably more Fieldfare – I could only see the edge of what sounded like a larger group, any others hidden by trees
- >35 Siskins near the Teece Drive gate again
and
- the lamps remain empty

Today’s bird totals

Birds noted flying over / near the lake:
- 2 Greylag Geese (outbound)
- 20 Canada Geese (18 (3 groups) outbound; 2 (1 group) inbound)
- 1 Cormorant
- 1 Common Buzzard
- 29 Black-headed Gulls
- 6 Wood Pigeons only
- c.190 Jackdaws
- 9 Rooks
- 2+ Fieldfare (1 group)
- 2 Redwings (singles)
- 2 Pied Wagtails
- 1 Greenfinch
- 2 Goldfinches
- 1 Linnet

Birds noted leaving roosts around the lake:
[Magpies not counted]
- 2 Redwings

The counts from the lake area
- 4 (5?) + 3 Mute Swans
- 13 (8♂) Gadwall
- 17 (7♂) Mallard
- 1 (1♂) Pochard again
- 67 (41♂) Tufted Ducks
- 2 Cormorants
- 1 Grey Heron
- 2 Little Grebes
- 3 Great Crested Grebes yet again
- 8 Moorhens
- 101 Coots (see notes)
- c.55 Black-headed Gulls
- 1 Lesser Black-backed Gull

Well it isn’t a Blue Moon and not that ‘Super’ – especially through thin cloud. Of course a ‘blue moon’ is not blue: it is the name given to a second full moon that occurs in a single calendar month – and that was in January: last month now and this shows a waning moon (btw it is impossible to have a blue moon in February, even in a Leap Year).
Ahead of the sleet showers there was a reasonable sunrise. This very much pre-dawn and hence a bit ‘blue’ toned.
Later more red in the sky.

As the first shower approaches the sun about to rise.

The local Great Spotted Woodpecker has started drumming – its territorial call. This is female (no red on the nape). The RSPB web site says that both sexes drum: I had always assumed it was only the male that did so to mark a territory in the same way that normally it is only male birds that sing (female Robins sing in winter but that is because male and females hold separate winter feeding territories).
A male Bullfinch proved to be unusually cooperative. Here he is with a mouthful of buds.

And another bud follows.

(Ed Wilson)

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The Flash: 09:30 – 10:15

(8th visit of the year)

New species for me here this year was Pied Wagtail in the roadway: my site total for the year now stands at 41 bird species

Notes from here
- both Pochard and Tufted Duck numbers increased again with birds sheltering in the lee of both the island and in the NW bay
and
- a rather odd sighting of an apparent new, presumed goose, egg on the island

Birds noted flying over
- 8 Jackdaws

The counts from the water
- 2 Mute Swans
- 2 Canada Geese
- 1 white feral goose
- 38 (28♂) Mallard
- 13 (12♂) Pochard
- 80 (54♂) Tufted Ducks
- 6 (1♂) Goosanders
- 3 Cormorants
- 1 Grey Heron yet again
- 2 Great Crested Grebes
- 4 Moorhens
- 16 Coots
- 38 Black-headed Gulls again

A fine drake Pochard. Hard to expose for both the vermiculations on back and the orange-brown head. Best I could do.
A raft of Tufted Ducks – mostly drakes – in the shelter of the island.

This drake Tufted Duck having a bad hair day. The contrast between the breeding condition blazing white flanks and the grey bill is not easy to see. Note the mauve / purple gloss on the head.
Even after he stopped preening his ‘tuft’ did not exactly return to a neat crest.

A preening quartet of duck Goosander.

One of the three Cormorants here.

Not sure what this is all about: I assume this is a new egg on the basis that one from last year would have been broken and eaten. I could have overlooked this sitting inside the island – but I rather doubt it. Species? I would guess a goose.

(Ed Wilson)

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On this day..........
2016
Priorslee Lake
Today's Sightings Here

 2015
Local Area
Today's Sightings Here

 2014
Priorslee Lake
1 female Velvet Scoter 
3 Scaup
(John Isherwood)

 Holmer Lake
1 Goosander
1 Little Grebe
(John Isherwood)

 2013
Little Wenlock, Candles Landfill Site
3 Caspian Gulls
Iceland Gull
3 Yellow-legged Gulls
(Tom Lowe)

 2012
Priorslee Lake
7 Great Crested Grebes
21 Pochard
59 Tufted Duck
1 Water Rail
3 Dunlin
c.200 Black-headed Gulls
c.120 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
1 Yellow-legged Gull
19 Herring Gulls
Glaucous Gull
3 Great Black-backed Gulls
(Ed Wilson, John Isherwood, Martin Grant, Andy Latham, Jim Almond)

 Priorslee Flash
1 Teal
64 Greylags
32 Tufted Ducks
c.400 Black-headed Gulls
65 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
17 Herring Gulls (Ed Wilson)

 Holmer Lake
40 Goosander
(John Isherwood)

 2011
Priorslee Lake
3 Yellow-legged Gull
Glaucous Gull
6 Pochard
25 Tufted Ducks
(Ed Wilson, Richard Vernon)

 2007
Priorslee Lake
1 Little Grebe
7 Pochard
29 Tufted Ducks
>200 Black-headed Gulls
113 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
7 Herring Gulls
107 Wood Pigeons
21 Wrens
40 Robins
26 Blackbirds
6 Fieldfares
10 Song Thrushes
10 Redwings
1 Willow Tit
54 Magpies
2 Reed Buntings
(Ed Wilson)

 2006
Priorslee Lake
c.450 Black-headed Gulls
c.650 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
26 Herring Gulls
1 Great Black-backed Gull.
10 Great Crested Grebes
16 Pochard
27 Tufted Ducks
168 Coots
200 Wood Pigeons
3 Redwings
2 Willow Tit
17 Siskin
5 Reed Buntings.
(Ed Wilson)