6 Mar 18

Priorslee Lake and The Flash

2.5°C > 4.5°C : Just a few breaks in the medium-level cloud. Light SW wind. Moderate visibility with a few misty patches.

Sunrise: 06:46 GMT

A bit of a shock this morning after two weeks in tropical Guyana in South America

Priorslee Lake: 05:50 – 09:00

(25th visit of the year)

The trees have now been planted on the prepared areas around the ‘football field’. Just foot-high spindly spikes in protective plastic shrouds. In the US they would have transplanted 25’ high monsters with huge root-bowls, but anything is better than nothing even if it will be several years before they become a real feature

Some lying snow patches and some lingering ice around the west end of the water

Notes from today:
- the resident cygnets went for a fly together again. The resident cob was chasing one of them in a rather half-hearted way – but then he was chasing most of the birds rather half-heartedly from time to time
- most of the Canada Geese in pairs again
- an adult Great Crested Grebe seen taking flight: not clear whether this was one of the six I counted going for a fly-about or a 7th bird
- 117 Black-headed Gulls flew from the W early with, at that time, most heading straight off E with no more than 15 on the water. Later many (all?) flew back with >65 counted at times on the water
- 112 of the 156 over-flying Wood Pigeons were as 20 singles or small groups all at ‘migration-height’, mainly heading N and before 07:00. The rest of the over-flights were low-level local movements
- all the Jackdaws I logged were in >20 groups of fewer than 20 birds, many to the far E. I may have missed any early large group
- 1 Sky Lark seen flying N: the other only heard. Another heard singing from the fields to the E – my first here this year
- a Goldcrest in song
- 4 Reed Buntings in song with two of these chasing each other around at the W end
and
- the lamps still empty after the big freeze
- a few rotten trees brought down by the snow have what seems to be the fungus Hairy Curtain Crust (Stereum hirsutum) growing on them

Today’s bird totals

Birds noted flying over / near the lake:
- 33 Canada Geese (9 groups outbound)
- 1 Grey Heron
- 19 Lesser Black-backed Gull
- 1 Feral Pigeon
- 156 Wood Pigeons
- >190 Jackdaws
- 4 Rooks
- 2 Skylarks
- 2 Siskins

Birds noted leaving roosts around the lake:
- 33 Magpies

The counts from the lake area
- 12 + 5 Mute Swans
- 10 Canada Geese
- 9 (5♂) Gadwall
- 4 (3♂) Mallard
- 20 (11♂) Tufted Ducks
- 1 Grey Heron
- 6? Great Crested Grebes (see notes)
- 10 Moorhens
- 93 Coots
- 117? Black-headed Gulls (see notes)
- 1 Kingfisher

This is one of the two male Reed Buntings singing and chasing at the W end. This is the scruffier of the two, not yet in full breeding plumage.

And here is the smarter-looking bird with blacker head.

I think this is the common fungus Hairy Curtain Crust (Stereum hirsutum).

(Ed Wilson)

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The Flash: 09:05 – 09:40

(14th visit of the year)

>75% iced over

Notes from today
- only 1 Mute Swan seen today: it is just possible the other bird was on the island, though the vegetation is very sparse at the moment and it seems unlikely that it could have hidden away
- highest count of Coots this winter – perhaps the ice had pushed them all out of the edge vegetation
- 2 Song Thrushes singing here
- first song from Chaffinch here this year

Birds noted flying over
- 3 Feral Pigeons

The counts from the water- 1 Mute Swan only
- 23 Canada Geese
- 1 white feral goose as usual
- 20 (13♂) Mallard
- 4 (4♂) Pochard
- 33 (19♂) Tufted Ducks
- 2 (0♂) Goosanders
- 2 Great Crested Grebes
- 5 Moorhens
- 23 Coots
- 34 Black-headed Gulls
- 1 Lesser Black-backed Gull

This adult Black-headed Gull, standing on the ice, is now in full breeding plumage with the dark hood and the bare parts (bill and legs) now a deeper red colour.

(Ed Wilson)

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

2017
Priorslee Lake
Today's Sightings Here

2015
Priorslee Lake
Today's Sightings Here

2014
Priorslee Lake
1 Mediterranean Gull
1 Yellow-legged Gull
(Gary Crowder)

Little Wenlock, Candles Landfill Site
1 Iceland Gull
1 Caspian Gull
(Tom Lowe)

2013
Priorslee Lake
1 Goldeneye
1 Shoveler
27 Wigeon
1 Great Black-backed Gull
2 Common Gull
(John Isherwood)

Nedge Hill
1 Raven
3 Lapwing
Linnet
Pheasant
Skylark
Yellowhammer
(John Isherwood)

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

2012
Priorslee Lake
2 Mute Swan
6 Great Crested Grebe
(Martin Grant)

2010
Priorslee Lake
7 Great Crested Grebes
6 Gadwall
36 Pochard
60 Tufted Duck
1 Barn Owl 
Stock Dove
c.25 Siskins
(Ed Wilson, John Isherwood)

2007
Priorslee Lake
12 Tufted Duck
332 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
1 Merlin
c.200 Wood Pigeon
(Martin Adlam)

2006
Priorslee Lake
1 Little Grebe
9 Great Crested Grebes
2 Herons
1 Teal
6 Pochard
44 Tufted Ducks
1 Ruddy Duck
106 Coots
1 Water Rail
c.450 Black-headed Gulls
c.410 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
26 Herring Gulls
275 Wood Pigeon
178 Jackdaws
27 Starlings
4 Redwings
16 Greenfinches
19 Siskins
3 Reed Buntings
(Ed Wilson)